January 2020 has seen a flurry of launches in India, covering BS6 (Bharat Stage 6) upgrades, new variants, facelifts and all-new models. With just two days remains in the month, an SUV is joining the last category – the second-gen Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover has currently unveiled prices for two diesel-fed variants – S and R-Dynamic SE. The former costs Rs 54.94 lakh, whereas the latter wears a price tag of Rs 59.85 lakh, before taxes. Deliveries of diesel variants will commence immediately. However, those looking for a petrol-powered Evoque can book one right now and expect delivery at a later stage.

Like it did the previous-gen Evoque, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India will assemble the new one locally as well. The only downer is that in several markets, the new Evoque is already over a year old. As mentioned above, the new Evoque is available with two power-plant options. Both come from JLR’s Ingenium family of engines, have a displacement of 2.0 litres, are turbocharged and come mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system. With 177bhp/430Nm on tap, the diesel Evoque can hit 100kmph from a standstill in 9.3 seconds and top out at 205kmph. The petrol motor, which pumps out 247bhp/365Nm, can complete the sprint to 100kmph in 7.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 230kmph.

For the record, those engines also power the refreshed Jaguar XE. Even the Land Rover Discovery facelift, which arrives next month, will have the same propulsion systems as the new Evoque. Speaking of which, the new model has an impressive list of standard features. That includes flush deployable door handles, auto headlamps and wipers, 18-inch alloy wheels, tyre-pressure monitoring system, 10-way electrically-adjustable front seats, a 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment system, support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, six airbags and two-zone climate control. The range-topper ropes in the Touch Pro Duo, Meridian Sound System, a fully-digital instrument cluster and ClearSight rear-view camera.

The new Range Rover Evoque should click just as well, if not better, with potential customers in India as its predecessor did. It falls in the same sort of price bracket as models like the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Volvo XC60. If you had to spend around Rs 60 lakh on a crossover/SUV, which one would you choose?