Range Rover Evoque 2.2L Diesel

The compact SUV genre is normally filled with soft-roaders which are SUV- like in stance and looks, albeit with an AWD system and jacked-up suspension plus some tough plastic bits that make them look like they are ready to challenge the worst trails of Tibet.

The truth is, most will not see a muddy trail in their lifetime, hence a 2WD variant makes more sense in Malaysia, or one that is capable of transferring torque to the approriate wheels when needed.

Or, you can ditch those ideas, pay close to RM400,000 and get a compact SUV that looks hotter than Neelofa,Nora Danish, Diana Danielle all rolled into one and the envy of everybody. Meaning, buy the Range Rover Evoque.

Coming in either coupe or a five-door guise, the Evoque is both practical and sexy. Unlike cars, throwing on another two doors does not detract from the Evoque's looks. With its short roof, long nose and blacked out roof pillar design (ala Mini perhaps?) it is difficult not to look at the Evoque twice.

The 5-door Evoque in Prestige trim gets an oil-burning 2.2-litre turbodiesel engine under the front aluminium hood. The 2.2 Duratorq inline-4 engine is used in various other vehicles around the world, notably too by Ford. In Malaysia, the new Ford Ranger T6 has a variant which runs on the same engine platform but performance-wise it's not even close to the Evoque.

Anyway,Prestige trim gives you tonnes of niceties. The list includes items like 20-inch alloy wheels, voice control, park assist, adaptive Xenon headlights, 5-inch TFT driver's info screen, 380-watt Meridian audio system, leather interior,navigation system,powered tailgate and much more. If you ask us, the reverse camera is a good investment because with such a smallish rear windscreen you would be lucky to even get some light into the cabin from that area.

The tapering roof shouldn't be a worry. Adults fit in comfortably at the back and since this is 5-door variant nobody has to squeeze in to get to their seat.

For the driver, the only initial problem is that the cabin can feel a bit claustophobic. Those short windows look stylish but they offer minimum glass area. Luckily, it is a nicely appointed space with comfort level knocking on European standards.

The Evoque looks athletic for a simple reason: it is athletic. Thanks in part to its aluminium body, the Evoque felt light, sharp and spirited. Steering feelback felt very car-like and diesel clatter could only be heard from outside the cabin.

Naturally, the Evoque is Range Rover at heart and remains offroad capable. If you must, the Evoque has a 500mm wading ability. In essence, the Evoque is an urban warrior, but it still has a four-wheel-drive system, and an intelligent one at that. The Terrain Response System can adjust to the terrain and conditions to offer the best traction possible. Leave it in normal mode and it gobbles up the tarmac and gives a very plush ride.

Seating for five, a 575-litre boot and a diesel engine that is both frugal and full of torque, the  Evoque has a lot to offer; in fact, it's enough to make a premium sedan sound boring.

Range Rover Sport

When the first-generation Range Rover Sport appeared, the clue was supposed to be in the name. But a weight of well over two- and-a-half tonnes was inimical to a sporty nature. Yes, it would do some surprisingly athletic things, but the veins in its neck were standing out with the effort.

The new TDV6 RRS has lost the equivalent weight of five well-fed men - 420kg - by switching to aluminium for the monocoque and suspension and making a low 'box optional. The V8, which keeps that dual range, has dropped 300kg. It's still 2.3 tonnes, but then we're looking at a big and capable vehicle. The off-roading stats are best in class: the wheels have more than 500mm of vertical travel and it'll wade to a frankly terrifying 850mm. Plus, it now provides the option of a third row of seats.

The effect of all the weight loss, plus an even broader suite of chassis technologies, is an amazingly agile machine. This much is clear from our first, infuriatingly brief, time in the driving seat. It was a late-build prototype, and it was at JLR's own test ground at Gaydon in Warwickshire. So bear in mind caveats about the advantages of playing on home turf.

The test car has the supercharged V8. Accelerate hard and the exhaust spits out a sharp, deep, V8 growl, an early and very audible signal of the way thr RRS now thinks to itself. Sure enough, it isn't slow: they say 0-100kph in five seconds (weight loss assisting already,see). On a fairly brief leg-stretch between corners, it howled comfortably up to 217kph. The eight-speed autobox operates smoothly and smartly on its own initiative with the paddles.

But the corners are even more of a surprise. The V8 comes with adaptive anti-roll bars and adaptive dampers,electronic variable-lock diffs at the centre and rear, and brake-actuated torque-vectoring. All of which means the engineers have been able to endow the RRS with remarkable light-footedness into and though tight bends, and, as you pour out of them, you can feel the rear tyres edging outward. Yet it remains stable at speed and in lane changes. It feels transparent and natural, almost as if you were in a low and light car and receiving no help. But it isn't natural, it's far better than that: if you drive like a mutt, the technology will do all it can to keep this tall and heavy contraption going in the correct direction.

In Dynamic mode, when it's all stiffened up, the suspension can occasionally patter and crash. In Normal mode, it's tautly damped, but still manages to be nicely feathery and quiet over the usual suburban speed degraded tarmac. This sort of ride quality is a good match for the luxury cabin. After all, the clue really is in the name. There's Sport in it, but there's also Range Rover.