It has fast become the darling of the suburban set, maybe due to the amount of press it has received, the very well publicised 'design' involvement of Victoria 'don't call me posh' Beckham or maybe, as I think, because it is gorgeous.
The sculpted lines of the bodywork feel better suited to the Paris catwalk than muddy country lanes but RR assure us this supermodel is as comfortable in Hunter wellies as Laboutin stilettos.
The reviews confirm that – with a small tweak in the shape of a change of tyres the Evoque will hold its own across rough ground, using a similar intelligent terrain setting seen in all new Range Rovers.
I decided a quick jaunt down to Bournemouth and its surrounds on the south coast of England would offer a good testing ground for the car; Sandbanks to the left of me, Moor Valley to the right, here I am, stuck in the Beaulieu Motor Museum with you (sorry, I couldn't resist).
Before I got down to the south coast's answer to the Riveria there was a matter of a few motorway miles to eat up. The Evoque handled these with aplomb. It was smooth and suitably firm once 'motorway' setting had been selected with a flick of the control wheel; the car hunkering down for better stability and a deep red glow illuminating the instrument panel.
The SD4 2.2 ltr diesel engine offered the right amount of power when needed and once activated, the cruise control gently hummed along with little to no audible intrusion in the cabin.
As you would expect from any Range Rover the interior is a delightful place to be. Bordered with brushed aluminium, grey oak wood and Ebony leather seats more comfortable than most country pub arm chairs! I was ferrying three grown men besides myself and although there probably wasn't as much space as you would expect in the rear seats, the general reaction was good, especially in relation to the ride quality.
Praise was further heaped in the direction of the glass panoramic roof. The auto blinds really give the feeling of lifting the lid on the car, taking the edge of what could otherwise be quite a claustrophobic space.
To top the interior off, the 825 watt meridian audio system and dual view TV/sat nav screen kept the 'kids' quiet so I could crack on with the drive.
A smug smile spread across my lips as they discussed how cool the TV was. This system can be found across the whole Range Rover/Jaguar range and I for one am a huge fan. Easy to use (yes, even the voice recognition) and stinking of quality, I once again doff my cap to the manufacturers.
Once cruising the Bournemouth one-way systems the car proved itself easy to use with great manoeuvrability and smooth six-speed auto box selecting the best gear for the given driving situation.
One of the crowning features of the baby Range is the park assist system and it certainly 'evoqued' a 'wow' from me. Most of these systems I have come across on other cars are, well for want of a better word, rubbish! Not so here. One push of button, a drive past the space so the computer can do its black magic and then whoosh... the Evoque slides itself into the gap with the driver simply controlling the speed with the foot brake.
Get out, walk around and it has perfectly placed the car, the kerb just far enough away for the laser cut wheels to mock where many an alloy has come a cropper. I actually drove around for an hour looking for increasingly difficult spaces to test the machine – needless to say it nailed it every time.
Out into the beautiful surrounds of the New Forest and the car continued to woo me. On arriving at a particularly busy car park I was left with the choice of joining a lemming like parade of cars circling for spaces or utilising the space designed for the Evoque, on a 30% gradient bank... up the car went.
Box ticked for 'off road', its ability further condoned by the applause I got from spectators and one older gent informing everyone 'Well that's what they are designed to do!'
The beauty of the Range Rover Evoque speaks for itself but the performance and economy has been questioned on some forums I have looked on, especially the economy of the models endowed with the petrol engine. I can honestly say I saw no problem with the economy of the diesel 2.2ltr. Admittedly it wasn't quite the mid to high 40mpg performance of the likes of the new Toyota Rav 4, but I saw a return of high 30's mpg and I wasn't trying to drive conservatively.
Actually, this car is anything but conservative! It represents a new, cooler edge to Range Rover and will undoubtedly be remembered for its effortless style and panache when it has been superseded in years to come.
Let's face it, £39,995 basic price is not an insignificant amount and our tester came with the Lux Pack for a further £4,425 which pretty much covers all the extras you would need bar the Adaptive Dynamics (£1,150) and Bi-Xenon headlights (£305).
It's obvious that people are willing to pay this price, just look at how many Evoques you see on the road! Where do I stand? Well the build quality speaks for itself and justifies the price compared to its competitors in my opinion.
I imagine that the majority of Evoque buyers may be purchasing this car caring more about style than the substance. The important thing to remember is first and foremost this is a Range Rover – the substance is inherent in this car's DNA something which I can vouch for. The style, for me, is just a bonus.
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