I
SUVs of all shapes and sizes are
incredibly popular right now in
automakers are working to expand their
lineups by offering tiny subcompact
models and ones with coupe-like styling
land rover has gotten a little more
creative and has come up with this a
convertible SUV while the 2017 range
rover evoque convertible driving
experience is decidedly car like
familiar convertible shortcomings remain
the convertible retains the overall
styling theme of the two and four-door
evoke SUVs but don't be surprised that
people do a double-take trying to figure
out what this thing is it's about a foot
shorter than the BMW 4 30 I and
mercedes-benz c300 convertibles and when
you combine that with its Paul beltline
it has a bit of a stubby shape I do like
though how the power soft top retains
the overall styling theme of the car in
that power soft top is pretty easy to
use there's a single switch on the
center console that controls it and in
our testing it took about 14 seconds for
the top to go down or back up that's
pretty quick and unlike some convertible
tops you can use it when you're on the
move it works at speeds up to 29 miles
per hour the soft tops goes neatly
behind the rear seats and unlike some
convertible tops it doesn't take up any
cargo space when it's down to get to
that cargo area you lift this small
windowless hats right here and it
measures eight point eight cubic feet
that's big enough for a couple duffel
bags so what's it like to drive this
thing well it feels more like a car than
an SUV actually for one you step down
into it as opposed to stepping up and
that ride height translates into a
planted feel in corners steering is
light and direct and the turbocharged
four-cylinder engine delivers plenty of
power when you step on the accelerator
with the top up ambient noise levels are
a little higher but when the tops down
wind buffeting is an excessive
convertibles have been gaining all-wheel
drive systems to increase their appeal
but the off-road capability built in to
evoke convertibles all-wheel drive
system is unique it includes settings
for grass gravel and snow mud and ruts
and also sand plus it includes hill
descent control which lets the Evoque
convertible walk slowly down steep
grades that said familiar convertible
down
sides are present as well as a few
unexpected ones with the steel roof gone
the chassis isn't as rigid and you
notice some windshield pillar shake on
rougher roads rear visibility with the
top up is very limited to which makes
the backup camera that much more
important and the rearview mirror blocks
quite a bit of your view out the right
side of the windshield the vote
convertible also has the problem that
I've noticed in some minis and that's if
you'd like to sit with your seat up high
like I do the top of the windshield
frame ends up blocking overhead
stoplights so you have to peer down to
see whether the lights changed green the
convertible gets Land Rovers in control
touch pro multimedia system and it
features the 10.2 inch widescreen
display it's pretty easy to use overall
it also packs a lot of processing power
and that's pretty clear when you start
interacting with the available
navigation map because it's snappy and
it has the same type of response that
you expect from your smartphone well
it's easy to pair your phone to the
system using Bluetooth apple carplay and
android auto smart phone connectivity
isn't currently offered though land
rover says it plans to add it to its
lineup in the future the evoke starts
around 43 thousand dollars but the least
expensive convertible version is around
ten thousand dollars more in this HSE
dynamic trim level is nearly sixty
thousand dollars and that's before you
add any options to it while that might
seem like an eye-popping figure for a
small convertible it's only about five
thousand dollars more than all wheel
drive versions of the 430 I and c300
convertibles but if you want to turn
heads there's no question this is the
one to get thanks for watching click
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