New BMW X3 Tops while Range Rover Evoque Flops Consumer Reports' Tests

Just like a Rotten Tomatoes review can make or break a movie’s reputation and its box-office success, Consumer Reports’ road tests have the potential to boost a vehicle's sales or in some cases force a an automaker to run back to the drawing board.

The latest batch of vehicles tested by CR include two SUVs that even though different in size, will compete in the premium segment: the second iteration of the BMW X3 and the brand-new challenger in the category, the Range Rover Evoque.

To sum it up, the BMW X3 xDrive28i scored an 80 in CR's road test and received the “Recommended” tag, while the Range Rover Evoque managed a test score of 60 score and was placed near the bottom of its class.

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Project Kahn Touches Up Another Range Rover Evoque

The new Range Rover Evoque is one of those vehicles that doesn't really need a lot of styling mods to look the part, which is probably why British design house Project Kahn has kept the upgrades to a minimum.

Similar to Kahn's first take on the Evoque, this red colored example of Range Rover's compact SUV gets a new set of the firm's RS600 alloy wheels in a gunmetal finish (available in sizes 20-, 21- and 22-inches).

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Hyundai Elantra and Range Rover Evoque Snag 2012 North American Car and Truck Titles of the Year

And the winning entries for the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year are the Hyundai Elantra and the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque respectively. The announcement was made today on the sidelines of the 2012 Detroit Motor Show.

The winners for each category were chosen by a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada.

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Project Kahn's Stylish Take on the Range Rover Evoque

The crew over at Project Kahn has finally got around to tricking out Land Rover's latest creation, the Range Rover Evoque, with a new package that takes care of both the exterior and interior of the compact crossover model. Read more »

And the North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists are…

For the past 18 years, a committee of journalists from U.S. and Canadian magazines, radio and TV stations, websites and newspapers meet once a year and vote for the North American Car and Truck of the Year [NACTOY].

You'll have to wait until January to find the winners for the 2012 edition of the North American Car and Truck of the Year, but the three finalists for each category were announced on Thursday in Detroit.

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Marangoni's Range Rover Evoque HFI-R Puts on its Red Shoes

In keeping with its tradition of showing up at the Bologna Motor Show with an impressive concept, Italian tire manufacturer Marangoni chose this year's edition of the venue to reveal the Range Rover Evoque HFI-R.

The first thing that catches your eye as you look at the pictures is the experimental ruby red coloured Marangoni tires – well, for many it will actually be the curvalicious brunette model but that's irrelevant to this story.

Marangoni says that the bespoke “M-Power EvoRed” tires are made from special compounds with high silica content that helps rolling resistance and consequently fuel consumption. The 255/30R20 tires are wrapped around a new set of 20-inch alloy wheels from O.Z. Racing.

In addition, the bodywork of the car has been completely repainted in a special satin paint called Titanium Fluid Metal while the roof, the pillars, the door handles and the grille are finished in gloss black.

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Startech Shows Off New Range Rover Evoque at Essen Motor Show

Making its European debut at this week's Essen Motor Show is the Startech tuning program for the new Range Rover Evoque. Startech, which is a sub-division of the Brabus brand, first revealed its take on the British crossover model at the Dubai International Motor Show earlier this month.

Rather than improve its off-road capabilities, the German tuning company says that all of the available upgrades for the three- and five-door variants of the Evoque were developed to make the crossover more capable on the road where it will spend if not all, most of its time.

The product lineup includes a new front apron, a roof wing and a rear apron that houses a diffuser and the reshaped quad tail pipes. The crossover model's sportier stance is further enhanced with suspension kit that lowers the ride height by up to 30mm (1.2-inches) and custom-tailored alloy wheels offered in various color combos and 20- or 22-inch diameters.

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Startech-Tuned Range Rover Evoque to Debut at Dubai Motor Show

The Evoque is not only Range Rover’s newest and smallest model but also a uniquely designed crossover that heralds a new philosophy for the British brand.

Startech, a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz specialist Brabus, has developed an on-road oriented tuning package for both the three- and five-door versions the Evoque, which will make its debut at this week's 2011 Dubai International Motor Show.

The package includes newly shaped front and rear bumpers, front grille, spoiler and air inlets that are said to have been fine-tuned in the wind tunnel to reduce lift on the front axle at high speeds.

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