As if the four-cylinder in the plug-in hybrid Range Rover weren’t shocking enough, Jaguar Land Rover simply installs a three-cylinder in the plug-in versions of the Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque.
It remains a bit of a separate thing, such a Range Rover Evoque. Not only because of its striking bodywork, which certainly did not become less special at the 2018 generation change, but the positioning of the model is also special. The Evoque is the smallest car in the Range Rover range. Land Rover has been explicitly pursuing its own path recently when it comes to the powertrain. The three-cylinder has been on the rise lately, but in an SUV of this caliber we have not encountered it before. The 1.5-liter Ingenium turbo engine in the Evoque is basically a two-liter four-cylinder with a cylinder cut from it. The engine can also be found in the petrol entry-level P160, but delivers 40 hp more in the P300e than in the base model. In addition, the block here receives assistance from an electric motor, which provides the rear axle with another 109 hp. The result: 309 hp and 540 Nm. Very healthy figures, even for a car that at 2,157 kg is another 365 kg heavier than its conventionally driven brother. The Evoque is basically a front wheel drive with an electrically driven rear axle.
Lead heavy
Electric driving keeps the Range Rover for almost 40 kilometers. He runs his engine almost continuously with an empty battery. Fortunately, the sound that the three-cylinder produces is not unpleasant. By the way, do not expect the Range Rover with its three-cylinder to be an economy miracle, because on pure petrol, the test consumption was quite high with less than 1:10. The fact that the Evoque P300e is very heavy is noticeable on the road. Land Rover makes little effort to sweep the kilos under the table and gives the Evoque a comfortable chassis. All chances of light-heartedness are therefore resolutely overboard, but that is not necessarily negative. Because of that weight, the British SUV feels bigger, tougher and more unyielding than its appearance suggests. The steering wheel is large and the steering quite indirect, but with sufficient feeling. On the highway, the car glides comfortably over bumps. At a lower speed, the combination of a high center of gravity, a ditto weight and a relatively short wheelbase sometimes takes its toll and short ledges are less smoothly eliminated. The Brit has a lane assist that can be easily operated with a button on the steering wheel. In the Evoque, the electronic safety net unfortunately sometimes causes you to swing earlier, so that it often remains switched off in practice.
Modern and sleek
The Range Rover’s dashboard still looks fresh and modern. Sleek, without unnecessary frills, but that makes it a tidy whole. The test car does not yet have the new PIVI infotainment, so unfortunately we can say little about how it works. The optional Touch Pro Duo screens are already present. The top screen is then tiltable – electrically of course – and is supplemented by a second copy lower on the center console. This serves primarily for climate control, but also provides insight into the different driving modes, for example. The whole is quite sensitive to fingerprints and dust, but looks very modern and sleek. A fully digital set of instruments is available, but not standard. Those who do not have it will receive two analog clocks and a digital part. The Evoque also offers space for 472 liters of luggage, which is just as much as a conventionally powered model. Low CO2 emissions make the Range Rover an attractive purchase. The P300e is available from just € 61,000 and is therefore only about € 1,700 more expensive than an equally equipped P160, which has roughly half the power.