The 18-inch wheels are standard; Prestige and Dynamic trims get 19- and 20-inch alloys respectively.
Nothing displays singlehood better than a “selfish” car with two doors, a tiny rear seat and an even tinier boot. Cars that fall under this category include snazzy roadsters, three-door hatchbacks and a number of sports cars.
Three-door SUVs are equally adept at catering to these “selfish” motorists. The Mitsubishi Pajero and Suzuki Grand Vitara, for instance, both have three-door variants that are specifically aimed at this group of buyers. Since these models are not available here on an official basis, however, bachelors were restricted to the aforementioned low-slung vehicles.
The arrival of the Evoque Coupe four months ago, however, has given swinging singles (with deep pockets) something to aspire to. Looking even sleeker than its more practical five-door sibling, the Evoque Coupe – seen here in its “Pure” spec level – is the closest one will get to the stunning LRX concept it is based upon.
As the entry-level specification, the Pure model comes without a sunroof, door sill plates, navigation system and leather-lined dashboard – goodies that are standard on the sportier Dynamic and more luxurious Prestige equipment lines. The “soft-touch” material on the dashboard does have one advantage over cowhide, though: its hard-wearing quality is relatively scratchproof and better at withstanding long-term abuse.
Bound to see little use, however, are the rear seats. Although spacious (since the Evoque Coupe shares the same 2660mm wheelbase as the Evoque), access to the back can be cumbersome while egress is complicated for ladies in short skirts.
The boot space, though, is as handy as ever despite its maximum capacity of 1350 litres being 95 litres down on the five-door model. At any rate, bachelors would not miss the added space since they don’t need to buy extra groceries, anyway.
What these eligible drivers will yearn for, however, is the ride quality of the five-door Evoque, which is more pliant than that of the Evoque Coupe. The Evoque Coupe’s stiffness is rewarded around bends, but turns jittery the moment the SUV encounters uneven surfaces.
Still, the 2-litre turbocharged engine shared across the Evoque model range offers plenty of thrust (albeit with slight turbo lag) and has more than enough oomph to get its dashing pilot quickly from one hot date to the next.
The only issue with this swanky SUV coupe is its own good looks. Like a movie star, it cannot stay anonymous, so the Average Joe behind the wheel will have to drive it sparingly lest he gain notoriety instead of fame among the dames.
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Coupe 2.0 (A)
Engine 1999cc, 16-valves, inline-4, turbocharged
Max power 240bhp at 5500rpm
Max torque 340Nm at 1750rpm
Gearbox 6-speed automatic with manual select
0-100km/h 7.6 seconds
Top speed 217km/h
Consumption 11.5km/L (combined)
Price incl. COE $260,000
Check out the latest Range Rover Evoque
Group Test: MINI Cooper S Convertible vs Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible
