Land Rover officially lifts the lid on the Evoque convertible

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible could be the first car able to cope with all types of weather as well as all types of terrain.(Courtesy of Range Rover)

Billed as the world's first luxury compact soft top, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible is also potentially the first car that can cope with all types of weather as well as all types of terrain.

The crossover market is booming -- demand for SUVs is expected to expand by another 20 per cent by 2020. And, since its 2011 launch, the hardtop Evoque has become Land Rover's most popular vehicle in history, finding 10,000 new owners every month.

Yet, it faces stiff competition from Porsche whose equally classy SUV, the Macan, is selling in similar volumes.

So, Land Rover is doing everything it can to make its models, which are without a serious rival when it comes to off-road ability, equally attractive to those who will probably never head off the beaten track.

"Range Rover Evoque Convertible is a vehicle for all seasons. Its uniquely distinctive design and world-class engineering adds another dimension to the Range Rover family, further enhancing its desirability and appeal," said Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Design Director.

The Evoque suits its new open-air look because Land Rover has managed to maintain the car's silhouette by giving it the largest fabric roof currently fitted to a series production vehicle. It drops in 18 seconds even at speeds of up to 50 km/h. It is insulated against wind noise and lies flat across the rear so that there's no load space lost. There are still 251 litres on offer for luggage and there's a ski hatch that opens between the rear passengers.

And, just like on the latest Mercedes S Class convertible, in the highly unlikely event that the car is in danger of becoming unstable or rolling, two roll cage bars will instantaneously deploy to protect front and rear passengers.

With the roof down, the interior is on show and so the company's been equally busy making sure the cabin is impressive. It gets a new 20-inch touch screen mounted centrally in the dashboard and it runs the company's latest infotainment system -- becoming the first Land Rover to do so -- which puts a premium on simplifying connectivity, either via a smartphone or via the company's own apps and services.

Depending on trim level, the Range Rover will also come with a host of cutting-edge off-road systems -- from wade sensing and all-terrain progress control to permanent four-wheel drive -- as standard, plus a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The final touch is a choice of highly efficient four-cylinder gasoline or diesel engines with 237bhp or 178bhp respectively.