One of the very first Range Rovers sold in America was bought by Bruce Willis, and Land Rover’s flagship model has embodied excess and luxury for decades, with a list of owners including rapper Cam’ron, Angelina Jolie and, oh yes, the Queen. The full-fat Range Rover and its newer siblings like the Velar don’t come cheap, but Land Rover does offer one accessible solution to that first-world problem: the Range Rover Evoque.

 The 2019 redesign of the Evoque preserved all of the style of the model’s previous generation and infused some Range Rover Velar as well. There aren’t any other small crossovers that look this flashy.  Land Rover

The sleek Evoque first appeared ten years ago as a scaled-down version of its big brothers, but with a more dramatic, wedge-shaped bodywork and a sleek, chop-topped roofline. A competitor for small luxury crossovers like the BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA-class and Volvo XC40, the Evoque entered its second generation in 2019, losing the slow-selling two-door and convertible models it previously offered. 

For 2021, Land Rover also axed the Evoque’s more powerful engine choice, leaving only a 246-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Other updates include a fresh infotainment interface and a new option package that bundles wireless charging with a Wi-Fi hotspot and some other tech integrations.

Like other Land Rover vehicles, the Evoque’s trim structure can be difficult to sort out. The line is split into two main models: Base and R-Dynamic. The R-Dynamic model brings upgraded features over the Base, mostly cosmetic items like a different wheel design and fancier interior materials. Within each configuration, there are further trim levels: S, SE and HSE, though only the R-Dynamic model can equip the HSE trim. 

The Evoque’s cabin is just as beautiful as the exterior, with lots of style and fine materials that fit the Range Rover Brand.  Land Rover

At the bottom of the line, the Range Rover Evoque S starts at $44,350 and brings 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, a power liftgate, ebony leather upholstery, heated front seats, a 10-inch touchscreen, power heated front seats, a slew of off-road driving features and a similar raft of active-safety gear. 

The SE is a $4,800 upgrade that comes with 20-inch wheels, adaptive LED headlamps, memory settings for the front seats, a second, lower 10-inch screen replacing more plain touch controls and blind spot assistance. The top $54,450 HSE trim builds on the SE with a heated suede-cloth steering wheel, a Meridian sound system and more. 

As it did with the Discovery Sport, Land Rover nixed the Evoque’s more powerful engine, leaving the same turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 246 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque. Power reaches all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic transmission. 

As fine as the materials and design are, there just isn’t enough interior space to go around. Even without tall people in front sliding their seats back rear legroom is very tight. Land Rover

The Evoque measures just 172.1 inches long, nearly a subcompact, but it weighs in at a porky 3,935 pounds before passengers ever step inside. That’s only 100 pounds less than the 181-inch long, three-row Land Rover Discovery Sport. The 2.0-liter engine is used in both SUVs, but the Evoque makes better use of it. It’s still not the quickest vehicle in its class and the turbo can lag, but it can muster some enthusiasm and hit 60 mph in a bit over 7 seconds.

That weight helps the Evoque feels sturdy and planted, much more so than most compact SUVs. The Evoque’s mostly controlled handling and reasonable athleticism don’t come at the expense of comfort on the road, as it’s happy to soak up potholes and bumpy backroads, particularly with the optional $1,300 Dynamic handling package, which includes an adaptive suspension. 

Unfortunately, the Evoque’s heft also means it has a thirsty appetite for fuel relative to other small crossovers. At 20 mpg city, 27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined, it returns about 4 to 5 mpg less than most similar-sized rivals, and 1 to 2 mpg less than one-size-larger crossovers like the Acura RDX.

 Cargo space is similarly restricted, although the 50.5 cubic feet overall is bigger than a few rivals. There’s also a 40-20-40 split-folding rear seat, which helps make the most of what room there is. Land Rover

Like other Land Rovers, the Evoque can go off-road without worry. It is not as capable as a Defender and the standard all-season tires aren’t meant for deep snow or sand, but Land Rover offers a precise all-wheel drive system with many different settings and cameras that can even show you what’s happening under the vehicle as you move along the trail. It can safely ford almost two feet of water and its 8.3 inches of ground clearance mean it’s easily at home on light forest trails or dirt roads.

The biggest drawback to the Evoque’s stylish shape and petite dimensions is the penalty they levy on interior space. The front seats are reasonably comfortable, but there’s not enough head or legroom for taller adults in either row of seating. The rear seat has only 33.8 inches of legroom, which is 3 to 5 inches less than some competitors. Even the Mini Countryman offers 4 more inches of rear legroom.

There are 21.5 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 50.5 with them folded, which also puts these dimensions on the small side for the class, though still ahead of the Mini Clubman and about even with the Audi Q3.

The Evoque is a competent on-road performer and the optional adaptive suspension smooths out the ride, but its weight doesn’t help performance. Land Rover

That said, the cabin is gorgeous, particularly with the optional dual-screen infotainment setup. Standard leather upholstery, beautiful materials and finely detailed shapes live up to the Range Rover ethos even if this is a smaller, cheaper machine than its brethren.

As automakers add more tech to vehicles, they can quickly lose fans if the experience adds up to be less than stellar. Land Rover hopes to get ahead of that curve with an update to its Pivi Pro infotainment software. 

The new system isn’t as straightforward as rivals like BMW’s iDrive and its responses can lag, but it’s a strong improvement over the interfaces from years past. Apple CarPlay and navigation come standard, and several upgrades are available that include wireless charging, a Meridian sound system and a head-up display. 

Even with its distinctive on-road optional 20-inch wheels, the Evoque makes short work of light trails. It’s a real Land Rover even if it’s much smaller than the maker’s other models. Land Rover

The Evoque, like many low-volume and expensive imports, hasn’t been tested by IIHS or NHTSA, but it does earn five stars from the quite stringent European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP), which performs similar tests to those agencies. 

In addition to its tough unibody structure, Land Rover makes forward automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane keep assist, traffic sign recognition and a driver condition monitor standard. Blind Spot monitoring is included on the higher trims, and a surround-view system is optional, but adaptive cruise control is not.