It’s the eerily soft stuff you find in a BYD, and it has the same chemical smell. It was a lovely cloth, but now it’s part-cloth-part-synthetic-leather, and not of the convincing sort. Our test car had a trim rattle the sunroof is finished with a big slab of nasty, flimsy plastic and the leather-free Kvadrat option has been noticeably downgraded for tactile appeal. There’s more apparent cheapening to be spotted around the cabin. The new menu screens are ugly and clunky, the buttons are too small (because the interface wasn’t meant to host that many), and the screen’s responses seem more sluggish than before. The way the new functions have been integrated seems like an afterthought. JLR’s infotainment system is generally a very agreeable one, but less so now that it has a tonne more work to do. The gear selector sits on a big expanse of satin silver plastic that could have hosted some more storage trays, but doesn’t, and the plastic of the cupholders feels slightly flimsy. But what has actually happened is that the rotary knobs and separate touchscreen for the climate control, Terrain Response, plug-in hybrid drivetrain modes, and phone and media shortcuts have been replaced by a slab of cheap-looking and -feeling plastic, and a lid for the storage bin behind. Land Rover says that the “reductive new centre console design ensures a serene cabin, crafted from the finest materials, with more usable interior space”. ![]() It has ratcheted up the minimalim in quite a heavy-handed way. The 2024-model-year update, however, has brought a ruthless redesign that has really taken the shine off the Evoque’s interior. High technology is just what the modern luxury buyer expects, and the Evoque delivered plenty of it, with lots of style to boot. It spoke of a mastery of technology that Land Rover just didn’t possess a decade or so previously. When you flicked the car’s starter button, so many of its ‘hidden until lit’ controls – from the steering wheel spokes to the heater controls, and its double-decker touchscreen centre stack design and digital instrument pack – would suddenly come to life. The material is made partly from recycled wool and suedecloth, and it's both tactile and appealing to look at. Our HSE road test car in 2021 had leather panelling on its dashboard and door cards that drew the eye very effectively, but substituted its standard-fit Windsor leather seats for those upholstered in Land Rover’s Kvadrat cloth. ![]() Once we move to the front of the cabin, we have to make a distinction between the Evoque up to November 2023 and the Evoque post-November 2023 because the latest update really has adversely affected the car’s reductionist, but mostly well-considered and luxurious, ambience.īefore, it would wear its £50,000 price tag surprisingly comfortably. Dynamic HSE and Autobiography ramp up the equipment further. Next up is Dynamic SE, which adds sportier styling, as well as a Meridian sound system, blindspot monitoring, keyless entry and a powered tailgate. The trim line-up starts with the S, which comes decently well equipped, with electric leather seats with a memory function. Over the past five years, the Evoque line-up had become rather complicated, so for the 2024 model year, JLR has rationalised it a tad. In diesel form, it beat up its premium-brand compact SUV rivals pretty conclusively not long after it was introduced, and when we originally road tested the P300e plug-in hybrid, we awarded it 4.5 stars.įor the 2024 model year (on sale from late 2023), the Evoque has received another update, which sounds like a good thing - although it gives owners of the existing car a few too many reasons not to trade in. The L551-generation Evoque has been an Autocar class favourite since it launched. It functions not just as a big seller in its own right: it’s also the entry point to the Range Rover line-up, ideally placed to funnel customers into the more expensive Velar, Sport and the full-size Range Rover. And that’s before we get to what an important car the Evoque is for Land Rover.
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