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Jaguar Land Rover is feeling the pinch from semiconductor chip shortages, and its Range Rover Evoque is losing some features for 2022.

Semi-autonomous parking assist is no longer available, even as an option. The same applies to adaptive cruise control with steering assist, though all models still include adaptive cruise control.

A surround-view camera, previously standard fit across the range, is now optional.

The flagship R-Dynamic HSE swaps its illuminated treadplates for regular chrome ones, while the ClearSight digital rear-view mirror has moved to the option list.

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Some standalone options like heated washer jets have also been removed, though these can still be added via option packages.

It hasn’t just been feature deletions, however.

The R-Dynamic HSE now has matrix LED headlights as standard fit, while the base R-Dynamic S has gone from 18- to 20-inch alloy wheels.

In-car wi-fi is also newly optional across the range.

Prices are unchanged for model year 2022, with the range still consisting of three petrol variants plus one diesel model.

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Pricing

• 2022 Range Rover Evoque P200 R-Dynamic S: $67,200
• 2022 Range Rover Evoque P250 R-Dynamic SE: $74,576
• 2022 Range Rover Evoque D200 R-Dynamic SE: $76,500
• 2022 Range Rover Evoque P250 R-Dynamic HSE: $79,276

All prices exclude on-road costs.

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Engines

The 2022 Range Rover Evoque is available with a choice of three engines.

The P200 uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine with 147kW of power and 320Nm of torque, while the P250 has the same size engine but with 184kW and 365Nm.

The D200 uses a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine with 150kW and 430Nm.

All models use a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

P250 models do the 0-100km/h sprint in 7.6 seconds, while the D200 does it in 8.5 seconds and the P200 in 8.6 seconds.

Fuel Economy

The 2022 Range Rover Evoque uses 8.1L/100km on the combined cycle in P200 and P250 variants and 5.7L/100km in the D200.

Petrol models require 95RON premium unleaded fuel.

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Dimensions

The 2022 Range Rover Evoque measures 4371mm long, 1649mm tall, and 1996mm wide (2100mm including the mirrors). It spans a 2681mm wheelbase.

Boot space measures 591L, expanding to 1383L with the second row folded.

Servicing and Warranty

The 2022 Range Rover Evoque is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty with five years of roadside assistance.

Land Rover offers a servicing plan to cover the Evoque for five years or 102,000km. This costs $1950.

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Safety

The Range Rover Evoque has a five-star rating from ANCAP, based on testing conducted in 2019.

It received an adult occupant protection score of 94 per cent, a child occupant protection score of 89 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection score of 72 per cent, and a safety assist score of 73 per cent.

Standard safety equipment includes:

• Autonomous emergency braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane-keep assist
• Rear cross-traffic alert
• Traffic sign recognition and adaptive speed limiter
• Safe exit warning
• Driver attention monitoring
• Adaptive cruise control
• Reversing camera with front and rear parking sensors
• Front, front-side and curtain airbags

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Standard Equipment

The R-Dynamic S comes standard with the following equipment:

• 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Keyless entry and start
• Dual-zone climate control
• LED headlights
• Power tailgate
• 12-way power front seats
• 40:20:40 split-fold rear seats with centre armrest
• Leather or textile/Ultrafabrics upholstery
• Six-speaker 180W sound system
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Automatic headlights
• Paddle shifters in Satin Chrome
• Metal pedals
• Chrome treadplates
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Dynamic rear indicators
• Terrain Response 2
• All Terrain Progress Control
• Hill descent control
• 20-inch alloy wheels

An optional Technology Pack adds:

• ClearSight rear-view mirror
• Touch Pro Duo (second digital display for climate controls)
• Head-up display
• Digital instrument cluster

The R-Dynamic SE adds:

• Premium LED headlights with ‘signature’ daytime running lights and automatic levelling
• Automatic high-beam
• Dynamic front indicators
• 12-way power front seats with driver’s memory
• Touch Pro Duo
• Digital instrument cluster

Both the S and SE are available with the $2270 Dynamic Handling Pack, which adds Configurable Dynamics, Adaptive Dynamics, and red brake callipers.

The R-Dynamic HSE adds:

• Matrix LED headlights
• Configurable Dynamics
• 14-way power front seats with driver’s memory
• 12-speaker 650W Meridian sound system

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There are several option packages available across the range.

The $1360 Convenience Pack adds:

• Hands-free power tailgate
• Power-adjustable steering column
• Activity Key

The $1120 Cold Climate Pack adds:

• Heated windscreen
• Heated washer jets
• Heated steering wheel

Standalone options include:

• 14-way heated and cooled front seats with driver’s memory and heated rear seats: $2420-4130 depending on variant
• Full Extended Leather Upgrade: $2125-2530
• Head-up display: $1300
• Second-row air vents and temperature control: $1000
• Secure Tracker Pro: $955
• Illuminated treadplates: $890
• In-car wi-fi: $800
• Cabin Air Purification: $777
• Activity Key: $750
• Heated steering wheel: $690
• Privacy glass: $690
• Advanced Tow Assist: $660 (requires surround-view camera and Touch Pro Duo)
• Tyre-pressure monitoring: $580
• Surround-view camera: $500
• Solar attenuating windscreen: $430
• Premium cabin lighting: $410
• DAB digital radio: $400
• Power-adjustable steering column: $380
• Front fog lights: $330
• Hands-free power tailgate: $170

As is typical of a Jaguar Land Rover product, there are further options and accessories available including myriad seating configurations, trim options and wheel designs.

Additionally, standard features on higher grades are almost always available as options on lower grades.

We recommend consulting the Land Rover website for more information.

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Colours

Ostuni Pearl White has replaced Yulong White for 2022.

Fuji White solid remains the standard colour

The palette continues to include the following metallic finishes:

• Santorini Black
• Firenze Red
• Seoul Pearl Silver
• Lantau Bronze
• Portofino Blue
• Eiger Grey
• Nolita Grey

Carpathaian Grey and Silicon Silver are $2020 options, with all other metallic finishes priced at $1480.

MORE: Everything Range Rover Evoque

Rishi Sunak’s decision to wind up the furlough scheme today will intensify Britain’s economic woes, an array of unions, business groups, employment experts, City firms and politicians have warned.

With signs of activity slowing even before pressures on supply chains began to mount over the past few weeks, the chancellor was criticised for cutting off a wage-subsidy lifeline that is still supporting well over a million jobs.

Frances O’Grady, the TUC general secretary, said the end of the furlough scheme coupled with the £20 a week cut in universal credit next week meant the government was heading into the winter with no plan to protect workers.

“Ministers should rethink the end of furlough. Many workers in hard hit industries are still furloughed and need support for longer. Otherwise, we may see a rise in unemployment,” O’Grady said.

Business leaders warned of an “autumn storm” from the government dismantling emergency pandemic support schemes at a time when the economic recovery from Covid-19 was faltering.

The coronavirus Job Retention Scheme was launched by Sunak on 20 March last year, after consultation with unions and bosses, covering 80% of a furloughed employee’s wages, up to £2,500 a month.

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) said the end of the furlough scheme, the scrapping of the small employer sick pay rebate, and the closure of the government’s apprenticeship incentive scheme would add to pressure on companies.

Mike Cherry, the FSB’s national chair, said: “It’s potentially a dangerous moment. As the weather turns colder, so too will the operating environment for many firms. With recent economic growth numbers having fallen below expectations, the upcoming festive season may not provide as much of a boost as hoped to many small businesses’ bottom lines.”

The government has spent around £70bn to support the wages of more than 11.6m jobs over the past 18 months, and Sunak is hopeful that a record stock of more than a million job vacancies will absorb workers coming off furlough.

However, employment experts warned this was unlikely because of mismatches between vacancies and where most workers were furloughed. One of the UK’s biggest recruitment firms said the end of furlough was unlikely to help firms address chronic staff shortages in some sectors of the economy.

Niki Turner-Harding, senior vice-president of Adecco UK & Ireland, said: “The end of the furlough scheme won’t turn the tables when it comes to the candidate-led environment that jobseekers are experiencing right now. Not least because those employees still furloughed work in industries most affected by the current situation, such as the travel industry.”

As many as 1.6 million workers remained on furlough at the end of July according to the latest official figures from HMRC, representing about 5% of the overall workforce. However, large numbers of workers in sectors of the economy hardest-hit by Covid-19 are still receiving emergency wage support from the state, with fears the end of the scheme will drive up unemployment.

Usage of the scheme peaked at almost 9 million in May 2020 during the first wave of the pandemic, and at about 5.1 million during the winter lockdown earlier this year. However, the rate of workers returning to their jobs has slowed steadily in recent months despite the reopening of the economy, as certain sectors remain under intense pressure.

More than half (51%) of all air passenger transport workers in Britain were still on furlough at the end of July, the highest of any industry. More than a quarter of travel agents and tour operators are in the same position, in a stark contrast to the 5% average for all sectors.

Christine Jardine, Treasury spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats, warned Thursday’s sudden stop could trigger an economic crisis akin to Black Wednesday in 1992 when Britain crashed out of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism. Jardine said Sunak risked a “coronavirus Black Thursday” unless he prolonged the furlough to the 10 most affected sectors.

The chancellor insisted now was the right time to close the scheme and encouraged companies to make use of other government support measures, including the super-deduction tax break and kickstart job creation scheme.

“I am immensely proud of the furlough scheme, and even more proud of UK workers and businesses whose resolve has seen us through an immensely difficult time. With the recovery well under way, and more than 1 million job vacancies, now is the right time for the scheme to draw to a close,” he said.

Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at the wealth management firm, Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Any hope that the end of the furlough scheme might be the magic wand to solve the supply chain crisis is likely to be wishful thinking.”

Read more:
Ditching furlough scheme will add to UK’s economic woes, warn unions and firms

Airline, shipping and trucking bosses have joined union leaders in calling for governments around the world to ease coronavirus restrictions on transport workers to help avoid a Christmas supply chain crisis.

Industry representatives from around the world issued a joint call on Wednesday for coordinated action from national governments to simplify border restrictions.

The cost of transporting goods across the world had become almost negligible in recent decades, but the pandemic disruption to factories, shipping and customer demand has caused chronic delays to cross-border deliveries and led to record shipping container prices.

Willie Walsh, the former boss of British Airways, who now serves as director general of the International Air Transport Association (Iata), called for government restrictions to be eased to avoid disruption during Christmas and warned that further transport cost increases were likely.

“There is definitely a risk,” said Walsh. “What we’re facing is a crisis from restrictions, not from the virus itself.

“Demand is very high, but supply is very disrupted. Without question there is a risk of disruption as demand rises.”

Iata was joined by the International Chamber of Shipping, International Road Transport Union (IRU) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation in arguing that reducing and harmonising restrictions such as vaccine paperwork and testing requirements for transport workers could help ease the pressure at Christmas. The huge variation in restrictions between neighbouring countries causes delays and contradicts scientific advice, they said.

Shipping routes are particularly strained between the US and China, the two largest economies in the world, while air cargo in the broader Asia-Pacific region has also been hit hard by travel restrictions.

In the UK the lack of qualified lorry drivers has added to a fuel crisis. The UK government on Wednesday deployed its reserve tanker fleet to try to keep petrol stations supplied around the country, amid shortages that led to panic buying.

Umberto de Pretto, the IRU’s secretary general, said there would “absolutely” be problems at Christmas, as companies are already facing problems with their transport plans for the period which is crucial for retailers and producers of consumer goods, food and drink.

“There will be disruption, there will be issues, because no one is addressing the problems,” he said. “How can you drive the recovery without drivers?”

Iata’s Walsh said continued travel restrictions were “unnecessary, completely out of proportion to the risk that is faced”, citing the 36 questions on the UK’s passenger locator form. “I doubt anybody is reading the answer to those questions,” he said.

The lobby groups and unions said the World Health Organization should prioritise transport workers for Covid-19 vaccinations. However, they said they were against mandatory vaccines for workers for now because of unequal access to vaccines in different countries.

Chicago-based United Airlines on Wednesday said it will fire 600 workers who have not taken mandatory vaccines, but the policy is thought to be unlikely to be introduced in some countries such as the UK.

Read more:
Transport bosses call on governments across world to ease Covid restrictions

What is it with roguelikes and their punishing gameplay that makes them feel like a constant uphill struggle? Don’t get us wrong, the permadeath progression of roguelikes conjures some riveting moments, but wouldn’t it be great if the genre was a bit more empowering? If, say, you could control the Devil himself and manipulate the very fabric of the game in your favour?

Well, it’s funny you should ask, because right around the corner is Rogue Lords – a game that’s learned from some of the best roguelikes out there, while adding a devilish twist on the genre that we haven’t quite seen before.

And we’re not just talking about the fact that you literally play the Devil here, enlisting the help of nine Disciples who include Count Dracula, Lilith the Succubus, the Headless Horseman, and other unholy literary creations to take back the world from those infernal Demon Hunters.

No, the real devil is, as ever, in the detail.

Rogue Lords lets you cheat your way to victory, manipulating the turn-based battlefield and the very UI of the game to give you every advantage possible. Spend a bit of your health, and an underworld of devious possibilities opens up before you.

For instance, if an enemy hits you with a debuff in battle, you can spend some Essence to send it right back to one of their team (likewise, if they’ve activated a buff that you like the look of, you can steal it for your anti-heroes). Manipulate the health of allies and enemies, recharge skills without spending action points, and embrace the rules by breaking the rules.

In a genre where failure and a forced restart often occur by the finest and most frustrating of margins, this mechanic makes the game that bit more cunning. Besides, how often can you cheat and not feel like a terrible human being for it? You’re the Devil here, it’s what you do!

You pick three heroes at the start of each run, during which you not only do battle against demon hunters and other do-gooders, but traverse a nocturnal world that will present you with all kinds of weapon upgrades and interesting events. When you stumble upon an executioner who’s too nice to do his job, do you execute him, curse his axe, or teach him some cruelty?

Each event has a certain probability of success, but if you don’t like the odds then a little diabolical dallying will swing them in your favour (at the cost of your precious essence, of course).

Rogue Lords has a style and flow that will be familiar to fans of Darkest Dungeon and Slay the Spire, but its beautifully drawn Burton-esque world oozes with its own spooky charms and unique mechanics. 

Beyond the shameless promotion of cheating, one of the standout features is that when one of your heroes runs out of health, they can actually keep fighting, but each hit they take will come out of your own Essence. It’s a great way to keep battles lively and balanced, stripping away that sinking feeling of inevitable defeat you get when you’re down to your last hero (looking at you, Darkest Dungeon).

Run out of Essence however, and your reign of terror ends… until the next run.

Rogue Lords is out now on Steam and Epic Games Store, just in time for the annual spooky season as Jack-o-Lanterns start to leer at you from between bare trees and dormant forces stir in the cold earth. Help evil reclaim its throne in Rogue Lords this Fall, and join the game’s impious procession on Facebook, Twitter and Discord. 

A new story mode trailer for the giant monster brawler GigaBash was revealed as a part of Tokyo Games Show 2021. The destructive title, which is heavily inspired by the kaiju genre of films and video games, comes from Malaysia-based indie developer Passion Republic Games. GigaBash has been compared to Super Smash Bros. and Pacific Rim, with up to four players controlling unique giant monsters and duking it out across highly destructible levels.

The playable roster featured in GigaBash is quite diverse, pulling from popular kaiju franchises such as Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman. Players can choose from gigantic robot warriors, a massive plant creature, an adorably destructive yeti, a horned rock kaiju and more. Players use their kaiju’s unique moveset to clobber their gigantic adversaries, with each powerful attack also dealing inevitable damage to the surrounding environment. GigaBash appears to act as a spiritual successor to other giant monster brawlers of the past, many of them involving Godzilla and his cast of supporting characters, but Super Smash Bros. has also been a frequent comparison.

Related: Smash Bros Ultimate DLC Character Leak Gains Validity After Direct

The latest trailer for GigaBash, shown at Tokyo Games Show 2021 by Passion Republic Games, gives a closer look at the title’s story mode. The narrative portion of the game will consist of four distinct campaigns, each one starring a specific kaiju. The lumbering Gorogong, the long-range devastator Pipijuras, the playful yeti Woolley and the robotic warrior Thundatross will all star in their own separate campaigns. The narrative-driven single-player experience will include hand-crafted scenarios, which add variety to GigaBash‘s usual four-player brawls by changing objectives and adversaries.

Watch the story mode trailer for GigaBash here.

While officially-licensed kaiju games do exist, many independent developers also strive to capture the giant monster experience themselves. Excidio The Kaiju Game is a Godzilla-inspired title which allows players to rampage through an unsuspecting city, with realistic physics immersing players in the destruction. As Excidio, gamers can use classic kaiju powers such as fire breath or tail swipes to lay waste to the city and its defenseless inhabitants. The title is still under development, with its creator continuing to work on assets and gameplay.

GigaBash appears to be a perfect love letter to classic monster brawlers such as War of the Monsters and Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee. Players can choose from a colorful collection of monsters, each representing typical archetypes of the kaiju genre like robots and plant monsters. The game’s hectic four-player multiplayer brawls also seem quite reminiscent of Super Smash Bros., so fans of that series may find a familiar itch being scratched. The inclusion of four dedicated narrative campaigns is also quite surprising, and the single-player experience will hopefully add variety to GigaBash while also building upon the game’s world and lore.

Next: Why Godzilla Video Games Are So Hard To Get Right

GigaBash will release in early 2022 on PS4 and PC.

Source: Passion Republic Games/YouTube