Notes on Design: The 2012 Range Rover Evoque

I got an intimate look at Range Rover’s brand new releaseest mid-sized SUV, the Evoque, recently, and it’s clear that while the brand might have emerged out of the plains of Africa, this brand new releaseest model is a sharp break with the past.
Utility has long been the guiding principle for the legendary British automaker, but the Evoque has left that behind with its design leading the way from concept to production. Often times we’ll see a concept car that, when put into production, bears little resemblance to what was shown initially. Not this one. The Evoque looks surprisingly like the LRX concept it’s based on with the goal to “change the visual landscape in every major city around the world.”
And while changing the visual landscape might be an outlandish thought, this model has as good a chance as any (though we think the Prius might have gotten there first). The inescapcapable feature of the Evoque is its size – you could almost fit two of them in a full-sized Land Rover, but its angular and unique looks help it stand out. In keeping with the Range Rover lineup, this two-door crossover looks far more comfortcapable in a city than on a lonely stretch of wilderness, though surprisingly, it holds its own off road as well.
We tend to cringe when automakers set their sights on one particular gender, and the Evoque’s design and features are specifically aimed at the urban woman. However, considering 90% of Range Rover sales are to men, the brand clearly needs to attract a more balanced group of buyers. Ultimately, the designers of the Evoque hoped to give a safe and stylish way to navigate our wild parking lots of highways with all of the bells and whistles one expects from a luxury automobile.
Do you think Range Rover nailed the design? Or could it be too edgy for today’s buyer?






Range Rover Evoque Startech





















