2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Review: Evolutionary outside but revolutionary inside

[MUSIC] The original Range Rover Evoke debuted for 2012 and was a hit. Sporting a fresh and modern design, the gateway Range Rover model would go on to sell more than 800,000 copies worldwide. But after a run that spanned eight mile years it was right for a makeover which is what you see here in the new 20 20 evoke. To not mess with success. The new evoke visually doesn't stray too far from the original. The wedge shape and taping roofline remain but are joined by slimmer lighthouses that seem to be all the rage now with numerous automakers and flush power door handles to further clean up matters. The result is a distinctive and attractive design with a hint of aggression, thanks to the car's mammoth 21-inch wheels, and are dynamic touches, like the darkened grill, badges, body color bumpers, and various burnt copper trim pieces. I'm also a fan of the Nolita gray paint job, which is an exclusive shade on this first edition model. [MUSIC] Inside there's a drastic improvement in quality which is a good thing because the stuff inside the old car wasn't a strong suit. There's a lot of different materials sprinkled throughout including a large amount of stitched and padded surfaces, leather and dark aluminum trim. Everything looks good is high quality and is now worthy of the Range Rover name. Upfront it's spacious enough with comfortable seats while the rear gains a little bit of leg room thanks to a slightly longer wheelbase though headroom is still a little tight because of a sloping roof line. There's an uptick in cargo space too with a wider trunk offering 21.5cubic feet of space. Which grows to 50.5 when you have the rear seats folded. [MUSIC] The cabin is uncluttered being without physical controls, Land Rover's latest in control touch pro dual [INAUDIBLE] system is mainly the reason And for that they use is two ten inch touchscreens to control navigation, a ten speaker media auto system, wi-fi hotspot. And both Apple car play and android auto. The lower screen thankfully has a couple of dials and a legit volume knob. Which keeps me happy I personally like lots of good old fashioned hard controls but the touch screens do feature clear menu layouts are responsive to input and the few hard controls it does have combined for into the set-up. But for a closer look at touch pro duo and all the evoque safety technologies we have a separate tech check video for that. One of the biggest bits of news for the new Evoke is the arrival of a 296 horsepower hybrid four cylinder drivetrain. But all first editions just get the standard two liter turbo charged four with 246 horsepower and 269 pound feet of torque that bolts to a new nine speed automatic transmission, that with all wheel drive, returns an EPA estimated 20 miles per gallon the city and 27 miles per gallon. On the highway in terms of power, I've got no complaints. There's no boost lag. It's slightly off the line particularly when you have dynamic modes selected with peak torque at your service from just 1300 RPM and stays there to 4500. The gearbox is a little bit different. It offers rapid world time shifts, but I've experienced a number of Jerky launches, which is a disappointment. [MUSIC] Dynamically the Evoque is a competent handler with adaptive. [UNKNOWN] Responsive and weighty steering, big old 21 inch plate tires and strong brakes. There's a little bit of body roll prior to the suspension taking a set and turn in before it constantly tracks through corners. And it changes directions quickly, too. It doesn't quite have the reflexes of, say, a Porsche Macan, but you can certainly have some fun here slinging it around. But the biggest surprise here is how well this rides on these tires. In comfort Remote impacts from small to medium bumps are mostly gobbled up. Yeah you're still gonna feel something over the bigger stuff but it's far from violent and uncomfortable and there's not much tire noise to speak of. But that said kudos to the Land Rover HRC team. For a job well done. [SOUND] The 2020 Range Rover Evoque begins at $42,650 making it many thousand dollars more to start than things like the BMW X1, Lexus NX, Mercedes CLA, and Volvo XC40. This very well equipped first edition here is even pricier island with a couple of options and whereas a fifty nine thousand dollar price tag. But compared to its similarly sized competitors the Evoque is the most upscale and fashionable of the bunch. With some real off-road chops for those who care about that kind of stuff. This Range Rover is starting price premium may be worth it. [SOUND]