[kau_therock]

It was the month of February. We were at the Pune domestic airport, leaving for Indore to attend my cousin’s wedding. I dropped off my parents near the departure queue and went on to park the vehicle (fortuner) in the parking lot. When I was returning, I saw a glimpse of a beautifully crafted vehicle, black colored enter the airport area. All the way to the departure terminal I was wondering what car it was. But then, I saw it dropping some foreigners to the terminal. It was the Range Rover Evoque! I told my mom (who is a bigger automotive enthusiast than me!!) that it was the newly launched Evoque. Mom looked at me and said, this will be our next car! I smiled, and we continued to with our journey.



October is the month when we have purchased almost each of our vehicles. Reason, it’s my mom’s birthday in this month and me n papa love to gift her on her birthday. We had decided to sell our 5 year old C220 CDI. So, it had to be replaced with another car of similar spec. Just a few days before, we had test drove the new Camry. Mom was keen on getting it. But I did not quite like the way it handled or did not feel the luxury that was supposed to be in a 27L car. Since we had already found a buyer, it was imperative to find a replacement.



So we started to short list some cars. Sedans were out of the list since we already had 4 of them. So we thought, we should have a small SUV. Never had liked the X3, so it was out of question. We thought of visiting the Volvo and Audi showrooms to check out the XC60 and the Q5 respectively. But then, while travelling, I had noticed the newly launched JLR showroom in wakdewadi. So I asked my family, if they were keen on looking at the Evoque. They agreed and we went to the showroom. I was quite skeptical on the availability of the display car, let alone a car in stock, since I had heard about the long waiting times for the Evoque, globally. But as soon as I entered the showroom, a beautiful piece of machinery was waiting for me. Loved the car at the first sight, it was so serene, so gorgeous, perfect from every angle.



We test drove the car; it was a Pure variant I reckon. Loved the way it handled, enough power to quench the thirst for speed. Then we sat down for commercial terms. They did not have a car in stock and the latest delivery time was January. I am kind of an impatient guy, who likes everything to be quick. So I asked my parents, why not have the car which was in the showroom itself. It was beautiful, the color was fantastic and did not seemed to have been abused, at least not physically. They agreed and we booked the car then n there. This was on 12th of October. Mom has her birthday on the 16th. I knew it was impossible to get the car so early.



After completing all the formalities, the car was available for delivery on 20th. But I wanted to register the vehicle at my hometown which is Satara. These guys had a weird policy of registering their vehicles first and then giving it to the customers. So the driver drove the car all the way to Satara (do not know how he drove as none of us were in the car, but I just hope he drove well) and registered the car. We then took a test drive again so as to have a peace of mind whether the car was in perfect condition, which it was not. Heavy rattling sound was produced by both of the rear doors, which annoyed me. I called up the showroom and told that if the car is not in perfect condition, I will not accept the car. They agreed and the driver again drove back to Pune. On 22nd October, we went to the showroom to collect the car. Looked perfect when in the showroom. They had polished the car twice so as to make sure we were happy by their service, and I must say, they had done a pretty commendable job. Did the puja stuff and headed back home. The rattling noise was gone (thankfully) which made me smile again and the doubt of buying a showroom car had slowly started to disappear.









Now coming back to the car and what I have liked and disliked about it.


Likes:

- Has tremendous road presence, a definite head turner.
- Smooth engine, well insulated cabin.
- Quality is top notch, the leather, the interior material, everything perfect.
- Panaromic sunroof is wow!
- Paddle shift is great when you are just bored of driving and want some manual fun, can be activated in normal drive mode too.


Dislikes:

- Could have been priced a bit lower, but after all it’s a range rover.
- Indian version seems to be a stripped down version as compared to its global counter parts. I did not understand this, we are paying more money than them right?
- Maybe I am spoiled by the amount of gadgetry in my s60, so it might not apply to everyone, but I felt it should have had a bit better equipment level, like adaptive cruise control, different settings for suspension.
- Engine could have been a bit powerful, atleast a 3 L, 250 BHP. It is not a big issue, but we Indians like everything big :P


Now I will go step by step, explaining whatever best I can.

Exteriors:

The color combination for my car is Colima lime with contrast black roof. The color is quite unusual and I feel flashy colors will look best for the Evoque.






White is too common these days and black did not appeal to me much. The paint quality is top notch. Though I wonder why do they provide dual exhaust setup for the dynamic version and not this one. Also as I said, the Indian version is a stripped down version, the default setup for the prestige in UK and the US comes with a 19” alloys whereas we have to be content with 18” alloys. Also, the international version comes with other goodies such as electronic tail gate closure, auto dip head lamps, rear view camera and so on. I am not complaining or rather ranting, but why the difference. Anyways, everything aside, I am quite content with the quality and the material used, superior to everything I have used till now.









The best part is the trademark Evoque symbol which illuminates at night.



Interiors:

This has to be the best interiors I have ever been in. Finest quality leather, even on the dashboard, definitely gives you the sheer pleasure you will expect in a post 70L car. The interior can be configured as per the user, but in this case, I had no option but to take whatever was available. The car came with lunar oxford leather and a contrast ivory stitching. I reckon 5 options are available for the prestige model, and they can be configured in many ways as per the user's liking.




The gear knob, as shown below, is at the rest position, it rises from the centre as soon as the ignition is turned on, is beautifully crafted, the ambient lighting, which you can change according to your mood, everything feels so premium.

The ambient lighting comes in 5 different colors, namely white,light blue, blue, light pink, and red. I generally keep it on blue since I am always cool headed while driving.







The music system, which is a 380 W Meridian system, comprises of 11 speakers and a sub woofer is enough to produce sound which can be heard from miles away. It has the options for USB x2, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth streaming, DVD and the AUX port. The option for upgrading the system to 830W is available which includes 18 speakers i reckon and a rear entertainment system. But that option costed a whopping 12.5L so did not go for it. Was quite content with the default setup.





The centre console, an 8” display gives you every information you require at your finger tips, not to mention it is a touch screen. They say it is capable of dual view, but I have not tried it yet. It has all the settings for the phone setup, sound setup as well as the ambient lighting.






Then comes the terrain response system, which I reckon hardly 1% people will use. But anyways, it gives you the option for gravel, snow, mud, and sand. I have just used the gravel, so cannot comment on the other 3. It doesn't only change the suspension setup but also changes the way the car maneuvers.





The panaromic sunroof is new to me, and boy it looks good. Especially at night, or even during the rain, it feels so awesome. Just one click of a button and the whole cover covering the sun roof collapses, giving you the wonderful view of the sky.






Engine:
The engine is a 2.2 Litre, 190 Bhp diesel engine. Just going by the specs, it feels that the car is underpowered, but once you turn on the ignition, this doubt vanishes. It is a great engine, with enough power that will take you to 100 kmph in no time. I have seen the figures of 7 - 7.5 secs to 100 kmph. Have not tried going past 100 kmph as the car is still in the break in period. Though I do not believe in that concept, but I am doing it just as to get used to the vehicle.






It is also frugal, I am expecting around 13 on highway and 10 in the city. It is really smooth and never feels like a diesel engine. The power delivery is linear, and as of now, I have not yet experienced a turbo lag.





Ride and comfort:

The ride quality is a typical range rover, rugged and bring-on any pothole types. Though the tyres are insured, I don't feel i would be ruining them anytime soon *touchwood*. The car comes with 18" alloys as standard to this as well as the dynamic version. The pure variant gets 17" alloys. The ride is really smooth and it absorbs almost every medium sized pot hole with ease. After a ride in the Evoque, I sat in the fortuner and it felt like a truck, a pre-historic vehicle. The spare wheel is a small sized wheel and is as usual to be used only till the puncture is repaired. I haven't tried off-roading as of yet and don't wish to try it anytime soon.

This has become my everyday ride to the office, which i sometimes alternate with the S60. After sitting in Evoque, I don't even feel like sitting in any other car.

Another feature which I liked about the Evoque is that the seat goes down a bit to allow easy access to the door and you can get out easily. When the ignition has been turned ON, it returns back to its original position.

The rear seat can accommodate 2 passengers easily, 3 can fit, but they will be uncomfortable. This car is a typical family car for 4, husband wife and their two kids ( which in our case, the two kids are grown up adults, lol ). The rear gets seperate air vents along with their climate settings so that the rear passengers can control their temperature accordingly. I have never been in the back seat, so I cannot comment more on this aspect, as I was born to be a driver.

Safety

Its a Land Rover after all and what can possibly go wrong with this model? Comes fitted with all sorts of airbags, viz. both driver and passenger, curtain airbags, knee airbags and thorax airbags ( I really do not know what this really means!) All the other safety systems such as ABS,, EBD etc. come as standard, though I feel some thing is missing ( or maybe the S60 has spoiled me by the amount of gadgetry it carries). I will update on this part later.


Conclusion:

So in all, I have absolutely loved my purchase. People may call me stupid for investing almost 75L for a vehicle not bigger than a CRV, but come on, it is an Evoque, it cannot be compared. All I say to them is, I think by heart and not with my mind when it comes to things I really desire. Looking at my previous purchases, a BMW 530D highline when I could’ve got the 520D; a Volvo s60 T6, when I could have bought an Audi A4 or a BMW 3 series, and now this, the range rover Evoque, when I could have easily purchased the Q7 or Q5 with discounts. You like it, you buy it without any second thoughts. And so did I.



I am sorry for whatever mistakes I have made during writing this review. I am not that great of a writer, I simply tried my best to explain whatever I could.

Logbook:

Current Mileage: 600 kms
Average Fuel consumption: 9L / 100kms
Maximum speed attained: 110 kmph

On Road Price: 74 L

[eq24]

Congratulations on buying the sexiest cross over ever. Head turner you bet. Man 75 lac that is pricey, its available for around 40 K pounds in the UK OTR. Get some more pics man. The rain effect in the pics is awesome.

Drive Safe

[jkdas]

Nice pix and liked the write up. Hope you do come up with more pix later.

Love the color too! Congrats on the buy!

[kau_therock]

Sadly, I have not been able to take her out for a ride due to my daily work commitments, maybe this coming sunday I will click her.

[Akshay1234]

I was getting bored of seeing the usual black and whites on the Evoque. So nice to actually see a flashy colour, and you are right it looks much better in these kind of colours. I still think 70l is overpriced for India, but if you are fine with it then who am I to complain .

Congrats on the car, nice garage to you there. The 530D is an E60 I presume?

[raul]

Congrats! Love the colour.

The Evoque is distinctive, its the ultimate attention getter.

Nevermind what others say, there are too many audis, bmws and mercs. This is special. And the only thing that matters is what you like.

[zalaps]

Originally Posted by kau_therock

Sadly, I have not been able to take her out for a ride due to my daily work commitments, maybe this coming sunday I will click her.

Congratulations!!!! Have a many happy miles ahead!
I think I've spotted one in KP this week. Must be yours!

[vibbs]

Congratulations. I have been in an Evoque. Wonderful vehicle it is, the surge of acceleration hits you wonderfully once the accelerator is pressed. Not to talk about the interior quality. Absolutely top notch. Also it is the most beautiful cross over ever. Pure art!!
Wish you many wonderful miles on the beauty.

[Omtoatom]

Congratulations Kau_therock. Splendid piece of machinery in an even more vivid color. I like! The Evoque may not appeal to many, but personally I'm a big fan of its cross-over looks and presence. It also has an aura of exclusivity about itself that perhaps no other car can afford.

Enjoy your ride mate!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by kau_therock

So in all, I have absolutely loved my purchase. People may call me stupid for investing almost 75L for a vehicle not bigger than a CRV, but come on, it is an Evoque, it cannot be compared. All I say to them is, I think by heart and not with my mind when it comes to things I really desire.

Congrats on purchasing one of the most aspirational vehicles around and that too, in a color that takes guts to buy.

I m sure the Evoque will continue to evoke sublime feelings of happiness in you for a long time to come.

Let me know when you plan to sell it, I can think of picking it up from you.

OT: Any plans of selling the Fortuner soon?

[F150]

Awesome color ! It sure is an attention grabber. Congratulations.

The gear lever is very creative it raises up ? I thought it was a knob type gear lever.

Could you post more pictures of the interiors ? Back seat, boot.

Please bring it to one of the PUNE Team BHP meets, so that us lesser mortals can at least look at the car.

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Initial Ownership Section. Thanks for sharing!

[Nicky]

Hearty congrats for the most sexy crossover, within limit of finances, purchase.
color is really something different than normal black and white combo we see on road.
I really liked the Gear Knob design. can you please post a pic with knob is up after ignition?
some more interior pics will be highly appreciated.
theoretically engine doesn't match with the beauty and cost but as you have written that it's a different animal when switched on. i am sure it puts smile on your face when your enthu wakes up.

enjoy the ride and keep updating with your long trip pics and experiences.

[nkrishnap]

Congrats on getting the Evoque home. Yes this one really evokes the emotions for a car . Lovely color there.

Fantastic photos and documentation too. Would love to see the interior lighting color combinations. Would it be possible to click a few pics if you dont mind.

Thanks for sharing.

[dr_anurag]

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