RACKING up sales even before it landed in the island, the Evoque is finally here in the “flesh” (make that Victoria Beckham-designed interior, coupled with rugged Land Rover pedigree).

Named Motor Trend’s SUV of the Year, the sleek 2012 Range Rover Evoque drew waves of pleasant comments during its launch at the ATL Autohaus office in Bogue Montego Bay last Saturday.

With only 14 models ordered initially for the Jamaican market, the demand proved overwhelming as nine of the 14 vehicles were sold before they even landed here.

“The phones have been ringing off the hook since; there is a very good market response to the Evoque. We sold nine models without anyone even seeing the car,” said Adam Stewart, CEO of ATL Automotive.

Stewart further describes the Range Rover Evoque as a “designer’s car and a true work of art”. “The engineering was done in the design of the car to make it the smallest, lightest, most fuel-efficient, advanced Range Rover ever built, with all the Land Rover 4×4 capabilities,” he said at the launch.

The Evoque gives drivers the option to drive in Prestige for luxury, Dynamic for a sporty orientation or Pure design, which is the closest match to the LRX Concept car. Purchasers can also add their own creative touch to the vehicle by choosing their colour combination from the vast array of interior and exterior options.