I think that one of the most interesting cars made in the last decade was the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. I love the risk and the absurdity of it, but ultimately it was a sales failure. The car was ugly, and the awkward soft top killed most of the space and utility. But this failure doesn’t seem to have deterred the fine folks at Land Rover,->ke46 because a Cabrio version of the stylish Range Rover Evoque->ke3666 has been spotted out in the wild by the kids at Auto Express.

When the Evoque debuted a few years ago, the world swooned over its sleek and dynamic styling, and more than a few people thought it would look great without a roof. Not long after Land Rover gave the world a glimpse of what such a machine would look like when it revealed a convertible->ke144 concept at Geneva. That was 2012 though, and since then there had been no real word about an open-top Evoque and the world assumed the project dead in the water. Now Auto Express is saying the production version could debut as soon as Goodwood->ke3879 in June.

Based on the spy shots, the production version looks nearly identical to the concept, but it gets rid of the finicky clip-on top for a more traditional electric fabric roof. If you are one of the few that really likes to test your Evoque’s off-road chops, Land Rover didn’t forget about you. Word has it that Land Rover has been hard at work creating a very advanced Roll Over Protection System that won’t inadvertently deploy when tackling a particularly rough trail.

The New convertible Evoque may bring more to the table than just a new body style. Considering the current Evoque is four years old, Auto Express speculates that the Cabrio may bring with it a design refresh for the entire family of Evoque models. With the rumors we have of the high performance Evoque SVR coupled with this news of a convertible model, the Evoque family is quickly becoming one of the most exciting models in the storied British brand’s portfolio.

As always, we will keep our eyes and ears open for more news on this developing story. Keep it locked to Auto Express for all the latest as we get it.

Auto Express

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The Evoque has always been a model that catered more towards the fashion conscious public at large that wants luxury and looks over capability. Adding a convertible makes sense in a lot of ways. Yes, the Murano CrossCabriolet failed spectacularly, but that had more to do with an outrageous price tag and awful looks. If the Cabrio Evoque is priced close to other models in the lineup, and it keeps that beautiful profile, I see no reason why it will struggle to sell. Land Rover may even snag a few off-road customers who are longing for a more luxurious open-top machine to tackle trails with. Above all else, this step helps to solidify the fact that Land Rover has completely recovered from its near financial failure to reach a new era of growth and prosperity.

Click past the jump to read more about the Range Rover Evoque Convertible.0}

The Range Rover Evoque Cabrio is a convertible version of the stylish Evoque crossover that is expected to launch sometime in 2015. Very few official details are available, but expect the machine to be offered as a two-door only with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged engine found in the current model. That means 240 horsepower and 250 pound-feet of torque. Expect the Cabrio to have slightly worse performance than its hard-top sibling due to an increased weight. Later into its life, the new 2.0-liter Ingenium turbo diesel engine may find its way under the hood to provide more torque and better fuel economy.