(11-07-2011 08:23pm)Charlie Wrote: I wonder how many of the 371 registered users of this forum are single females? But then if you work in the 'industry' you know it all, eh? 
Okay well if you're going down that route you'd have to factor in the demographic for niche internet forum users (going to be male-led) and then assume that's representative of the orders in total. Unless you are suggesting only 371 orders have been placed worldwide?
Anyway I don't fit the demographic either as I am neither young nor single. My point, which you are choosing to ignore in order to be a bit of a smartarse, is that (like it or not) cars are designed with niche customers in mind, and it's true that some cars are designed primarily for aesthetics. It's fairly obvious the Evoque is aesthetically led - the gunslit rear screen being testament to this - and why shouldn't it be? Life's not one big episode of Outnumbered.
There are plenty products out there which are impractical, overpriced, and not perfect functionally but people still buy them for the way they look and feel, for the image and the brand values. So back to my original point - Jeremy Clarkson trying to pick a hole in the Evoque, when patently they've addressed that shortcoming by offering an alternative. It just demonstrates that if you want to fault the Evoque for not being thoughtful or broad in it's appeal, or for being an overpriced Freelander, or for being pointless (all criticisms I've heard leveled at this car) then you are not in Land Rover's sights as a customer. I didn't understand the previous comments in this forum about a slow electric slide being a huge design flaw - it's only a flaw if it doesn't meet purpose. To me a coupe's purpose is to on the whole dispense with the comfort considerations of rear passengers on the understanding that there will rarely be any, and to focus on driver enjoyment, space and ergonomics. So I can't see how the designers have made a huge booboo with the electric slide on the coupe, when the five door remedies this for those who want easy rear seat access. If the five door was a pain in the bum to use correctly, then fine, I'd agree that designers or LR people reading the forum should be concerned.
Incidentally I almost went for the five door for the same reasons mentioned by another poster earlier, that it looks and feels more like a compact range rover, but in the end I thought about how many times the back doors of my X3 have been opened in the last three years and decided they would rarely be needed so why get them.
I hope this sates your appetite for an argument here Charlie, I'm entitled to my view as a childless individual as much as you're entitled to your experience as a parent. I don't think it's necessary however to disparage the young single females who might be the customers LR is after in this instance. LR provide for several other sectors of the market with their product range, many of which are very family-friendly. Why shouldn't they seek out a new customer base with a car more suited to a different need than those of LR's existing owners?
Evoque on top gear tonight
