Five-door Evoque set to star in LA

Baby Rangie adds more doors and greater flexibility to evocative new SUV line-up
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The five-door Range Rover Evoque will make its first public appearance at the Los Angeles next week following the appearance of the new, more practical baby Rangie made at this year's Australian International Motor Show (AIMS) in Sydney.

Maintaining the same coupé-like styling seen on the three-door model, the classy new five-door Evoque remains faithful to the original design seen in the Land Rover LRX concept car.

As with all Range Rover-branded products, Evoque five-door promises to provide premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance and renowned Land Rover all-terrain capability, but in a more compact package.

"The addition of the five-door to the Range Rover Evoque line-up extends the appeal of our brand still further," said Land Rover's Managing Director Phil Popham.

"While retaining everything that's great about the Range Rover Evoque coupé, this new five-door body style will offer customers even more choice, greater practicality, versatility and flexibility. The launch of the Evoque in 2011 will expand and revitalise the global appeal of the Range Rover marque."

Sharing the same footprint as the coupé model, the five-door Evoque is positioned as the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient Range Rover ever.

Utilising lightweight construction, Evoque five-door also employs environmentally sensitive technologies including modern petrol and diesel engines, direct injection, stop-start technology and electric power-assisted steering. The whole vehicle is also constructed from materials that aim to maximise end of life recyclability.

"Enhanced sustainability has been at the centre of the design and development of the Range Rover Evoque," said Popham. "We are offering customers the choice of high-efficiency coupé or five-door bodystyles, and both models are highly relevant, very contemporary and extremely desirable."

Adding to that desirability, the five-door Evoque extends the practicality of the coupé's SUV body, bringing with it more appeal for family buyers through what Land Rover says is its "enhanced functionality".

"The five-door Range Rover Evoque has the same strong emotional appeal as the coupé, while offering the superior versatility of a family vehicle," said Land Rover Design Director, Gerry McGovern.

"The key lines remain intact -- the dramatic rising beltline, muscular shoulder running the length of the car, and the distinctive taper to the floating roofline -- but with a slightly higher rear roof. The finished vehicle offers impressive levels of space and versatility whilst retaining the overall essence, visual robustness and jewel-like detailing of the coupé."

Fittingly, the five-door model also boasts a more capacious interior, despite no change to the vehicle's outer footprint. Clever packaging has ensured that the five-door Evoque's lavishly appointed cabin offers ample seating for five, the roof height expanded 30mm and rear shoulder room 50mm to accommodate rear seat passengers more comfortably.

Cargo space, too, is generous, Evoque five-door allowing a total of 1445-litres with the 60:40 split fold rear seats flipped forward. All three rear seating positions are equipped with ISOFIX child seat mounts.

Land Rover says that despite the car's family orientation, the driving experience remains polished and dynamic, sporty handling and responsive performance the key to much of Evoque's appeal.

"The five-door Range Rover Evoque has the same sporting character as the coupé," said Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes. "We have focused on ensuring that the car is agile and fun to drive, so that customers have a rewarding experience, even in day-to-day urban driving. Advanced technologies such as MagneRide mean we can ensure that this dynamic prowess does not come at the cost of top-quality refinement or comfort."

The optional Adaptive Dynamics system with advanced MagneRide dampers provides an exceptional balance between a supple, controlled ride and sharper handling responses.

Off-road, and in addition to extremely generous ground clearance, the Evoque five-door has better breakover and departure angles than most other compact SUVs. It is also backed by the latest iteration of Land Rover's signature Terrain Response four-wheel-drive system.

The Evoque will also be the first Range Rover to offer customers a choice between a full-time four-wheel-drive system, which delivers outstanding performance and traction on all surfaces, and a low carbon, front-wheel drive option for further enhanced fuel economy.

Five-door Range Rover Evoque shares its turbocharged powertrain line-up with the Coupé model offering 2.2-litre turbodiesel derivatives (110 or 140kW) and a single 2.0-litre petrol (176kW). CO2 emissions are as low as 135g/km.

"We have combined state-of-the-art powertrains with a lightweight bodyshell and a range of low-carbon technologies to deliver fuel efficiency which is outstanding for a premium SUV," explained Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes.

Innovative and intuitive control systems include a touch-screen display with dual-view technology, so that driver and passenger can view independent content.

Connectivity options include Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone and audio streaming, plus a range of USB and auxiliary inputs for iPods and other portable devices.

The Evoque's audio systems have been developed in partnership with the high-end audio specialist Meridian. The premium Meridian offering is an 825W, 17-speaker system.

Like the coupé model, five-door Evoque will be offered in three model variants, 'Pure', 'Prestige' and 'Dynamic', each adding more equipment and amenity than the last.

'Pure'combines a stylish, clean interior in neutral colours with soft-touch wrapped materials on the major surfaces contrast with the metal brushed aluminium trim.

'Prestige' adds a bespoke exterior that includes unique, 19-inch alloy wheels and sparkling metallic details with an interior that is almost entirely leather-wrapped.

'Dynamic' brings a bolder exterior with 20-inch wheels and unique bumpers, sills, grille and tailpipes for a more assertive, confident stance. Contrasting roof and spoiler colours are available, while the premium sports interior offers sports seats with splashes of bright contrast colour.

Both the Evoque coupé and Evoque five-door models will be manufactured in the UK with pricing to begin at £30,000. Dealerships in the UK and Europe expect to see initial stock by mid-2011. Australian timing is yet to be confirmed.

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