[karan561]

Likes;

- Interior, Rear Seats feels more practical now thanks to the increased dimensions/space.
- Ingenium Engine's 430 NM torque is ample sufficient & has great touring capabilities.
- Suspensions's Ride Quality, Handling balance.
- Looks are still its USP.

Dislikes;

- Base Model lacks flair and should have been avoided at launch as the top model (R-Dynamic) is only INR 3L more expensive than the base S.
- Steering Wheel at high Speeds is not great (Remember it has no sport mode & hence the EPS doesn't stiffen up the way it should)
- Alloy Wheel Design selected for the Indian spec. is very basic & lacks flair.
- HUD missing (Even in the R-Dynamic variant), globally it is offered.

Video;

https://youtu.be/k3EH1HUEWrw

The video starts off with a detailed discussion of the evolutionary Exterior design of the 2nd Gen Evoque v/s the previous Gen side by side;



Then the Interiors are compared;

2020 2nd Gen Evoque;



v/s 1st Gen (Facelift Version) Evoque;



Discussion on Engine Performance & Gearbox;



There's also a talk about Ride Quality & Handling;



Other Miscellaneous Observations;

- 99% of the 2nd Gen Evoque is all new & only the door hinges are carried over from previous/outgoing model.
- New Gen Evoque is 14mm taller, 11mm longer & 6mm wider and than its predecessor. Overall a lot of design Inspiration has been taken from the RR Velar eg. Headlamps/TailLamps, Grille, Flush Door Handles etc.
- Yet another 9 Speed ZF picking up from the 2nd gear from low speed/standstill, demonstrated in the video @ 9:18 onwards ...
- Interior Dashboard design is much more sleek in this new generation of the Evoque.
- Wheelbase has increased by 21mm, frees up some legroom.
- Head room too has increased at the rear as the new gen is taller. Also the front seats are slimmer & scooped from behind which increases important knee room.
- R-Dynamic trim is only INR 3L more expensive than the model tested (S Variant) & you get a much more fancy dashboard and also more features, the touch pro duo & an Meridian Sound System, Digital Instrument Cluster, Clear View Interior Mirror/Camera (Rear View is projected on the mirror to give better visibility) & on the exteriors you do get an R-Dynamic Kit as well.
- Steering is well designed (But a bit too large) and gets new Touch buttons that change display everytime you touch them depending on the menu you're in, sort of being Contextual which is really cool.
- Water Wading Depth is now 600 mm i.e. 100 mm more than the outgoing model.
- The test car had the 2L Ingenium Diesel Engine, 180 hp & 430 nm of Torque.
- There is NO Sport Mode, only ECO & Comfort.
- The Evoque's suspension overall does a good job in having the stiffness for handling & suppleness for the ride quality.
- Tyres were Good Year, Eagle F1 SUV All Season (Made in Germany), Size is 235/60 R18.
- Approach Angle is 20.8 (An increase of three degrees compared to the previous generation) The breakover angle is 20.7 degrees (Reduced, may be due to more wheelbase) & Departure angle of 30.6 degrees (0.6 degree increase compared to the previous generation)
- Ground Clearance is 212 mm.

Special thanks to my friend & BHPian bhp who had come over with his 1st Gen Facelift Evoque for the video.



Here are his thoughts as an Evoque owner about the new 2nd Gen Evoque;

- Prefer the looks of the 1st Gen as it looks better & more aggressive to his eyes & sideways at the C pillar than the newer one.
- His Evoque (Previous Gen) has better/thicker front seats.
- Solid Build Quality / Thud Sound when closing the door is more prominent in the outgoing model.
- In his vehicle, Land Rover branding is only on front and rear of the car. Rest everywhere it is Range Rover badging. The newer one has Land Rover written everywhere including the door glasses & not Range Rover.
- Overall the 2nd Gen Model feels like a modernised version of the original 1st Gen.
- The previous gen base variant and a variant above SE have 17” rims with slimmer tyres. Where as the 2nd Gen launched in India has 18".
- After Driving the New Gen Evoque he felt its better on Refinement (Note: His Evoque too has the same Ingenium Diesel). Hence probably the 2nd Gen has better insulation materials.
- Gearbox Tuning feels better in the 2nd Gen Model.
- His car during an OTR Event organised by JLR was comfortable with water wading almost till the grill at the amby valley event, hence the 500 mm claim of the 1st Gen was a very conservative figure.
- Evoque is a Very capable off-roader, contrary to its image.
- Gear Lever is easier to use v/s the knob in his Evoque.
- New Steering Wheel Could have been a little smaller in size though.
- Eco and Comfort mode in the 2nd Gen is an add on as it was not there in the previous generation.
- Boot close button even in the base variant of the 2nd Gen Evoque.
- Number of charging points are abundantly available in the 2nd Gen Evoque.
- Gear box area takes a lot of space in the rear.
- Air/AC vents could have been better quality.
- Rear seat makes you sit very straight in the 1st Gen, 2nd Gen has a much comfortable angle for the rear seat.

Final Thoughts;

Overall the wow factor which the 1st gen had, has been carried forward in the 2nd Generation thanks to all the Velar inspired design elements. For someone who loves the Velar & finds it too expensive or too big then this generation of the Evoque makes for a perfect buy

[tanaysn]

Thanks for the detailed review!
How do the Velar like retracting door handles feel in terms of the hand grab? My first impression was it would be more plasticy lacking the firm hold.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by tanaysn

Thanks for the detailed review!
How do the Velar like retracting door handles feel in terms of the hand grab? My first impression was it would be more plasticy lacking the firm hold.

Thanks tanaysn

There's no compromise IMO on the feel of the grab handles & are user friendly too.

Just one drawback which i could think of was that if the key fobs battery dies off then what would be the way to open the doors in that scenario 🤔 (I thought via the boot, but there's no key hole there too). Hence hope someone on TEAM-BHP can answer this query, otherwise will have to refer the owners manual.

[AirbusCapt]

Originally Posted by karan561

Just one drawback which i could think of was that if the key fobs battery dies off then what would be the way to open the doors in that scenario �� (I thought via the boot, but there's no key hole there too). Hence hope someone on TEAM-BHP can answer this query, otherwise will have to refer the owners manual.

I was given to understand that the rfid sensor is close to the driver's door handle. So placing the key near it (unlike placing it near the ivrm in the discovery sport) will unlock the car and allow startup. There are no visual keyholes in the family, but using the slim key like tool within the fob, you can release the door handle cap and access a hidden keyhole

[jassi123]

Hi Karan! How did you find the gearbox response, especially during overtakes at city speeds? I owned the first generation Evoque for about 3 years and was really frustrated with the pronounced lag it had lower down. Never let me drive enthusiastically- which was a shame because the overall package was brilliant.

That, of course, was the 6-speed box, but I‘ve heard of similar experiences with the 9-speed as well. Not sure if that’s changed with this new generation.

[ChiragM]

Nice review Karan. I somehow never liked the rear-end design of the Velar when it was launched and I still do not. However, it looks slightly better on the Evoque, though I still prefer the rear design of the 1st-gen.

From the video, it looks like the touchscreen headunit is tilted upwards a little too much. Is it just the camera angle? How's the visibility?

If you are selling the car as a premium Range Rover, the key needs to say Range Rover, and not Land Rover.

I think that point on Victoria Beckham came up only because Top Gear mentioned that in the first-gen car. Everyone blindly believes what the Big 3 say. She had no role to play at all with that car? Even the interior?

[karan561]

Originally Posted by AirbusCapt

I was given to understand that the rfid sensor is close to the driver's door handle. So placing the key near it (unlike placing it near the ivrm in the discovery sport) will unlock the car and allow startup.

The R-Dynamic version has this sensor/keyless entry which detects the key & pops the handles out automatically.

There are no visual keyholes in the family, but using the slim key like tool within the fob, you can release the door handle cap and access a hidden keyhole

Great insight, thanks for solving this query

Originally Posted by jassi123

Hi Karan! How did you find the gearbox response, especially during overtakes at city speeds? I owned the first generation Evoque for about 3 years and was really frustrated with the pronounced lag it had lower down. Never let me drive enthusiastically- which was a shame because the overall package was brilliant.
That, of course, was the 6-speed box, but I‘ve heard of similar experiences with the 9-speed as well. Not sure if that’s changed with this new generation.

Jassi, I've havent driven the 6 A/T version but this 9 Speed ZF was good enough for overtaking at city speeds. It however was not lightning quick the way ZF's are in BMW's. But well suited for the character of the car.

Originally Posted by ChiragM

Nice review Karan.

Thanks Chirag.

From the video, it looks like the touchscreen headunit is tilted upwards a little too much. Is it just the camera angle? How's the visibility?

Yes, it is tilted a bit too upwards & for this reason the more expensive R - Dynamic version this pops out the same way it does in the Velar (Ref. Pic attached);

If you are selling the car as a premium Range Rover, the key needs to say Range Rover, and not Land Rover.

Exactly, the previous gen had Range Rover branding on the Key Fob. Here's a reference image of both the keys;

She had no role to play at all with that car? Even the interior?

At a launch event in China 2012, Victoria Beckham had said;
“I’ve designed a car that I want to drive, a car I think David wants to drive.”
^ This statement was mis-interpreted.
When confronted by the designer - ‘Victoria, that wasn’t on the script.’ She said, ‘Oh, I didn’t realise what I was saying.’ “
It was one of the moments when a celebrity got carried away

[F1-Addict]

Thanks Karan.. excellent video as well..

One thought that came to my mind when watching the video in regards to the panoramic sun roof. It’s so large that it’s above the rear passenger’s head. How does this affect the vehicle from a safety perspective? Not only the evoque but overall all vehicles with panoramic sunroofs.

I’ve noticed that sunroofs / panoramic sunroofs are becoming a huge USP / must have feature in the Indian auto scene.

[AirbusCapt]

Originally Posted by F1-Addict

Thanks Karan.. excellent video as well..

One thought that came to my mind when watching the video in regards to the panoramic sun roof. It’s so large that it’s above the rear passenger’s head. How does this affect the vehicle from a safety perspective? Not only the evoque but overall all vehicles with panoramic sunroofs.

I’ve noticed that sunroofs / panoramic sunroofs are becoming a huge USP / must have feature in the Indian auto scene.

Landrovers have a panaromic "glass" roof. This is made from high strength bonded glass which is claimed to be stronger than a sheet metal roof. Landrover also claims that incase the car turns turtle on its roof, the glass roof can support the weight of the car without shattering. The perimeter of the glass area is highly strengthened, acting like a box frame and keeps the passenger compartment intact in case of a crash. Infact a glass roof equipped landrover is heavier than a tin roofed one due the extra beefing.

[Amarendranath]

Excellent work, Karan! Enjoyed the review and the comparison with the previous generation!

About two weeks ago, I had an appointment with a VW dealership to checkout the Tiguan R-line. I had a 30 minute wait time during which I slipped into the Land Rover dealership right next door. The minute I walked in, I couldn't take my eyes off the Evoque. I mistook it for the Velar (at this point, I was not aware that Evoque was updated for 2020). After 5 mins inside the cabin, I saw myself doing a 180. Now a happy customer!

Please excuse my image quality!

[karan561]

Originally Posted by F1-Addict

Thanks Karan.. excellent video as well..

Thanks for the appreciation.

One thought that came to my mind when watching the video in regards to the panoramic sun roof. It’s so large that it’s above the rear passenger’s head. How does this affect the vehicle from a safety perspective? Not only the evoque but overall all vehicles with panoramic sunroofs.

I believe AirbusCapt's detailed reply has answered your query.

Originally Posted by AirbusCapt

Landrovers have a panaromic "glass" roof. This is made from high strength bonded glass which is claimed to be stronger than a sheet metal roof. Landrover also claims that incase the car turns turtle on its roof, the glass roof can support the weight of the car without shattering. The perimeter of the glass area is highly strengthened, acting like a box frame and keeps the passenger compartment intact in case of a crash. Infact a glass roof equipped landrover is heavier than a tin roofed one due the extra beefing.

Thanks yet again for the insight.

Originally Posted by Amarendranath

Excellent work, Karan! Enjoyed the review and the comparison with the previous generation!

Thanks, good to have an 2nd Gen Evoque owner comment on the thread

About two weeks ago, I had an appointment with a VW dealership to checkout the Tiguan R-line. I had a 30 minute wait time during which I slipped into the Land Rover dealership right next door. The minute I walked in, I couldn't take my eyes off the Evoque. I mistook it for the Velar (at this point, I was not aware that Evoque was updated for 2020). After 5 mins inside the cabin, I saw myself doing a 180. Now a happy customer!

Great, Tiguan to Evoque in 30 mins
Car looks stunning in White.
Congratulations, Enjoy !