Britain’s ‘least loved car’ is £51k motor loved by string of A-list celebrities – but is plagued by ‘electrical issues’
BRITAIN'S least loved car has been revealed as a £51,000 motor loved by celebrities.
The plug-in hybrid is driven by thousands of Brits including Victoria Beckham and Jamie Oliver.
But the motor has faced criticism over breakdowns, electrical faults, and range anxiety, according to a Which? Survey.
60,000 drivers participated in the consumer group’s survey across all categories, with 44 of those respondents relating to the Range Rover Evoque PHEV.
Using this data, they found that the 2020 hybrid Evoque spent an average of 21 days a year off the road, more than any other vehicle surveyed, with some waiting months for replacement parts.
Although it's an affordable, fun-to-drive SUV that offers impressive off-road capabilities, sensible technology, and ample load space for outings, it's reliability issues have left many owners disappointed.
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One driver called it "the most frustrating car I've ever owned," while another reported their car being off the road for more than ten months.
"The first was plagued by electrical and other issues, ultimately being replaced," another owner added.
When the Evoque launched in 2011, it was an instant hit.
Victoria Beckham even collaborated on a special edition, famously calling it "a bag on wheels."
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Jamie Oliver praised it as "agile" and perfect for city driving.
It's appeal as a compact SUV offering off-road capability and luxury was undeniable, with over one million units sold globally by 2016.
However, the hybrid version has failed to live up to the Evoque's earlier success.
While the petrol and diesel variants have fewer issues averaging seven days off he road per year, the hybrid's reliability problems have tarnished the brand's image.
The average time off the road for new cars in the UK is just 4.8 days, making the hybrid Evoque's 21 days particularly dire.
Jaguar Lan Rover blamed these issues on delays caused by the transition to a new logistics hub, saying the problems have since been resolved.
A Jaguar Land Rover spokesperson told Which?: “Ensuring our clients have the best possible experience of our brands is our priority, and the data tells us that vehicle quality at launch is the best it has ever been.
“We understand some clients experienced delays, with their vehicles awaiting parts for repair following JLR’s transition to a new global parts logistics centre.
"Throughout this period, we increased our mobility fleet by 50 per cent to ensure impacted clients were supported with courtesy vehicles."
Despite its hybrid struggles, the standard petrol and diesel Evoque models performed better in the survey, with average repair times of seven days.
But for the hybrid version, complaints about electrical faults and poor reliability continue to overshadow its once-pristine reputation.
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In a message directly to Sun Motors, a JLR spokesperson further added: “Our own data shows that, of the nearly 2,000 Range Rover Evoque PHEV clients surveyed through their ownership journey, their experience is on par with all of our Range Rover surveyed clients.
“All our experience measures reflect sustained improvement for our owners, with our Purchase NPS at 93/100 for the last six months.”
