New Evoque revealed-another sad day for the Range Rover name

[remington]

So it's officially revealed now, the 2012 "Range Rover" Evoque.
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/21/pari ... he-evoque/
Yes, that's right. Not the Land Rover Evoque. Oh no, that would be failing to milk all the goodwill built into the Range Rover name. It's got to be called a Range Rover Evoque with RANGE ROVER in giant letters all over it. Hey Tata, this thing is not a RANGE ROVER. I get that you have to build milquetoast weakling vehicles to meet CAFE regulations, but why oh why do you not see that every time you plaster the Range Rover name on a lesser vehicle, you are diluting the brand equity that has kept LR afloat the last 20 years. Such a short-sighted and foolish strategy.

Do you see Porsche plastering the 911 name off everything that rolls off the assembly line? Why didn't they call it the 911 Boxter or 911 Cayman? Because they understand that the history and legacy of the Marque means something, that it's the foundation of the company and that selling it for a few shillings by plastering it on everything they make would eventually rape it of all that it means. LR apparently chooses a quick buck instead. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked what the difference is between Range Rover and Land Rover. It's the company itself that is purposefully promoting this confusion! If they are so embarrassed by the Land Rover name why don't they just go ahead and change the company name to Range Rover and be done with it. Maybe they could license it to other manufacturers, I could buy my daughter a Ranger Rover Civic or a Range Rover Corolla, that would make it sound so much cooler.

"Hey, come check out my new RANGE ROVER evoque !!!". I can hear it now in 1,000 garages across the world.

Ok rant over.

[q-rover]

I'm lucky to be in the position to not be able to afford a new LR.
So I can pick and choose from the best they have made.

[umbertob]

Ah Porsche, yes of course. All cool soccer moms in L.A. have a Porsche. It's a baby blue V6 Cayenne alright, but a storied real Porsche nevertheless, it's plastered in big letters on its fat ass liftgate. I am not sure if Porsche understands or cares "that the history and legacy of the Marque means something." I think they understand money, like Land Rover and most other car companies, and are creatively trying to reinvent themselves to cater to a wider spectrum of customers and grab as much dough as they can before their competition does. They haven't sold out - they still make great sports cars and are laughing all the way to the bank while the purists cry bloody murder - not so much anymore, but they did. I don't think Land Rover is doing things very differently. Perhaps the Range Rover name has been / will be diluted and *******ized in the process (wasn't the Sport supposed to be the same brand equity killer five or six years ago?), but times have changed and so have customers' tastes.

[alsaamike]

Some of the just released images available in pretty good resolution at this link.
http://www.netcarshow.com/land_rover/20 ... er_evoque/

[umbertob]

Heck, I haven't seen or heard it yet, but I'm already jealous of the Evoque's Meridian sound system, I hope it trickles up to the Sport and FFRR one day.

They sure loaded it up to the gills with all kinds of toys, didn't they.

[umbertob]

Some official interior photos (also available in the link above by alsaamike), I think it looks great!

[alsaamike]

Reading the PR copy in the link in my previous post, it sounds impressive, but at what price? Trawling the web suggests $45,000 and up (in the US). Her indoors is planning to replace her Mini Cooper S with something larger in the next year. Waiting on to try out three upcoming vehicles namely Evoque, Countryman and X3. Main contender will probably be the Mini Countryman S All4, but also curious to drive the new X3 (when available) to see if the ride has improved. The Evoque is going to have some interesting competitors!

[umbertob]

Also reading the PR more closely, it would appear that the 2-wheel drive version will only be available as an option with a manual transmission on TD models, therefore not here in North America since we will only get the 2-liter i4 turbo gas engine and 6-speed auto.

[umbertob]

Trawling the web suggests $45,000 and up (in the US).

Cars.com says that should be the starting MSRP as well here. 45 grands might be a tough sell for a small 4-banger (in North America), even though it makes 240 hp and its interior has got acres of leather and tons of tech toys. But if it will offer substantially better mileage than the competition, who knows. According to reports from Europe, North America will get the 4-door version as well.

[rtkraken]

"The driver adopts a lower seating position than in one of the larger Range Rovers, offering a more sporting feel but retaining the important Command Driving Position. The result is more generous headroom than is traditionally found in many sporting saloons, despite the low-profile coupé roofline."

COME ON... REALLY? One of the most unique ergonomic features of our old beasts is the fantastic view coverage provided by the raised seating position. Do they really expect someone to buy into this BS? Those narrow windows and low profile roof will only leave the driver buried in a leather lined bunker. Good luck navigating "off road".

[umbertob]

Look at the bright side, it does come with FIVE surround cameras. I reckon you will need at least 3 of them to back her up without hitting something.

[RRToadHall]

I reckon you will need at least 3 of them to back her up without hitting something.

Sounds like a gal I saw at the grocer this morning.

[Tim (Scotland)]

On the plus side, its smaller and lighter than a Classic.

I'm also quite happy that the sneaky slice of interior that was visible on the launch night is just the same as the production interior.
This means that Victoria Beckham ("i'm really looking forward to working with Land Rover") had nothing to do with it.

Look out for a body kit (to give it a pouty face) in the future though.

[rtkraken]

One problem with the light weight approach... no dig in for traction.

I've got a 4 Runner in the flock. Lovely little vehicle, till things start getting slippery (ie snow). It's got 4 wheel traction control and anti sid skid, etc. While it's as good as it can be with 4 controlled and monitored wheels working to keep hold, it still doesn't hold a candle to the sheer weight and dig in of a "Proper Rover" when the going gets slippery.

I'll admit the Evoque looks to be a sexy little number, but it will be in the already over-produced league of Mommy speedsters. Just another poser trying to surplant an admittedly uneconomical, but truly capable, off road vehicle.

It's a sad, but probably necessary, evolutionary change for our Range Rover.

[gooseyloosey]

This vehicle seems to evoque strong opinions among the RR cognoscenti.