2017 Range Rover Evoque Convertible: 7 things you didn’t know

1. This isn’t the first time a roofless Range Rover has been available, however it is the first time one has been an official part of the Rangie line up. Back in the 1970s one could, with the right amount of money, buy a first-generation Range Rover three- or five-door with its roof lopped off by an aftermarket company. The Range Rover Evoque drop-top, however, has been designed to be a convertible from the very beginning.

2. The roof can be raised or lowered at a push of a button at speeds up to 50km/h. That’s a high threshold for a convertible, and means you won’t have to sweat about whether you’ve got enough time at the lights to put the roof down. How much time will you need? Just 18 seconds when lowering, or 21 when raising.

3. The roof doesn’t impact boot space when lowered, and there are no cumbersome cargo covers to wrestle with if you want to enjoy the fresh air in roof-down mode. That said, the Evoque’s bootlid is hinged at the top and the boot measures just 251 litres, so carrying cargo is not its strong suit.

4. While the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is available overseas in a lighter and more affordable front-wheel drive configuration, that drivetrain won’t be offered in Australia. Why? Because it only comes paired with a six-speed manual transmission rather than the nine-speed auto that’s standard on Australian-market AWD models. In manual-shy Australia, the lack of an auto trans is a definite deal-breaker.

5. Concerned about safety in a rollover? Don’t be. Behind each rear seat headrest is a pop-up roll-over bar, which can deploy in just 90 milliseconds if the Evoque Convertible senses a roll is imminent.

6. The Evoque Convertible is not a small car, and with its fabric roof stretching all the way from the windscreen to its tailgate, it holds the title of the longest and widest soft top currently in production.

7. Convertibles typically have trouble suppressing noise intrusion from the outside environment and wind rustle, however Range Rover says the Evoque Convertible’s acoustically-insulated roof offers similar refinement to the Evoque five-door.