It must be a Herculean task, replacing one of your biggest-selling models, but that is exactly the conundrum that Range Rover faced when the time came to roll out a new version of the Evoque.

The first generation’s roots can be traced back to the Land Rover LRX concept that was unveiled at the North American Internation Auto Show in 2008. The first retail models rolled off the production line in 2011 and tapped into a new niche in the market for small, but luxurious, SUVs.

Eight years, though, is a lifetime in the world of car manufacturing and, although the Evoque could still fall back on its looks, the rest of the package was falling behind newer rivals from Audi, Mercedes and Lexus.

The new model’s styling is evolutionary, with most of the more radical updates reserved, and quite rightly, for the areas that really needed them.

It sits on Land Rover’s Premium Transverse Architecture (PTA), which is a heavily modified version of the outgoing model’s D8 platform. Size-wise the new car will take up about the same amount of space on your drive, but the wheelbase has been increased to free up more passenger space in the back, an area where the first generation Evoque was found wanting.

There is also the addition of 48-volt mild-hybrid electrification for all but the entry-level two-wheel-drive model. The system will help to improve emissions as well as allowing for more sophisticated in-car technology.

Taking its inspiration from the larger Velar – the slim front and rear lights, smooth flanks and clever retracting door handles – the new Evoque’s design has been subtly tweaked to give it a contemporary, yet reassuringly familiar, appearance.

The coupe-like silhouette remains, with a waistline that rises rapidly to meet the tapering roofline. The pronounced shoulders and bold wheel arches lend the Evoque’s profile genuine dynamism. The door handles sit flush with the bodywork, emerging smoothly from their hiding places when the car is unlocked.

Like the Velar, the front and rear are adorned with super-slim Matrix LED lamps. Stretching between the rear light assembly is a strong black accent that bears the company name. Strenuous efforts have been made to reduce the width of the panel gaps, further emphasising the Evoque’s premium credentials.

There are two new colours to choose from, Seoul Pearl Silver, and the hue that my Launch Edition review car arrived in, Nolita Grey, which brings with it burnished copper accents inspired, say Land Rover, by the edgy, urban district of New York.

While the exterior is unashamedly evolutionary, inside is a different matter. A greater emphasis has been placed on quality materials and you’ll notice that the design is cleaner, with a centre console that’s dominated by the firm’s excellent Touch Pro Duo multimedia system (standard on SE and HSE trim). It’s worth noting here that, for the first time in a Jaguar Land Rover product, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both available and, though I can only vouch for the Google product, make good good use of the screen real estate available.

The dashboard stretches, unbroken, across the full width of the cabin and it helps enhances the feeling of space. It isn’t all an illusion, though, because front-seat passengers enjoy excellent levels of space and comfort. There’s enough adjustment in the driver’s seat - entry-level models get eight-way manually adjustable chairs while S, SE and HSE getting 10-, 14- and 16-way electrically adjustable seats – and steering to ensure that all but the extraordinary few can find a decent driving position.

Visibility is good out the front but grows steadily worse the further back you go, thanks to that very slender rear windscreen. It’s at this point I should mention the ClearSight technology that Land Rover have introduced in the Evoque. It consists of a rear-facing camera that’s mounted in the shark’s fin antenna. It sends a 180-degree video feed to the rear-view mirror and is activated when you flick a small lever on the mirror housing, much like you would if you were adjusting it for night-driving. It’s perfect for when the boot is full or, well, any time really.

There is a noticeable amount of additional legroom in the rear – though calling it spacious would be stretching the truth a little – but the tapering roofline can still impact on headroom for taller people. You can sit two six-footers in tandem, but it’s unlikely that they would want to remain there for extended journeys.

The small windows in the back can create a feeling of confinement unless, of course, you opt for the full-length panoramic roof which floods the cabin with welcome natural light and restores some of the airiness that’s stolen by that dynamic profile.

There are two new colour combinations – Cloud and Deep Garnet – as well as innovative materials such as the Kvadrat wool blend and Eucalyptus Melange textile. The passenger space really is a delightful, interesting and comfortable – for the most part – place to spend your time.

There’s lots of useful cabin storage, with four large bins, a decent-sized cubby under the centre armrest and a rubberised tray that’s just the right size for a mobile but you’ll have to remove it if you want to use the cup holders because they’re hidden beneath it.

The boot is 10% larger than the previous model’s, which translates to 591 litres with the seats in pace, or 1,383 with them folded away. The rear seats fold 40:20:40 via a handle in the boot, so there’s plenty of flexibility.

If you’re thinking of towing then the Evoque can tow an unbraked trailer up to 750kg. Combine an auto gearbox with a diesel engine and you’ll be able to haul a braked trailer of up to two tonnes. The entry-level diesel with front-wheel-drive and a manual gearbox is limited to a braked trailer weight of 1,600kg.

The Evoque is available with either diesel or petrol engines, all four-cylinder units. If it’s diesel power that you’re after, then you can have one either 147, 178 or 237bhp. Petrol engines offer outputs of 197, 246 which, as it happens, was the power plant sending drive to all four wheels of my review car through a nine-speed automatic gearbox, and 299bhp.

Despite its coupe-inspired profile the Evoque hasn’t been designed to deliver driving thrills. Tackling tight and twisty roads reveals a significant amount of body roll and a front end that lacks outright grip. The steering is a little loose in the straight-ahead position and the automatic gearbox can become a little confused when you ask it to make a lot of decisions in rapid succession.

If you bear that in mind and drive with a little more circumspection it becomes obvious that what it does do extremely well is deliver excellent levels of comfort and refinement. Even at speed on a motorway the cabin is a delightful oasis of calm. The petrol engine in my First Edition model proved inaudible while wind and road noise was also very, very well suppressed.

Is it likely that you’ll take your new Evoque off-road? I think we all know the answer to that but, being a Land Rover product be sure that, if you do, it won’t let you down. Wading depth has increased 600mm (up from 500mm in the first gen model) while the firm’s Terrain Response 2 system will automatically adjust driving characteristics to suit the driving conditions.

The new Evoque might look like an evolutionary upgrade, as if Land Rover are simply playing it safe because, well, as far as the styling goes, they are. And why not? After all, it has always had looks on its side and too many changes would alienate the current model from its sibling and possibly jeopardise the goodwill that has accumulated over its life span.

Instead the company has reserved the more radical changes – and by changes I mean improvements – for both beneath the skin and inside the cabin. There’s more technology, such as ClearSight Ground View, which uses cameras in the front grille and on the door mirrors to feed a 180-degree of the terrain ahead to the central touchscreen, and n much-improved, higher-quality and more innovative cabin.

It isn’t perfect – some rivals are better to drive and the automatic gearbox isn’t the most intuitive – but the excellent refinement and comfort levels as well as some welcome, and much-needed, additional space in the rear of the car help to make the Evoque an even more attractive proposition.

Range Rover Evoque P250 First Edition

From: £50.,400

As tested: £51,120

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Max power: 250PS

Max torque: 365Nm @ 1,3000rpm

Max speed: 143mph

0-60mph: 7sec

WLTP combined: 30.4 - 28.5mpg

Emissions (CO2): 180g/km

For more information visit www.landrover.co.uk