Range Rover Evoque concept

Rarely have we seen the productionization of a true concept car as successful as Julian Thomson’s Land Rover LRX’s metamorphosis into the Range Rover Evoque.

“It’s literally a case of it being a little narrower, adding 20mm on the hood, 20mm to the roof and giving it door handles,” said design director Gerry McGovern. The biggest change is not in its design, but branding: “It became clear that, as we developed it with its emphasis on jewel-like qualities, it needed to be a Range Rover” added McGovern.

The details are – for the most part – befitting of the shift upmarket, while endowing the car with a genuinely youthful, modern character. The exterior stands out more for its dramatic proportions and crisp graphics than its detailing however. Its stance is exceptional; the sharply rising beltline and falling roof are significant departures for the brand DLO, its glass-to-body ratio drastically reduced compared to any previous Range Rover, endowing the Evoque with a most dynamic look.

This also significantly alters the way its occupants are framed and perceived from outside. Range Rovers have long conveyed a sense of floating above the morass, with the proportion of glass creating airiness inside and a framing of the driver to the outside that was unique. The bunker-like, gun-slit, approach here is new to Range Rover and is extreme, even in comparison to muscle cars and coupes. It virtually hides the driver, while making it impossible for rear passengers to be seen (or to see out).

The interior is more of a departure when compared to the concept, McGovern suggesting, “The concept might have been a bridge too far. In retrospect it wasn’t as appropriate in terms of its luxury execution or in terms of today’s contexts.” He’s referring to the technology-orientated approach of the concept, refined here to leave an uncluttered IP with trademark Range Rover switchgear and architecture.

While many will bristle at the West Coast trustafarian college girl image this new type of Range Rover so readily embraces, the extension of the brand makes sense. That it’s been executed so well makes it a candidate for production car of the show.