You would have to have been stuck under a rock for the last few years to have never heard of the Range Rover Evoque.

Yes, this is the car you have probably seen stood next to Victoria Beckham at fashion shows and car events. It’s desirable, affordable, fairly efficient and, upon its launch in 2011, the Evoque became the new benchmark for crossover SUVs, offering somewhat of an evolved take on the successful Nissan Qashqai.

As it is on the premium side however, the Evoque is up against models like the BMW X3 and Audi Q3. A minor facelift in 2015 gave the Evoque some fresh appeal, with the update’s key addition being a new Ingenium diesel. So let’s see if the Evoque still belongs in the same ring as its German rivals.

Performance

The Evoque comes with two engines, comprised of one 237bhp 2.0-litre petrol unit and the new 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel, which comes with either 148bhp or 178bhp. This new Ingenium unit replaces a 2.2-litre turbodiesel.

The petrol engine – mated to an automatic transmission – is the most powerful in the range, clearing 62mph in 7.1 seconds and reaching a top speed of 125mph on the three-door coupe. The petrol is the racier choice by far.

Although the Ingenium diesel isn’t as nippy – completing the 0-60 sprint in 10.6 seconds – it still offers plenty of low down torque, with 380Nm on tap when you hit 1,500rpm. The 148bhp Ingenium is also far superior when it comes to fuel economy, but we will come to that in a minute.

Ride and Handling

Steering wise, the Evoque is balanced and well weighted which means it’s neither too soft – as some SUV’s can be on the road – or too firm.

Although it has a slick sloping coupe roofline, the Evoque is still a tall car, meaning there is a bit of body roll around corners – this can be disconcerting at high speeds. Steering wise, the Evoque is balanced and well weighted which means it’s neither too soft – as some SUV’s can be on the road – or too firm. That means the ride and handling of the Evoque is ok if nothing special, until you get it off road where it’s brilliant. The Evoque certainly wears the Range Rover badge proud off-road, with Land Rover’s fabled all-terrain technology taking over, with features like Hill Descent proving particularly useful. Don’t let its looks fool you, it can still handle the rough stuff.

Interior and Equipment

Fashion icon and ex-Spice Girl Victoria Beckham was involved in the interior design process of the Range Rover Evoque.

The interior is about as plush a place to be as you could wish for thanks to a wide range of high-quality materials and surfaces, brilliantly laid out. Carrying the Range Rover moniker, you’d expect the Evoque to come kitted to the hilt, and that’s exactly what it is. As standard it comes with DAB digital radio, an eight-inch touchscreen system, MP3 compatibility, Bluetooth, heated front seats, cruise control and climate control. Further up the range, with Prestige, Dynamic and Lux models, there’s a much wider range of toys and gadgets including rear-view camera technology with dual-screen capability. One of the major additions, as part of the facelift, is the new InControl Touch system, which offers a much more intuitive set-up than the old system. Useful features include a range of downloadable apps that seamlessly sync with your phone and a tool that allows you to shortcut your favourite functions to the main menu. The three-door Evoque is the one that shuns a little more practicality for a little more desirability; that means space is at a premium if you’re not in the front two seats. It’s difficult to get into the back for a start and without the huge sunroof, the rear is gloomy and cramped. There is however a fairly large boot – worth 550-litres with the seats up and 1,350 with them down – and plenty of storage options throughout. There is certainly more storage space than the Audi Q3.

Cost

The entry level Evoque is priced just less than the X3, but you will likely be climbing over the £30k mark when you have finished picking your desired trim and engine.

One of the reasons the Evoque was so eagerly anticipated was its fuel economy as it is far better than anything previously on offer from Land Rover and especially on its Range Rover models. The most efficient model is the 148bhp 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel as it emits just 113g/km of CO2, a big improvement of the previously available 2.2-litre diesel and its 129g/km figure. The 148bhp Ingenium also claims an average of around 60mpg – realistically you should get around 55mpg. The entry level Evoque is priced just less than the X3, but you will likely be climbing over the £30k mark when you have finished picking your desired trim and engine.

Our Verdict

When it comes to compact SUVs – style and interior quality are key. The Evoque has both of these plus a decent drive, efficiency and practicality. And, not to go on about it, but it is probably one of the most attractive SUVs ever produced. That’s not to say the Evoque is perfect. It may not be as enthralling as some of its competitors on the asphalt, but its ‘very Range Rover’ off-road character is pretty much unbeatable when it comes to rivalling models. If you are in the market for a cool-looking SUV with some bragging rights to go along with it – which in this case is the fact that you own a Range Rover – then the Evoque is spot on.