Range Rover Evoque starts overhaul of Land Rover line

Land Rover's coming 2012 Range Rover Evoque is just start of an overhaul of the British brand's entire line.
Starting with Evoque, "over the next few years we'll be changing the entire lineup. Next year, a new Range Rover, then more models. A very, very active next four years," says Kim McCullough, Land Rover's U.S. marketing chief.
Evoque is Land Rover's first new vehicle since the 2008 LR2 and will be the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient -- and arguably most stylish -- Land Rover model. It's aimed to begin drawing an entirely new crowd for Land Rover, which India's Tata bought, along with Jaguar. from Ford in 2008.
Evoque, not due in showrooms until September or October, i's off to a good start. More than 70,000 people have requested information on it and 85% are new to Land Rover, says McCullough.
Range Rover models are the flagships; models tagged LR, or Land Rover, are less premium and cheaper. The four-door Range Rover Evoque hatchback, the company calls it a five-door, will start at $43,995 with shipping. A two-door hatch, called a coupe, is $44,995. The least-costly Land Rover is the LR2, $36,550.
Evoque's success, or lack of it, may be a harbinger of the fate of the new-generation Land Rover lineup. Expect significant marketing for Evoque, and attractive lease deals, to get fast traction.
But Land Rover perennially lands near the bottom on third-party quality surveys and will have to overcome that, too, to broaden its appeal.
"We've looked at repair data for the last four or five years and it shows that quality has improved significantly across the board, though it still ranks below the industry average," says Jesse Toprak, analyst at researcher TrueCar.com, so Evoque needs to hit the market just-so. "With a brand-new model, starting from scratch, there's no room for error."
Toprak figures Land Rover, thus, has been extraordinarily careful with Evoque and predicts "far fewer" problems than has been typical.
Land Rover says the U.S. is its biggest market, but it remains a bit player here. Its 32,000 sales last year are about what Kia sells here in a month. New York City is its biggest single market in the U.S. — an irony for vehicles famous for their off-road capabilities.
Evoque will take a different direction, however:
Evoque plays to a genteel strength: It lacks the low-range crawler gear of other Rovers and emphasizes high style and high-tech features.
"It's meant for mainly urban driving," Toprak says. "That's the right direction" to keep Land Rover healthy.
The Evoque's smaller size isn't necessarily playing to "green" or downsizing trends, McCullough says.
Rather, a growing number of affluent young people are starting families and want a vehicle Evoque's size with the Range Rover panache. "It's practical," she says.
Still, the new Rover fits what automakers see as a big move to well-furnished, premium small vehicles.
"From everything we're seeing, the compact side of the utility market is growing over the next few years," she says.
Evoques for the U.S. market will have a 240-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine and standard all-wheel drive Mileage ratings are 19 miles per gallon in the city, 28 mpg highway and 23 combined. That's roughly 30% better than the next-best model, the LR2.

2011 Range Rover Sport: A Commanding View From the Inside

Today we'll climb aboard the new 2011 Range Rover Sport and look at all the luxury interior features.
Make no mistake, the Range Rover Sport Supercharged is aimed at well-heeled urbanites. It is designed for those who want a vehicle that has the ability to get them to their destination safely through the worst weather and do it while traveling in luxury. It will take the family from Denver to Aspen in the dead of winter and get them there comfortably and safely.
On the inside, the dashboard, instrument panel, seats and door panels were all redesigned and upgraded in 2010. Most of the switches on the old model have been transferred to the 5-inch touch screen interface so there are fewer switches overall and the center stack is cleaner and easy to read and use.
The interior is what you would expect from the British carmaker, beautifully crafted with excellent fit and finish. Quality materials wrap every surface, including the fine leather on all the seats. The Anigre wood trim looks like something out of a British state room. Seats are heated both front and back as is the front windshield, outside mirrors, and windshield washer nozzles. All make for a quick thaw after spending a day on the slopes. The one thing missing is a heated steering wheel.

On the way home, the driver and passengers are greeted with a commanding view of the scenery and the road. It may be one of the best features on the Range Rover Sport. Rear passengers feel like they are riding in a luxury coach with elevated stadium-style seating. The view gives the driver a sense of having complete control over any driving situation that could arise.
Its a little surprising that the Range Rover Sport doesn't come with cooled seats and a power liftgate in the back. Although there is a center console cooled box to keep drinks cold on a long trip. It can be a bit of a stretch and a tug to get the liftgate down. The rear hatch window does open separately though allowing smaller items to be loaded into the rear without lifting the whole tailgate.
Rear seat passengers get plenty of leg room with easy ingress and egress thanks to the four corner electronic air suspension. The slab-sided body offers extra cargo space behind the second row but for a vehicle that leads its class on several counts, the Range Rover Sport rates only average in cargo capacity with 71 cubic feet. Its sloping rear window can also hamper the loading of bulky items into the rear.
Overall the 2011 Range Rover Sport is a veritable house of luxury, and offers about as much pampered refinement as you will find in any luxury SUV. It is truly an exceedingly comfortable place to while away the miles.
Tomorrow we'll come back and take a look at all the options and features on the Range Rover Sport.