At one point in time you bought an SUV if you needed one. A family, a dog, bicycles, armageddon. They were all reasons to trade in for extra boot space and on road dominance. The ability to look down on other drivers alone made up for the Action Man styling and poor fuel consumption. Those things didn’t matter though. You had a big tall car. You were basically Arnie.

But somewhere along the line, SUVs became properly, genuinely desirable. All of a sudden they were refined things, with couch-like leather seats you could sink into, and sleek exteriors you actually wanted to look at. You can thank Range Rover, and specifically the Evoque for that. The new 2019 model takes things further, subtly tweaking the design and adding a host of new features that ensure it’s more than just a pretty face.

What Is It?

The Evoque places equal importance on design and engineering, in the same way that Apple does. It recognises that people want beautiful objects that can perform, but ultimately make you feel good when you use them.

A car, like your phone, can be a style accessory of sorts, it reflects the wearer’s taste, so it’s not just enough for it to handle well, or be capable off-road, it needs to look good at red lights, too. And whether you view the Evoque as Range Rover going ‘soft’ or not, there’s no denying it looks damn good.

Its design is a lesson in restraint. An evolution of the original model, the lines are clean and minimal. The side profile is particularly satisfying, with a roof line that tapers gently down to its rear like a pair of perfectly tailored trousers. The door handles sit flush against the body until the car’s unlocked, when they pop out like high-tech cassettes in a VHS player. Everything’s in proportion, and nothing is there that needn’t be.

The Feel

The Evoque is a muscular thing, low in its stance and ready to attack. It’s the stocky underdog in the left corner, short yet well equipped, with the skillset to throw a deadly haymaker to unassuming, larger opponents. It is quick enough, – especially in 300bhp R-Dynamic spec – but it’s not truly interested in speed, that’s not its bag. If you want pace, check out the Range Rover Sport or SVR.