After a lot of spy shots, teasers and mule spotting, finally the curtains are off the Range Rover Evoque convertible. Said to be the world’s first luxury SUV convertible, the new set of these Range Rover badged hot wheels carry the killer looks of the Evoque with a folding top. As the fifth member of the Range Rover family – and the first ever convertible – the Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been engineered with distinct Evoque design and refinement, and with a sophisticated fabric roof, this convertible stands as an all season convertible.
The new Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a two-door Evoque with four seats and a retractable roof. The five-layer fabric roof takes 18 seconds to lower down, and 21 seconds to come back up. It is the longest and widest fabric roof fitted to any vehicle on sale today and can be operated at speeds up to 30mph. With the roof on, the car’s silhouette remains faithful to the original Evoque. Its Z-fold mechanism helps the roof stay even with the rear bodywork when lowered. The Evoque convertible provides high standards of refinement with a layer of acoustic insulation ensuring interior comfort on par with the five-door Range Rover Evoque. The 251-litre luggage space offers added practicality.
Jaguar Land Rover InControl Touch Pro infotainment system makes a debut for the Land Rover brand on the Range Rover Evoque Convertible. The InControl Touch Pro offers seamless smartphone integration and is available with door-to-door navigation, Wi-Fi connectivity and a premium sound system.
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible rolls out with all-terrain capability and uses the same advanced technologies as the Range Rover Evoque five-door and coupe derivatives. The convertible is equipped with Roll-Over Protection Device that deploys two aluminium bars within 90 milliseconds in an unlikely event of a rollover situation to create a survival space for occupants.
As far the powertrain specs, the Evoque convertible gets a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which spouts 240 bhp and 340 Nm of torque. The power is sent to both axles through a 9-speed automatic transmission and can sprint from 0-100km/h in under 8 seconds, and reach a top speed of 180km/h. The terrain Response system underpins the convertible for on-and off-road capabilities.
The new Range Rover Evoque Convertible will be produced at Land Rover’s Halewood plant in the UK, alongside the five door and Coupé body styles. The Evoque Convertible will have its premiere at the upcoming 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. It is expected to go on sale across from Spring 2016 in more than 170 markets worldwide and will be available in the top-level Dynamic and Dynamic HSE trims only. The convertible will be more expensive than the coupe which retails at around INR 50.50 lakhs.
