THE baby of the Range Rover family has always been one for the fashionistas - but there is plenty of substance to go with the achingly beautiful style.

A recent revamp sees the Evoque benefit from a new look and a new engine - the Ingenium diesel - replacing the Ford-sourced oil burner Land Rover previously used.

The 2.0-litre beast - put together at JLR's new £500 million engine plant at Wolverhampton - comes in two guises with either 150 or 180ps under the bonnet.

If you're interested in cutting your tax liabilities the lower powered version is the one to go for as, in the shape of a three-door coupe, it reduces emissions to 109g/km.

The 180ps version is for those who want a bit more vim and vigour and the 4x4 configuration for those tricky school playing fields - although the Evoque also handles proper off-road conditions with aplomb.

Emissions are higher but the Ingenium block limits them to 134g/km for the five-door automatic while average fuel consumption is a useful 55.3mpg.

It's pretty quick of the mark as well with the £42,700 motor I drove getting from 0-60mph in 8.5 seconds with the nine-speed automatic transmission ensuring smooth progress to a top speed of 121mph.

A 2.0-litre 240ps petrol engine is also offered, but the diesel engine makes up the bulk of the Evoque range and both on and off the road it ticks all the boxes.

Whatever you choose will be housed in a gorgeous exterior which benefits from a nose job that's a definite improvement featuring big vents in the bumper and natty LED headlights.

The rear is similarly easy on the eye with a distinctive tailgate spoiler while the Dynamic model boasts fluted vents on the bonnet which give a sporty feel to proceedings.

The classy cabin is a pleasure to spend time in with comfy seats, neat instrumentation and Land Rover's InControl Touch Plus infotainment system operated via an eight-inch colour touchscreen display.

The Evoque range opens up with the entry-level Pure, progressing to the mid-range Dynamic before topping out with the flagship Autobiography. Pure Tech and Dynamic Lux versions fit in between the core models adding more kit for a modest extra outlay.

Options on my vehicle included a head up display indicating the gear selected and speed, a panoramic roof with powered blind and a host of other goodies. The cost of the variety of extras added to this car took the final price-tag close to £50,000 - so it pays to keep an eye on what you're ordering.

The ride and handling are good with corners attacked with gusto, while efficient sound proofing make the Evoque a refined character.

There is also a number of labour-saving ideas to help make the driver's life as easy as possible.

Push the ignition button, put the transmission in drive and the Evoque automatically disengages the electronic handbrake. Similarly, pull up outside your front door, turn the rotary dial to ‘P', unbuckle your seat belt and the car automatically puts the handbrake on and switches off the engine.

The Evoque is available in front-wheel drive or the classy 4x4 version I tested which comes with Land Rover's state-of-the-art off-road system - souped up to offer All-Terrain Progress Control.

This allows you to dial in a speed anywhere up to 19mph from the cruise control buttons. The Evoque then moves ahead with the driver's responsibilities limited to simply steering. It is a great piece of kit and in wintry conditions on low-grip surfaces in rough terrain it is a winner.

You do have to press a button on the key fob to open the boot but hey, there has to be something for the driver to do.