Used Range Rover Evoque long-term test: report 2
Does plug-in hybrid power make sense in a hard-working small SUV? And is nearly-new the best way to buy it? We're finding out...
The car Range Rover Evoque R-Dynamic HSE 1.5 plug-in hybrid AWD Run by John Bradshaw, chief photographer
Why it’s here To find out whether this plug-in hybrid SUV really is at home in town as it is in the countryside, and whether nearly-new is the way to buy one
Needs to be fuel efficient in town and on the road alike, and as indulgent as it is practical
Mileage 3589 List price new (2023) £55,560 Price new with options £57,795 Value now £35,180 Official economy 189.4mpg Test economy 39.1mpg
8 February 2024 – Holding back the years
I’m not one for trading my iPhone in for the latest version as soon as it becomes available; as far as I’m concerned, my trusty blower does the job as well as I could ask. My used Range Rover Evoque, too, has now been replaced by a facelifted version, so should I have held out for the cutting edge?
Well, I’m not so sure. From where I’m sitting, the pre-facelift Evoque does very little to draw your eyes to its wrinkles. I’ve been inspecting the interior closely for areas of complacency, to no avail; they’re either soft and appealing to the touch (most areas in your eyeline or where your fingers frequently roam) or convincingly metallic (the surround to the gear selector and the grilles over the stereo’s tweeters). Only in out-of-the-way places, like down the sides of the seats, are things more utilitarian, if still perfectly usable.
In fact, my Evoque scores over the latest in one regard; the latter doesn’t have physical dials for the climate control. Mine has two, one to control the interior temperature for the driver, another for the passenger, and they’re terrifically easy to adjust on the move. The same dial also controls the heat setting for the heated seats (albeit you have to select the seat heating icon first, but that’s always on display anyway).
Speaking of heated seats, those and the heated steering wheel (standard with R-Dynamic HSE spec, which has become Dynamic HSE in the updated Evoque) are a real treat when stepping in from outdoor photography sessions, particularly when you consider that I can't operate my camera with gloves on.
Equally welcome in these colder months is the heated front windscreen. This is something that I feel should be standard on every car. Not only does it spell the end of miserable early morning sessions with the ice scraper (or a supermarket loyalty card if my ice scraper isn’t to hand), but the fact that it gets the screen much clearer than humans can is also a boon for safety. All too often I see drivers peering through letterbox slots of clear glass on otherwise frosty screens.
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