It has been what, three or four days since the 2012 Range Rover Evoque tallied up another award? A week? However long it has been, it’s clear the Evoque’s momentum continues strong even after nine months on the market.

2012 Diesel Car of the Year

The latest award bestowed upon the Evoque comes in the form of Diesel Car Magazine’s 2012 Car of the Year. The UK-based publication awarded the Evoque its top honor based on how “stunning to look at and [how] stunning to drive” the car is. The magazine went on to say the Evoque is “instantly a classic.” While only time will tell how the Evoque fares alongside iconic Land Rovers of days gone by, this award does bring the 2012 Evoque’s worldwide accolades total up to 112.  

The Diesel Evoque

The two-wheel drive eD4 Evoque achieves a combined fuel economy rating of 56.5 MPG. 

Unfortunately for us here in the U.S., the Evoque’s diesel powertrains are off-limits until further notice. It’s generally thought our distinct lack of Land Rover diesel engines will continue until at least 2015, when the DC100 concept reaches production either as a Defender replacement or as its own model. While it’s possible Land Rover could surprise us and bring a diesel earlier with the advent of the fourth generation Range Rover, we wouldn’t hold our breath waiting.

Our little diesel lamentation tangent aside, those of you fortunate enough to live in a diesel-friendly part of the world have up to three options from which to choose: the 150-horsepower eD4 (2WD), the 150-horsepower TD4 (4WD), and the 190-horsepower SD4 (4WD). All are 2.2-liter engines and all are backed with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Pictured below is a Mauritius Blue 2012 Range Rover Evoque Pure 2.2-liter eD4 diesel sporting a — get ready for it — the two-wheel drive powertrain. In this configuration, the Evoque achieves a combined MPG rating of 56.5 MPG (47.1 MPG city, 62.8 MPG highway). 

2012 Discovery 4 Best 4×4 Winner

But wait, there’s more. Land Rover’s 2012 Discovery 4 is also available with a diesel powertrain and was also accorded a spot in the 2012 Diesel Car Awards list. The Discovery 4 came in as the premier entry in the Best 4×4 category followed by the Range Rover. The Discovery 4 is available with a 255-horsepower 3.0-liter SDV6 advanced sequential turbodiesel engine backed by an eight-speed transmission. This powertrain manages to coax 32.1 combined MPG out of the heavy Discovery 4 (28.8 MPG city, 34.9 MPG highway). 

As mentioned, the runner-up to the Discovery 4 was the Range Rover. The full-sized SUV is powered by a 313-horsepower 4.4-liter twin sequential turbocharged TDV8 diesel engine backed by an eight-speed transmission. This aggressive diesel powertrain delivers not only a zero-to-60 MPH time of 7.5 seconds, but also 30.1 combined MPG (24.6 MPG city, 34.5 MPG highway).

And here we are trying to eek out a shade over 17 MPG highway with our LRV8-powered LR3!

All 2012 Diesel Car Award Winners

• Car of the Year: Range Rover Evoque (Also Best Crossover)
• Best 4×4: Land Rover Discovery 4
• Best Small Car: Kia Rio
• Best Medium Car: Ford Focus
• Best Large Car: Citroën DS5
• Best Executive Car: BMW 3 Series
• Best Estate Car: Skoda Superb
• Best Multipurpose Vehicle: SEAT Alhambra
• Best Sports Car: Peugeot RCZ
• Best Eco Car: Chevrolet Volt / Vauxhall Ampera

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