Ready for the Country

Sharp Staff September 10, 2024

Range Rover & SHARP

Although a Range Rover may look perfectly at home parked at the valet outside a hot new restaurant, parading through downtown shopping destinations or roaming the grounds of some royal estate, the British SUV specialists pride themselves not on simply making luxury vehicles, but on making luxury vehicles that tread where others dare not.

Range Rovers have driven the length of the Great Divide, crossed the muddy jungles of Papua New Guinea and Sumatra, completed the first north-south transit of Madagascar’s eastern coast, crossed the nearly-uncrossable Darien Gap between North and South America and retraced Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps from France into Italy. (The list could go on, but you get the idea.)

The new Range Rover Evoque may be the most affordable entry-point into the rarefied world of Range Rover ownership, but it doesn’t skimp on off-road ability. Case in point: this thing can wade through water up to 60-centimetres deep. It’s all made possible by an all-wheel drive chassis underpinned by robust MacPherson Hydrobush (front) and Integral Link (rear) suspension that delivers both on-road refinement and off-road ability.

The Best Off-Roading Destination Near Calgary (For Beginners)

If you’re looking to put the Evoque’s off-road ability to the test, we’d suggest a road trip starting in Calgary. Alberta has some truly world-class off-road trails where you can enjoy every bit of the Evoque’s ability.

Beginners looking for a first off-road adventure should head to the Ghost PLUZ (Public Land Use Zone). This rugged, mountainous slice of Canadian wilderness is located approximately one hour outside of Calgary, just west of Cochrane and east of Banff National Park. The area includes 1,500 square kilometres of wilderness and offers easy gravel or mud trails for first-time off-roaders, as well as more technical trails for experienced adventurers.

In the Evoque, traversing gravel or muddy terrain is made simple thanks to Range Rover’s signature Terrain Response 2 system. The system – accessible through the Evoque’s elegant new 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen – allows the driver to set up the SUV for any terrain with a single click. Driving modes include Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud-Ruts, Sand and Dynamic. Each mode adjusts the engine calibration, transmission, all-wheel drive system, suspension and stability control systems accordingly.

Of course, if you’re new to off-roading and aren’t quite sure what to do, Range Rover has got you covered with Automatic mode. It detects the type of terrain the vehicle is crossing and automatically selects the optimal Terrain Response mode; all you’ve got to do is drive.

Ready for the City & Everything It Throws At You

Once you’re back on paved ground heading home into Calgary, you can leave the Terrain Response system in Automatic mode, or switch to Eco if you’re running low on gas. Comfort mode is ideal for the daily grind and city traffic, while Dynamic mode sets up the chassis for ultimate agility and responsiveness. (It’s the one you want when crossing any one of the winding mountain passes over the Rocky Mountains.)

In the city, you’ll find the Evoque’s ingenious Ground View system isn’t only useful on tight, technical, boulder-covered trails. It’s just as useful when navigating tight parking spaces and avoiding high curbs. Cameras around the vehicle combine to project a 180-degree image on the central screen, effectively making the hood transparent; the projection shows everything around and under the front of the vehicle for stress-free navigation in tight spots.

If you find yourself stuck in traffic, fear not. The Evoque’s cabin is like an oasis of calm in the chaos. The reductive design puts an emphasis on the cabin’s clean lines and sophisticated materials: from sustainable Danish Kvadrat textile surfaces, to grained leather seats, the bright metal pedals, satin-chrome gearshift, light or dark anodized detailing, as well as a new shadow-grey ash veneer. Such refinement, detailing and high-level design on a go-anywhere SUV is what truly sets the new Evoque apart from the crowd.

Whether you’re driving into the downtown or out in the wilderness, the Evoque is engineered to make every trip stress-free and enjoyable. It’s this combination of exquisite design and luxurious detailing, in combination with Range Rover’s legendary ability both on- and off-road that makes the new Evoque stand head and shoulders above its peers Not that we’re surprised — because this is a Range Rover, after all — but the newest Evoque feels at home almost anywhere on Earth. This may be the most compact Range Rover, but it’s still up for any adventure.