2022 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Despite being one of the smallest vehicles in the Land Rover lineup, the Evoque is instantly recognizable as a member of the Range Rover family. The sleek headlights and blacked-out pillars that frame all the windows are telltale Range-Rover styling traits. Like other new Range Rovers, the Evoque features deploying door handles. When locked or in motion, they retract, which helps with aerodynamics and contributes to the sleek overall aesthetic. But one has to wonder if (or when) one of these will break, or what will happen to these powered door handles if the battery dies. All four wheels are pushed to the corners, giving the Evoque a sporty, dynamic appearance. As we’ll later explain, it also contributes to the vehicle’s handling properties.

The clean, modern design theme continues inside the Evoque. The infotainment screen is nestled into the dash, which features straight lines and is angled in such a way that it all flows down into the center console driver controls. The gun-handle-style shifter is placed directly in the center console, which aids the clean design, but as we’ll explain later, lacks additional functionality.

The cabin features plenty of metallic trim. This contributes to the Evoque’s upscale presence, but returns lots of distracting glare in sunny conditions. The center console controls are a combination of touch-capacitive elements and digital dials. Once again, this looks sharp, but leaves something to be desired from a functionality standpoint.

Trims for the Range Rover Evoque are S, R-Dynamic S, SE, R-Dynamic SE, and HST. The base S trim comes incredibly well equipped, including features such as 18-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, a 12-way power-adjustable front seat, 10-way front-passenger seat, remote keyless entry, a partially digital instrument panel, dual-zone automatic climate control, two USB ports, and wireless device charging. It also comes standard with a 10-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

We drove the R-Dynamic S, which features many of the same features as the S, and builds on it with unique styling elements. These include dark wheels, dark exterior accents, steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and metal pedals.

There are a number of packages and options available for the S and R-Dynamic S. For example, our treat model came equipped with the Cold Climate Pack ($650) with a heated windshield, heated steering wheel, and heated headlight and windshield sprayer jets. It also came with the Blind Spot Assist Pack ($630), including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Land Rover’s Clear Exit Monitor. Standalone options on our test model included 20-inch wheels ($1,850), dual-panel panoramic moonroof ($1,800), and the upgraded Meridian sound system ($350).

The SE trim adds memory seat settings, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel, and a Meridien premium stereo system. This trim also upgrades the infotainment system to the larger 10-inch power-tilting touchscreen and adds a lower touchscreen for climate and driver controls. The R-Dynamic SE includes all of these features, as well as the unique styling elements of the R-Dynamic S.

The HST is the range-topping trim. It features an upgraded powertrain, 20-inch alloy wheels, unique LED headlights, and similar styling elements to the D-Design trims. The HST also adds a heated steering wheel, suede headliner, and a suede steering wheel.

The Range Rover Evoque comes equipped with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in two variants: P250 and P300. The P250’s engine makes 246 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. The P300 incorporates a mild-hybrid setup that makes a combined 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. Both engines route power through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all-wheel drive (AWD).

We drove the P250 powertrain, which provides solid acceleration in most driving scenarios. It has good pickup around town and can scoot along at highway speeds. Clicking the shifter to the left engages Sport mode, which delivers quicker acceleration and holds shifts longer, but it is not overly aggressive. In addition to the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, the center console shifter has a manual tap mode. Like true race cars and performance vehicles, you tap forward to downshift pull back on it to upshift.

The Evoque strikes the perfect balance of handling ability and on-road comfort. The suspension easily soaks up potholes and bumps in the road, but it does so without sacrificing cornering and handling abilities. Body roll through off-ramps and turns is minimal, and the steering is well-weighted and precise.

Pressing the icon in the center console cues up Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 drive mode system. The left climate control dial converts to the toggle for this system, and it includes the following drive modes: Auto, Snow, Sand, Grass, Gravel, and Mud and Ruts. The Evoque’s capability is far different from the brute strength of a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. Instead, the AWD, traction control, and braking all work in unison to deliver these multiple drive modes. Despite having road-oriented tires, the Evoque is capable when getting off the beaten path. With 8.35 inches of ground clearance and the wheels pushed to all four corners, the Evoque also has the under-body geometry to tackle obstacles.

In addition to these features, the Evoque features All-Terrain Progress Control and Hill Descent Control. Together, they act like cruise control for the trail. The Evoque also has a sensor that can tell how deep you are if you’ve driven into a river. Will owners use these features routinely? Perhaps not, but it’s terrific to know you can venture out where other small luxury SUVs might turn back.

The Evoque provides a total of 50.6 cubic feet of interior space, which is typical for a small luxury SUV. With the rear seats in use, the Evoque’s 21.6 cubic feet of cargo space is also average for the segment. A power rear liftgate is standard equipment and you can get a hands-free power liftgate as part of an $800 Convenience Package.

The driver has a commanding view of the road thanks to a comfortable, yet upright seating position. There are decent spaces for items in the door, in the center console, and even space underneath the shifter area. In fact, the only major issue is the poor use of real estate around the shifter. This could be a terrific area for your wallet, keys, and/or phone, but it goes unused.

While the front seats are comfortable and spacious, the rear seats are tight, especially for taller occupants. The legroom is lacking and the sloping roof cuts in on headroom.

Our test vehicle featured the entry-level 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system. It is recessed into the dash, which allows you to brace your hand on the frame around the screen when using it. This system has fantastic graphics and a sensible layout. It includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the icon for these popular phone-projection apps presents in a helpful location on the main screen that is easy to locate.

The upgraded infotainment system is also 10 inches, but as mentioned, is a power-tilting screen that rises to meet the driver’s right hand. When the car is turned off, the screen tilts away. The screen layout is similar to that of the base infotainment system. The big changes with this upgraded offering come in the lower area of the center console. The touch-capacitive panel is replaced with a touchscreen with a similar layout. Pressing a button for a particular system (such as climate or vehicle controls) cues up a different screen and the dials are repurposed for toggling within that screen. With both the base and upgraded system, pressing the climate temperature dials turns them into the heated (and ventilated where available) seat controls.

The Evoque is also available with the optional ClearSight Ground View system. It provides a crisp view of the trail ahead. This is helpful in an SUV where you still have to consider certain obstacles when taking to the trail.

Standard driver assistance features on the Evoque include automatic emergency braking, forward collision avoidance, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, traffic sign recognition, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and driver drowsiness monitoring. It also comes standard with front-and-rear parking sensors.

Buyers can opt for additional safety tech such as automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree parking monitor. Another option is the Clear Exit Monitor, which uses the blind-spot sensor to detect upcoming traffic when parallel parked. If it senses oncoming traffic, it will sound an alert.

The P300 mild-hybrid powertrain returns fuel economy of 21 mpg city, 26 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined. The non-hybrid P250 returns fuel economy of 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined. The Range Rover Evoque requires premium fuel.

Base MSRP for the 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque is $45,000 for the S trim and $49,500 for the SE trim. The Evoque R-Dynamic trim starts at $46,400 for the S and $51,100 for the R-Dynamic SE. The range-topping P300 HST starts at $55,300. The Evoque is backed by a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty.

With all of the options and packages, our R-Dynamic S clocked in at $54,690. Considering it’s a stone’s throw from the range-topping HST, that seems a bit steep. But on the other hand, that’s now par for the course among other well-equipped small SUVs like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class, and Volvo XC40. The base price is on the high side for the segment, however, its long list of standard features helps to justify that price.

The Evoque is something of a paradox. Considering its off-road capability, one would expect it to have a more utilitarian cabin. For that, you may want to check out a fully-loaded Ford Bronco Sport. But the Evoque delivers its capability with Land Rover’s own brand of interior comfort. And few vehicles–if any–deliver the combination of the on-road and off-road performance of a Range Rover. Despite its smaller size, that artful combination extends to the Range Rover Evoque.