JLR to showcase a slew of concepts

India is a home away from home for JLR since Tata Motors took the reins, so these iconic British brands want to put their best foot forward at the Expo to showcase what they are capable of.

Waiting to shock and awe you will be the DC100 and DC100 Sport. These radical concepts preview the 2015 successor to the Defender and the inspired styling and off-road potential are hard to miss.

The poster-worthy C-X16 concept will show the future of Jaguar design. Proposed specs are a 380bhp 3.0-litre V6 and a ‘push-to-pass’ F1-style electric boost system that makes another 95bhp. The C-X16 can do a 0-100kph run in just 4.4sec. Yummy!

Jaguar may also display the turbine-powered C-X75 supercar at the show. To be developed with Williams F1, only 250 units will be built from when it goes on sale in 2013, so make sure you click your pictures because seeing another one in the flesh later will be really hard (unless you buy one). The facelifted XF and Evoque will be the other cars at the JLR hall.

FIRST DRIVE Range Rover Evoque review, test drive

The new Evoque looks simply stunning in the flesh. The very modern lines and raked-back profile make it really stand out in everyday traffic in Mumbai, and for Range Rover, this is a completely new direction. It is far removed from the traditional uprightness the company is known for and the show-car-like lines make you just stare and stare.
We love the detailing of both the front and rear lights, the 18-inch wheels are large enough to give it a solid stance and even though this SUV doesn’t have size on its side, it has massive presence on our roads. Step inside and you’ll notice you sit lower too, but this apart, you’ll love the interiors, especially the soft-touch surfaces on the dashboard and the way everything feels properly expensive. Automatic Evoques get Jaguar’s rotary gear selector that rises from the centre console and, further down, there are switches for Land Rover’s Terrain Response off-road system that reconfigures the car’s software and hardware depending on the surface you’re driving on.
The cabin is a comfy place to be because the seats are widely adjustable, as is the steering. However, the huge wing mirrors do obstruct forward view and the short squab of the rear seats isn’t ideal, but apart from that, this is a great cabin to be sat in. It’s a lot more accommodating than it looks from outside. There’s loads of legroom, good headroom and it’s nowhere near as claustrophobic as the tapering window line would suggest. This car also has a massive panoramic sunroof as well.
We drove the Evoque SD4, which with five-doors, is a compact SUV. Push the engine start button and you’ll be surprised by the lack of clatter from the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. The engine remains impressively refined even near its redline. The 2179cc engine makes 187bhp and 42.8kgm of torque and the motor delivers this power in a nice, linear manner. However, it doesn’t feel very quick and the six-speed paddle-shift auto could have been better.

Still, the Evoque shows remarkable composure and tight body control. There’s not the slightest squeal from the 18-inch tyres and it even changes direction eagerly; it’s just that the electric steering is a bit light and inconsistent off centre. As for the ride, we found it dealt with most surfaces authoritatively with only the sharper bumps kicking through.

Indian Evoques are slightly different from European ones. The biggest change is that the air-intake for the engine is placed higher, but engineers have also tuned the suspension to work with smaller wheels and higher-profile tyres.
Prices for this stylish, compact SUV start from Rs 56.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai), with the sexier petrol two-door costing Rs 72 lakh. Yes, it is expensive, but it’s also unique. What you do get for the extra money though is a high-quality, stunning looking and deeply desirable compact SUV.

Fact File

Price Range (in lakhs)*

Ex-showroom price

Rs 56.7 lakh (ex-showroom, Mumbai)

Engine

Fuel	Diesel
Installation	Front, transverse, AWD
Type	4 cyls in-line, 2179cc, common-rail turbo-diesel
Power	187bhp at 3500rpm
Torque	187bhp at 3500rpm

Transmission

Gearbox

6-speed automatic

Dimensions

Length	4355mm
Width	1965mm
Height	1605mm
Wheel base	2660mm

Chassis & Body

Weight

1715kg

Evoque review and test drive

The Evoque is a completely new direction for Range Rover. It’s a new car in a new class for a new kind of customer – it’s far removed from the traditional uprightness of a Range Rover. We drove the Evoque SD4 as it’s the one that will be the popular choice when it is launched in India by end-2011.

The five-door Evoque is a compact SUV. Stand next to it, and you’ll see it’s about the size of an Audi Q3 — it is shorter and squatter than the baby Audi, and about a million times better-looking as well. Under the skin, the Evoque is suspended at the front by MacPherson struts and a multi-link rear. It is upto 100kg lighter than the Freelander, though partly because it is much shorter and partly due to more extensive use of aluminium, both in its body panels and suspension, and plastics in the body.

Step inside and you’ll notice one intrinsic Range Rover characteristic that’s missing — the commanding view out. You sit a lot lower and as a result it feels a lot sportier and very un-Rangie. This apart, you’ll love the interiors, especially the soft-touch surfaces on the dashboard, and the way everything feels properly expensive. Automatic Evoques get Jaguar’s rotary gear lever that rises from the centre console and, further down, switches for Land Rover’s Terrain Response off-road system that reconfigures the car’s software and hardware depending on the surface you’re driving on.

The cabin is a comfy place to be because the seats are widely adjustable, as is the steering and there’s more headroom than the roof-line would suggest. However, the huge wing mirrors obstruct forward view. And, if you can discount the short squab of the rear seats, it’s a lot more accommodating than you would think. There’s loads of legroom, good headroom and it’s nowhere near as claustrophobic as the tapering window-line would suggest. Indian cars will get the massive panoramic sunroof as standard. However, Range Rover has omitted a spare wheel which, in an SUV, is quite unacceptable.

Push the engine start button and you’ll be surprised by the lack of clatter from the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. The engine remains impressively refined even near its red-line. The 2179cc engine makes 187bhp and 42.8kgm of torque and the motor delivers this power in a nice, linear manner. However, it doesn’t feel very quick when you put your foot down. The six-speed auto isn’t the best around either, sometimes refusing to upshift or downshift despite repeatedly pulling the steering-mounted paddles.

Still, the Evoque shows remarkable composure and tight body control. There’s not a squeal from the 18-inch tyres on the car and it even changes direction eagerly. It’s just that the electric steering is too light and a bit inconsistent off-centre. The Evoque feels best when you’re not pushing on and with Dynamic mode switched off. It’s here that you’ll discover a ride that deals with most surfaces authoritatively with only the sharper bumps kicking through.

This SUV is far more adept off-road. In rainy conditions we selected ‘mud and ruts’ on the Terrain Response system and we could feel the dulled throttle response, essential for driving on slippery surfaces. You can even feel its traction control system monitor wheelspin as the Evoque claws its way up the slope. The thing is, the Evoque feels so capable over these non-existent sections of road that all it demands of you is to select the right off-road setting, steer and feed in throttle. It doesn’t have a low-range transfer case though.

Indian Evoques will be slightly different from the European ones. The biggest change is with the air-intake for the engine, which will be placed higher. Engineers are also working on tuning the suspension to work with smaller wheels and higher profile tyres. What this will do to the styling that demands big wheels is yet to be seen. And lastly, all Indian Evoques will get an industrial grade horn.

When launched, prices will start from an estimated Rs 49 lakh, and this is probably where the Evoque might get stuck. It is expensive, whichever way you look at it, and considerably more so than a Q3 or an X1. What you will get for the extra money though is a truly high-quality, stunning-looking and entirely desirable small SUV.

Range Rover Evoque launched

Land Rover has launched the Range Rover Evoque in India at a starting price of Rs 56.91 lakh (all prices on-road Mumbai). The Evoque is available in three-door coupé and five-door SUV versions.

The three-door Evoque, retailing at Rs 72.08 lakh, is only available in the top-end Dynamic trim with a 2.0-litre, 237bhp turbo-petrol. The five-door SUV will be offered in three trims — Pure, Prestige and Dynamic — and a 2.2-litre, 187bhp common-rail, turbo-diesel. Both engines are mated to a six-speed auto and power all four wheels.

The five-door Pure, priced at Rs 56.91 lakh, is the base version but is quite well equipped. Standard features are Range Rover’s Terrain Response off-road system, cruise control, a fixed panoramic glass roof, Xenon headlamps, 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless go, climate control, electric adjust front seats, leather seats, paddle-shifters, 8-inch touch screen, Bluetooth connectivity with audio streaming and an 11-speaker Meridian audio system.

The Prestige variant gets a luxury interior and exterior styling kit, 18-inch alloy wheels, premium leather seats, contrast-painted roof and keyless entry. Priced at Rs 64.73 lakh, the Dynamic variant comes with everything the Pure and Prestige have, along with a sporty exterior and interior styling kit and perforated leather seats.

P M Telang, MD - India operations, Tata Motors said, "The Range Rover Evoque is a very important addition to the Land Rover and Range Rover product portfolio and I am delighted to be present at such a significant launch. This car has excited audiences across the world and we expect the same from the discerning India customers."

There are no plans to introduce the front-wheel-drive Evoque in the near future.