By Khulekani Dumisa

Recently, we got the opportunity to drive the luxurious Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Bronze Collection Special Edition which is based on the Evoque S specification. On the outside, the model is distinguished by its distinctive Corinthian bronze contrast roof, burnished copper side vents and satin dark grey 20-inch five split-spoke alloy wheels. Other standard goodies include a sliding panoramic roof, LED headlights with signature daytime running lights and animated directional indicators. The Range Rover Evoque Bronze Collection Special Edition is available in three exterior colours – Carpathian Grey, Santorini Black and Seoul Pearl Silver.

Inside, the standard offering in the well-appointed cabin includes natural grey ash veneers, unique Bronze Collection carpet mats with metal-capped corners and ebony grained leather seats. This is complemented by three screens with crisp graphics for the odometer, infotainment and climate control (and drive modes).

Interior impressions

One of the major highlights of the Range Rover Evoque Bronze Collection Special Edition must be the class-leading interior which is endowed with a lot of leather and quality materials. This is complemented by easy to use and elegantly designed screens for the odometer, infotainment, and climate control. The latter two are prone to collecting a lot of fingerprints being touchscreen.

Overall, the car is spacious with 5 passengers being able to sit comfortably. The boot also offers adequate amounts of space, and the large panoramic roof adds to the ambience, allowing in lots of light.

Safety features are a plus and the active ones made our over 3,000 km trip enjoyable. Adaptive cruise control, lane keep, and blind spot monitor really took the hustle out of our drive. Expensive as they are, they are worth it and should be prioritised when selecting optional features for models that are not equipped as standard with them.

Driving impressions

The 2.0-litre 147kW/430Nm turbodiesel engine offers a lot of pull with minimal turbo lag. It is also helped by an accurate 9-speed transmission which labours away almost unnoticed. The AWD Evoque managed to remain comfortable and composed on tar and on gravel roads during our time with it. No doubt the generous leather seats played their part here. The fuel consumption could have been better coming in at over 7.8 l/100km in mostly open road driving. The Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Bronze Edition D200 is firmly on the shortlist should you be looking in this segment. It’s priced from R1,076,300.