Land Rover launches India's first SUV convertible, Range Rover Evoque Convertible, at Rs 69.53 lakh

Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has launched the country's first luxury SUV convertible - the Range Rover Evoque Convertible - at Rs 69.53 lakh (ex-showroom). The vehicle utilises a fabric Z-folding Convertible Roof System offered in black that lays flush with the rear bodywork. It takes 18 seconds to be lowered and 21 seconds to be pulled back up at speeds up to 48kmph.

Convertibles are ubiquitous with luxury cars around the world but are deemed unfit for the tropical weather and polluted and dusty roads in India. Yet that has not deterred companies from launching these cars in recent times. BMW has the Z4 roadster and Mini Cooper in its portfolio while last year Audi launched a cabriolet version of its entry-level sedan A3. Audi also sells the A5 Cabriolet in India.  

"We are excited to launch India's first luxury SUV convertible today," said Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd. (JLRIL). "The Range Rover Evoque Convertible combines the bold design and refinement of Evoque with a sophisticated folding roof. It adds another dimension to the Land Rover family, further enhancing its desirability and appeal."

The SUV is powered by a 2.0 four-cylinder petrol engine that offers 240PS of power and 340Nm of torque. It is mated to a nine-speed transmission and gets the company's Terrain Response System for off-road capability. It has 500mm of water wading capability, hill start assist, and up to 19-degree of approach and 31-degree of departure angles.

It also gets 'Torque Vectoring by Braking' system that enhances the vehicle's agility and stability during cornering.

Other features include heads-up display that presents key vehicle data such as vehicle speed, gear position and navigation directions on the windscreen; Wi-Fi Hotspot that uses a customer sourced SIM to provide in-car access to a hotspot for up to eight devices; and surround camera system that uses cameras placed around the vehicle to offer a near-360-degree view.