Don’t let the Evoque’s sleek styling fool you, it certainly isn’t the driver's choice. While it doesn’t suffer the same weight issues of its larger brethren, it still tows the party of line of comfort rather than speed.
For the Evoque, it’s four-cylinder engines across the board, with little-sipping diesels leading the efficiency charge. The quickest of which, the 237bhp SD4 drives through all four wheels. This four-cylinder, 2-litre turbodiesel executes the 0-62mph sprint in 6.9sec mated to the nine-speed auto ‘box, the only transmission option available for this engine. The less powerful 178bhp TD4 reaches the same benchmark in 8.5sec coupled to the auto’ and a further second for the manual. The two-wheel drive only eD4 is the slowest of the bunch, recording an 11.2-sec 0-62mph time, and comes with a six-speed manual gearbox only.
Subscribe to evo magazine
> Read our SEAT Ateca review here
The two turbocharged petrol models draw power from the same 2-litre block. Both are badged Si4 and one churns out the 237bhp, the other 286bhp. This duo are exclusively paired to the nine-speed gearbox on the four-wheel drive platform. The latter launches from a standing start to 62mph in a spritely 6 seconds, whereas the former manages a respectable 7.6-second time 0-62mph time and can run all the way to 135mph.
The Evoque is no performance oriented SUV, despite its coupe-esque looks and sporting pretensions. None of the models in the range will deliver the focused setup of a BMW X3 in M Sport or Porsche Macan. Driving in anger will bring little reward, they are well suited to the task of cruising calmly and offering a level of useable performance you’d expect of a car in this class.
The two-wheel drive eD4 forgoes even more performance in favour of efficiency. It’s blatantly underpowered and you’ll be stirring the gearbox plenty to extract the torque to maintain the momentum of the 1621kg vehicle.
