Range Rover Evoque preview: ‘The little SUV has grown up’ | Martin Love

The second-generation of the bestselling compact Range Rover is a lot smarter and a lot less ugly than the one that went before

Range Rover Evoque
Price 31,600
Deliveries expected spring 2019

I've never been much good at spotting a clear winner. And when it comes to car aesthetics I am often seriously out of step with vehicle designers. I'd say that the three ugliest cars of the past decade are the Porsche Cayenne, Nissan Juke and Range Rover Evoque. Yet all three have gone on to become massive successes. Now, the all-new Evoque is here and the latest version of the baby Range Rover is probably going to be even more popular than the last. It's the second generation of the compact SUV and, though some elements still remain (the clamshell bonnet, bulging wheel arches, ultra-slim rear windows), the overall effect is a car that has grown-up. It's now more sophisticated, cleaner and less of a poseur. Under the skin, there are significant changes - all of the automatic variants, whether diesel or petrol, will have a mild-hybrid system to reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. But perhaps the smartest new tech is what is called 'ClearSight Ground View'. This uses cameras on the side mirrors and the front axle to show a 'through-the-bonnet' view on the car's infotainment screen. It's designed to eradicate those 'blind faith' moments when you're about to tackle a steep slope off-roading or, perhaps, those hellish ramps in multi-storey car parks. The Evoque is finally growing on me"