Range Rover Evoque Convertible Review and Prices
When the Range Rover Evoque was launched back in 2011, its combination of concept car looks and a premium feel brought something new to the small SUV class. Now, though, there are plenty of rivals including the Porsche Macan, BMW X4 and Lexus NX.
What's good
What's not so good
Find out more about the Range Rover Evoque Convertible
Is the Range Rover Evoque Convertible a good car?
But this is another class first – the Evoque Convertible, a soft-top SUV. Designed to broaden the car’s kudos with the kind of young up-and-comers that the standard car targets. Central to its appeal is a roof that drops in 18 seconds at speeds of up to 30mph.
The Convertible can be had with Land Rover’s new generation 178hp diesel engine while, for more pace, there’s a 237hp petrol engine. There’s also the option to specify a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
Losing the roof comes with its disadvantages – practicality has taken a serious knock, performance has been blunted thanks to 277kgs of chassis strengthening and Land Rover charges a £5,000 premium over the standard model. That car’s sharp handling characteristics are also dulled slightly, but standard four-wheel drive means the Convertible impresses off-road.
Land Rover only offers the Convertible in high-end trims, so all models come with xenon headlights, a Meridian stereo, leather upholstery, sat-nav and huge 20-inch alloy wheels.
The Evoque Convertible is filling a very niche hole in the market with great success
In many ways the new Evoque Convertible is what many people feared the standard model would be – a style focussed model that shares few characteristics with a true Range Rover. It’ll doubtless appeal to those looking for kerbside credibility in fashionable areas of London, but most other people will find the huge price, blunted performance and excessive running costs nearly impossible to ignore. For them, a BMW 4 Series convertible makes a lot more sense and is irrefutably a better car.
What's it like to drive?
Cutting off the metal roof means the Evoque Convertible loses the rigidity of the standard car, but Land Rover has tried to engineer round this by stiffening up the suspension. It feels a little harder than the standard car (which itself rides very well) but its steering feels direct and, despite the significant weight increase, there’s only a little more body lean. With no permanent roof to keep things solid, the Convertible suffers from scuttle shake (where you feel the windscreen flexing independent of the body) on bumpy roads and feels less precise than the regular car as a result.
When pushing on, you can easily feel the extra weight over the hard-top models
What's it like inside?
The stylish exterior of the Evoque Convertible continues on the inside.
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible colours
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- From £625
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- From £625
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- From £625
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- From £625
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- From £625
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- From £625