We told you it was real, and now that a convertible version of the Range Rover Evoque actually here, it’s a little unreal.
We don’t mean the idea of it. Toplessness is a longstanding tradition among four-by-four aficionados, including quite a few from this particular marque. That the Evoque is a small, streamlined SUV rather than a boxy military appliance is more about modern technology than modern tastes (or, say the classicists, lack thereof).
What’s unreal how thoughtfully Range Rover took a little off the top, and all they added back in.
The fabric roof is built around a Z-fold mechanism, and stows away in 18 seconds (at speeds of up to 30mph) at the press of a button that simultaneously drops all four windows. When stowed, the top takes up a minimum of room, leaving a decent 8.9 cubic feet of rear cargo space and a pass-through for long items such as skis and fishing rods. When the roof is up, acoustic insulation keeps ragtop rattle to a minimum, allowing for “standards of refinement” found in the hardtop version.
The Evoque is in essence a go-anywhere luxury coupe, and the convertible iteration raises the bar on even that.
The act of cabriolisation isn’t as simple as a Sawzall and some sandpaper. New frameless doors had to be designed, the rear hatch had to go away, as did the B-pillar, with all of the rigidity that provides. Somehow, Range Rover engineers managed to keep both the silhouette and the performance, and claim no noticeable difference in ride quality or offroading ability between the two versions (both are powered by a 240-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission). There’s a worrying absence of roll bars on the convertible, but two aluminum bars in the rear quarter panels will automatically deploy in 90 milliseconds in a rollover situation — and Range Rovers have an arsenal of sensors to keep that situation from happening in the first place.
The Evoque is in essence a go-anywhere luxury coupe, and the convertible iteration raises the bar on even that. The expected infotainment system and four luxury seats keep the driving enjoyable, and things like wade-depth sensors and a head-up display keep it safe. The convertible boasts a larger, more aggressive front grill, premium wheel options, and a unique puddle lamp projection — a logo’d floodlamp that lights the ground to make sure you’ve scraped all the mud from your Wellies. If you haven’t, there are optional illuminated treadplates, which can be personalized in a script of the owner’s choice. The “Black Pack” option offers a murdered-out version in matte.
Luxury convertibles are built for sunny days and open roads. Now, there’s no reason that road can’t cross a shallow creek or two.
