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What you need to know: The Range Rover Evoque actually started life as the LRX concept car from 2008. Completely overwhelmed by the public’s approval, Land Rover simply had to build it; the first Evoques appeared in 2011 and are a huge success for the brand.
So huge, in fact, that now every Landy looks like an Evoque. The car that gave everything else its face was built on the Freelander Mk2 platform so it isn’t really a Range Rover.
I love the Range Rover Evoque and I’m sure you do too. If you weren’t a fan, you wouldn’t be reading this anyway. The favourite slander this poor vehicle endures is for its outlandish looks and usually culminates in utterances to the tune of “looks like a baby elephant sat on it!”
Some people like to drive something a little ‘different’, a little more avant-garde if you wish. Some people prefer to drive a car that makes them stand out from the crowd on the highway – that makes people wonder about their tastes and choice. Some people like to proclaim their individuality beyond the clothes they choose to wear and what or where they eat. Some people want more from their car design than most. Those people would drive a Range Rover Evoque.
I’ve always thought that the Landrover Freelander looked a bit like the odd horse out in the Landy stable – it was just a little bit strange-looking and didn’t fit either the mould of the rough and ready Defender or the more luxurious Discovery. It seemed to hang in there like an uncomfortable third wheel. But no more.
Most people in South Africa associate luxury vehicles with the three German manufacturers that dominate this market sector. However, I’ve recently become a fan of the latest offerings from Japan. This move was spearheaded by Toyota with Lexus now fairly established in the country but Nissan’s new Infiniti brand is no less impressive.
International motor shows usually feature a few concept cars to show the press and public what designers would have built if cost and practicality weren’t an issue. Most of these outrageous concepts disappear back into obscurity but a select few make an almost unscathed jump to production.
Vandat die Range Rover Evoque verlede jaar op die mark gekom het, het dit wêreldwyd groot belangstelling uitgelok en was dit met hoë verwagtings dat ek die Evoque onlangs in ontvangs geneem het.