MELBOURNE: and Rover has officially announced plans to offer a Range Rover Evoque Convertible.
Preview by the Evoque Cabrio concept, the production model will become the “world’s first premium compact SUV convertible” when it goes on sale in 2016.The Range Rover Evoque Convertible was officially announced at the at 2015 Geneva Motor Show, and unveiled in camouflage in a video released online today.
Forty metres below the streets of London, the first prototype of the new model was granted exclusive access to the 26-mile (42km) network of Crossrail tunnels for a development test with a difference!
Engineers were allowed the opportunity to drive the disguised convertible crossover vehicle, with its roof lowered in complete privacy.
The short film begins with the highly-capable car, typical of Land Rover’s pedigree, being lowered by a crane, before negotiating a range of obstacles through the 6m diameter tunnels.
Crossrail will connect the City, Canary Wharf, the West End and Heathrow Airport to commuter areas east and west of the capital.
Groundworks on the project began in 2009, and it is currently the biggest and most expensive construction project in Europe, creating 26 miles (42km) of new tunnels.
Murray Dietsch, Director of Land Rover Programmes said: “The tunnels are still under construction, so we had a unique opportunity to explore the vehicle’s all-terrain ability in unchartered territory.”
The Evoque’s lineage is no stranger to subterranean adventure. During the its launch in 2011 the five-door variant was driven through Edge Hill Tunnel in Liverpool – the first tunnel in the world to be bored beneath a major city.
The Range Rover Evoque Convertible will be supported by the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund, which has invested nearly £3 billion to help businesses in England to grow.
Land Rover will announce further details about its exclusive new premium compact SUV convertible later this year, and it will be built alongside the five door and coupe Evoque models at Land Rover’s Halewood plant
