Revolutionary Rover

IT is the first compact Range Rover and now, the Range Rover Evoque is also the first to have a nine-speed gearbox. This ground-breaking luxury crossover continues to look as fresh and stylish as when it debuted three years ago.

For its 2014 update, the Evoque has been given the tiniest exterior tweaks but more significant changes under the sheet metal. On the outside, only the door mirrors and front grille have been changed. But on the inside, the old six-speed automatic transmission has been upgraded to a nine-speeder, making it the first model in Singapore with this number of gear ratios.

With 50 per cent more ratios, the new nine-speed auto from ZF is still more compact than the old gearbox. Mated to the familiar two-litre, four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, it helps to increase fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emissions. Specifically, Range Rover says that fuel economy has improved 10.3 per cent to 7.8 litres per 100 km, while carbon dioxide emissions are down 9 per cent to 181 g/km.