20111105

Range Rover Evoque launched in India

It has been just over a year since Land Rover unveiled the Evoque, the smallest model yet to wear the coveted Range Rover badge, to the world. With its stunning looks and proportions that are sure to turn heads wherever you go, there was hardly a doubt that it will succeed and today, just as predicted in my earlier post, the Evoque has met with a tremendous response in all the markets and Land Rover is struggling to produce enough of them. With all the global markets welcoming the Evoque like nothing before, will India be far behind? So, it was not so surprising when Tata Motors announced yesterday during the launch of the Evoque in India that more than 80% of the first batch to be imported has already been booked for.

The Evoque has been positioned as a premium model in India with prices ranging between 44.75 Lacs and 56 Lacs, a tad too expensive for our market. The 5 door model powered by a 2.2 liter SD4 diesel engine, is available in 3 variants - Pure, Prestige and Dynamic, whereas the 3 door 'coupe' model is available only in the top-end Dynamic variant with a 2.0 liter SI4 petrol engine under its hood. Though the Evoque is similar in size to, say a Honda CR-V, befitting its premium positioning, it comes loaded with high-end features such as a pop-out rotary drive selector, an 8-inch touch screen in the central console, a 11 speaker Meridian audio system, paddle shifters in the steering wheel, terrain response, mood lighting and a huge panoramic sunroof.

It's a known fact that Indians love flashy Sports Utility Vehicles that look menacing and huge. Though the Evoque is nowhere close in size to be termed huge, all it has is oodles of oomph and flash that will literally stand out on an Indian road. That, in my opinion, is a perfect recipe for success and I would not rule out the Evoque becoming a common sight in posh hotels and localities across India. In the hindsight, it's good news that both Jaguar and Land Rover are hitting the sweet spot with all their new launches and the factories are struggling to keep up with the demand. They may be high-end British brands, but coming under the ownership of Tata, we Indians have all the more reasons to feel proud of them. Way to go JLR!

2 comments:

  1. The styling of Evoque is so good, it is one of the most beautiful SUV I have seen in a long time.

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  2. @ Above - You are right, the Evoque is drop-dead gorgeous to look at.

    ReplyDelete