Range Rover Evoque convertible – a convertible for all seasons

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is available from spring 2016 and will be priced from £47,500. First floated as a concept in 2012 before getting the production nod in March, more details on the Evoque Convertible will likely come when it debuts at the Los Angeles Auto Show at the end of the month.

A choice of various engines will be available, including the 240PS Si4 petrol and the 2.0-litre Ingenium seen on the Discovery Sport, the latter said to offer up to 55mpg and Carbon dioxide emissions as low as 149g/km.

Despite needing space to store the roof when it’s down, cargo space stands at a respectable 251 litres.

The Evoque Convertible ushers in a 10.2-inch high-resolution touch screen that runs Land Rover’s new InControl Touch Pro infotainment system.

Gerry McGovern, design director and chief creative officer at Land Rover, said: ‘Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a vehicle for all seasons.

The global SUV market is projected to grow by around 20 per cent by 2020, meaning more and more buyers are wanting SUVs.

Land Rover says that the Evoque Convertible continues to have exceptional structural rigidity and off-road capability despite loosing the roof.

The new model will be produced at Land Rover’s Halewood plant, which already produces Evoque five-door and coupé bodystyles, as well as the Land Rover Discovery Sport. This unit is described as highly-responsive and super-fast, with seamless smartphone integration, door-to-door navigation, 3G connectivity and a premium sound system.

The Evoque Convertible is the first vehicle in the luxury crossover class with a top-down option, and few competitors in any crossover segment have found success with a convertible. Bolted to a nine-speed automatic transmission, the turbo four sends the Evoque Convertible from zero to 60 miles per hour in 7.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 112 miles per hour. The model goes on sale from mid-2016 in more than 170 markets worldwide.

Land Rover’s Terrain Response drive modes, the availability of technologies such as wade sense and sizeable approach, departure and break-over angles of 19, 31 and 18.9 degrees respectively certainly back up that contention. To make sure their passengers are as safe as possible, the Evoque convertible comes with a Roll-Over Protection Device which is essentially two aluminum bars within the bodywork that deploy within 90miliseconds if it detects danger making a survivable space for the passangers.