New Range Rover Evoque vs. The VX???

[blacksambo]

Hey (see below) the same fella who wrote about the VX in Collectible Automobile is now comparing the VX to the new Range Rover Evoque. I think in theory he's right size/stylingwise, but he's got the VX sales goal all wrong. It was not a dud but intentionally for limited production. We really need to write the VX history book for the world to have as a resource. The VX is the most misunderstood vehicle going.








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2012 Range Rover Evoque Review and Prices

by Chris Poole











Inside This Article


1.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Review and Prices


2.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Features


3.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Additional Features


4.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Buying Advice



5.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Pictures


6.

2012 Range Rover Evoque Preliminary Specifications


7.

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2012 Range Rover Evoque Buying Advice


The 2012 Range Rover Evoque should be styled similarly to the Land Rover LRX concept, which is shown here.

The Evoque may be a kinder, gentler Range Rover, but the 2-door configuration looms as a handicap, at least in America. Remember the Isuzu Vehi-CROSS? Same idea and a sales dud. Still, the 2012 Range Rover Evoque could succeed on the strength of its dashing lines and other assets, not to mention Land Rover’s strong brand prestige, which persists despite a widespread reputation for mediocre reliability and indifferent build quality. The Evoque will certainly be an interesting new choice among premium-compact-SUVs. But that fast-growing class already includes strong 4-door contenders like the Acura RDX, BMW X3, and Infiniti EX . And more are on the way, notably Audi’s Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK. With all this, smart buyers will want to check all the contestants to see which best fits their needs.


2012 Range Rover Evoque Release Date: The predicted late-2011 introduction assumes Tata hews to the timing set under Ford. Though the new owner did its expected due-diligence digging in negotiating the sale and seems eager to proceed with projects in the pipeline, the 2012 Range Rover Evoque could be delayed by unexpected engineering glitches, supplier issues, and other “birth pangs.” From what we know now, however, the new model is set to debut as originally scheduled.


2012 Range Rover Evoque First Test Drive: Assuming the above timing proves out, ride-and-drive media previews would likely be staged in the summer or early fall of 2011.


2012 Range Rover Evoque Prices: One source predicts the Evoque will start at $35,000 with a conventional V6/automatic powerteam. That’s about the same as you’d pay now for the uplevel HSE version of the related 4-door LR2, which suggests the newcomer will be positioned to plug the big price gap between LR2 and the larger LR3. A hybrid Evoque, if there is one, would likely run $40,000, perhaps more.







? 2012 Range Rover Evoque Additional Features
2012 Range Rover Evoque Pictures ?








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Turbo

[RickOKC]

My nitpicks… I think it's wrong to consider the 2-door Evoque as a "handicap." I see it as "just another option." Historically, convertibles, for example, have not been huge sellers, but they did perfectly fill a niche for those who want one. Second, I'll be surprised if the bare-bones base price isn't $40-45k minimum vs. the author's estimated $35k.

I don't know what to say about the "sales dud" comment. We all know the intention was to build the 6,000 VX's that were expected from the ceramic die experiment. But someone here sure did bring up a good argument: "If it had been a runaway success, they would have made traditional dies and continued the line" (paraphrasing.)

I'd also like to see the experts here come up with a better overview than what is available on Wikipedia. It seems it used to be more in-depth and was more clear.

[vt_maverick]

I'm confused - is this an old thread that got reactivated or something? Pricing and production aren't mysteries, they're right there on the Land Rover website:

http://www.landrover.com/us/en/rr/range-rover-evoque/

"From $43,995"

And this topic is already being actively discussed here:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...threadid=20949

[RickOKC]

I'm confused - is this an old thread that got reactivated or something? Pricing and production aren't mysteries, they're right there on the Land Rover website:

http://www.landrover.com/us/en/rr/range-rover-evoque/

"From $43,995"

And this topic is already being actively discussed here:

http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...threadid=20949

This topic is specific to the article written about the VX vs. Evoque comparison. In the other topic the pricing was speculative, but thank you for posting something definitive! Ha ha! I knew the estimated $35k mentioned in THIS article would be way too low!

[wintermute]

This topic is specific to the article written about the VX vs. Evoque comparison. In the other topic the pricing was speculative, but thank you for posting something definitive! Ha ha! I knew the estimated $35k mentioned in THIS article would be way too low!

haha, go to the rover website and try configuring one with the basic options you would want like say, oh, air conditioning. the price on the 2 door coupe i configured today was $55K, and that was without a sat radio.

[blacksambo]

Remember, a VX cost 32K 13 years ago. Inflation???

[Cobrajet]

The VehiCROSS was a sales dud! How many successful cars languished on dealers showrooms for 2 years or more? HOWEVER... that doesn't mean the VX was a failure. It just wasn't popular.

Some of us remember the muscle car wars of the late 60's/early 70's. How many people actually bought a Dodge Charge Daytona or Plymouth Superbird? Sure, they brought customers into the dealerships, but they ended up buying the other cars on the floor. That was the purpose of the "halo" vehicle. Bring in the customers. In that respect the VX was a success.

[vt_maverick]

Remember, a VX cost 32K 13 years ago. Inflation???

$41469.29 would be the inflation-adjusted cost in 2010 (Consumer Price Index data for this year wasn't available yet in the inflation tool I used.) So figure maybe another $1K tops, let's call it $42,500. I just priced the Evoque 2-door "Pure" with similar options to the VX and came up with $45,995. So not that different.

wintermute - AC showed up as standard for me.

[vt_maverick]

The VehiCROSS was a sales dud! How many successful cars languished on dealers showrooms for 2 years or more? HOWEVER... that doesn't mean the VX was a failure. It just wasn't popular.

+1000 Somehow the fact that so many VX's sat on dealer lots seems to conveniently be forgotten when lavishing praise on our beloved PUVs. True, the final production number wasn't determined by poor sales - but poor sales, especially in the final production year, are the facts nonetheless.

[blacksambo]

The VX was an expensive low-carrying capacity car/truck new type vehicle. Who ever heard of such a thing at the time? Especially from Isuzu, infamous for rollover tendencies. It was an experiment that succeeded in bring about the later crossover era. When you are the first one in, there is always a very high inherent risk you won't sell many, especially when redefining transportation ideas; so they tooled up for only 5000 copies to help mimimize that risk. It probably helped Isuzu shake its unsafe image and carry on for approx. 10 more years. That was the benefit of them showing the world that they could afford to experiment via the VX project.

[Vendetta]

VX vs Evoque? Well, I drove along with one for about 10 miles today on the highway, and let me tell you, I am unimpressed. It looks much better standing still than driving, if that makes any sense. In motion, it is way too low slung. With my meager 913/torsion lift, I was looking WAY down at it. It looked like a Ford Escape that had gone through the crusher. Don't get me wrong, I think it's cool and all? But it's NOT Range Rover material in my book.

And, driving next to the dude, every time I looked over his way, he was already looking back in mine. Spoke volumes.

-V

[blacksambo]

Nice to hear. It's what I thought as well. They also predict the Evoque will sell in the hundreds of thousands just like the mini-cooper. Evoque production is already sold out, so watch for the flood. This phenomenon will only make the VX look smarter and more elite, since it still does not look dated, at all.

[lasturbo]

All have their own opinion so as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. I have been with a Land Rover dealer for 25 years and saw the first US spec Range Rover roll off the truck. We were one of the original LR dealers in the US and have seen a lot of changes. The Evoque is one of the largest conquest in LR history (besides Range Rover Sport Launch in 2006 and new body Range Rover L322 in 2003) and sales are skyrocketing. It is receiving accolades after accolades and not from no namers either. Will it last? Time will tell. I can tell you that it is an all love or all hate look. Kinda like the VX. Some people cannot get past that look and cladding of VX, etc. I like the Evoque and VX. What killed VX back in its time was the price, love or hate look, timing, and lack of 4 doors (or five door if you call the back door). This happened with Freelander (which was a joke anyways) and now with Evoque. Current Evoque sell rates show 5 door outselling 3 door. I think the 5 door Evoque does not look as nice as the 3 door just like the the concept 4 door VX which I think is ugly. People want that option and convenience of 4 door. Evoque is selling and selling for MSRP. Original VX owners got to steal theirs cuz they were sitting on Isuzu lots. Two different eras IMO, BUT LEAVE IT TO JOURNALIST TO COMPARE AND THINK UP THESE INTERESTING COMPARISONS.

[CoastieCosta567]

Still, we can't forget that Isuzu was reaching its last years of prime. just a few years later, the trooper disappeared, the axiom, and even the rodeo. When GM bought most of the stocks back in the mid 2000's, they planned to make sure they got rid of an SUV giant "ISUZU's Image" and they did just that. After the image was broken, they didn't waist time to sell back those stocks, ISUZU pulled out and left the country right before the economy crashed and bankrupt many small automobile companies. So with that said, i don't think the VX was just a dud, but simply Isuzu's way of saying " We have what it takes to compete and make a great truck compared to giant companies, but we don't care, we'll stick with our commercial trucks".

[Vendetta]

...BUT LEAVE IT TO JOURNALIST TO COMPARE.

'Turbo, I have all the respect in the world for you based on your avatar alone. But I'll leave it to the journalists to compare when I stop caring about this kind of thing and am prepared to subjugate my own opinion for someone else's.

That didn't happen today. Probably won't happen tomorrow, either.

And, for the record, I DO like the Evoque. More than most other sporty SUV's. And I applaud it's agressive styling. It takes the Jeep SRT8 to a-whole-nother level, even. But it just comes across to me as way to progressive for the storied and stalwart Range Rover brand.

-V