RANGE ROVER EVOQUE CONVERTIBLE – DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR THE MIDDLE EAST MARKETS?

Land Rover has unveiled the its so-called world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible.

According to Land Rover this new convertible combines the bold design and refinement of Evoque with comprehensive specification and a sophisticated folding roof to create a no compromise, all-season convertible.

The distinctive shape of the original Range Rover Evoque lends itself to an elegant convertible design and the new model sits at the pinnacle of the Evoque portfolio as the most exclusive and capable convertible in the world.

As the fifth member of the Range Rover family – and the first ever convertible – the new model combines traditional Range Rover luxury with a distinctive four-seat design and versatile storage.

According to Land Rover, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been engineered to meet Land Rover’s most rigorous standards, ensuring exceptional structural rigidity, trademark refinement, outstanding levels of safety and unrivalled breadth of capability.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director and Chief Creative Officer, commented: “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 global SUV market is forecast to grow by 20 per cent over the next five years and Evoque Convertible will play a key role in continuing Range Rover’s 45-year success story, pioneering an all-new SUV sector, says Land Rover.

Evoque Convertible’s eye-catching exterior design is made possible by a sophisticated fabric roof shaped to create a crisply defined silhouette that remains faithful to the original design. Its Z-fold mechanism lays flush with the rear bodywork for a sleek, uncluttered appearance when lowered. The fabric roof is the longest and widest currently fitted to any vehicle on sale today.

The fully-automated roof stows in 18 seconds, and can be raised in 21 seconds, at speeds up to 30mph. When closed it provides high standards of refinement with a layer of acoustic insulation ensuring interior comfort on a par with five-door Evoque. In addition, the position of the roof doesn’t affect loadspace, with a generous 251-litre boot offering unrivalled practicality for a convertible.

At the heart of the high-class cabin is an all-new, high-resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen with Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation infotainment system, InControl Touch Pro, which debuts in a Land Rover. Raising the standard of connectivity for the brand, the highly-responsive and super-fast InControl Touch Pro offers seamless smartphone integration, door-to-door navigation, 3G connectivity and a premium sound system.

Safety hasn’t been overlooked with a Roll-Over Protection Device featuring deployable roll-over bars hidden in the rear bodywork. It deploys two aluminium bars within 90milliseconds in the unlikely event of a roll-over situation to create a survival space for occupants.

Land Rover’s full suite of lightweight, all-aluminium four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines is available with the potent 240PS Si4 petrol providing outstanding levels of performance and refinement.

Diesel power comes from Land Rover’s 2.0-litre Ingenium engines which provide highly efficient and refined performance with fuel economy up to 55mpg (5.1 l/100km) and CO2 emissions as low as 149g/km.

The new Range Rover Evoque Convertible will be produced at Land Rover’s Halewood plant in the UK, alongside the five door and Coupé bodystyles, and goes on sale across from Spring 2016 in more than 170 markets worldwide.

Pricing in the UK will start from £47,500 OTR based on a TD4 HSE Dynamic derivative.

So, will the Evoque Convertible sell well in the Middle East and North Africa? Well, the soft-top will surely have a negative impact for the sales in the Middle East region. But let us wait and see how the new compact SUV convertible drives and then come to a final and comprehensive conclusion.

MS
09.11.2015
Whitley (UK) - Dubai - Cairo

Whitley, UK, 9 November 2015 –