In 2008 Land Rover presented a near production ready concept car at the North American International Auto Show; it would be the first 2 wheel drive model for Land Rover. The concept, now named the Ranger Rover Evoque went into production earlier this year, with sales due to begin in the first part of 2012 or the latter part of 2011.
The compact Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) will be available in 5 door or 3 door variants, and for the first time in a Land Rover it will also be available with either 4 wheel or 2 wheel drive. The Evoque has been described as a urban machine that addresses the need for low CO2 emissions in towns and cities.
Thanks to a cash injection of 27 million by the UK Government, the Range Rover Evoque will be produced at the Land Rover plant in Liverpool, England. This has helped Land Rover secure and create more jobs in a tough UK job market.
On launch there will be three engines to choose from, 1 petrol and 2 diesel variants. The diesel engines are a 2.0 litre turbo diesel with either 148bhp or 187 bhp. The Petrol engine is a 2.0litre unit with 237 bhp. The diesel engines will come with the option of automatic or manual transmission; the manual is limited to just automatic only.
The first Range Rover Evoque rolled off the production line and destined for
Evoque dealers in Chelmsford on the 4th of July. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO said, "The Evoque is an incredibly exciting vehicle that joins a product range which across both of our brands is the strongest we have ever had - and it fits in perfectly. The teams that have designed engineered and built the new Evoque, working together with our research and supplier partners, can be immensely proud of their achievement. Worldwide interest in our new car has been exceptional, with 18,000 customer orders received from customers eager to be among the first to own the new Range Rover."
