Land Rover Reveals the Range Rover Evoque Convertible

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible (Credit: © Land Rover)

The last time I saw a convertible crossover, I nearly passed out from laughter. I am talking about the hideousness that was the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. As if the Murano of that generation wasn’t ugly enough, Nissan hacked off the roof and made it almost unbearable. Now, Land Rover is dipping its toes into the convertible crossover realm with its Range Rover Evoque, but its results are far less cringe worthy than the Murano.

Now, I am not saying that the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is pretty by any stretch, but its aggressive design and sleek lines lend themselves to the topless look far better than the Murano did. With the top up, the Evoque Convertible almost looks normal, making it even more bearable.

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible (Credit: © Land Rover)

Speaking of that convertible top, it is a fabric unit that folds via a Z-fold mechanism. The driver can lower the top at speeds of up to 30 mph in just 18 seconds. Bringing the top back up takes 21 seconds at the same speeds. Where this top encroaches on the usability of the Evoque is its cargo capacity, as the convertible model has only 8.9 cubic feet of cargo room compared to the standard model’s 20.3 cubic feet with the seats up. It does, however, have an optional ski hatch for those excursions to the slopes.

Under its hood, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible continues with the same 2.0-liter engine as its hard-top counterpart. This engine delivers 240 horsepower through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible (Credit: © Land Rover)

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible will hit dealers in mid-2016 in two trim levels: SE Dynamic and HSE Dynamic. The SE Dynamic will start from $50,475 and the HSE Dynamic will start at $57,275.