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Range Rover Evoque Convertible Rugged, and roofless!
Have you ever wondered, ‘what if I had a gorgeous, rugged SUV, but got rid of the roof?’. A designer at Land Rover must have thought about that question for a long time, and then pitched the idea of making one. Instead of sending the excited designer to a mental asylum, Land Rover went with the rugged roofless concept. Say hello to the Range Rover Evoque Convertible.
So what is it? And should you buy one?
1) What is it?
No prizes for guessing that this SUV is a Range Rover Evoque, without a roof! It looks interesting, that’s for sure, and the bright orange paintwork only amplifies its presence further. It’s probably the most attention-grabbing orange thing since Donald Trump, and arguably the most shocking thing to come out of Great Britain since Brexit. Range Rover, makers of classy upmarket off-roaders, coming up with something crazy like this. Who’d have thought it?
2) What’s it like?
Really odd. As with any SUV, you sit quite high up, and then there’s no roof, a sensation you only relate to cars that sit much lower to the ground. It take a while to reconcile these two sensations, and it feels quite surreal before you get used to it.
It does mean that the Evoque Convertible offers excellent visibility with the roof down, although this disappears when you put the roof back up (which it can do in about 18 seconds). It also solves one of the regular Evoque’s main complaints, which is a lack of headroom for rear passengers, due to its sloping roofline. Now your passengers can have all the headroom they want – until it rains!
As a driving proposition, the Evoque Convertible passes muster, barely. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 240bhp is adequate but this car is no fireball, despite the orange shade. The Convertible is heavier than the regular car due to the extra strengthening needed following the removal of the roof, and the result is a car that is best suited to cruising rather than spirited driving. As it should be.
3) Should I buy one?
That really depends on what you’re like. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a bit of a novelty car for people with big personalities. It does serve a purpose, being the only convertible SUV available on sale at the moment. Ultimately its main attraction is the fact that it is a bit cuckoo, a bit bonkers, and its wild character will surely appeal to some. If you’re the kind of person who’s loud, attention-seeking and orange (Hmm…?), then perhaps you might find the Evoque Convertible very much to your liking.
For more car reviews and motoring tips, look out for regular posts in this series.
