THERE’S something very different about the 2018 Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic when you compare it to other offerings in its small to mid-sized SUV class. It’s got a real style about it. Not only that, it’s luxurious and it’s powerful.
Code named the Si4 P290 for its petrol power plant and its 290ps (or 213kW) of power, it offers up a genuine performance SUV option. That engine is a new turbocharged 4-cylinder Ingenium motor that’s loaded with 400Nm of torque.
It’s married to a 9-speed automatic transmission which takes the popular Jaguar Land Rover gear selection dial to a new level, sat centre mounted in a funky looking angled centre console that has great storage, including a hidden compartment.
It’s also got a low centre of gravity and for that reason you can throw it around more than say the 2018 Jaguar E-PACE, with which it shares its base, and it’s also less rugged than its other sibling, the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Thanks to the full Dynamic package that’s on tap as well, its ride and handling are exceptional. With the way it steers, and the sheer level of comfort from the interior, it would be equally suited as a performance car or on long cruises.
It’s got a decent boot space, at 575-litres, which turns into 1,445-litres when you drop the back seats. They don’t lay flat though, which some could find frustrating. Rear leg room is definitely adequate, if not great, but you won’t be uncomfortable on a long drive.
The Meridian sound system is solid, the infotainment system easy to use. In fact it’s one of the better ones we’ve come across. It’s bright and clear and simple enough to get lost playing with. The Bluetooth was great quality, and super quick to connect.
There are a host of ambient lighting choices, and who doesn’t love switching things up in the dark, but we were baulked by the SatNav system. All we will say is don’t dare go a different way to what it wants you to go; it had several moments when we did so.
One of the coolest things about the Evoque though is the interior colour schemes, and our 2018 Evoque HSE Dynamic was no exception, with the Ebony/Vintage Tan Windsor leather option in place.
There are 12 interior looks to choose from, but we reckon this one, and Ebony/Pimento just ooze style. The other 10 include Lunar/Ivory, Lunar/Ice, Ebony/Ivory, plain Ebony, Lunar/Cirrus.
It also comes in 11 exterior colours, including Fuji White, Narvik Black, Indus Silver, Corris Grey, Santorini Black, Loire Blue, Kaikoura Stone, Firenze Red, Yulong White, Silicon Silver and Carpathian Grey.
Out of the box it hits the road at $93,000 plus on roads, or just over, but add in the multitude of add-ons and you can kiss that price goodbye. That’s one of the issues with cars from Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover though, added costs.
All the sexy bits cost more money, in a nutshell, and even some not so sexy bits, that should probably be standard for a car that cost $93,000 to begin with. Our test vehicle was fitted with the Black pack, giving us nice 20-inch wheels over the standard 19s.
It also gave us the black grille and a bunch of other black bits. We had the Advanced Driver Assist pack on board as well, adding blind spot monitor, auto parking and some nice camera tweaks, as well as digital radio.
There was also a few other driver and technology add-ins that further enhanced the overall experience of driving the Evoque, all of which come at a cost. With some messing about, it would be easy to break the $123,000 barrier for your new HSE Dynamic.
We also had some minor electronic hiccups along the way, including the blind spot monitor thinking that the centre concrete barrier on the M1 between Sydney and the NSW Central Coast was a car, and blinking excitedly to tell us so.
All that aside, and even countering the fact there’s no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on an otherwise awesome infotainment system, we’d have a 2018 Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic in the driveway; it’s way too much fun to drive, either quickly or cruising.
Our test vehicle was provided by Jaguar Land Rover Australia. To find out more about the 2018 Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic, contact your local Land Rover dealer.
