Why should you buy – Range Rover Evoque Convertible

JLR has launched the all-new Evoque Convertible in India with much fanfare priced at Rs 69.53 lakhs (ex-showroom, India). The Evoque Convertible was first showcased back in 2015 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It received a fresh update last year with revamped styling and additional features. 

The Evoque Convertible is a unique car in itself, combining the soft-top and SUV body style into one. So if you fancy owning the Evoque Convertible, here are the highs and lows of the cheeky soft-top SUV.

What’s good about it?

Given the Land Rover heritage, the Evoque is a capable off-roader which also packs in a luxurious cabin and long feature list.  The Z-fold fabric roof top from Webasto is fully-electric and can be put up in around 20 seconds while doing speeds of up to 48kmph. The carmaker is considerate to provide wind deflectors and frameless windows to add to the appeal of the Convertible. There is a Roll-over Protection Device (RPD) feature which automatically deploys two aluminium bars in 90 milliseconds in an event of a roll-over. 

The fully-loaded HSE Dynamic trim offers adaptive Xenon and LED headlights, 12-way adjustable electric seats with memory, power mirrors, 360 camera, ambient lighting, rain sensing wipers, keyless entry, and puddle lights as standard. There’s also perforated Windsor leather, 10-inch infotainment touchscreen with navigation and a Meridian Surround sound system. So the Evoque Convertible comes as a fully loaded package putting the money where its mouth is.

What’s bad about it?

Land Rover is offering the Evoque Convertible in a single trim with just one powertrain option. Although the Ingenium family’s petrol motor is a capable unit, there is no option of an oil-burner.

The drop-top variant is simply dearer by Rs 10 lakhs compared to the equivalent trim of the standard Evoque. On the other hand, the Jeep Wrangler, a true-blue off-roader, also available with a soft-top, the one that can be manually removed, offers both petrol and diesel engines for a far lesser price tag. 

In a country like ours, where it rains for one-third part of the year, the Evoque Convertible isn’t the most practical choice. So if you are still buying it, the drop-top Evoque can only serve as a style statement more than anything else. 

Quick Facts

Price – Rs 69.53 lakhs (ex-showroom, India) for HSE Dynamic.

Engine – 2.0-litre Ingenium four-cylinder petrol.

Output – 237bhp and 340Nm, eight-speed automatic.

The best variant to buy

There is only one variant available to buy in India – HSE Dynamic.

Did you know?

A. The Baby Rangie uses 16kg of recycled plastic to make up the wheel arch liners and engine covers. The headliner is made from 100 per cent recycled polyester. Altogether, 21kg of natural and renewable materials is used in each Evoque

B. The Evoque is the first Land Rover to employ an electronic power steering. It cuts the fuel consumption by two per cent.