HYPE COMES IN many sizes, some under, most over. Easily forgiven when the product being flogged needs all the help it can get. The Evoque has had more than its fair share in the shape of several motor show unveilings, a barrage of press releases plus ‘Hello Evoque’, ‘Pulse of the City’, Victoria Beckham and full-size wireframe sculpture campaigns. Thing is, the Evoque didn’t need much marketing in the first place. It should be enough being a smaller, lighter, vastly more efficient, just as luxurious Range Rover that could easily double as a concept car. As long as it’s as capable off-road as the badge demands and isn’t a dynamic mess on tar, sales are likely to soar. Have Land Rover engineers tripped up even slightly? We were invited to the RAF Valley airfield near Anglesey, Wales – the ideological birthplace of the brand – to find out.

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In the parking lot, we’re confronted by the arresting shape of the Evoque in both three- and five-door bodystyles. In the metal, it’s a striking mix of graphic elements, lush sculpture and jewel-like detailing added to proportions that mess with your volumetric perception. The baby Rangie is not a car you can easily dismiss or forget.

We opt for a petrol Dynamic in Colima green, with optional MagneRide continuously variable suspension. Strategic choice. South Africa will only get the top-spec Dynamic and Prestige trim, rather than the cheaper Pure line, both paired with four-wheel drive and six-speed automatic transmissions. I press the starter button, watch the gear selector dial rise in Jag-style greeting and set off, passing one unpronounceable sign after the next. I mean surely there are way too many consonants in Llanfairyneubwll? SA-bound cars will all feature satnav and loads of little luxuries, but it’s the architecture, material choices and tight build that confer proper Range Rover-style luxury, albeit on a three-fifths scale. There’s the prestige of twin-stitched Windsor leather, real aluminium bits and a premium soft-touch dash. As with the exterior, there’s great interior design continuity, with signature chamfered corners placed throughout. The only tangible letdown is the flimsy feel of the window switches, a minor gripe in an otherwise fabulous cabin.

You may think from the ‘chopped’ roofline and the sliver of window glass down the flanks that the Evoque is only fit for petite contortionists. Not so. While it certainly champions style over space (and visibility too), it is more capacious than you think, as a ride in the back seat of a coupe model proved. Scalloped side panels accommodate elbows while the standard panoramic roof provides a dose of metaphysical headroom.