The New Range Rover Evoque is Out, and It’s a Convertible!

While it’s certainly not everyone’s taste, there seems to be a fair few out there who just can’t wait to get their hands on one of these open top buggies. The Evoque convertible which was first displayed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, is now due to be launched in the Spring of 2016 at￡47,500. Not too much to swallow if you think of it as buying an automotive icon.

And, that’s the angle that the folks at Land Rover are pushing as they have marketed the Range Rover as the first luxury SUV convertible. While not entirely accurate when you consider that the Land Rover open top Defender has been around for several years and the Nissan Murano is available in a soft top option. However, Land Rover A.G insists that it’s the first of its class in the luxury segment. 

Gerry McGovern, the design director and chief creative officer at Land Rover advises why it is that the Evoque was selected for the transition to a convertible. “Evoque is a car that really resonates with people,” he said, “which is why over 450,000 have been sold so far” Yet, while this convertible is a natural progression for Evoque, McGovern insists it wasn’t easy to do.

The journey from concept to production had its challenges, as Land Rover wanted to keep the trademark Evoque design, whilst being able to fit the extra packaging that comes with a convertible. McGovern says that the rising beltline of the Evoque made it the ideal candidate, as it effectively disguises the hood mechanism and allows a reasonable boot space, yet does so all within the confines of its distinctive looks. “It still keeps its stance, though – it looks like a tough so-and-so.”

At 4,370mm the Convertible is marginally longer than its hard-top predecessors and a little bit wider, too. Extra strengthening round the A-pillars along with under-body bracing has also been added to maintain the car’s structural rigidity. This has meant a bit of a weight gain of 277kg for the diesel, making it a little bit slower and not as kind on the carbon emission, but still within very good parameters.