Sleek new bruiser continues its global onslaught.
Dominant players in the mid-size performance-focused SUV segment are about to get uneasy, as the Range Rover Velar is just days away from its landing on our shores. The stunning new SUV, unveiled to the world back in March, will sit above the now less-pretty Evoque in the lineup, but slot below the larger and more capable Range Rover Sport in the hierarchy.
The Velar will arrive in Australia in Standard, S, SE, and HSE trims, in both Velar and Velar R-Dynamic guises. With prices to range from $70,662 to $135,762, the Velar’s neat fitment into the local lineup is only upset somewhat by the limited-run one-year-only First Edition, which will command a price tag of $168,250 (all prices are accurate at the time of writing, and do not include various on-road costs).
The ‘Velar’ name was first used during the development of the original Range Rover nearly half a century ago, and was a moniker used to confuse onlookers while the engineers at Solihull were working on the worlds’ first properly-luxurious off-road machine. The Velar of today couldn’t be more different than the Series I Range Rover that it spawned though, with its sleek lines and elegant curves embodying the most contemporary design trends.
Built on a shared platform with the Jaguar F-Pace, the Velar is described as the most car-like car ever made by Land Rover, and will be gunning at German segment leaders like the Porsche Macan and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe. It shares the same 2874mm wheelbase as the Jag, along with its aluminium-dominant architecture, and sits five within. Key differentiator between the F-Pace and the Velar, both incredibly beautiful in their own ways, is that the Range Rover will come with all-wheel drive as standard, as opposed to the Jag’s RWD or AWD powertrains.
Key features of the Velar range include:
- Super-slim Matrix-Laser LED headlights and flush doorhandles.
- Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, with two high-def 10-inch screens controlling various functions.
- Six powertrains, ranging from petrol & diesel four-pot Ingenium units all the way up to the supercharged 3.0-litre V6, with power going through an eight-speed automatic as standard.
- Adaptive Dynamics damping technology as standard.
- Air-suspension on six-cylinder models.
- All-wheel drive as standard, with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics to ensure progress over rough surfaces.
- Terrain Response 2 joined by All Terrain Progress Control, Low-Traction Launch, Hill Descent, and Gradient Release Control systems to ease off-road progress.
- 2,500kg towing capacity aided by Advanced Tow Assist, controllable via the Touch Pro Duo rotary controller.
- Full-suite of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems like autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver-alertness monitoring.
On top of the regular range, the Velar will make its debut on our shores bringing along a limited-run First Edition model, that will be produced for just one year and is being offered in various markets worldwide. With a heady price tag sitting just below $170k, it’s almost level-pegging with the price of a supercharged Range Rover Sport, but we’ll gloss over that momentarily. Velar First Edition cars get unique touches like an extended leather interior that compliments the Windsor leather seats, creating the perfect ambiance to drink in music pumped in via the 1600W Meridian Audio system that was designed specifically for the Velar. Exterior flourishes include lashings of bronze at key points outside, along with 22” split-spoke diamond-turn alloys.
The Velar First Edition will be available in Corris grey, Silicon silver, or Flux silver, with each of those shades applied by-hand at Land Rover’s ‘Special Vehicle Operations’ centre in Solihull, ensuring quality. Motivation comes exclusively from a 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel.
The Range Rover Velar is essentially Land Rover’s take on the lucrative SUV-coupé segment, and as opposed to the options brought forward by BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the Velar’s profile will likely turn more heads for longer than the relatively-divisive German alternatives. Regardless, it’ll be interesting to see how we take to this stunning British bruiser, and see how many opt for First Edition models especially.
You can read our launch report on the Velar here, and stay tuned to CarShowroom as we bring you more updates as they come.
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