Land Rover today (Mon) unveiled its latest model – the £50,000 Range Rover Evoque Convertible.
With almost 500,000 sold over the past four years, the Evoque has been arguably the biggest success in Land Rover’s history.
The British firm has now added what it is calling the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible to the line-up.
Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been designed to accommodate four adults, still have plenty of storage while having the benefits of an off-roader and a convertible.
The fully-automated roof stows in 18 seconds, and can be raised in 21 seconds, at speeds up to 30mph.
Prices for the convertible will start at £47,500, with the first production-ready cars leaving the factory in Halewood, Merseyside in Spring 2016.
Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director and chief creative officer, said: “Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a vehicle for all seasons.
“Its uniquely distinctive design and world-class engineering adds another dimension to the Range Rover family, further enhancing its desirability and appeal.”
The topless SUV will have a premium infotainment system which includes a high-resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen.
It will be available with either a 235bhp turbocharged petrol engine or a 2-litre diesel with 178bhp. The latter will be capable of a claimed 55mpg.
With the global SUV market forecast to grow by 20 per cent over the next five years, Land Rover is hoping the Evoque Convertible will play a key role in the sales.
The British firm sold 125,000 Evoques last year, with the ‘baby SUV’ accounting for one in three of all Land Rover sales.
Last week figures from the SMMT revealed Land Rover sales in the UK were up by more than 40 per cent. A staggering 55,000 models have been bought by Brits this year.
However, the recent explosion at the Tianjin port in China saw the firm lose 6,000 cars – slashing profits for the last three months from £88 million to a loss of £157 million.
