calibre motoring
EVOQUE-ING THE LRX Matthew Carter gives us the lowdown on the latest Range Rover
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t’s been a long wait but the newest Land Rover is just about upon us. The Range Rover Evoque, developed from the LRX concept car that broke cover at the Detroit motor show back in January 2008, is finally due on sale from September. Despite the delay, Land Rover’s designers have resisted the temptation to tinker with the design too much; Evoque remains faithful to the striking concept, right down to the dramatic sloping roof line of the three door version. Significantly, this baby Rangie will be available in 2WD as well as 4WD, the first Land Rover product without all wheel drive. It’s a tacit admission that not everyone who owns a 4x4 gets its wheels muddy. Available in ‘coupé’ form (LR’s description of the three door version, which frankly is
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stretching it a bit) or as a more practical five door, Evoque will be available with a choice of one petrol and three diesel engines. The three ‘design themes’ are Pure (the entry level version), Prestige (luxury) and Dynamic (sporting). Although there are still five months to go before it hits the streets, Land Rover has already announced prices. The five door Pure eD4 150hp diesel with 2WD will cost £27,955 (that’s £1k less than the three door), while the top-of-the-range, petrol-powered, 240hp Si4 Dynamic Coupé with an automatic ’box, four-wheel drive and all the bells and whistles of a LUX options pack (on-board TV, panoramic glass roof, 825W sound system), will be a hefty £44,320. Well, since when has a Range Rover ever been cheap? n