Range Rover Velar – is it just STEALING sales from Range Rover’s Sport
The new Range Rover Velar – a new Range Rover sitting between the Evoque and Sport – is selling well, but is it at the expense of Range Rover Sport sales?
There is no doubt the new Range Rover Velar is a good looking car(although it is a bit colour dependent) and buyers seem to like Land Rover’s more stylish, more road-focussed model.
Sales of the new Velar look strong as buyers seem happy to ignore the watering-down of Land Rover’s off-road USP to deliver a Range Rover take on Jaguar’s F-Pace SUV, perhaps bringing it to question how many buyers actually care that Land Rover’s cars can go where few others can, as long as they look the part.
With prices starting from around £45k, the Velar is pitched bang in the middle of the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, although you probably need to spend at least £60k to get a Velar you’d actually want.
At that price, you’re up to the entry-level price for the Range Rover Sport, and at the entry-level price for the Velar you’re at the sweet spot for a Range Rover Evoque.
As a result, something interesting seems to be happening with Land Rover’s sales.
Over the last three months (November 2017 to January 2018) Land Rover has sold a respectable 18,203 Velars which, were they ‘extra’ sales, would be a good result.
But in the same period, sales of the Range Rover Sport have dropped by 7,660 and the Evoque by 3,365, in every one of those three months the Velar outsold the Sport, and in January the Velar was only 1,200 shy of the Evoque’s sales.
Of course, the Range Rover Sport has now had a bit of a ‘Velar’ facelift and the Evoque is getting the same – which may help sales – but it does look like buyers are deserting the more traditional Range Rover Sport for the ‘F-Pace in Range Rover clothes’ Velar.
Does that mean future Range Rovers will become more road focussed, with less emphasis on their off-road abilities? It could make sense.
Range Rover Velar Photo Gallery
Mark A. Geller says
Doubt many want this who would have wanted Evoque. Next step up from Evoke is really Disco sport, looks same and just a drop bigger. Agree this is stealing from sport for those who want newer/svelter and a drop smaller, but not much smaller inside.