Last time I spent more than 10 minutes with a Range Rover product: it had an inline six cylinder engine. Diesel. Made by BMW. That long ago.
And Jags still had inline petrol sixes, with twin overhead camshafts, as originally approved by founder Sir William Lyons.
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I sometimes wonder what Sir William and the Wilks brothers, Maurice and Spencer, the Rover boys who developed the original Land Rover which used Rover I4s and I6s, would make of the latest line of four cylinder Ingenium engines gradually filtering down through the Jaguar, Land and Range Rover product lines. Given their performance at various power/torque and price points, and excellent fuel economy coupled with low emissions, I suspect they’d be well pleased.
For a long while, these models have used Other People’s Engines in at least some model lines, mostly from former owner Ford and the diesel joint venture with PSA. But then JLR designed the Ingenium line, a two-litre I4, petrol or diesel, multiple outputs, and, from 2015, started building it in-house in a brand new, purpose-built factory in Wolverhampton, not too far from the West Bromwich, Solihull and Halewood factories that churn out the vehicles.
Last June, Jaguar Land Rover announced new 2018 model year Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque models with the new, UK-made, two litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engines plus a new 240PS diesel that were also filtering into the Jaguar line.
Both models were the first of the Land Rover line to get the Ingenium petrol engines; the diesels had been used since 2015.
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By GlobalData“The new additions support the company’s long-term commitment to reduce vehicle emissions and improve fuel economy across its range through the introduction of more efficient engines,” JLR said at the time.
The 290PS Si4 Ingenium petrol is the most powerful engine ever offered on either model and comes with a dynamic body kit as standard.
While Jaguar gets 200PS, 250PS and 300 PS versions, Land Rover is specifying a 240PS starter petrol engine for all body styles which is 15% more efficient than the previous GTDi engine. Low friction technology helps deliver real world benefits with CO2 emissions of 165g/km and fuel economy of up to 7.3 litres/100km (38.7mpg).
To get even the 240PS version, you have to tramp your way up past a few diesels to mid-range and shell out at least GBP44,100 for the Si4 Petrol which comes with a nine-speed automatic transmission and four wheel drive. It gets to 60mph in 7.1 seconds, goes on to a top speed of 135mph and delivers a combined EU test cycle 36.2mpg. In a real world week with The Family, it returned 32mpg which is on a par with our late nineties, 1.6-litre, four speed automatic, 2WD sedan.
Many buyers will, of course, go Ingenium diesel to emit [pardon] fewer CO2s and go much further on a gallon but I do 3,000 miles a year, mostly in town, which is a great way to destroy emission control gear on an EU6 diesel, and, given the Evoque’s greater practicality and 4WD ability, I’d consider 32-odd mpg acceptable.
I was a bit flummoxed by keyless start but no keyless entry. Turns out you either go up a model, by about four grand, add Tech or Convenience packs or pay GBP535 extra for that. The tester had GBP5,400 in options such as GBP1,035 HUD, GBP1,035 full leather trim and a GBP2,075 Black Pack, some of which I’d gladly buy and some not.
Standard come heated front seats and windscreen, auto high beam, rain sensing wipers, parking sensors all round, navigation, mood lighting, 10-speaker Meridian sound, lane departure squawk, rear view camera, autonomous emergency braking and hill descent control, among other items.
Evoque has now been around since 2011 and this mini-me Range Rover has been a smash hit. They are everywhere around where I live but it is JLR home territory hence the odd development mule in the supermarket car park. Owners I have spoken to like the size, practicality and comfort and I’d agree. The model appears to have suffered some technical niggles but has been little changed over the years – nine speed auto (six-speed previously) in 2013, a minor facelift and the first of the Ingenium diesel engines in 2015 and the new petrol engines in 2017. The infotainment screen and controls have been updated a bit, along with a few other items, but parking a 2018 alongside a 2011 is not too likely to turn the owner of the older model green. Our research suggests a redesign will be launched in mid-2019.
JLR said mid-2017 it had built 600,000 Evoques so far. It can make 110,000 a year at Halewood and 30,000 at the Chery JV in China where production began in 2014. There’s also KD kit assembly in other import-restricted markets such as India and Brazil.
Particularly impressive is the nippy acceleration and uber-smooth automatic; you barely notice it slipping up and down through its nine ratios. The engine pulls like a train from the off yet is very refined. Ride is quite firm on 20″ wheels but is not as filling-dislodging as some SUVs I have sampled.
Front seats are very comfortable and, on this model, adjust 12 ways. I set the driver’s seat on delivery and didn’t touch the adjuster for the full week’s loan. The young ladies in the back pronounced satisfaction with the seating (legroom is adequate but not huge for adults), rear air vents, cup holders and centre armrest storage and also loved the wifi hub which was able to keep multiple devices all connected and correct. The rear seat backs fold to extend the boot but don’t lie completely flat. The boot itself is adequate but not huge – it swallowed four overhead bin sized cases and some soft bags for a weekend away which was all we needed. There’s no standard spare wheel but one is available as an option.
I’ve now sampled the Ingenium petrol in several tunes in several Jaguar models as well as the Evoque. Quite simply, it’s a cracker and, for those SUV buyers for whom diesel will not do, it’s an excellent choice. If you can live with 32mpg.
