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Once the plug-in hybrid's battery runs flat, it is not all that elegant anymore.
The Range Rover Evoque P300e clad in Tribeca Blue paintwork. Picture: Jaco van der Merwe
Back in 2012, Land Rover Design teamed up with Victoria Beckham to create the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition. The SUV featured unique design elements in which the former Spice Girl had a hand in herself.
The limited run of 200 is relegated to trivial motoring history, but the aura of Posh Spice looms large. And the banter around the motoring office was rife when a plug-in hybrid Range Rover Evoque P300e Dynamic SE was scheduled for a week-long stay.
“Has Mrs Beckham arrived yet?” colleague Charl Bosch duly asked on the day of its arrival. He couldn’t wait to ask the follow-up question the next day: “Was spending a night with a Spice Girl everything had wished for?”
Range Rover Evoque very plush
Naughty nuances aside, the short answer to the question is yes … and no. Yes, because the SUV’s styling is suitable for the dame who openly admitted in the Netflix Beckham documentary that she took a Rolls Royce to school. And no because of the Evoque’s unladylike behaviour once the battery goes flat.
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The Evoque’s interior is elegantly finished in a combination of ebony and grained leather, piano black, Shadow Grey Ash veneer, satin chrome and soft-touch rubber. The seats are clad in a combination of black leather and grey recycled upholstery which is quite a fashionable alternative to the usual all-leather affairs.
Simplistic elegance
Adding to the elegance is the simplistic layout of the cabin. The only switchgear underneath the 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system is the gear lever, with steering controls and switches inside the door giving the driver control of all the functions.
In typical Range Rover style, the 10.8-inch instrument cluster is fully digital. Our tester also features the Technology Pack which adds a ClearSight interior rear-view mirror and head-up display.
Exterior highlights include slim-line Pixel LED headlights with static bending and the optional 20-inch Gloss Dark Grey alloy wheels with Diamond Turned contrast.
The ride is as elegant as the Range Rover Evoque’s styling. And the suspension as plush as you’d come to expect from the brand that builds the Range Rover and the Defender.
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Ranger Rover Evoque P300e fast and frugal
The system total of 227kW of power and 540Nm of torque produced by the combination of a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 80kW electric motor and 14.9kWh battery pack makes for a brisk 0 to 100km/h time of 6.4 seconds. Pure electric mode, which has a range of up to 62km, ensures an serene ride and very frugal one too. Range Rover Evoque P300e is said to only sip two litres per 100km when the battery is charged.
When the battery runs flat, the perfect duet sung between electricity and petrol instantly changes into a cacophony. Then the small petrol mill, which produces 118kW/260Nm on its own, feels underpowered. While this might not bother Victoria while she is applying blusher on her way to the studio, her husband David Beckham will certainly not approve. He is a man known for his collection of supercars after all.
Don’t run battery flat
In search of more power, the eight-speed automatic box gears down. This increases the revs and ultimately the noise from underneath the bonnet.
As the electrical system adds 365kg over the P160 derivative that is only powered by the 1.5-litre engine, bringing the P300e’s weight up to a hefty 2 082kg, fuel consumption also starts suffering. We averaged around 6L/100km when the battery was charged, but the number jumped to 12L/100km when flat.
Like the plug-in Defender, there is no way of preserving or charging the battery through the engine. Once it’s flat you will need to plug it to charge it up again.
Stick to electric range
The bottom line is if you travel less than the claimed electric range daily, the P300e makes perfect sense. The engine offers peace of mind for any kind of range anxiety and the option of longer road trips.
Driving the Evoque on engine-power only is not something you want to be doing on a regular basis. Anything is better than that. Even listening to the Spice Girls.
