• Cabin feels upmarket with leather trim all-round
• InControl Touch Pro a big multimedia improvement
• Lowering the roof adds to the off-road experience

Inside, the Range Rover Evoque Convertible enjoys the same interior upgrades introduced on the five-door and Coupe models as part of the 2016 refresh.

That means the door panels and dashboard are swathed in leather with contrasting stitching but the instruments are now devoid of their jewel-like markers.

Debuting (for Land Rover) in the Evoque Convertible is the 10.2-inch InControl Touch Pro multimedia system, complete with satellite photo mapping, crisp graphics and a generally slick operation – you won’t need repeated finger prods to access different menus.

Where the system falls down is not so much in how it’s used but the angle it sits at within the dashboard. Roof up it’s rarely an issue but lower the hood on a bright day and the sun beats down on it, rendering its display next to useless. Some kind of cowling would aid visibility but would uglify the otherwise classy interior.

You’ve a commanding view of the road ahead thanks to the elevated driving position, but roof down you do feel even more on show, especially in urban areas.

Conversely, when you are exploring off-road the rooflessness adds to the Evoque Convertible’s appeal as you hear the tyres squelching through muddy patches in their quest for traction and windfall branches cracking under its wheels.

Visibility’s great roof-down and decent enough with it up, the large mirrors ensuring you don’t feel vulnerable on models not fitted with blindspot monitoring kit.

• Cabin is roomy for a four-seater convertible…
• But it’s noticeably tighter than other Evoques
• Refinement with the roof up impresses

Sitting up front in the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, with the roof down and the wind deflector up, the delights of soft-top motoring can be enjoyed in a comfortable setting.

Not only are the soft hide-trimmed seats cosseting, they offer a great range of adjustment, which allows you to feel supported yet relaxed. A fine combination.

Almost every surface your fingers caress feels expensive and well made, from the leather-trimmed door panels to the chunkily-rimmed steering wheel. Sure, a few buttons and switches feel a bit lower rent, notably the window lifts, but overall it’s a comfortable place to be.

Climb into the back and things are comfortable but inescapably on the snug side. The roof mechanism has forced the rear seat to be narrower, making the Convertible a strict four-seater. It’s fine for two burly passengers width-wise but the front seats have to be pushed forwards more than is ideal for taller drivers for rear legroom to be classed as generous.

Roof down, it’s blustery sat in the back. When the roof is raised, all four occupants will be impressed by how refined and quiet the interior becomes, thanks to the multi-layered hood. There’s negligible wind noise and even heavy rain bouncing off the soft-top didn’t sound like a hundred drums being beaten in unison.

You’ll experience a sharpness to the ride quality over deeper ruts and imperfections in the road surface. It does take the edge off the overall comfort levels, especially as the body can take a while to re-establish its equilibrium over a series of ruts. Smoother surfaces equal happier passengers.