<p><strong>FROM &pound;16,000</strong> Sharply styled SUV is a popular introduction to premium brand</p>

- Richard Dredge

IF there’s one way of guaranteeing healthy sales, it’s to start high then introduce more affordable ways for consumers to access a product.

So when Land Rover launched a more affordable compact luxury SUV with Range Rover branding in 2011, it could hardly fail.

Known as the Evoque, this sharply styled 4x4 retained the outlandish looks of the LRX concept that gave us our first taste of the new model in January 2008 – and almost a decade later the design, although more familiar, is still as desirable as ever.

History

THE Evoque went on sale in summer 2011, in three and five-door guises. From the outset there were 2.0-litre petrol or 2.2-litre diesel engines, the former as an auto only.

Diesel cars came in six-speed manual 150bhp form with front-wheel drive (eD4) or four-wheel drive (TD4); there was also a 190bhp SD4 with four-wheel drive and manual or automatic boxes. At first the auto was a six-speed unit, but from autumn 2013 itwas replaced by a more efficient ninespeed box. A raft of new driver assistance tech made its debut at the same time.

A facelifted Evoque arrived in summer 2015 with more efficient engines, extra tech and safety features, plus a tweaked design. A convertible car followed in spring 2016.

Which one?

PETROL-engined Evoques are thirsty, so the diesels make more sense to buy.

Any transmission option is desirable (manual, auto, FWD, 4WD), especially the nine-speed auto, but beware of any car that’s done a lot of towing because its drivetrain