The best way to keep demand for the Evoque up, then, is to ensure a steady stream of new or special models in the pipeline. We already know about the Special Edition with Victoria Beckham Evoque, as well as the Evoque Cabrio, and now Autoexpress is reporting that an Evoque Sport is planned.
We’d call that news logical, but not set in stone. In fact, it’s derived from a conversation with Land Rover design director Gerry McGovern, who reportedly said, “For the moment, we’re looking at the cabriolet and special editions - we could do a more overtly sporty one, for example.”
By our standards, that’s not exactly a confirmation that an Evoque Sport is under development. Given the success of the larger and pricier Range Rover Sport models, however, such an Evoque variant does make sense.
To keep costs at a minimum, more power could be squeezed from the Evoque’s 2.0-liter gasoline engine, currently rated at 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque.
A “very similar” engine (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) has been rated at 252 horsepower and 270 pound feet of torque in the new Ford Focus ST, and aftermarket tuners have pushed the engine’s output as high as 296 hp for track duty.
The Evoque also has a pair of diesel engine options to choose from (in Europe, anyway), so a diesel Sport model could be under consideration. We’d call this unlikely for now, since the Evoque Sport would have global appeal and Evoque diesels aren’t currently offered in the United States.
Expect an Evoque Sport to come to market dressed for the role, including an aerodynamic body kit, bigger wheels with low-profile tires and a suspension drop that would limit the Sport to on-road use only.
