With some 170,000 units having been delivered globally in the 18 months since its arrival, the Range Rover Evoque has been a spectacular sales success for Land Rover. It has helped to prop up an impressive upturn in fortunes for the marque; in the UK for example, Land Rover shifted 2,113 units in July 2011, the month before the Evoque hit the market. In the same month in 2013, that figure had risen to 3,459.
The Evoque expertly tapped into a lucrative market as it combined the prestigious Range Rover badge with a much more accessible price tag. The quality of the product was every bit as targeted as the concept itself, with the slightly dated six-speed automatic gearbox being one of the few points of criticism. For the 2014 model year, though, Land Rover introduces a revised Evoque with several upgrades that include a new ZF-sourced nine-speed single-clutch gearbox.
Along with some minor styling tweaks and a range of seven new driver assistance features - most of which are related to automated parking, lane departure warnings and the like - the MY14 Evoque also introduces Land Rover's on-demand Active Driveline technology. The system switches between front- and four-wheel drive to optimise fuel efficiency and agility.
The model tested here is the nine-speed Si4 petrol version, which shares its engine with Ford's Focus ST. Land Rover claims 36.2mpg for this engine, but, as we'll come to see, the real world figures will ensure that this 240hp engine will be rarely specified in the UK.
The natural concern when considering nine forward ratios is that the gearbox will simply be incessantly hunting around for cogs. The first few gears feel very tightly spaced while the final three are really overdrive ratios. The torquey, turbocharged petrol engine won't pull ninth even at motorway speeds; the 'box drops down to eighth if you want a little acceleration, seventh if you want some more, then sixth or even fifth if you want to nail a middle lane hog.
Using the paddles in manual mode does take a little time to master. On an engaging stretch of road the driver does have to be disciplined in only using third to fifth (occasionally dropping to second or climbing to sixth as and when the road really tightens or opens), otherwise it's very easy indeed to get lost in all those cogs. It's simply a matter of familiarity. The key point is that the gearbox shifts quickly and cleanly enough in auto mode that you just aren't aware of it shuffling around excessively, although kickdown under full throttle isn't the smoothest.
The new transmission is more effective than the old six-speeder, then, and it also contributes to a fuel consumption reduction of up to 11.4 per cent, depending on model. Active Driveline - optional on most models, standard on the Si4 - contributes too; as with the gearbox, the biggest compliment to pay is that you just aren't aware of what's going on in normal driving.
Below 22mph the system runs in four-wheel drive mode for best traction, but it decouples the rear wheels above that speed in steady-state conditions. The system reverts back to four-wheel drive whenever the driving conditions demand it - if you begin to drive more enthusiastically, for instance - in 300 milliseconds.
The system also features e-Diff technology, to shuffle power between the rear wheels, and what Land Rover calls Torque Vectoring by Braking. The latter, which also features on the Evoque's standard four-wheel drive system, distributes power between all four wheels to limit understeer. You'd have to find yourself deep into a stability control event to feel it working, though.
With a version of Land Rover's Terrain Response system and Hill Descent Control, the four-wheel drive models do also have a degree of off-road ability; certainly more than its SUV rivals and enough for the typical driver.
Fuel economy in the low-20s after a day of mixed, if occasionally spirited, driving does seem to render the petrol engine somewhat obsolete, enjoyable as it was.
The rest of the car is as we've come to expect having run one for a few months. The cabin is of high quality and it looks suitably funky. It rides decently and the handling is just about keen enough to allow some fun. Tip it into a corner and, given the raised ride height, it drops quickly onto its outside wheels, but then just sits there and grips. The steering is numb in feedback terms, but it's accurate and direct enough that you do learn to trust the front end as you pour it into faster corners.
The Evoque may not be a hot hatch, but with this engine in particular it does a reasonable impression of one. Sure, it won't delight the most enthusiastic of drivers, but with an improved gearbox and the same set of attributes that made it such a success in the first place, the latest Evoque is better than ever.
SPECIFICATION | 2014 RANGE ROVER EVOQUE SI4 9-SPEED
Engine: 1,999cc, 4-cyl petrol, turbocharged
Transmission: 9-speed ZF automatic, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 240@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 251@1,750-4,500rpm
0-62mph: 7.6sec
Top speed: 135mph
Weight: 1,640kg
MPG: 36.2mpg (claimed)
CO2: 193g/km
Price: £41,000
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