We wanted to see how residential designers would look at a good example of automotive design. We were also curious to compare that reaction to our car journalist’s view and the view of consumers on the street. We chose the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque as our subject car because it is relatively new and we wanted a fresh evaluation. We also chose the Evoque because it is an attempt to create something of a new segment: the stylish, high-end, urban active lifestyle vehicle. Any time designers work in a new or nearly new segment, the design problem gets more complex because trial and error hasn’t vetted many ideas, some of which inevitably prove unsatisfactory. We drove the Evoque extensively around LA, through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and Venice and, of course, on the 405, the 105, the 5, the 10, the 101 and the PCH.
