What is it?

The Range Rover Evoque SD4 Prestige 6-speed auto 4WD, to give its full title. The 'SD4' moniker signifies this is the more powerful, 190bhp diesel version of the Evoque, which is expected to be the big seller across Europe and lists in the UK at £38,990 in 5-door form, or £39,990 for the Coupe (3-door) version. Tick the 'Lux' pack option and you get a panoramic glass roof, even more leather, extra cameras, an auto park function and upgraded stereo. Adding that little lot costs you an extra £4325.

Technical highlights

This 2.2litre, 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine is shared with the Jaguar XF 2.2D and here in the Evoque it produces 188bhp and 310lb ft of torque, giving what you'd describe as 'surprisingly adequate' performance (0-60mph in 8secs, top speed 121mph) for such a capable 4WD urban SUV. 

With permanent 4WD and no stop-start technology available on automatic Evoques yet, expect real world fuel consumption to be in the mid to high thirties for this SD4 version, leading to a workable range of well over 400 miles from the 60 litre tank. The only downside to this new diesel motor is it seems to suffer from distinct turbo lag at lower rpm, so it's best to keep it bubbling above 2500rpm if you want to make decent progress.

What's it like to drive?

Evoque SD4 we drove came on 19" wheels and these are reckoned to give better ride quality and more progressive handling than the optional (and expensive) 20" wheels. Going for the optional 'MagneRide' dampers improves ride quality even further, especially at lower speeds on potholed urban streets but out on the open road, the standard damper set-up gave excellent body control, so only pay the extra for the optional MagneRide damper option if you want ultimate ride quality.

The Evoque is a surprisingly fun car to drive, think of it as being a tall hot-hatch and you won't go far wrong. Insiders say engineers worked hard to keep the roll centre as low as possible and added a touch of rear steer, which all helps keep the handling much sharper than you might expect. The end result is a new class leader for compact SUV dynamics.

How does it compare?

That all depends on what you want to compare it to as the Evoque is one of a new breed of premium small cars, offering all the luxury of cars like the Range Rover Sport but packaged in a car measuring just over fourteen feet long. It's easily the best looking small SUV on the market, yet surprisingly spacious inside (rear-seat passengers over 6th tall can happily be accommodated). 

The list price may seem chunky at first glance but the Evoque is stuffed full of options German manufactures charge plenty for anyway. At least with the Evoque the residuals are amazing, so you'll get more of your money back when you come to sell.

Anything else I should know?

The Evoque comes in three specification levels; Pure, Dynamic and Prestige but we reckon there's real value to be had by not being tempted by all the toys, many of which aren't really necessary. 

A 5-door, SD4, auto Evoque in 'Pure' spec still comes with full leather interior and climate control, yet lists at only £31,315, saving over £12,000 when compared to the version we drove. Okay, you miss out on things like navigation and auto park but that £12k saving pays for plenty of Tom Toms and parking the Evoque is a doddle anyway. Ticking 'Dynamic' only gains you MagneRide dampers and a questionable bodykit.

Conclusion

The Range Rover Evoque is like a breath of fresh air, it looks super sharp, drives way better than you'd ever suspect and has a real quality feel to it. Land Rover have brought their premium values to a new sector of the market and, even though the first customers won't get their cars until the autumn, the company already has 20,000 firm orders in the bank. Having now driven it I'm not at all surprised, it's a little cracker.