Is the New Range Rover Evoque The Ultimate Modern Royal?

Like the new breed of Royals, the new Range Rover Evoque is redefining Range Rover’s time-honoured image for a new millennium and a whole new generation of fans.

If you step back and squint a little bit, you can still see just a hint of the classic Range Rover shape underneath the Evoque’s sleek coupé-like lines. But under this, dare we say, slightly-flashy exterior is the unwavering quality and confident capability of the Land Rover brand, not to mention spades of thoroughly modern, high-tech features.

If you’re the winner of Endeavour Foundation’s New Year Prize Home lottery and find a sparkling white 2.0L diesel Range Rover Evoque (valued at just north of $80,000) parked at your new Sunshine Coast address, you’ll be in good company indeed.

The winner of the New Year Prize Home will also win a Range Rover Evoque to park in their driveway.

There’s no doubt the Queen is a huge fan of a ‘Rangie’ and is still regularly spotted driving her custom-built model around Windsor equipped with headscarf and sunglasses if not a driver’s licence. (Although the Queen is technically a British citizen she isn’t required to have a ‘driving licence’, as they call it in the UK.)

As any Royal watcher would know, the Royal Family is very fond of the Range Rover and its parent brand, Land Rover, having given it their Royal seal of approval since 1951.

In fact, Jaguar Land Rover (as its now known), is the only car manufacturer to hold all three Royal Warrants from Her Majesty The Queen, His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and The Prince of Wales.

So, what is it about the Range Rover that the Royals love so much?

Supremely capable yet extremely ‘comfortable’, the Range Rover offers the luxury one would expect, but with that can-do attitude and stiff-upper lip sensibility for which the British are famous.

The original 1970 Range Rover came out in a utilitarian three-door model.

Since the very first model was unveiled to critical acclaim in 1970, the Range Rover has become a part of motoring history. Interestingly, the first Range Rovers off the production line only came in a utilitarian three-door model, with the four-door Range Rover not being released until 1981.

Now with the evolving brand offering up streamlined models like the Evoque, somehow the Range Rover identity seems to appeal to Tweed-wearing pheasant hunters and modern millennials alike. That’s no mean feat.

In the compact luxury SUV category, the Evoque has been a huge success for Land Rover. A lithe and accomplished all-rounder with an exceptional pedigree, the Range Rover Evoque ticks a lot of boxes if you have the budget to buy one. While it’s fair to say it’s more of a townie than a remote adventurer, the Range Rover Evoque is still more than capable when taken off-road.

A permanent four-wheel drive, or All Wheel Drive (AWD) as they’re more commonly known, the Range Rover makes for capable driving in every condition, whether you’re on-road or off. When travelling over slippery surfaces like grass or snow, the Evoque maximises traction by balancing torque between the front and rear wheels.

The new all-wheel-drive Evoque is as capable as ever.

With Terrain Response 2 technology, your Range Rover will match the demands of the terrain with one of five driving modes, systematically selecting the most suitable driving mode for you. In other words, crossing a boggy horse paddock to the stables is just a walk in the park.

Add the ability to wade through up to 60cm of water, such as a babbling country stream, and the new breed of Range Rover is every bit as capable as its much-admired predecessors.

From a styling point of view, one of the most eye-catching features of the new Evoque is the panoramic roof. Ultimately a sunroof on steroids, the glass roof brings bags of natural light into the Evoque’s interior creating a brighter, more spacious feeling. It’s about as much fun as you can have while still keeping your top up.

But it’s the things you can’t see that take this Range Rover into the elite class. With the Range Rover Evoque price in Australia at the top end of the compact luxury SUV category, you’d naturally expect a bit of bang for your buck. And that’s exactly what’ll get.

Some of the high-tech features include voice recognition, rain-sensing wipers, and the optional ClearSight Rear View Mirror, which switches between being an actual rear-view mirror to a display that provides an unobstructed 50-degree view of what lies behind the car, regardless of any tall poppies sitting in the back seat or a pile of cargo in the back.

Inside the Evoque is a mix of elegance and high-tech sophistication.

Other features include an in-car artificial intelligence includes a self-learning navigation system and Jaguar Land Rover’s award-winning Pivi Pro entertainment system featuring a 10-inch touchscreen with a newly-designed interface and compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. One must keep up with all the mod cons.

In the safety category, you’ll find expected inclusions like emergency braking and a rear camera, along with features like a Driver Condition Monitor, Lane Keep Assist, a Front and Rear Parking Aid, not to mention Traffic Sign Recognition combined with an adaptive Speed Limiter.

If that’s not enough assurance that the Evoque offers secret service standard security, Prince William also chose to drive his two first born children home in a Range Rover. That’s a big tick for safety right there.

Like many of the Royals, Princess Anne’s daughter Zara Tindall – the only Royal to appear on Top Gear (and clock an impressively quick celebrity lap time) – also drives a Range Rover as the family car.

With ‘Rangies’ known for being a much-loved member of the family well beyond their use by date, it’s reasonable to imagine that they will be part of The Firm’s future for a long time to come.

Fancy adding the ‘Rangie’ to your family?

Imagine Driving in Esteemed Company

Short of a fairytale marriage proposal, owning a Range Rover could be your best shot at having a taste of thoroughly modern and refined luxury.

However, if your budget is a little short of the Range Rover Evoque price, just $10 will put you in the draw for our New Year Prize Home lottery and your chance to win a Range Rover Evoque parked in the driveway of your luxurious new home on the Sunshine Coast.

You’ll find our New Year Prize Home on the lakefront at Wurtulla, with sparkling water views and the ultimate location just five minutes from the beach.

Find out more about this stunning home and the equally stunning Range Rover Evoque.

Through buying a ticket in an Endeavour Foundation Prize Home lottery, you are also helping those with intellectual disability to imagine what’s possible. Learn more about how the funds raised by Endeavour Foundation lotteries assist people with intellectual disability lead their best lives.

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