Now, what I’m about to confess is strictly between you and me, okay?

Since the Range Rover Evoque’s launch in 2010 I’ve always thought that it was a bit, well, feminine.

However, I’m not too proud to admit when I’m wrong (unless I think I can get away with it) and it’s true, I made a gross error of judgement.

I’ve just spent a week in the company of a three-door Si4, with a 2.0-litre petrol engine and I rather enjoyed it, despite my reservations.

With its oversized wheels, high waistline and tapered windows, the Evoque has a toy-like appearance but it remains unmistakably a Range Rover.

Climbing in and out of the Evoque is much less of a challenge than its big brothers but, despite the obvious reduction in size, it felt every bit as luxurious as the Sport that I drove recently.

Climate-controlled leather seats - cooled as well as heated - are electrically adjustable and come with four memory presets so you don’t have to constantly fiddle with them to find your favoured seating position if you share the driving.

The panoramic roof lets plenty of light in, but I found it necessary to close it during the hottest part of the day just in case the searing temperatures ignited my hair gel.

There are plenty of toys to play with - the model I drove even boasted terrestrial television, but more about that later - and all the buttons, switches, dials and stalks were first rate.

However, there is one piece of kit that falls short of expectations, and that’s the touchscreen. Prodscreen might be a more appropriate name as it requires quite a hefty poke to illicit a response and, in my opinion, the UI should be a lot slicker. In isolation it would be fine, but I’ve experienced better systems in cars half the price, and that’s really not good enough.

You can also watch video (from a usb or DVD) as well as the aforementioned TV. Now, as a driver I can't say that I imagine having much use for this feature, in fact, I think any video entertainment should be a strictly back seat affair but, that aside, when a manufacturer fits includes new (or old, if we’re being picky) technology in a car it’s got to work first time and every time. It isn’t the Evoque’s fault, of course, because TV reception has always been unpredictable, but that makes the decision to include it even more surprising. It just ends up feeling light a bit of a gimmick, and a frustrating one at that.

The Evoque is equipped, of course, with Land Rover's pleasantly quirky sat nav which, I have to admit, I'm growing rather fond of. Even now, every time it says 'bear left' I expect to see a 400-pound grizzly hitchhiking at the side of the road. Vivid imagination aside, the sat nav is generally accurate and easy to use although having to use the touchscreen to program it can be a bit of a chore.

Visibility out the front and sides is excellent, as you’d expect but, because of the tapered windows it’s a bit like peeking through a letterbox out the back. Not that I condone peeking through letterboxes, of course.

Despite appearances, the Evoque’s footprint is not that much different to a family hatchback and, consequently, rear legroom is limited... that’s if you can actually get in the back. I’m 6ft 1in and I struggled to squeeze between the front seat and the B-pillar. Admittedly, my struggles might be due to width as much as height, but it’s worth considering if you believe there’s ever a chance you might need to carry tall people, or the elderly, in the back, opt for the five-door. Please.

I was pleasantly surprised, however, by the amount of headroom right through the car. Its shape didn’t fill me with confidence but my fears were unfounded and my beautifully coiffured hair remained unruffled.

On the go the 2.0-litre petrol engine is a willing, but thirsty, performer. Stop start technology does its best to keep fuel consumption down but it’s an uphill struggle, even with a delicate right foot. However, this is a car that wants to be challenged. It is, after all, a hot hatch in an Evoque’s clothing. With less body mass than the full-size Range Rover the Evoque is more agile, more chuckable. Steering is precise and it turns into corners - and stays turned in - with little fuss. Despite its height, the Evoque is remarkably planted and secure.

Safety features include all the obligatory airbags, parking sensors and parking assist, blind spot monitor and lane departure warning which means that you’d have to try really hard to crash this car.

The boot will swallow 550 litres the seats up and 1350 litres with them folded flat.

I was wrong about the Evoque. It’s a car for everyone. It might the smallest car in the range, but Land Rover haven’t compromised and, in many ways, it’s actually a better proposition than its bigger and more expensive siblings. I have a couple of issues with it that largely revolve around the infotainment system but, despite my rather lengthy rant, in the grand scheme of things they are largely insignificant. Fortunately for the Evoque, the on-road entertainment renders the on-screen entertainment redundant.

Oh, and seems I was wrong about Yorkies too.

Click here to find out more about the Range Rover Evoque

Range Rover Evoque SI4 Dynamic Coupe

PRICE FROM: £31.205

PRICE AS TESTED: £46,650

ENGINE: 2.0-litre with intelligent stop-start

TRANSMISSION: 9-speed automatic

ACCELERATION (0-62mph): 7.6 secs

MAXIMUM SPEED: 135mph

URBAN: 27.4mpg

EXTRA-URBAN: 44.1mpg

COMBINED: 36.2

CO2 EMISSIONS: 181 g/km