LONDON: Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver became one of the first people to drive the second-generation Range Rover Evoque, visiting some of his favourite London foodie spots for ingredients to create the city’s best veggie burger.
As part of the global reveal of the new Range Rover Evoque, Jamie navigated London’s busy streets to pick up everything he needed to make his Indian-inspired bhaji burger, which he then cooked for guests at Land Rover’s Evoque Experience.
In a throwback to his Naked Chef days, Jamie visited Brick Lane, stopping at Taj Stores for spices and yoghurt and Beigel Bake to collect bread rolls. Taking a shortcut through Bishopsgate Goods Yard, he put the Range Rover Evoque through its paces, wading through water pools and taking the car across a series of ramps through the tunnels.
Parking in London proved easy as Jamie used the ClearSight Rear View feature to turn the rear-view mirror into an HD screen giving an unrestricted view of what’s behind the vehicle.
“I absolutely love this car, it was so much fun to drive on the busy streets of London and through the water trough in the Bishopsgate tunnels. I’ve always loved Land Rover and I had a brilliant time designing my cooking car last year, so when I was asked to come and test out the new Evoque, I jumped at the chance.
“The fact that Land Rover can create something as versatile as the Discovery and as agile as the Evoque is such a testament to this brilliant British brand.”
The new Evoque, which competes against the Volvo XC40 and Audi Q3, is markedly more quiet and refined.
Underneath the skin, the architecture is all-new to accommodate both plug-in and mild hybrid systems, with only the door hinges remaining unchanged on the body.
The new chassis makes the most of the stiffer body, ensuring the characteristic ride comfort and refinement of a Range Rover. Evoque is now smarter than ever. The software that sits behind the infotainment system has been refined to provide a more intuitive customer experience.
It comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for seamless smartphone integration.
It is available with a range of efficient 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium engines, available in diesel and petrol forms.
Engine output ranges from 148bhp to 296bhp with nine-speed ZF automatic gearbox.
Except for a two-wheel drive diesel, all the other Evoque variants are four-wheel drive. All four-wheel drive variants are technically 48V mild hybrids, marking the first time such a system has been used in a Land Rover. In the mild hybrid, a belt-driven integrated starter-generator collects energy as the car decelerates, storing it in a battery before discharging it when the car starts or accelerates. Land Rover claims the system adds up to 6% to efficiency.
A plug-in hybrid will arrive a year after the regular Evoque starts selling. The plug-in hybrid would use a new three-cylinder, 197bhp 1.5-litre Ingenium petrol engine linked to a 107bhp electric rear axle motor and use a 11.3kwH lithium-ion battery. An electric-only range of 64km is expected.
The Evoque is priced from £31,600 (RM166,000) in Britain.
Keyword: Jamie Oliver out to make London's best veggie burger in new Range Rover Evoque