cars news 10: 2017 Range Rover Evoque Convertible Drops its Top in L.A.

The 2017 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque convertible achieves exactly what the automaker wants. It’s unique and polarizing and kind of shocking at first, especially with its soft top lowered. We got our chance to look at it firsthand at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show where we also spoke with Gerry McGovern, Land Rover’s Design Director.

In person, the Evoque convertible’s beltline appears higher than the hardtop coupe and four-door. McGovern assures us it’s not. “It’s an optical illusion,” he says. “The beltline is the same and the roofline is comparable to the five-door.”

Without the roof, the Evoque convertible’s windshield seems more raked than the hardtop, but again, McGovern says it’s no different. He’s especially proud of the haunches, which are wider than those on the hardtops. Not only do they look good, but it was necessary to accommodate the soft-top hardware.

As we previously reported, the Evoque convertible is fitted with extra chassis support and bracing to ensure the body is still rigid enough for off-road duty. That does, however, add weight, with the topless convertible tipping the scales at 4,268 pounds, according to Land Rover. It features the same off-road hardware and tech as its hardtop siblings and Land Rover says it’ll easily wade through water up to 20 inches deep.

Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbo-four that makes 240 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a nine-speed automatic. The 2017 Evoque convertible will roll into showrooms by mid-2016 with a starting price of $51,470. What’s next for Evoque? McGovern wouldn’t comment on the possibility of an SVR-tuned Evoque, but that would seem like a no-brainer for the small and sporty crossover.