This article was first published in the May 2016 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Having shifted more than 450,000 units since its 2011 launch, the Evoque has been a runaway success for Land Rover. The Range Rover Evoque Convertible is the new flagship in the range.
Under the hood is a 240hp four-cylinder engine and a nine-speed automatic transmission; on top, a convertible fabric roof. For readers wary of drop-top motoring, the car hides two aluminium safety roll bars in the rear quarter panel that automatically deploy within 90 milliseconds in the event of a tumble.
An "Approach Mode" uses cameras placed around the car's body. These create a live 360° top-down view on the dashboard touchscreen of the driver's surroundings as you approach your destination. The system is useful and genuinely looks as if it is taking its feed from a camera placed above the vehicle.
A Connected Navigation system offers weather info not only on where you are headed, but how conditions will be when you arrive - and flight tracking is built in, too. The car even learns your driving habits, whether the navigation is turned on or not. Going from home to work every weekday, you may not use the satnav because you know your route. But if there is an accident on the motorway the car will prompt you saying, for example, "I think you're going to work, but there's an accident on the M40."
Should you find yourself in a jam, WIRED recommends the Meridian sound system, with 12 speakers, 660W surround sound (as opposed to the usual 380W) and a dual-channel subwoofer to pass the time. An on-board 60GB solid state drive can hold up to 16,000 songs, and should perform far faster than SD-card or HDD-based systems.
The Evoque Convertible is the tech poster child for Land Rover's 2016 line-up. On-board, a responsive 10.2-inch touchscreen allows instant access to favourite apps, navigation points or contacts. And if having a 21:9 super-wide-format screen with a 1,280 x 542 pixel resolution isn't enough, Land Rover has confirmed that "dual vision" is coming.
This means the front passenger can see content (such as movies) that differs from the driver's (say, satnav directions). The "InControl Touch Pro" media setup does away with "hard" buttons, moving options to the touchscreen where you can use familiar swipes, pans and "pinch and zoom" to control or navigate apps. £47,750
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
