Your own monster truck

Those of us fortunate to be in motoring media hardly ever have enough money to afford the cars we drive, but most know exactly what they would spend lottery millions on. The garage is usually three cars strong. A practical daily driver, a tool for your favoured leisure activity (race car or 4x4) and the so-called Sunday car meant for pointing at mountain passes and impressing the neighbours. Because I have a wife who works on a farm and has a penchant for large vehicles with load bays, I don't count a double cab in that equation. It's a standard requirement.

This, however, is the first Range Rover ever to make my list, and it falls somewhere between a Sunday car and a daily driver.

It was a Friday, not a Sunday, when I realised how special this car can make you feel. We were heading to the Spur at my daughter's request on her birthday. We also had on board my mother-inlaw, who first spotted the gentleman in the Range Rover Sport Supercharged giving us the thumbs-up. Bear in mind that the Evoque was launched in 2012 and is as common as vineyards in the Stellenbosch winelands. But still, in its sizzling Phoenix Orange and chock full of my family, the convertible variant stirs up emotions.

While it's hardly as practical as a full-sized, seven-seat Range Rover, there is enough boot space for the week's groceries and room in the back for child car seats. Even Isofix anchor points. And it's still a Range Rover with enough – barely – ground clearance to clear small boulders or hop even the tallest of suburban kerbs. Four wheels are constantly driven and there's the terrific Land Rover Terrain Response system for when the going gets really tough.

I used to berate the Evoque for killing off the stellar Freelander 2. It is essentially that same car with some extra trimmings on the top and a higher list price, but at least this version feels like something unique. In convertible guise, Land Rover has finally managed to give the Evoque an identity to go alongside its premium leather- clad interior.

My children begged for the roof down on every trip. Strangers come up to comment on the car. Other road users wish they were you. If I were spending a million rand on a compact SUV, I want to feel like I spent a million rand on it and this car delivers that feeling in spades. It moves, too, with Mini-like agility thanks to that wheel-in-every- corner layout. The two-litre, four cylinder turbo-petrol Ingenium engine's 177 kw and 400 N.m is good for 0-100 km/h sprints in as little as 8,1 seconds. There's some body roll, but that stiffer shell keeps things tight in the twisties.

Not bad, Land Rover, not bad. Even on a tech level the adaptive cruise control and self-parking features bring it in line with the modern competition. Now let's talk about that horrible infotainment interface… It's about time you just adopt Apple Carplay and Android Auto. From R987 800, landrover.co.za – LI NDSEY SCHUT T ERS