Land Rover has unveiled the world’s first luxury compact SUV convertible - Range Rover Evoque - that combines the bold design and refinement of Evoque with comprehensive specification and a sophisticated folding roof to create a no compromise, all-season convertible.

The ground breaking and distinctive shape of the original Range Rover Evoque lends itself to an elegant convertible design and the new model sits at the pinnacle of the Evoque portfolio as the most exclusive and capable convertible in the world, said a statement from the auto giant.

As the fifth member of the Range Rover family – and the first-ever convertible – the highly desirable new model combines traditional Range Rover luxury with a distinctive four-seat design and versatile storage.

The Range Rover Evoque Convertible has been engineered to meet Land Rover’s most rigorous standards, ensuring exceptional structural rigidity, trademark refinement, outstanding levels of safety and unrivalled breadth of capability, it stated.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover design director and chief creative officer, dubbed the Range Rover Evoque Convertible as 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," he remarked.

According to him, the global SUV market is forecast to grow by 20 per cent over the next five years. Evoque Convertible will play a key role in continuing Range Rover’s 45-year success story, pioneering an all-new SUV sector, he stated.

Evoque Convertible’s eye-catching exterior design is made possible by a sophisticated fabric roof shaped to create a crisply defined silhouette that remains faithful to the original design. Its Z-fold mechanism lays flush with the rear bodywork for a sleek, uncluttered appearance when lowered.

The fabric roof is the longest and widest currently fitted to any vehicle on sale today.

The fully-automated roof stows in 18 seconds, and can be raised in 21 seconds, at speeds up to 30mph. When closed it provides high standards of refinement with a layer of acoustic insulation ensuring interior comfort on a par with five-door Evoque.

In addition, the position of the roof doesn’t affect loadspace, with a generous 251-litre boot offering unrivalled practicality for a convertible.

At the heart of the high-class cabin is an all-new, high-resolution 10.2-inch touchscreen with Jaguar Land Rover’s next-generation infotainment system, InControl Touch Pro, which debuts in a Land Rover. Raising the standard of connectivity for the brand, the highly-responsive and super-fast InControl Touch Pro offers seamless smartphone integration.

Land Rover pointed out that safety hasn’t been overlooked with a Roll-Over Protection Device featuring deployable roll-over bars hidden in the rear bodywork. It deploys two aluminium bars within 90 milliseconds in the unlikely event of a roll-over situation to create a survival space for occupants.

Land Rover’s full suite of lightweight, all-aluminium four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines is available with the potent 240PS Si4 petrol providing outstanding levels of performance and refinement.

Evoque Convertible is underpinned by Land Rover’s world-class all-terrain capability, using the same advanced technologies as Evoque five-door and Coupé derivatives.

A customary choice of four-wheel drive powertrains combines with Land Rover’s nine-speed automatic transmission, Terrain Response system, Wade Sensing and All-Terrain Progress Control to ensure Evoque is a convertible for all seasons, said McGovern.

The new model will be produced at Land Rover’s Halewood plant in the UK, alongside the five door and Coupé bodystyles, and goes on sale across from Spring 2016 in more than 170 markets worldwide.

Since 1948 Land Rover has been manufacturing authentic 4x4s that represent true 'breadth of capability' across the model range. Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque each define the world's 4x4 sectors, with 80 per cent of this model range exported to over 170 countries.