Here's our verdict!
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a difficult vehicle to judge. As a convertible luxury crossover SUV, it has no true rival anywhere in the automotive industry. (The Jeep Wrangler is neither a luxury product nor is it a crossover.)
However, we can compare it to the high standards applied to the rest of the Range Rover line of SUVs. And in that regard, the Evoque Convertible falls short.
While the overall package is certainly stylish and charming, the execution of the vehicle could be better.
The interior felt less than premium compared to other luxury crossovers in its price point. In addition, the scuttle shake and laggy powertrain detract from the driving pleasure.
With that said, the Evoque is not without some appeal. Many will appreciate its fun personality and its unique position as a convertible SUV.
At the end of the day, the Evoque Convertible is simply not refined enough to carry both the Range Rover badge and a $63,000 price tag.
But if you've got to have a Range Rover convertible, then this is the car for you.
Here's what it's like to Drive:
On the road, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a rather pleasant experience, but it fell short in several areas
The combination of 2.0-turbo-four and 9-speed automatic transmission, while delivering enthusiastic acceleration, proved to be laggy. The gearbox simply took too long to react, especially when transitioning from cruising to hard acceleration in situations such as highway lane changes.
Since the part-time all-wheel-drive system only sends power the rear wheels when it detects slip in the front, the Evoque also exhibits torque steer under hard acceleration. Admittedly this is a common trait among front-wheel-drive focused crossovers.
With that said, the ride was smooth and compliant while the handling proved to be quick and perky. However, scuttle shake made frequent appearances, especially on bumpy roads. It's evident that cutting the roof off compromised the Evoque's chassis rigidity.
("Scuttle shake" is annoying vibrations commonly exhibited by cars with lower chassis rigidity that experience too much flex.)
With the top down, the Evoque proved to remarkably quiet and did not require the services of a wind deflector.
