It seems other car makers were waiting for someone to have the guts to launch a production drop-top SUV. Now that Land Rover has shown such bravery with the Range Rover Evoque Convertible, all of a sudden everybody wants to make one of these things. This is a Mercedes GLC Cabriolet rendering offering us an early glimpse what the Benz contender for this segment might look like.

The word is Mercedes-Benz is seriously considering launching an open-top SUV and if that’s true, it makes sense for them to base that car on their mid-size SUV, the GLC. The car is the direct rival for the Range Rover Evoque and would offer customers a better alternative to Audi’s proposition for this market, which is said to be based on the recently launched Q2. Mind you, all these arguments hold water if the aforementioned car makers green light those projects.

Just like the Evoque Convertible, Mercedes GLC Cabriolet does look rather ungainly and, well, lanky. This seems to be a common problem with open-top SUVs. And that’s with the top down. It will almost certainly look even worse with the roof up. So what is the appeal of a convertible SUV, you might ask. Well, it’s a new thing, and people like new stuff, especially when it promises to combine the high-riding, commanding driving position of the SUV with the air in the hair fun of a sports car.

Rendering by Theophlius Chin