SCOOP! Range Rover Evoque Convertible! Pricing of converti-belle in SA, here

Certainly one of the most anticipated and undoubtedly most unique vehicles due to arrive in South Africa this year is the Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible… or Evoque Convertible in short.

It is entirely unique, being the only SUV with a folding soft-top (said to be the largest canvas roof in the motor industry).  Yes, there are semi-open SUVs like Jeep Wrangler, but Evoque Convertible is the only fully-open convertible in the SUV class.  For those who want something even more stand-out-from-the-crowd than the Evoque Coupé SUV, there is the Evoque Convertible SUV.

The extra weight of the roof and reinforcements add up to nearly 300kg over the same-spec Evoque Coupé, so the Evoque Convertible is 1 second slower, taking 8.6 seconds instead of 7.6 from 0-100km/h… but the Convertible gains more (at)traction on looks.

The roof has to be packed somewhere, so boot space halves from 550 litres in the Coupé to 251 litres in the Evoque Convertible.  Still, enough space for your Gucci, Versace and Cartier retail-therapy bags, though.

The Evoque Convertible is not available in the full grade-walk range, limited to just the 1 drivetrain in 1 spec:  the Si4 petrol turbo engine with 9-speed auto (through that cool rotating rise / drop to fit-flush gear selector) and the mid-range luxury HSE Dynamic specification.  No entry-level SE or, sadly, super-plush Autobiography spec is being offered on the convertible.

Converti-belle

The Evoque is already a looker, be it in kid-friendly 5-door or raked-roof Coupé.  Taking the Coupé as a base and chopping the roof off has taken Evoque to the next level.  If belle is by definition a beautiful girl or woman, especially the most beautiful at an event or in a particular group, the Evoque Convertible is a converti-belle.

Comparative bargain

A bargain Range Rover!?  Never before has there been such a thing.  We are used to paying premiums for the allure and added style of a coupé over a normal 4/5-door or of even R100k+ for a cabriolet/convertible body over the equivalent coupé.  But not in Evoque land.  The Evoque 5-door and Evoque Coupé are exactly the same price, at R 879 200.  The biggest bargain is the Convertible, asking a pittance of R 9 100 more for the Convertible!

The names are long, so take a deep breath:

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Coupé HSE Dynamic Si4	:  R 879 200
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible HSE Dynamic Si4	:  R 888 300*

Land Rover SA has revealed the price, though states on its webpage:

*Please note: The Range Rover Evoque Convertible will not be available to order until mid 2016.

*Indicative pricing.

Read the review of the Evoque SW1 Monochrome here.