Occasionally a single model is responsible for catapulting a brand with a niche following into one which has a much wider appeal. A classic example is Land Rover, a favorite amongst off-roading enthusiasts for decades, the company still makes one of the most luxurious and capable terrain conquerors but it lets you do that when looking really cool. I am talking about the Range Rover Evoque a model which raised the Oomph factor for SUV’s and its brand through the roof. This week saw the launch of the 2016 Range Rover Evoque in the country, the latest avatar gets new bumpers, slimmer LED lamps and larger intakes which make the luxury SUV look even more sportier.
On the inside the cabin gets mood lighting, a better and more responsive infotainment system with support for gesture controls, new seats, massage function (only on the highest trim) and more opulent soft-touch materials. On the rear the LED taillights are a bit sharper and a neat automatic tail gate opener which can be triggered by waving your foot underneath the bumper is included for added shopping convenience. While the overseas models get the new 2.0 liter Ingenium engine our market will get the old 2.2 liter oil burner which delivers 187 bhp and 420 nM of torque. The AWD comes with a 9 speed ZF transmission.
Being assembled locally the car comes with a very attractive pricing to take on its German and Swede rivals.
But when it comes to sheer looks it is highly doubtful if any rival will be able to hold its ground against this one.
The pricing for the 2016 Range Rover Evoque which includes a 3 year service plan and warranty is as follows –
Range Rover Evoque Pure: INR 47.1 lakh
Range Rover Evoque SE: INR 52.9 lakh
Range Rover Evoque HSE: INR 57.7 lakh
Range Rover Evoque HSE Dynamic: INR 63.2 lakh