Major New Technologies Enhance 2014 Range Rover Evoque
20 August 2013

- New, responsive 9-speed automatic transmission now available
- World's first 'on-demand' Active Driveline delivers even greater agility
- Seven new driver assistance and convenience features added
- New Land Rover InControlTM connect car features
- Improved fuel economy and reduced emissions, depending on model
- Exterior and interior design enhancements, plus new alloy wheel designs

One of the most successful Land Rover vehicles ever made, the Range Rover Evoque, makes a further significant leap forward with the introduction of a host of new technologies. These enhancements lower fuel consumption by up to 11.4 percent and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 9.5 percent - depending on model - and bring a range of new comfort, convenience and connectivity features.

With global sales of more than 170,000 vehicles in just 18 months, the Range Rover Evoque has proven to be hugely successful and the 2014 model is destined to have even greater appeal. Customers ordering vehicles from the 2014 range, on sale from [insert date] depending on individual markets, will benefit from newly-available features, including: a new 9-speed automatic transmission, new driveline technologies, seven new driver assistance features and detail design enhancements inside and out.

"We are thrilled to be moving the Evoque on to the next stage and believe the exciting new driveline technology, driver safety and convenience features plus the Land Rover InControlTM connectivity capability (using advanced mobile technology to keep owners connected with their vehicle, their world and Land Rover services), make the 2014 Evoque an unbeatable choice for customers seeking the ultimate in compact SUV vehicles," said Land Rover Global Brand Director, John Edwards.

First shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the ZF-9HP automatic transmission is among the world's first 9-speed units fitted to a passenger car. It has an ultra-fast response time, described by ZF as "below the threshold of perception" and an adaptive shift programme that quickly matches the driving style. With a wide spread of ratios and improved efficiency, the new transmission delivers improved economy, reduced emissions, enhanced performance and greater comfort.

Available as an option, Active Driveline, is the world's first 'on demand' four-wheel drive system which enhances agility and improves fuel efficiency by operating in front-wheel drive only during steady-state driving at speeds above 22mph. The new system monitors vehicle dynamics and automatically reconnects four-wheel drive (within 300 milliseconds) whenever it is needed. Active Driveline also features Active Torque Biasing with electronic-Diff (e-Diff) technology to distribute torque between the rear wheels, optimising traction and stability.

In addition, a Torque Vectoring by Braking feature further enhances agility and safety by redirecting torque between all four wheels to counteract understeer. It features in both the Active Driveline and the Evoque's standard four-wheel drive system.

For the 2014 model, the driver assistance capabilities of Evoque are significantly enhanced by the introduction of seven features including: Park Exit (to automatically exit parallel parking bays), Perpendicular Park (to position the car centrally in parking bays), Adaptive Cruise Control (with Queue Assist, Forward Alert and Intelligent Emergency Braking), Closing Vehicle Sensing and Reverse Traffic Detection (to warn drivers of oncoming traffic), Lane Departure Warning, Traffic Sign Recognition and Wade Sensing.

In addition to the new technologies, there are detail changes to the Evoque's exterior, new colour options for the interior, four new alloy wheel styles and a new style of Land Rover badge on the grille, wheel centres and tailgate.

The 2014 Evoque continues to be powered by Land Rover's range of economical and light weight four-cylinder engines with a choice of either the 2.2 diesel 150PS engine, 2.2 diesel 190PS engine or 2.0 Petrol 240PS engine (depending on market). With the new 9-speed automatic transmission and Active Driveline, fuel economy (for EU-5 compliant vehicles) is improved by up to 11.4 percent and CO2 emissions are reduced by as much as 9.5 percent. Combined fuel consumption for the 2014 range is up to 57.6 mpg, with CO2 emissions starting from as low as 129 g/km.

A. Kahn Design, a customizer of cars for celebrities like Just Bieber, and an expert when it comes to the modification of Land Rovers, has unveiled its latest package for the Range Rover Evoque.

Building on the previous Vesuvius package we saw earlier this year, A. Kahn Design has further refined the Evoque’s styling to create a look that will ensure owners stand out from the crowd when behind the wheel of their custom Evoque.

Improving on the stunning lines of the stock version is no easy task, as the founder of A. Kahn Design, Afzal Kahn, will quickly point out.

“It was a very complicated car to work but we worked within the factory style lines and I put my heart and soul into this. We spent thousands of hours working on this car because I wanted to ensure it isn’t seen as a conventional car but as something more serious for the road,” Kahn explains.

Some of the specific modifications he and his team have come up with include new bumpers with a much more aggressive look, a custom grille, a subtle rear spoiler, centrally-mounted exhaust tips, LED detailing, and body-matching brake calipers.

There are also some performance modifications. For now, these consist only of lowered suspension, aerodynamic aids integrated into the bumpers, and special 22-inch wheels decked out in a matte gray finish.

Inside is the truly bespoke touch; this particular vehicle comes with front and rear seats in black quilted and perforated leather with Alcantara inserts and more body-matching detailing. The final touch is a set of aluminum foot pedals.

The Geneva Auto Salon has the unique distinction among major international motor of attracting a significant number of premium car tuners. A. Kahn Design is one of them and will be displaying the Fuji White RS250 Evoque at its stand. Kahn's Range Rover Evoque-based model blends the tuner's basic offerings for the compact crossover as seen many times over the past year, with custom detailing inside and out.

The visual transformation begins with a two-tone body and a styling package with a custom front grille, new front and rear bumpers, LED daytime running lights, rocker panels, a rear diffuser with twin central exhausts, roof and tailgate spoilers, colored brake calipers and 22-inch wheels shod in 265x35x22 tires.

A combination of Alcantara, quilted leather, and carbon trims are employed inside, along with custom instrument gauges, a diamond gear selector and vented foot pedals in machined aluminum.

Kahn says it will offer this particular vehicle for sale after it shows in Switzerland for £46,875 (about US$70,300 / €53,800).

The fourth model that Hamann Motorsport will display on its stand at the 82nd Geneva Motor Show won’t sport the extraordinary performance figures of the Hawk, the M5 or the Guardian Evo, but it’s quite special nonetheless.

The Laupheim, Germany-based tuning firm has laid its hands on the Range Rover Evoque with the intention of making the admittedly already stylish compact crossover model even more eye-catching.

To that end, it has fitted a two-part front spoiler, side sills and wider fenders both at the front and at the rear.

Hamann offers customers a variety of alloy wheel designs, from the one-piece “Anniversary Evo” and “Anniversary Evo Black” 22-inch rims that come wrapped in 295/30 tires, to the forged lightweight “Edition Race Anodized” wheels.

Interior upgrades range from handcrafted stitching on the dashboard and seats to full-leather upholstery.

On the performance front, a power kit adds 31HP and 65Nm (47.9 lb-ft) to the 2.2 TD4 and 2.2 ED4 engines while the 2.2 Si4’s output rises by 38HP and 55Nm (40.5 lb-ft).

Despite a report earlier this year stating that a production version of the Range Rover Evoque Convertible was shot down, there have been signs suggesting otherwise recently. Last week, we heard that the fate of this two-door, drop-top SUV could be decided upon soon, but WhatCar? says that the decision has already been made.

Quoting an insider, the article states that the Evoque Convertible has been given a green light for production with the first units being built next year. WhatCar? also says that no structural modifications are necessary for the removal of the roof, which could lessen the development time and cost of the vehicle.

As there are really no luxury SUV convertibles with which to compete against, Land Rover seems to be expecting the Evoque Convertible to rival convertibles such as the Audi TT and BMW 4 Series. We're a bit dubious, but time will tell.

Features a retractable fabric roof

The Range Rover Evoque Cabrio has been spied undergoing testing in UK ahead of an expected 2016 market launch.

Ever since Land Rover introduced the Range Rover Evoque Convertible Concept in March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show, many rumors emerged about the possibility of seeing a production version. Now, we have confirmation this will actually happen in the near future as our spies have captured on camera a fully camouflaged three-door Evoque equipped with a retractable soft top.

Aside from the obvious changes the new body style brings, we also notice the rear end of the car hosts a spoiler lip while the rest of the design has remained pretty much intact. It's unknown at this point where the fabric roof is stored when not in place but hopefully it will remain hidden underneath the trunk to enable a cleaner look, just like on the concept.

Land Rover will probably start selling the open-air Evoque in 2016 and they hope it will be more successful than the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet which was a sales flop.

With Geneva just a little over two weeks away, car manufacturers are lining up to tease us left and right. Land Rover sure took their time, but now we have a first glimpse of the facelifted RR Evoque.

All we get right now is this striking new headlamp design, which looks like a mix between the current LEDs found on the Evoque and the ones you get on the new Discovery Sport. And yes, they look fantastic.

The Range Rover Evoque will be the first Land Rover model to feature full-LED adaptive headlights - ideal for low lighting road conditions as well as for following the curves of the road. Despite their practical use, we have to say that they also look tremendous, and so we can't wait to see them in more detail.

LR Design Director & Chief Creative Officer Gerry McGovern said that "Our challenge has been to enhance Evoque without diluting its iconic design. The design refreshments give it an even greater presence on the road yet retain the emotional appeal that has made it so popular with more than 400,000 consumers around the world."

Indeed, this is the only approach you can take with a car that features, as McGovern said, an iconic design. It's a nice way to say " you can't mess around with the way it looks ", so you just have to find ways to enhance its design without altering it.

We'll be hearing more about it on 23 February when Land Rover is set to release more details (new engines, new safety and convenience features, new interior enhancements) followed by its debut on March 3rd.

Land Rover has released the info on the facelifted 2016 Range Rover Evoque line, with subtle modifications to one of the company's most popular vehicles.

The details on the revised Evoque were spilled before its Geneva Motor Show debut next week. Exterior changes are fairly modest, but are highlighted by full LED lighting, new grilles and front bumper. Autobiography and the new HSE Dynamic trim levels of the five-door get the hood vents that used to be specific to the Evoque Coupe. Still no official word on that long-rumored drop-top Evoque, though.

Inside, Land Rover updated the Evoque's interior with a new 8-inch touchscreen with swipe function. Seats and door trims have also been updated with new colors and upholsteries. A Gesture Tailgate is Land Rover's name for the new function for the power liftgate that lets you wave your foot under the bumper to open the back. Lane-keep assist, automatic emergency braking and a drowsy driver monitor are also new.

The Evoque sticks with the 2.0-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower and the 9-speed automatic that was introduced a couple years ago. Expect JLR's new Ingenium four-cylinder gas engine to make its way into the Evoque soon, as the Ingenium TD4 replaces the old turbodiesel for 2016. That new 2.0-liter engine comes with either 150 or 180 horsepower and up to 68 mpg, according to Land Rover. New eD4 efficiency models will offer C02 figures as low as 109 g/km with front-wheel drive, or 125 g/km with all-wheel drive.

The 2016 Evoque will start rolling into showrooms in August.