Used Range Rover Evoque review: 2011 to 2018 (Mk1) - Interior, comfort and safety
The Range Rover Evoque has a luxurious interior, a decent amount of kit and it feels very upmarket - as long as it’s been well looked-after
The Evoque is the cheapest model in the Range Rover line-up, but it never feels like that. Metal and leather is used in much of the interior to give it an upmarket feel and all models have a touchscreen infotainment system.
Getting comfortable is easy thanks to a wide range of adjustment for the driver’s seat and steering wheel, while the raised driving position and large door mirrors give a decent view outside. Both the three and five-door models have a small rear windscreen that makes reversing tricky, although all Evoques have front and rear parking sensors.
What’s the Range Rover Evoque like inside?
Everything about the inside of the Range Rover Evoque screams luxury. Much of the interior is covered in leather and interior plastics get expensive-looking finishes, while controls such as the rotary dial for the automatic gearbox are made of metal that's cool to the touch. The car’s infotainment system offers useful features, such as (on HSE Dynamic Lux and Autobiography models) the ability to show sat-nav directions to the driver while the passenger watches a DVD on the same screen.
Yet it's not just the classy interior and clever technology that make the Evoque feel like a real Range Rover. Its suspension does an excellent job of ironing out lumps and bumps, too, even if it’s not quite as competent in this area as the peerlessly smooth full-size Range Rover. The interior also remains quiet at a cruise, with only a little wind noise coming from the car’s large door mirrors.
What’s on the equipment list?
Three trim levels were offered on the early Mk1 Evoque. Pure starts things off and includes 18-inch alloy wheels, leather seats (heated in the front), an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen complete with Bluetooth connectivity and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo, air-conditioning, cruise control and rear parking sensors.
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If you want more equipment, Prestige trim adds xenon lights, upgraded leather and carpets, front parking sensors, a reversing camera and voice recognition. The Dynamic model brings adjustable suspension into the mix, which can help if you drive in slippery conditions regularly; Dynamic Evoques also feature more assertive exterior styling touches.
Buyers could also add a Tech Pack to the Pure model. This includes automatic lights and wipers, a heated windscreen, front parking sensors and sat nav. The Lux pack could be added to Prestige and Dynamic models and this brings a panoramic sunroof, keyless entry, a power-opening boot, blind-spot monitoring, a 360-degree parking camera and upgraded air-conditioning.
In later models the trim structure changed to SE, SE Tech, HSE Dynamic, HSE Dynamic Lux and Autobiography.
The basic Range Rover Evoque SE came with lots of equipment, including heated leather seats, a leather steering wheel, an eight-speaker stereo with DAB digital radio, 18-inch alloys, lane-departure warning, cruise control, all-round parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights. SE Tech added black styling inserts, 12-way adjustable seats, sat nav, front foglights, automatic bright xenon headlights and a heated windscreen.
The HSE Dynamic gave the Evoque sportier looks thanks to numerous styling additions, including revised front and rear bumpers and 20-inch alloy wheels. You also got a premium sat-nav and stereo, in-car wi-fi and a rear parking camera. You also got cameras all round to help you navigate narrow lanes, a tricky off-road course or just a tight parking spot.
HSE Dynamic Lux has the same sporty looks, along with extra kit such as a surround-sound stereo, a panoramic sunroof, a power-operated bootlid, an automatic parking system, a surround-view camera and lane-keeping assistance.The Range Rover Evoque Autobiography is designed to be the ultimate in luxury, with a full leather interior, 14-way adjustable seats that can be heated or cooled and its own design of 20-inch alloy wheels.
How safe is it?
Safety is excellent, because the Evoque received the maximum five-star rating from Euro NCAP when it was crash-tested. However, it was evaluated in 2011 and the test has been made even more stringent since then, so newer models such as the Mercedes GLA had to meet tougher standards to get the same rating.
Nonetheless, the Evoque comes with a host of airbags, electronic stability control and seatbelt pretensioners, and there are numerous options to choose from if you want to make the car even safer. These include a road-sign camera that displays relevant warnings on the dashboard and a lane-keeping assistance system.
