What are the advantages of a convertible SUV?

For years we have witnessed the clear evolution of SUVs, a class of vehicles that has gradually been taking over other segments. Today, these cars can be found fulfilling the role of a city car, a compact, a saloon and even an MPV. However, manufacturers have wanted to go a step further with a rather outlandish concept that aims to replace convertibles, something that has horrified many and delighted very few, but what kind of advantages does this new SUV variant offer?

Well, for now we should understand this idea as a kind of experiment, because one only needs to scrutinise the market to realise that the options are scarce. The Range Rover Evoque was the forerunner, followed by the Nissan Murano, two models whose convertible versions have gone to the great scrapyard in the sky due to low sales numbers; however, this has not stopped Volkswagen from venturing to launch a convertible SUV in the form of the T-Roc.

But if some brands are betting on convertible SUVs, it is because they hope the concept will take hold. So what reasons lead them to think this? This new concept seeks to replace a type of vehicle that, for one reason or another, had fallen out of use, and the rise of SUVs could help manufacturers avoid abandoning the idea of convertibles and allow them to take flight once more.

With this premise, we find a first reason why different companies believe this idea can be fruitful. But what does it offer customers? The first and most obvious thing is the enjoyment of an open-top car, because whether you like it or not, driving with the wind in your hair is always a bonus when the weather allows. The second is that, unlike some convertibles derived from compacts, convertible SUVs still maintain both a more than adequate interior habitability and a practical boot space even with the roof stowed away.

A third point in its favour is its ground clearance which, although it won’t be of much use on rough terrain, always presents an advantage for those who find it somewhat harder to get into a low vehicle such as any traditional convertible. However, the aerodynamics suffer as a whole, as does the extra weight added by the roof mechanism, two aspects that can worsen fuel consumption and dynamic behaviour.

Even so, there are several factors on the table that considerably balance this concept, to the point of making it not a particularly crazy idea. After all, price is decisive in this type of purchase, which is more passionate than logical, and success will depend on the bill customers will have to face when they go to buy one of these convertible SUVs which, to date, were certainly not cheap.