All you need to know about the Range Rover Velar
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) has added a fourth vehicle to its line-up. The Velar, as it’s called sits between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, which is clearly visible looking at its silhouette. Here is everything you need to know about the SUV that is likely to be launched in India soon:
Design:
Based on JLR’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the Velar is basically a preview of what to expect from the British marque in its future vehicles. The design is evolutionary and is inspired by both, the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport. The LED headlights (in their slimmest ever avatar) and the grille are typical Land Rover and so is the rear overhang that bulges out. The bootlid houses a slim set of tail lamps tied together by the massive Range Rover badge. While the design cues are similar to an Evoque, the Velar has cleaner lines and a more minimalistic styling. The wheel arches don’t bulge as much and the side profile is simpler. The Velar is easier on the eye and its design elements contribute to a low drag coefficient of just 0.32, the lowest ever on a Land Rover. Contributing to it are flush deployable doors that are an integral part of the door assembly.
The fascia is simple and practical, just like all Land Rovers but is flanked by the centrally mounted Touch Pro Duo infotainment system. Two 10-inch touchscreens house audio, information and other controls as well as climate control functions.
To keep the animal activists happy, the Velar comes with washable textile seat materials and not leather. Land Rover has not compromised on the practicality and the Velar offers 673 litres of boot space.
Powertrains:
There are a total of six engines that will be offered on the Velar. Ingenium diesels will highlight the Velar range, available in different tunes of power. The 2-litre diesel unit will be offered with 177bhp and 237bhp variants, both making a healthy, 500Nm of torque.
The all-new 2-litre Ingenium petrol will be offered in two states of tunes – 247bhp and 296bhp. The former is capable of hitting 100kmph in just 6.7 seconds, claims JLR.
The more powerful V6 diesel and petrol will join the bandwagon later. The 3-litre diesel makes 297bhp and 700Nm is capable of allowing the 2-tonne SUV to hit 100kmph in 6.5 seconds and accelerate all the way to 241kmph.
The most powerful engine in the Velar range is a 3-litre V6 petrol, churning out 375bhp and 450Nm. The top whack is limited at 250kmph and the 0-100kmph sprint comes in just 5.7 seconds. You can expect an SVR version too although there is no news yet about it.
Features:
Being a Land Rover, off-road capabilities are unquestionable and the Velar features an all-wheel drive system and air suspension all round. The ground clearance is massive at 251mm and water wading depth stands at a class leading 650mm. Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control also make it to the package as standard.
The Velar is high on safety features too and comes with six-airbags and a wide suite of driver assistance systems including Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian detection, Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist and an Adaptive Speed Limiter.
The Velar will be available in four variants when launched, while an all exclusive First Edition will be available worldwide for one model year only. The First Edition will be offered only with the V6 engine options and get full leather interior trim to complement the perforated Windsor leather seats in Light Oyster or Ebony, 1,600W Meridian Signature Sound System, Matrix-Laser LED headlights and 22-inch split-spoke wheels with diamond-turned finish.
