Land Rover just upgraded one of its best sellers in the continuously growing luxury, compact sports utility vehicle segment. Its Range Rover Evoque will make its global debut on Thursday, which will mark the first time that the popular and relatively affordable vehicle has been refreshed since 2015.
Land Rover’s Evoque is often credited with being a “pioneer in the compact luxury SUV segment,” while the once small piece of the market is now booming as more buyers look toward crossovers and SUVs.
Entry level luxury SUVs are the largest luxury segment in 2018, accounting for more than one in three luxury sales overall in the United States, said Jeremy Acevedo, manager of Data Strategy for Edmunds. It became luxury’s best-selling segment in 2016.
“The Evoque really embodies this segment perfectly, combining strong design, ride height, and a relatively affordable entry point,” he said. “The Evoque and vehicles like it represent today’s ‘typical luxury vehicle.'”
The upgraded 2019 Evoque will offer new features for the entire brand, including Land Rover’s first “mild hybrid” system, which is capable of shutting the gasoline engine off whenever the car is coasting, braking or stopped. In addition, it will be the first Land Rover model to feature a system called Smart Settings, which uses algorithms to learn drivers’ preferences and automate comfort and media settings. Land Rover even plans to offer some kind of electric or hybrid version for its entire lineup by 2020.
“It is such a head-turner,” Kelley Blue Book analyst Rebecca Lindland said. “It is not going to break the bank, but it is going to give you an incredible bang for your buck from an emotional standpoint.”