Drop-Top Range Rover Evoque Revealed

Jaguar Land Rover Ltd. has released images of the convertible version of the Range Rover Evoque. The vehicle will be publicly introduced later this month at the Los Angeles auto show.

The 2017 convertible is nearly identical to the Evoque compact crossover/SUV from the rocker panels up to the belt line. But the fixed metal roof is replaced with a power-operated fabric roof designed by Webasto.

The top retracts in 18 seconds at vehicle speeds as fast as 30 mph, folding into a compartment located above the trunk. There is 8.9 cu ft of luggage space in the trunk whether the top is open or closed. It takes 21 seconds for the roof to be raised. In the event of a rollover, a pair of aluminum bars integrated into the quarter panels pop up in 90 milliseconds.

A layer of acoustic insulation in the roof helps block road noise. The convertible also includes a detachable wind deflector.

Power comes from the same turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine used in the base Evoque. The engine, which is mated with a 9-speed automatic transmission, makes 240 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque.

The Evoque convertible will have a base price of $51,500 when it arrives in U.S. dealerships next summer.