![]() What’s more, they’ve managed to give this car a 251-litre boot, which is good for two weekend bags, despite also housing the folding roof, the mechanicals of an AWD system and a space-saver spare tyre. ![]() It’s great for two kids and not bad for two medium-size adults, either. It also makes good use of the Evoque’s height so that you aren’t sat too knees-up. Yes, there is a back seat and it’s a surprisingly good one, considering how small this car is on the outside. There’s lots of brushed aluminium, too, with only a few instances of hard plastic – notably in the back seat – to speak of. There’s soft Windsor leather everywhere and you can even see tasteful contrast stitching, in places. Things are even better, here in the convertible – which is available in India exclusively in the HSE Dynamic trim. Even though the Discovery Sport and this SUV are essentially the same car, it’s the superior materials used in the Evoque that make it a Range Rover. The Evoque (even the regular five-door version) is the perfect example of what sets Range Rovers apart from their Land Rover-branded brethren. It looks considerably better with the roof folded, but even though the shape is a bit odd when it is up, there’s no shortage of 'oohs' and 'aahs' from passers-by it’s still an Evoque, after all. It is kind of unusual to see the rear deck of a convertible so high off the ground but take a step back, and you’re likely agree that the Evoque’s proportions – with its wheels pushed out to the corners – lend themselves quite well to a convertible's body style. It's not so short as to impede your vision, though, as a sedan-based convertible’s might. The A-pillar is shorter and more steeply raked. This is a two-door version, of course, so things get considerably different, aft of the bonnet. The front is the same, sexy Evoque face as before and our test car in white makes perfect use of the available ‘Black Design Pack’ accessories. Well, it's got the looks right, that’s for sure. But does it do its job? Does it work as an SUV, as a convertible – and as a luxury car? So there you have it: India’s first convertible luxury SUV, in a class currently of its own. And, of course, because Land Rover – and by extension Range Rover – is a brand that only makes SUVs, who better than them to push the boundaries of what’s possible for such a vehicle? That’s also the reason most people (especially us, in India) buy convertibles, isn’t it? As for reasons of rigidity and the amount of extra bracing a car needs when its roof is removed – it’s much easier to do on a smaller car than a larger one. It’s a compact luxury SUV that people buy more for its looks than its practicality. But can a luxury SUV – the kind that people buy for their style, prestige and sumptuous interiors – be a convertible, as well? Frankly, there was no better candidate to test this hypothesis than the Range Rover Evoque. Yes, of course SUVs can be convertibles – just ask the Jeep Wrangler, Mahindra Thar, Maruti Gypsy and several other hardcore 4x4s.
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