Range Rover Velar arrives to fill a Velar-shaped hole
The Range Rover Velar has been revealed ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show. The fourth model in the Range Rover range, it sits between Evoque and Sport.
Does the world need another Range Rover model? Probably not. Does the world want another Range Rover model? Probably, and this new Range Rover, the Range Rover Velar, is it.
Designed to fill a gap in Range Rover’s range between the Evoque and Sport, the Velar is a bit of a lifestyle statement with its sloping roof and smooth surfaces and looks which shout big smooth Evoque but with a smattering of full fat and Sport cues.
The Range Rover Velar’s Interior looks cool and clean when the screens are black
Despite fitting in just one notch up in the Range Rover range, the Velar is still a bit of a lump, and at 4803mm long its just 50mm (that’s 2″ in old money) shorter than the Range Rover Sport. Yet it’s only 5mm (that’s a miniscule 1/5″) taller than the Evoque. Which gives you some perspective.
Those dimensions make the Velar a slippery Range Rover, and the lack of contours and angles on the surface accentuates it, with flowing lines down the flanks, complete with recessed handles, lights which flow across the tailgate and a grill, lights and bumper which flow seamlessly in to each other at the front.
The new exterior look – which is bound to translate in to the facelift for the Sport and FF RR next year – is complemented by the Velar’s new take on a Range Rover interior, chunks of it borrowed from the Jaguar i-Pace.
The Velar’s digital screens remove just about every button from the Velar’s cabin
The dashboard gets a new triple-screen, with the virtual instruments from the RR, a centre touchscreen which tilts in to play when you start the car, and below that another touchscreen for stuff like HVAC, Modes and seats. And it’s all dark and promising until you fire the Velar up – which looks cool and clean.
Engine options at launch will be the 2.0 litre Ingenium diesel with 178bhp or 237bhp, the 3.0 litre diesel V6 with 296bhp, the 247bhp 2.0 litre Ingenium petrol and JLR’s 3.0 litre supercharged V6 with 375bhp.
Thankfully, Land Rover has decided all Velars will get 4WD and an eight-speed auto, six-cylinder Velars will get air suspension and all will still have LR’s off-road USP – in varying degrees.
Trim levels are Standard (18″ alloys, Keyless, LED headlights), S (19″ alloys, kick to open tailgate, electric seats and leather), SE (20″ alloys, Matrix lights, Parking Aid, Virtual Instruments, 825W Meridian Sound) and HSE (21″ alloys, posh leather, massage seats, climate, adaptive cruise).
You can enhance the standard specs with R-Dynamic trim for a sporty look with dark alloys, butch bumpers and alloys pedals, and for the first year an expensive First Edition model with all the toys.
The Range Rover Vela cost from £44,830, but it’ll cost you at least £10k more for one you’d want to own.
Land Rover’s UK dealers are now taking orders for the Velar, with first customer cars due in the summer.
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