THE SELL: Pocket off-road rocket. THE TEST: To make the Evoque, Land Rover took a premium sports coupe, bolted it onto a serious off-roading platform, and then gave it a spunky 2-liter, 240-hp turbocharged four-cylinder power plant. On rugged mountain roads outside Vancouver, British Columbia, this mini Rover tackled creek crossings and slippery dirt tracks like its tried-and-true ancestor, the classic Land Rover. And in Vancouver’s dense city core, its diminutive size and zip made me think I was in a high-performance vehicle, not an SUV. Big drawback: the cargo area/backseat is tiny. THE VERDICT: Big off-road chops in a small, luxe package. 18 mpg city/28 hwy
Photographer: Courtesy of Land Rover
