Land Rover Turns Its Mini SUV Into a… Convertible

Land Rover is will make a convertible version of its Evoque SUV, and that's not as crazy as it sounds.
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The Range Rover Evoque is going topless.Land Rover

Land Rover was for decades synonymous with adventure, the vehicle you took to the Amazon or the Serengeti. It was perfect for peacekeeping missions, traversing the jungle or hunting big game. These days, though, the British marque's machines are more likely to be seen traversing the parking lot at Neiman Marcus or retrieving the kids from soccer practice.

And so it should come as little surprise that Land Rover is offering a … convertible. That's right. The company that once made some of the world's most badass trucks is chopping the top off the Evoque to make its cute-ute just a little cuter.

Now, a convertible version of the popular Evoque may seem absurd. It may even call to mind Nissan's utterly useless (and aesthetically challenged) Murano CrossCabriolet. But if you pause to really think about it, you can see the appeal.

Land Rovers started as serious utility vehicles loosely based on the venerable Willy's Jeep from WWII. They have, however, evolved into upscale family trucksters that are still capable of scaling mountains, even if most of them never tackle anything more aggressive than potholes and gravel roads.

The Evoque continues the trend, but the DNA of the originals is still there. It wouldn't be our first, or even third, choice for tackling the Rubicon Trail or driving the Continental Divide across Colorado. But the Evoque can wade through water almost 20 inches deep, and Land Rover's highly praised Terrain Response System ensures it can handle the rough stuff.

And it's tough to deny the Evoque's popularity. Yes, purists denounce it as a dilution of the brand, just as the Porsche faithful bemoan the fact Stuttgart builds more trucks and sedans than sports cars. But there's no denying the dollars: Land Rover sold 12,440 Evoques in the US last year, nearly one quarter of its total sales. It's a hit. The convertible, then, makes a lot of sense. It's an easy way to expand the lineup and rake in more cash.

Aside from a couple of press shots and a promotional video (below), both with camouflaged paint schemes, we haven't seen much of the final product. In person, the Evoque is handsome, a smaller version of the Range Rover Sport. The convertible looks bottom heavy to be sure, especially around the back, a common problem with big convertibles (and one seen in the Murano CrossCabriolet). But, aside from the Jeep Wrangler, the Evoque will be the only convertible SUV on the market and given the attractiveness of the hardtop version (and the rest of the Range Rover lineup), we suspect the new one will look lovely indeed. (Ed. note: The author owns a Nissan Juke, so keep that in mind.)

Equipped with a 240HP, 2-liter turbocharged-four, the 3,600-pound Evoque isn't exactly a speedster, but it gets around just fine. Given the probable price range, the convertible version will probably be cross-shopped against things like the BMW 4-series and the E-Class cabriolet, which will draw those looking for performance. We'll withhold final judgement until we drive the thing, but expect the convertible Evoque to add some punch to Land Rover's sales numbers.