What to say about the Range Rover Evoque Convertible? Well, perhaps if we consider it the modern-day equivalent of an Escort XR3i Cabriolet it'll help at least put it in context. This is a car for people who want to be seen, are shameless about the fact and have thick skins when it comes to the inevitable sneering from 'serious' car fans. Different vehicles, different times but if something like the Evoque had been on sale in the 80s they'd have likely attracted similar folk.
It would be easy to take the proverbial but we wouldn't wish to spoil your fun; here then is the informative bit. The Evoque Convertible is, we're told, "the most capable all-terrain convertible in the world" though we'd venture the
Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
might have something to say about that. We'll perhaps give them "world's first luxury compact SUV convertible" then. Oh, hang on, no the
Nissan Murano Crosscabriolet
actually exists over the pond, even if the landing page somewhat oddly advises you to buy a 370Z instead and makes a virtue of its limited availability.
Sorry, we were going to be informative and objective weren't we. The press release is peppered with 'eye catching' this, 'distinctive' that and a whole load of superlatives, the Convertible being used as a launch pad for Jaguar Land Rover's latest InControl Touch Pro infotainment system. "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," says the release. The roof disappears in 18 seconds and reappears in 21 and can do so at speeds of up to 30mph - the 251-litre boot is described as generous and there's a ski hatch for those who really want to do the lifestyle thing.
Engines are as per the rest of the Evoque range, including Ingenium 2.0-litre diesels and a 240hp Si4 turbocharged petrol, driving through the nine-speed automatic gearbox. If you really do fancy going up against the Wrangler on the Rubicon Trail you've got Terrain Response, Wade Sensing and All-Terrain Progress Control to take on the Jeep's Roc Track four-wheel drive system, Tru-Lok locking diffs, disconnectable anti-roll bars and 73:1 crawl ratio. See how that goes but one fears you may have use of the deployable Roll Over Protection Device that pops up in 90 milliseconds from the rear bodywork.
Then we get to the bottom of the release and, possibly, the punchline. Starting price? £47,500, for a TD4 HSE Dynamic. Form an orderly queue please!