LAND ROVER has released its new small SUV, the Range Rover Evoque, with a more grown-up slick look as well as an array of tech.
The most notable of which is what Range Rover claim as a world-first ‘invisible’ setting that allows drivers to see through the car on the centre-console screen to view the surroundings around and below them.
Available from £31,600 for the entry-level 150-horsepower manual, the Evoque has seven different specs to choose from, with the halo model starting from £40,350 on-the-road.
Range Rover has also launched two high-specced ‘First Edition’ models, which come with a panoramic roof, tinted windows and luxury interior as standard. All models are on sale now, with deliveries expected in spring 2019.
The standout feature for the sophisticated new Evoque is its ClearSight views that allow the driver to see the surroundings below them on the 10-inch HD central touchscreen.
While this feature can be used to see rugged terrain under the car floor when driving off-road, no doubt for the most part it will be used to manoeuvre around high kerbs and tight corners in the city.
This is coupled with a camera feed for the rear-view mirror – turned on by the touch of a button – so that owners can fill up the now-bigger boot to the top and not worry about blocking the view out of the coupe-like rear windscreen.
Owners can also use an app on a smartphone to find their Evoque, check fuel, lock and unlock the vehicle as well as pre-heat or cool the cabin.
The centre console also benefits from cubbyholes that are big enough to fit bags and umbrellas – as well as door panels that can store 1.5-litre water bottles for those long trips.
Meanwhile, Range Rover claims the ride is much more smoother, quieter and refined, with the body built 13 per cent stiffer than its predecessor.
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Pete Simkin, Range Rover Evoque Chief Programme Engineer, said: “The new Evoque delivers the versatility and refinement required for modern city living, while still providing the all-terrain capability our customers expect from a Land Rover.
“We’ve engineered the new Evoque from the ground up, scrutinising every element to ensure we exceed the customers’ expectations.”
Alex Heslop, Jaguar Land Rover Director of Electronics and Software, added: “To own a Range Rover is to be at the forefront of vehicle technology, for capability and driver convenience.
“The new Evoque is one of the most technologically advanced vehicles available and with the smart rear view mirror it literally has eyes in the back of its head.”
