It’s no secret by now that Range Rover will add a soft-top variant to their hugely successful Evoque range. Now that the testing phase is over, the UK-based automaker stripped it off its camouflage to reveal a distinctly recognisable Evoque – minus the top.
Officially named the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, Land Rover claims that the drop-top model is the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible which combines bold design and refinement to create a non-compromising, all-season convertible. If you’re familiar with the Evoque, then there’s few you don’t know about this car besides having its B- and C-pillars chopped.
The soft-top is made of a high quality fabric and it’s the longest and widest to be fitted on any vehicle today. It features a Z-fold mechanism that stows in 18 seconds and raised in 21 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h. Land Rover says the fabric top gets a layer of acoustic insulation that provides as much comfort and refinement as the five-door Evoque! The only bad news here is when the roof is stowed, you get 251 litres of cargo space.
New to the Evoque is a high-resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen head unit featuring Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation infotainment system dubbed InControl Touch Pro. This highly-responsive and “super-fast” system offers smartphone integration, WiFi hotspot and door-to-door navigation.
Passenger safety is a major concern for any Sport Utility Vehicle, especially when you chop the top off. Fitted to this Evoque Convertible is a Roll-Over Protection Device that, in the event of a rollover, deploys two aluminium bars (within 90 milliseconds) hidden within the rear bodywork.
The same old tune continues under the hood, sporting the company’s all-aluminium four-cylinder engines. There’s the familiar 2.0-litre 240hp turbocharged petrol (Si4) powering the whole Evoque range, and it’s mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Those preferring the TD4 diesel powertrain introduced earlier this year can opt for either the 148hp or 178hp variant, and both consume just 4.2 litres of diesel per 100km.
There’s no word on whether or not the Range Rover Evoque Convertible will make its way here. Chances are it will, but only in limited quantities, we reckon. What do you think of the new Evoque Convertible?
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