Range Rover Evoque three-door axed ahead of second-generation model

Land Rover has cut the three-door Range Rover Evoque from its line-up amid slow sales.

Since the introduction of the cabriolet variant — the third bodystyle of the huge-selling Evoque — the three-door has been the slowest-selling, leading Land Rover to now axe this from sale. Sources suggested that as much as 95% of sales were of the five-door version. 

Less practicality-focused buyers now have only the more expensiveLand Rover  cabriolet model as an alternative to the five-door Evoque. A Land Rover spokesman said: “From the 2019 model year, Land Rover has rationalised its Range Rover Evoque bodystyle offering to concentrate on the five-door model and convertible, which account for the majority of sales.”

The move to axe the slower-selling variant of one of Jaguar Land Rover's most popular cars likely aims to offset falling sales of volume models; in March alone, sales declined by 7.8% compared with March 2017, with overall sales down 3.8% across the year ended 31 March. 

It’s no surprise that the three-door Evoque was discontinued, given the industry’s trend towards more practical five-door cars. Three-door and coupé variants of the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Scirocco have been discontinued in the past 18 months, while several models have been converted to five-door only for their new generation. Jaguar has also recently cut the XE S and XF S from its line-up.

Despite the dominance of the five-door Evoque, a second-generation Evoque Convertible will likely follow the five-door’s introduction for a 2020 launch. 

Read more:

2019 Range Rover Evoque revealed

Analysis: The challenges facing Jaguar Land Rover

The cars we lost in 2017

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Convertible review