Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible review

We’re sure most Range Rover Evoque Convertibles will spend their entire lives on the road, but Land Rover has made sure that its new drop-top is just as capable off-road as the hard-topped variant. To cope with the kind of abuse that could entail, it has added several hundred kilos of reinforcement to the Evoque’s underbelly.

The good news is that the Evoque feels solid, with very little of the flex and shake that some convertibles suffer from. Yes, there is still the odd shimmy on very rough surfaces, but it’s better than many rivals out there. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay.

As you pick up the pace the ride smoothes out but it is never totally settled, and those big tyres produce quite a bit of road noise. When up, the well-insulated roof keeps wind noise well supressed though, and when it’s down with the optional wind deflector fitted, there’s not too much buffeting, either.

The automatic gearbox tends to be a bit slow-witted, leading to a noticeable delay when accelerating from a standstill. Once rolling it shifts smoothly, though.