Range Rover Evoque Convertible Test Drive Review – One Of A Kind

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Review

Car Tested: Range Rover Evoque Convertible; Road Test No. 980

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 83.37 lakhs

The Evoque Convertible grabs massive attention when the roof is down

The Range Rover Evoque created quite a sensation when it was first showcased in concept form. Now a decade later, it still has the wow factor, thanks to Land Rover’s continuous experiments, the latest being a convertible. Yes, you read that right, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is not a dream but a reality which defies logic to the extent where people start to wonder, does a convertible SUV make any sense at all, that too in three-door form?

Exteriors – Range Rover makes some seriously good looking cars which have a mean appeal to them. The Range Rover Evoque is no different and the Convertible is even better because there’s simply no other vehicle like it. The Evoque Convertible has the same front as the hardtop Evoque albeit with some changes. The front bumper has been redesigned and also houses bigger air scoops. Those adaptive LED headlights and rectangular front grille make it a proper Range Rover and the air vents on the bonnet give it that sporty appeal. Move to the sides and the similarity continues, however, it is the rear where a major change is seen. The fenders have been redesigned while the tailgate is all-new to accommodate the fabric, Z-fold mechanism roof. Honestly, it’s not the most attractive rear profile but does the job well to be a part of this SUV. The Evoque Convertible that I tested came in a white colour with amazing looking piano black contrasts all around the car.

Interiors – Ever wondered what separates a Land Rover from a Range Rover? It is the luxury that you are greeted with when you enter the car. A Land Rover like the Discovery has more functional interiors as compared to what the Range Rover Evoque Convertible has to offer. The seats of the Evoque Convertible are finished in a nice soft brownish leather with black contrasts. The front seats are as comfortable as ever and are electrically-adjustable. Range Rover has maintained the practicality aspect of the car by giving it rear seats too. They are similar to the seats on the front and surprised me with their good under-thigh support. But adults (above 5-feet 10 inches) will feel cramped for legroom when the front seats are pushed all the way back. They are, however, perfect for children.

The Evoque Convertible gets the same dashboard as the hardtop Evoque

It is all-black with silver accents and has a 10-inch touch infotainment system that has begun to feel outdated. It lacks the responsiveness or the speed of the Range Rover Touch Pro Duo system found on the new Range Rovers but does come with a 13-speaker Meridian sound system. There’s, however, no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto support, strange. The dual-zone climate control works well and below it sits the mode selector knob. The instrument cluster has an analogue tachometer and speedometer with a multi-information display that gives you a tonne of information. A heads-up display allows you to only see the most important readings. The overall fit and finish of the car is good but could have been better. It is, however important to note that the new generation model is around the corner and it is expected to iron out all the issues that come with the existing one.

Performance – The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is only available with a petrol engine which happens to be the 2.0-litre Ingenium unit that also powers other JLR cars, most importantly the Velar where it produces slightly more power and torque. In the Evoque, this 4-pot mill outputs 240 HP and 340 Nm, taking 8.1 seconds to go from standstill to a ton. But where it differentiates itself from its immediate elder sibling is the gearbox, the Evoque employing a 9-speed unit while the Velar makes do with an 8-speeder.

Start the motor and it’s terrifically refined with good low-end punch, the mid-range being the strongest and the Evoque convertible screams to its 6500 RPM redline. It’s best driven with part throttle as it simply doesn’t feel as fast as you would expect a car that looks so sexy to go. The powertrain does sound good, more so when you get past 4000 RPM and emits a sporty tone. There are no drive modes other than the Terrain Response system with only a single mode for on-road driving. The gearbox isn’t the quickest to respond and does hesitate a bit when you want a quick up or downshift. You can manually take control of things using the steering mounted paddles but the car just doesn’t hold onto a gear. Fuel economy is between 8-10 km/l.

Driving Dynamics – The Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been stiffened up with a more rigid chassis and increased rigidity of the doors to tackle the loss of the roof. It isn’t a car which is dynamically poised because there is a lot of body roll, more so with the roof down. Further, the soft top roof means there is always a lot of wind noise in the cabin (with the roof up) and rearward visibility through the inside rearview mirror is poor.

The steering does weigh up well but feels slightly artificial

Ride quality isn’t very good at low speeds and big bumps do catch out the Evoque. However, the car does feel more composed as you up the pace and the brakes offer strong stopping power. Equipped with 4-wheel drive, the Evoque Convertible is very capable off-road, as expected from any car which has the Land Rover logo on its hood.

Safety & After Sales Service – The Range Rover Evoque Convertible comes with the regular array of safety systems like ABS with EBD and Electronic Stability Control (ESC). There’s also the company’s world-renowned 4-wheel drive and All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) that helps car maintain a steady speed between 1.8-30 km/hr. Other safety systems include a Hill Descent Control and Gradient Release Control, both of which help you concentrate on your driving while going on slopes. Range Rover’s after sales service is not the best in the business but has become better over the past few years. The company is working to make it better as India is an important market.

Verdict – The Range Rover Evoque is nearing its lifecycle and the next generation model is around the corner. The Convertible does up the desirability quotient of the Evoque by several notches but don’t mistake it to be a fun car to drive, it feels better when you dial down the pace, soak in the wind in your hair experience and enjoy the crazy attention. It’s the costliest variant of the Evoque, the least efficient too and the least practical too but it simply pulls at your heartstrings.

What’s Cool

* Convertible nature
* Composed at high speeds
* Brakes offer good stopping power
* All-terrain ability

What’s Not So Cool

* Not the most fun-to-drive car
* Gearbox is a little slow to respond
* Quite pricey

Alternatives: Actually none

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Specifications

* Engine: 1998cc, 4-cyl, Turbo-petrol
* Power: 140 HP @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 340 Nm @ 1750-2750 RPM
* Transmission: 9-speed automatic transmission
* 0-100 km/hr: 8.1 seconds (claimed)
* Top Speed: 217 km/hr
* Suspension: Integral mulit-link, fully independent suspension with coil spring struts (Front and Rear)
* Tyre Size: 45.72 cm, 5-split spoke(Front & Rear)
* Brakes: Discs (Front), Discs (Rear), ABS
* Safety: Multiple Airbags, ABS, ISOFIX child seat mounts, 24×7 road side assistance

Range Rover Evoque Convertible Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 4370 mm X 1900 mm X 1609 mm
* Boot Space: 251-litres
* Ground clearance: 211 mm
* Wheelbase: 2660 mm
* Kerb weight: 2013 kgs

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