QUICK SPIN: Range Rover Evoque Si4 Pure
Johannesburg - For laughably obvious reasons I'm not going to refer to this as the 'affordable' version of the gorgeous Range Rover Evoque because it still sports a price tag of R627 890. In fact, I hardly feel comfortable using the term 'entry-level' here but for what it's worth, the Pure is the least expensive member of the Evoque family.
Added to the range earlier this year as part of a model year update that also saw a new nine-speed automatic gearbox joining the Evoque's brag-sheet, the Pure undercuts the the next-up Prestige model by R92 400. That's a relatively significant saving even at this point of the price ladder.
The Motoring team has driven the high-end versions of the Evoque and we were impressed with them from top to bottom - we even named the Evoque our best car of 2011.
So, we wondered, how much of this goodness would be missing from the bottom-rung model?
WHAT’S MISSING, THEN?
Thankfully not the 'basic necessities' that you'd expect on any premium vehicle, meaning a lot of the nice stuff like leather seat trim, the 380 Watt Meridian sound system, climate control, cruise control and the multifunction steering wheel all survived the cost cutting cull.
The Pure also retains a stylish persona thanks to 18-inch five-split-spoke wheels and satin brushed aluminium inlays. In fact, at first glance it really looks and feels the part.
Yet if you're accustomed to having all the toys, then you might just find the Pure to be a bit on the barren side. Compared to the Prestige, it loses the satnav and reverse camera as well as the electric tailgate, rain-sensing wipers and eight/six-way electric seat adjustment. The Xenon headlights with their unique LED signature have also made way for conventional halogens and if you're into those showy little details then you might miss the puddle lamps on the exterior mirrors that display an Evoque silhouette.
POWER, REFINEMENT
Mechanically you're getting exactly the same deal though, which means either a 140kW/420Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel or 177kW/340Nm 2-litre turbopetrol engine - our test car featuring the latter. In both cases power is transmitted to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic gearbox and the permanent all-wheel drive system is reputed for taking the Evoque to off-road locations that many soft-roaders would shy away from. The Terrain Response system that electronically manages the traction situation is rather competent and in fact the biggest limiting factor will be the Evoque's 215mm ground clearance.
Yet it goes without saying that Evoques spend almost all of their time strutting their fine-looking metal in trendy urban locations and on-tar manners are hard to fault here.
The 2-litre petrol engine has no shortage of steam and will get you around in quite a hurry, but it is rather laggy off the mark - in fact I even adjusted my level of bravery slightly when entering busy streets.
VERDICT
Stylish as it may be, the Evoque is still priced on the steep side of the compact SUV scale, at R627 890 (or R620 622 for the diesel). Yet if you can't resist its allure and you can live without the high-end gadgets, you might just find a happy little compromise in this new version that saves you almost R100 000.
FACTS
Range Rover Evoque Si4 Pure
Engine: 2-litre, four-cylinder turbopetrol
Gearbox: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 177kW @ 5500rpm
Torque: 340Nm @ 1750rpm
0-100km/h (claimed): 8.9 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 217km/h
Consumption (claimed): 8.3 litres per 100km
Price: R627 890
Warranty: Three-year/100 000km
Maintenance plan: Five-year/100 000km