Evoque: I have seen the future of Land Rover ...

[Dendy Jarrett]

and I am sad.

I went to the premier in Nashville last night for the 2012 Land Rover Evoque.
True, it is a thing of beauty ... if you are looking for an Urban Yuppy mobile (is yuppy still used these days?).

But check this:

sad that they are producing a Range Rover that has taken almost all of its design elements from the 2012 Ford Explorer and mixed in a little LR2/Range Rover Sport.

http://www.newfuturecars.com/2012-ford-explorer/

Base Price $28,190.00
And seats 7!!

Base Price $43,995

For the Base Price of the Evoque- I can buy a completely loaded 2012 Jeep Rubicon with a Freedom top, and have all of the technology plus instead of a glass top, go completely topless! For the price of the fully loaded Evoque (over $70K) I can get a fully loaded AEV with a HEMI!!

Is it just me? !? !?

It has me contemplating a Jeep!

D

 

[TangoBlue]

Contemplate this... for less than $70K a 200-series Land Cruiser. Duh...

 

[Antichrist]

I don't get it. Land Rover used to be known for great visibility out the windows. Both this and the Defender concept seem to have gone the H3, or worse, route.

 

[Dendy Jarrett]

I made that very same comment last night. I asked the Land Rover corporate execs ... why the gangster windows? They all looked at me like I had two heads. I further explained that Land Rovers have always been like for their Green House effect while traveling. Clearly they don't get it.
It was also noted that if you take the front off the Envogue (as I begrudgingly called it last night - because it clearly has Vogue appeal - and that was about all) and put on a Honda element back- it becomes clear where the design concept for the Defender came from. No one actually designing- but someone copy/pasting in photoshop verses actually designing in CAD.

I said last night that I thought a re-released version of the old series truck would have gone over better than the concept defender!
D

 

[dzzz]

I don't get it. Land Rover used to be known for great visibility out the windows. Both this and the Defender concept seem to have gone the H3, or worse, route.

And the Toyota FJ. Maybe the 20 year olds like the gangsta windows

 

[Wander]

I hear you brother.... I have also noticed that the visibility can not be good from the Evoque and I can not see it as a real off road choice, so has Tata made the choice to take LR out of the market that made it a legend? It would appear so to me and that is sad. We can't get a 70 series Troopy so that leaves us with a Land Cruiser or a Jeep and really it's only the Jeep with solid axles.

May my Disco run forever!

 

[overlander]

The analogy that I can't help but make on what is happening in Land Rover, is what happened to Banana Republic. In the mid 80's I was living in LA and spending every weekend home from boarding school out in the Mojave deep in the desert in my CJ. Most of my outdoor clothes were Abercrombe and Fitch, but their quality was diminishing and their clothes would not hold up to desert scrub. Low and behold Banana Republic opens a store in Beverly Hills and that place spoke to me. The store had a wall themed with jungle plants and half an elephant statue sticking out. There was a military WWII jeep in the middle of the store with clothes on it, and a piper cub airplane hanging from the ceiling. The store was privately owned by the founders, and much of it was military clothing and apparel from around the world. the store's catalogues where written in the theme of a hand written travel journel, with each item's page denoting the journey where they found the item (e.g. in a market in Tibit). I still have an entire collection of those catalogues. I can't let go of them. I thought I hit the motherload; a store that I could totally connect with that emulated my personality and lifestyle! All their clothing was rugged, with thick quality eqyptian cottons, duck cotton and leather. They could hold up to desert brush and became my new favorite wear for spending days in the desert.

Then they sold out to Levis Strauss....

Now they are the icon of metrosexual with no resemblence to their overland/travel/expedition core other than by name.

I still hold out hope for Land Rover. I am convinced this is the consequence of having spent time under Ford. When BMW sold to Ford, I lamented knowing that selling to a parent company that resides in a country that is completely paved is a double edged sword. LR benefited from production quality, but I'm sure is infected with ford designers that have a mall crawler resume who take time off work to watch fashion week.

I just hope some of them show up to Billings this year in the UK and get an earfull!

 

[Wander]

Does Tata own Mehindra? If so I'm wondering if they are positioning LR even more up market in hopes of building Mehindra as the utility brand to compete against Toyota (good luck).

I also miss the real Banana Republic and A & F, Mark. About the only one left is Filson and there is more and more import in their product line but at least the quality is holding up and the classic items are still made in Seattle and built to last generations.

 

[haven]

Tata and Mahindra are competitors, like Ford and Chevy.

 

[haven]

Check out the Evoque being prepared for this year's Dakar. How you like me now?

 

[TangoBlue]

Check out the Evoque being prepared for this year's Dakar. How you like me now?

Really? Are you sure it's not the HALO 4 liberty vehicle?

The Warthog doesn't have windows or AC. Looks like the Evoque meets the need.

 

[Scott Brady]

I hope they have a big win with the Evoque. That will fund and support other models that we can love.

It takes a bunch of Liberties and Grand Cherokees to keep the Wrangler alive and as a focus-built product.

 

[Jamin_GX]

I hope they have a big win with the Evoque. That will fund and support other models that we can love.

It takes a bunch of Liberties and Grand Cherokees to keep the Wrangler alive and as a focus-built product.

Bingo, Scott! As much as WE may not like this design I see it as a necessary evil at time that if it sells well it will fill the coffers so that they can build things WE DO like but may not be their cash cow. It's the world we live in now.

 

[snakedoctor]

TopGear did a spot on it and it held up well as far as the utility its still seems solid. Just ugly!


(That's the original TopGear not the stupid sucky dumb crappy USA version!

 

[TangoBlue]

I hope you're right Scott. As a distant observer, it seems that as the Jeep brand was absorbed into Chrysler, this legacy vehicle has become increasingly diluted while new models, less-capable people movers more oriented to urban trails, are introduced. If this trend continues what will the future hold for this less prominent icon?

Financial ink colored red and black ultimately drives corporate decisions.

Thank goodness for the aftermarket, specialty vehicle industry that keeps this vehicle alive and on the trail.