SPY PICS: 2016 Range Rover Evoque convertible

The attention-grabbing Range Rover Evoque luxury SUV is about to get new lease on life with the launch of the mid-cycle update, to be followed by an all-new convertible variant.

As the spy photos confirm, the Evoque convertible is almost ready to rock, the overall design similar to the Range Rover Evoque convertible concept shown three years ago at the 2012 Geneva motor show.

Featuring an electrically folding fabric roof, the model's development has been spurred by US demand for such a vehicle and spy photo maestros Automedia reckon the vehicle will lob mid-year – but it could be even sooner than that, potentially at the 2015 New York motor show in April.

Even with its roofless design, the Evoque convertible will be expected to retain its offroad capability which will require a fair bit of body reinforcing seeing that the rigid roof is missing. This could make it heavier.

It's not the first SUV drop top to be offered to the public, with the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet sold in the US from 2011.

The other Land Rover news is the release of a tantalising teaser image of the new 2016 Range Rover Evoque, ahead of its public premiere at the 2015 Geneva motor show on March 3.

The teaser image shows a new LED light design but little else, although Land Rover says the face-lifted Evoque will be its first model to feature full LED adaptive headlights.

First shown at the 2008 Detroit motor show as the LRX concept, Land Rover was commended for ensuring the Evoque production car stayed true to the concept design, penned by then newly-installed design chief Gerry McGovern.

Seven years on from the LRX's debut and McGovern says the challenge now is to "enhance Evoque without diluting its iconic design".

He insists that the design updates will give the Evoque "an even greater presence on the road yet retain the emotional appeal that has made it so popular with more than 400,000 consumers around the world."

The Evoque has been a sell-out success for the brand, its concept-car design and luxury pretensions proving popular with buyers. One sign of the Evoque's popularity was the recent reverse engineering of the vehicle carried out by Chinese auto maker Landwind, whose X7 copycat design sells for about a third of the price.

Although Land Rover is keeping mum on specific details, it has confirmed that a new engine line-up will announced along with updated convenience and safety features. Expect Jaguar Land Rover's new Ingenium 2.0-litre turbo-diesel to replace the current 2.2-litre jobbie, the smaller engine currently powering the Discovery Sport, which is built at the same factory.

Interior 'enhancements' for the Evoque will also be revealed in Geneva, and the SUV-exclusive manufacturer says more details will be announced on February 23.

In Australia last year the Evoque was the third best-selling medium luxury SUV with 2584 sales, behind the BMW X3 (2,842) and Audi Q5 (3,432). The Evoque currently retails for between $44,995 and $81,470 (plus on-road costs).