Based on 2008’s LRX concept, the Range Rover Evoque first arrived in 2011. As the smallest and softest Range Rover to date, it faced early criticism, but it was successful enough to warrant a second generation in 2018, which is still in production today. As attractive and popular as it’s been, seven years is a long time for any vehicle to go without a meaningful update, but JLR is preparing to fix that, and for its third coming, the Evoque may cause a ripple of controversy once again. According to Autocar, the next Evoque will be reinvented as an all-electric crossover in 2027. So what can we expect?
JLR’s EMA Framework Will Keep Costs Down
Like the new Range Rover Velar coming next year, under which JLR’s Electric Modular Architecture will make its debut, the smaller Evoque will boast 800-volt underpinnings that enable rapid charging and strong energy efficiency values, though the EMA platform is capable of facilitating hybrid power too. However, further details are yet to be divulged; while our spies have seen the new Velar testing on the Nürburgring, the next Evoque is yet to be spotted, so specifications will be many, many months away from being confirmed. That being said, its rivals provide clues of what to expect. For example, Mercedes-Benz’s next GLA EV is expected to deliver over 450 miles of range on Europe’s WLTP cycle, and if the Evoque is to be competitive, it’ll need to at least come close to that.
Combustion Is Likely To Feature In Some Form
Autocar speculates that one of three scenarios is likely for the Evoque’s future: either the EMA underpinnings will enable a plug-in hybrid version of the crossover, a range-extender variant will be produced, or JLR will simply keep the current second-gen Evoque going alongside its all-electric counterpart. Whatever the case, don’t expect the aesthetics of the Evoque to change too much. JLR-owned Jaguar has seen how controversial a disruptive design can be, and as a top seller for the Range Rover marque, the Evoque needs to keep current customers happy, whatever the underpinnings. Then again, while the Evoque is still relatively popular on the Old Continent, sales in the U.S. have been declining in recent years, with just 4,849 units shifted in the States last year (though that is a marked increase from the 3,774 examples sold in 2023), and perhaps a radical new look will help attract fresh custom.
