Two-minute review: Range Rover Evoque Convertible
ALL you need to know about the drop-top Rangey in 120 seconds
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible looks like nothing else on the market
What it looks like
Like nothing else on the market.
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible – a soft-top 4x4 – is truly unique in its looks. There’s been a massive increase in the number of SUVs, of all sizes, on sale in recent years, but Land Rover is the first manufacturer to launch a convertible SUV.
When we first saw a concept version at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012, we were somewhat underwhelmed. But now that we’ve spent a bit a time with it, we have to admit that it’s grown on us and it looks better in the metal than it does in pictures. It’s certainly different.
It is rugged looking, but it’s also quite sporty, thanks to rising creases along the flanks and flared wheel arches. It arguably looks better with the roof up, but either way, we think it’s a car that will gradually win favour with the public.
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What the cabin’s like
Like nothing else on the market
It’s a pretty comfortable space, with a four-seat layout (just the two seats in the rear). The driving position is well set up, with all the controls and displays focused on the driver.
All the surfaces are covered in high-quality, soft-touch materials and the optional leather seats in our test car (£1,035) offered a full range of adjustment (and were heated – useful on a dry winter’s day with the roof down).
All surfaces are covered in high-quality, soft-touch materials
The roof – which lowers and stows away in just 18 seconds, at speeds up to 30mph – works well, offering a quick solution to a sudden shower.
Technology
An all-new 10.2-inch touchscreen dominates the centre console, controlling the InControl Touch Pro infotainment system, which includes satellite navigation, smartphone syncing, Bluetooth, DAB digital radio and access to some very useful
apps that can remind you where you parked (and direct you there), pre-warm the car before you get in on a winter’s morning and offer a host of other useful functions.
An all-new 10.2-inch touchscreen dominates the centre console
The driving experience
Land Rover is generally pretty good at building high-sided SUVs that are good to drive – but the Evoque Convertible isn’t one of those. It’s more ungainly in the corners than it’s tin-topped sibling and doesn’t feel anything as agile - probably because of the extra 280kg added by the roof unit and its motors.
The ride’s not bad, but not great, either, thanks to the 20-inch wheels. We didn’t get the opportunity to drive the Evoque Convertible off-road, but there’s no reason to suggest it’s any less accomplished than any Landie: indeed, it's probably a lot of fun with the roof down.
Safety features
The Evoque Convertible has Land Rover’s four-wheel-drive system ensures a sure-footedness in almost all conditions in all terrains, but there’s also a suite of safety equipment, including strengthened A-pillars (the ones bounding the windscreen) that offer more protection in the event of a rollover, a rollover protection system that deploys in 90 milliseconds, a new seat airbag system (in addition to the usual airbags) and the usual array of electronics.
The car's four-wheel-drive system ensures a sure-footedness in almost all conditions in all terrains
Value for money
This one’s a bit sticky. The starting price is £47,500, which is a four grand or so premium over a comparable regular Evoque.
But the thing that concerned us even more is its running costs. Over a week of driving the Evoque Convertible on a mix of roads – motorway (the majority of our miles), urban and rural – we weren’t able to get anywhere near it’s official fuel consumption figure of 49.6mpg. In fact, we were only able to get around 32.1mpg, which is a pretty brutal difference.
But the Evoque Convertible isn’t really aimed at motorists who are counting the pennies, so it’s unlikely to dissuade the true believers.