When the Range Rover lost its mind

There are few cars outside the road or An SUV with a folding canvas roof. The G-Class is in another league, mainly due to the running costs of the 5 liter V8 version, though Range Rover Evoque more available, closer to everyone and also suitable for everyday use. Based on the Evoque Coupé, the convertible was unveiled in November 2015 and was produced for just a few months, between 2016 and 2018, when the second generation arrived, available only in a 5-door body style.

PHYSICAL RELIABILITY AND SIMPLE SITE RESPONSE. The body of the cabriolet of the Range Rover Evoque is independent of aluminum and steel: the floor comes from the Jaguar Land Rover D8 platform, a modified and shortened version of the same one used by the Land Rover Freelander 2 which was also of Ford origin. (made when Land Rover was owned by Ford). On average, the Evoque weighs 100 kg less than the Freelander 2, but the same cannot be said for the Cabrio, which due to the effects of structural reinforcement in the area of ​​the windshield pillars and sills makes the tip of the balance higher. of about 2 quintals, up to about 2 tons weight in the running order. As for the suspension, the front ones use a MacPherson independent wheel arrangement with a stabilizer bar while the rear ones have Multilink independent wheels and a stabilizer bar.

HOW IT WAS MADE. The Evoque Convertible can be equipped with alloy wheels with a diameter of up to 20 inches and offer an electrically powered canvas top as standard: 21 seconds to open it and 18 seconds to close it, even if the car is moving, but up to 50 for each. at. To avoid adding weight to the line, there are no visible roll bars: if necessary, those connected behind the rear heads come out in 90 milliseconds. When parking in the “back”, however, you need to be careful, especially with the car closed, because the small rear window punishes your view, forcing you to rely on sensors (rear as standard) or cameras (optional. ) Another aspect to consider is the stem capacity, only 251 liters against the 550 of other versions and with access made more difficult by the folding opening of the small rear gate.

Engine: TURBO 2 LITERS, DIESEL OR PETROL. Available with 4-cylinder 2-liter turbodiesel of the Ingenium series with 150 HP (SD4) and 180 HP (TD4) and 240 HP turbo-petrol of the same displacement and parts (Si4), with 8-speed. automatic transmission produced by Germany’s ZF, the Evoque Convertible is one of the Range Rovers intended to “age” better, both because it has not received any replacement in the range and because the openwork still makes it desirable in the most exclusive areas. Presented to the press during testing in Courchevel, in the French Alps, it is ideal for access to the sea, be it the French Riviera or the beaches of Versilia as long as you don’t look at too much use and functionality. decided to be lower than other versions.

STARTING FROM 30 THOUSAND EUROS AND UP. Despite its flaws, its prices will probably not drop below the current levels, which are between 29,900 and 46,900 euros according to our research on the main digital markets; however, to be preferred – for understandable reasons linked to the traffic restrictions imposed on diesels in big cities – are the Si4s, which are rarely available in Italy, which are also more powerful and pleasant to drive. To be chosen in light colors: orange, launch shade, or silver. After all, Land Rover’s head of design Gerry McGovern said at the time: “This is the first luxury convertible SUV. There have been other convertible SUVs, but not luxury execution. We will take buyers from other luxury cars. Customers many of the Evoques came from premium brands, but they had never owned an SUV.