Range Rover Evoque L551
Range Rover Evoque L551 (2018-Present)
The Range Rover Evoque L551 is the second generation Evoque vehicle produced by Jaguar Land Rover. This new iteration of the Evoque was revealed and started production in 2018.
The Evoque L551 was available in four basic trim levels: Evoque, Evoque S, Evoque SE, and Evoque HSE.
Design
The second generation Evoque used Land Rover’s new design language, which was first seen in the Range Rover Velar a year earlier. That is, the design was pared back and more minimalist than other vehicles, both on the outside and within. Design Director Gerry McGovern commented that the new care was ‘meant to be unmistakably Evoque, while being unmistakably the new Evoque.
The Evoque L551 featured retracting door handles and an all new infotainment system, which featured a second touchscreen. While the first generation Evoque was available initially as three-door coupe, this new imagining was only available as a five door. It also boasted both a bigger cabin and a boot space around 10 per cent bigger than its predecessor.
Exterior & Chassis
The new Evoque retained some of the original features of its predecessor. It had a clam shell bonnet, bulging front wheel arches, and an ultra-slim rear glass area. But there was also a departure from some original design features, too. For example, the doors of the L538 showcased horizontal creases. These were replaced with less complex surfacing for a cleaner, more minimalist finish.
The Evoque L551 also featured bigger wheel sizes, with alloys ranging from 17” up to 21”.
The second generation Evoque had an extended wheelbase, with shorter overhangs. This helped to make getting into the rear passenger seats easier and lent more leg and knee room to passengers, too.
Engine & Transmission
While the exterior design of this new vehicle was changed just enough to distinguish it from the first iteration of the Evoque, the mechanics and engineering was significantly changed. In fact, over 90% of the components in the L551 are brand new.
It was the first vehicle to be built using the new Premium Transverse Architecture platform by Jaguar Land Rover. PTA is a development of the D8 platform and can be used for mild hybrid, electrified and ICE powertrains. The automatic variants of the Range Rover Evoque L551 were available with a 48-volt mild hybrid system equipped with 8Ah lithium-ion battery.
The new Evoque was available with a range of Ingenium four-cylinder units – 3 petrol, 3 diesel – with only one manual gearbox available on the 148bhp diesel engine. The rest of the engine types were mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The transmission also featured Driveline Disconnect, a system which made the vehicle front-wheel drive when it was cruising on a motorway. Active Driveline was also an option, this aids turn-in through a rear mounted double-clutch which offers torque vectoring on the rear axle.
Driving Technology
As the second generation in the Evoque range, the L551 had a new wading depth of 600mm. It also featured Terrain Response 2, a feature found on other Range Rover vehicles, which automatically detects the road surface and adjusts the transmission to compensate for that.
The second generation Evoque was also the first production vehicle to feature Clearsight Groundview. This technology was first seen on the Discovery Concept. This driving technology used cameras mounted on the side mirrors and the front axle to show a ‘through-the-bonnet’ view on the car’s upper infotainment screen. This feature helped drivers negotiate ramps and steep slopes during off-roading.
Clearsight also helped to improve the drivers view out of the car rear window, as the rear-view mirror could be used both conventionally or switched to a 9.5” display which shows video captured by the rear-facing camera.
Interior & Entertainment
As mentioned, the Evoque L551 was heavily influenced by the Velar in the minimalist design stakes. It had noticeably fewer buttons than its predecessor, along with a 12.3” digital instrument panel and the option to add a head-up display. Higher-end versions also featured a pair of 10” Touch Pro Duo infotainment screens.
Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were available through the infotainment system. It also featured Smart Settings designed to learn a driver’s preferences, such as seating positions, music choices and climate control configurations.
Trims Levels & Special Editions
The base model Evoque featured LED auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers, ambient cabin lighting, a heated windscreen and dual-zone climate control.
The S model featured 18” alloys, perforated leather interiors, electric front seats, upgrades to the infortainment system, auto dimming side mirrors, and traffic sign recognition with adaptive speed limiter.
The SE model saw more upgrades to the headlights (such as high-beam assist and animated LED indicators), 20” allots, heated front seats, interactive driver display, and electrically powered tailgate.
The HSE model again saw better leather interiors combined with a 380W Meridian sound system, ClearSight rear-view mirror camera, gesture control for the tailgate and adaptive cruise control.
As well as the above, a First Edition Range Rover Evoque L552 was launched which was even higher spec that the HSE. It featured LED headlights with power washers, privacy glass, black contrast panoramic glass roof, electrically adjustable steering column, interior ambient lighting and heated steering wheel.
