So these will be the first of comments on the info Land Rover has now given us through the official press release.

From the official Land Rover Glossary – Command Driving Position:

The Land Rover command driving position stems from a number of key dimensional relationships which combine to give the driver a feeling of being in command of the vehicle.
A low relative waistline, slim pillars, visible bonnet edge and large glass area promote excellent visibility and an awareness of the vehicle’s surroundings. The high, upright seating position and upright steering wheel add further to the feeling of confidence common to driving all Land Rover models.

So in this first full shot of the interior we can see how high that door window is, I guess we knew this somewhat with how small the exterior windows were.  But as soon as I saw that I went looking for the classic Land Rover phrase “Command Driving Position”  and it right there in the first few pages.  But really, I’m sure it’s great, but this isn’t Command Driving Position – the headrest is practically below window height.  And I do realize this is a small vehicle, so the actual size & feel probably doesn’t come across in the picture.  Continuing down the press release, we get to this section, which doesn’t seem quite right:

The vehicle package successfully provides a unique blend of coupe styling and capable off-road geometry and ground clearance. The interior offers excellent accommodation for passengers and luggage, while retaining the core elements of the classic Range Rover Command Driving Position.

Which core elements are those – a seat that someone sits in while they drive?

Further down they take a step back and really explain the situation as “Sports Command Driving Position”:

Sitting slightly lower than in one of the larger Range Rover models, the driver adopts a Sports Command Driving Position, which offers a more sporting feel but retains the important sensation of control and command. The result is more generous headroom than traditionally found in many sporting sedans, despite the low profile coupe roofline.

I just feel they’re trying to force their “design language” into every situation whether or not it’s applicable.  They should have used the “Sports” moniker for every time they used the phrase.  I may not be happy with them calling this a Range Rover, but they could have gotten away with it with the obvious stuff  – floating roof, wheels to the corners, clamshell hood – they don’t need to start making things up to make it fit into the line better.

Looks cool though!

So with about 8 more days to go until the official Paris reveal, Land Rover has lifted the embargo and given us all more specific info on the new Range Rover Evoque then all the previous Evoque news releases combined.

The exterior we’ve seen in various forms for a while now, it’s the new interior pictures that really give us an idea of what this vehicle will be.  There’s A LOT of Jaguar XJ in there from the steering wheel to the controls on the doors and window controls.  And the main 8” display also looks different from current Land Rover designs.  It did get the rotary shift knob, which I guess works with the Ford-made 6-speed that I believe is also used in the LR2 – I guess technology could be adapted to a non-Diesel “Range Rovers” after all?

The actual press release has a huge amount of info that I really want to comment on, so I think I’ll break it up into different posts – there will be Range Rover Evoque overload throughout the next few days.

Like I said prior, I think we’re seeing cues of what we’re going to see in the next real Range Rover.  And this does again keep the actual Range Rover in it’s perpetual game of catch-up to all other vehicles with the actual latest technology.

Here’s the full press release for download, it’s the North American version, I’ll take a look at the UK version as well.

These start with 9 of what I consider the more classic fun Range Rover ads, the final 3 use a different concept, I don’t think they’ve been the same since.

Here are the “newer” and more serious ads:

When I first saw this, it took a few minutes to sink in, these guys offer an insanely precise 1/8 model based on the 1964 Land Rover Series IIA.  This is the picture that really put it in perspective, literally:

Here’s their photo gallery:

http://uk.psmscalemodels.com/photos.html

The little details really are great, from someone who actually has touched almost every bolt on one of these Land Rovers, I can really appreciate it.   And then there’s the price, it really is $12,000, made to order and you can specify options you’d prefer like Right hand drive, without soft top, colored soft top, etc…  The steering is functional as are the doors, hood & tailgate with real scale hinges.  Door tops can be removed and more.

They even offer just the chassis for $800 or the engine & gearbox for $1500.

These guys have got some really great videos on how to do all sorts of things on your Range Rover, from changing the pollen filter to removing the door window switch surrounds.  They’re just short and to the point, but provide so much information.  They have some Range Rover Sport info too.

http://www.youtube.com/user/powerfulukltd

Here are two examples:

How to fit HST style front bumper upgrade to Range Rover Vogue:

How To Change Steering wheel on Range Rover L322: