► Disguised Evoque Convertible shown testing off-road
► Debut at 2015 Los Angeles motor show in November
► On sale in UK Spring 2016, pricing tbc
While it’s tempting to file the forthcoming Range Rover Evoque Convertible under ‘answers to questions nobody asked’, we strongly suspect there is actually a large number of would-be open-air Evoque buyers straining at the bit ahead of its full reveal in November.
Quite whether any of these customers-in-waiting really care that the Evoque Convertible can tackle Land Rover’s Eastnor Castle off-road facility with a good degree of carefully edited panache is an entirely different matter. But as you can see in the video below, if nothing else, Range Rover places a great deal of emphasis on its core brand values.
Is the Range Rover Evoque convertible genuinely any good off road?
Squint, and this still fully camo’d-up Evoque cabrio – last seen driving around inside a Crossrail tunnel – even looks a little bit like a series one Land Rover in roof-free spec. While the off-roading in the video doesn’t look massively strenuous, the structure does appear to be promisingly wobble-free, aided by hidden bracing that aims to compensate for the lack of overhead structural integrity.
Full technical details are being held back for the public launch next month, but Land Rover has confirmed that the Evoque Convertible will be offered with Terrain Response that can adapt the drivetrain to different surfaces – road, gravel, mud, snow – and we’re expecting it to feature the same range of Ingenium engines as the recently updated three- and five-door closed-roof models.
Legendary oversteer enthusiast (and Land Rover’s chief engineer) Mike Cross is obviously quite pleased with the results:
‘Land Rover prides itself on being a class leader when it comes to all-terrain capability and the Evoque Convertible is no different. Thanks to a combination of innovative engineering and the application of advanced technologies, Evoque Convertible will deliver a dynamic and assured SUV experience that has been tested around the world. We call it “The Convertible for all Seasons”.’
Of course they do.
When does the Evoque Convertible go on sale, and how much will it cost?
Intriguingly, the Convertible’s dashboard is disguised in the video, too – but whether that means it’s getting a distinctive restyle, all the better for showing off al fresco, remains to be seen. That seeing will happen at the 2015 Los Angeles motor show, which takes place 20-29 November.
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible goes on sale in the UK in spring 2016. Prices will be confirmed nearer the time, but expect to pay a couple of grand more for all that extra fresh air; regular Evoque prices currently start at £30,200.
Click here for all of CAR’s Range Rover Evoque news and reviews.