Until then, though, let’s take a deeper dive into the smallest vehicle to wear the Range Rover badge, the Evoque. The Evoque is available in three different trims: Pure, Prestige, and Dynamic. Pure represents the base (but still amazingly well-equipped) model, while Prestige is the luxury oriented offering and Dynamic has a sportier lean. Both the Prestige and Dynamic are strikingly similar, except for a few very minor areas. Still, the Prestige is slightly more expensive to start (by about $900), while the Dynamic is pricier overall.
If you ever needed proof that crossovers are the next big thing in luxury, than here it is: as of 2010 the crossover segment constitutes almost 25 percent of the sales of the luxury market. It should come as no surprise then, that every manufacturer that styles itself with luxury pretensions currently offers a car-based, tall wagon loaded with tech and comfort features for the affluent buyer.
The Ford Explorer helped to start the SUV trend way back in 1990, and along the way it has gone from sales leader, to public disgrace, to also-ran SUV. It has sold in the millions and has been exported to over 90 different countries in its lifetime. With 96 percent nameplate recognition, the only Ford products that are more well known are the Mustang and the F-150, both of which have been on sale continuously for 26 and 42 more years, respectively. To say the Explorer is important to Ford’s business plan is an understatement of mammoth proportions.
The world has a way of surprising you from time to time, and my time in the Cadillac SRX was quite surprising. Just as I get done talking about the varying degrees of blandness that make up most of the crossover world in last week’s Quick Drive of the Jeep Liberty, along comes the SRX, which lo and behold is good in almost every aspect of its dynamics. I’m benchmarking here against luxury sedans, not sports cars, mind you. But even so, this Cadillac is well done.
Hyundai’s Santa Fe crossover is only due for its mid-cycle refresh this year, but that doesn’t just mean touch-ups to the front six inches and rear six inches of the vehicle. Instead, Hyundai is making good on its promise to increase fuel efficiency across its lineup, and the Santa Fe will receive two new engines for the 2010 model year, as well as some other interior upgrades.
Yesterday, we had the chance to sample three of Acura’s 2010 model year offerings — the revised RDX, MDX, and TSX V-6. And while the…