2020 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Photos

Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels are standard on lower trims but will look lost in the vast wheel wells; the test cars in Greece all rode on optional 20s or 21s.

The external dimensions have hardly changed; Land Rover says that most markets liked the first-gen model's compact proportions. For instance, the modest 172.1-inch overall length is only a millimeter longer than before, but the wheelbase expands by 0.8 inch.

Cargo space has increased slightly, but with 22 cubic feet of space behind the second row, this ute is no family hauler.

Among the U.S.-market models, we were able to drive only the lower-powered P250, which has a transversely slung version of JLR's Ingenium turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 246 horsepower.

There will also be a 296-hp P300 version of the same engine fitted with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system in the form of a belt-driven motor-generator. This helps the more powerful Evoque achieve a 1-mpg advantage in EPA city fuel economy over the P250, which holds a 1-mpg edge on the highway.

Both engines send torque to the rear axle on demand through a driveshaft that can completely decouple to boost efficiency. P300-trim Evoques come with the latest version of GKN's torque-vectoring Twinster rear axle—the same one used to amusing effect in the Ford Focus RS.

The active differential has now gained electrically actuated clutch packs for each rear wheel in place of the previous hydraulic ones. As such, it can vary the torque split across the Evoque's rear axle, directing all of the available torque to a single wheel. We drove it in a Europe-spec diesel model and found it made the Evoque feel more agile in tight turns and on loose surfaces.

Performance of the P250 is brisk rather than searing—we estimate a zero-to-60-mph time in the mid-six-second range—and the standard nine-speed automatic transmission's occasional indecision did nothing to challenge our belief that no car needs this many ratios.

Our P250 test car came with passive dampers­. Adaptive units are available, and they were fitted to the diesel we drove, making it feel more lashed down with a firmer ride.­

Even in its base chassis tune, the Evoque offers a well-judged compromise: It's pliant, well damped, yet capable of cornering without egregious levels of roll.

The steering is accurate, and although grip levels are unexceptional on all-season tires, the chassis balance is natural.

Driving the entire 200-mile test route (including some arduous off-roading) on the same set of tires gives us hope for the latest generation of do-everything rubber from Pirelli.

Whether the Evoque's off-road virtues and mostly successful distillation of bigger Range Rover values can justify the steep price with its still-cramped interior is another matter. Even the entry-level S P250 will cost $43,645, and the range-topping R-Dynamic HSE P300 moves that bar to $56,795.

Trim materials have moved upmarket, which makes the Evoque feel more like a miniaturized full-size Range Rover up front, although our test car quaintly featured an analog instrument cluster rather than the purely digital setup common on many new luxury SUVs.

Such a display is optional, though, as is the twin-screen version of JLR's InControl infotainment system, which looks good but is seriously lacking in intuitive smarts. Changing the cabin temperature is now a two-step process. Also perplexing is the omission of grab handles. Occupants wanting to brace themselves must do so with the door pulls.

And they may need to, because the Evoque feels impressively athletic for a compact crossover, in part thanks to its standard all-wheel drive.