• Safety levels should match the hard-roofed Evoques
• Extra strengthening braces maintain rigidity levels
• Roll over protection calibrated to prevent accidental deployment

For the most part, Range Rover Evoque Convertible safety will mirror that of the hard-roofed Coupe variant, with a host of active and passive safety systems installed.

Where the Convertible differs most noticeably is the protection it offers passengers in the unlikely event of it coming to a rest upside down.

As fitted to other convertibles, a pair of rollover bars pop up from behind the rear seats in the event the car’s on-board sensors detect a roll is likely. However, because the Evoque Convertible will be subjected to a greater range of angles when off-roading, the system’s had to be recalibrated to monitor for the suddenness of any out-of-the-ordinary measurements, effectively preventing their unintended deployment.

• Boot space is around half that of the Evoque Coupe
• Bootlid further restricts access to the Convertible
• Ski-hatch is a useful feature but not standard on all

Four-seater soft-tops are rarely panaceas of practicality and in this regard the Range Rover Evoque Convertible remains true to type.

Yes, it’s practical in the sense that it’s got more off-roading ability than any other convertible (currently) on the market but in terms of space for passengers and their belongings, it lags behind the three-door Evoque Coupe sibling.

You lose one seating position, there’s less legroom in the back and at 251 litres the boot’s almost half the size of the Coupe’s 550-litre loadbay.

Accessing that space is made all the more awkward by the Evoque Convertible’s bootlid itself. It’s hinged at the top but doesn’t flip 180-degrees out of the way, requiring you to scuttle underneath it to post your soft bags through the letterbox-like aperture.

More elegant – but admittedly more expensive – solutions would have been to cantilever the lid in a vertical direction, or, paying homage to the top-flight Range Rover, a drop-down solution, with a sliding floor to push your luggage into the space.

Smallness aside, the Convertible’s boot remains the same volume regardless of whether the hood’s been erected.

Want to carry longer, more slender items, such as skis for those Alpine jaunts? Then the appropriately-named ski-hatch behind the rear centre armrest will be a Godsend. Just be aware it’s not standard on the HSE Dynamic models.

Elsewhere the cabin’s dotted with lidded cubbies, decently-sized door bins and a not especially useful open slot behind the centre console. Put something in there and the chances are it’ll be a case of out of sight, out of mind.

The Evoque Convertible is quite a compact car – shorter than most of its closest rivals. That means it doesn’t feel unwieldy on tighter roads, making it a pleasant and easy car to drive around town. The only downside is the visibility. In becoming a convertible, there’s much less glass around the car to see out – especially at the back – so you’ll be thankful for all the sensors and cameras to help when parking.