Land Rover Evoque - The 5 Door Preview

Land Rover has officially released details on the upcoming Range Rover Evoque 5 door ahead of its live preview at the Los Angeles Motor Show later this month. This comes after the recent press release photos of the car at the Paris Motor Show 2010 where Land Rover showcased the 3 door version.

Being the 5 door version of the good looking 3 door Evoque it shares the same good looks. However, if you looked at it properly it somehow looks like an overgrown BMW Mini with that white roof top and its stance. Mini looks aside, it isn't mini in size in the first place. That aside, the unique thing about the Evoque 5 door is that according to Land Rover, it will have the same footprint as its 3 door sibling. The width and the length is the same as the 3 door version. This tells us that the 3 door Evoque is already a large enough vehicle with long coupe-like front doors and liberal use of the shape to style the car.

The 5 door basically cuts the front door's size (slightly) and adds rear doors to the design. Clever packaging and an increase in roof line by 30mm has also liberated more shoulder room for the rear passengers by about 50mm. There is also a full length panoramic roof option to enhance the feeling of interior space.

The Evoque 5 door will come with keyless-go, park assist function, blind spot monitoring, adaptive headlights, a 5-camera surround camera system that is connected to a reversing sensor system and an entertainment package with two 8-inch video screens for the rear passengers. The press release also states that it comes with DAB/FM/AM/Sirius tuners, with hard drive virtual 10xCD multiplayer. Ooooh...FM Radio. Yes, press releases can sometimes be a little too detailed for their own good.

As for the Evoque 5 door's engines, the SUV will initially get a 2.2-litre 4 cylinder turbodiesel engine in 150PS and 190PS forms as well as a 2.0-litre direct injection turbocharged petrol engine that offers up 240PS. The power will be transmitted to the front wheels like the 3 door Evoque with full time Four Wheel Drive stated as an option. Land Rover is targeting this SUV for the more urbane, city dwelling  customers. It seems to be more suited for school runs rather than cross country off road driving. In fact, the press photos feature the Evoque in something like an underground carpark and in the city.

That said, the Evoque 5 door will have optional Adaptive Dynamics system with advanced MagneRide dampers that will provide the driver with selectable options for him to choose between a supple, controlled ride and sharper handling responses.

Being a Range Rover, Land Rover states that the Evoque 5 door will have better than average off-road capability. Combined with its reasonably high ground clearance, it will have better break-over and departure angles compared to other compact SUVs in the market as the Evoque 5 door (as with the 3 door version) has very short overhangs. This would help the car in ascending and descending hilly terrain.

If you combine the factors above in a Four Wheel Drive optioned Evoque 5 door equipped with Land Rover's Terrain Response System which includes Land Rover's fabulous hill descent system, it would seem that the Evoque 5 door will be a pretty good farmer's car. IF a farmer were to actually buy it in the first place, as I have a nagging feeling that the Victoria Beckhams of the world will be the Evoque's number one customer.