Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover has unveiled new Range Rover model Velar, a passion project of Ratan Tata, ever since he saw the first sketch of the Velar, said Land Rover Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern.
Range Rover Velar rides on the Jaguar F-Pace’s aluminium-intensive platform.
This new type of Range Rover for a new type of customer will slot between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, which shares size and tech with the Jaguar F-Pace. Style and features are main selling points. Of course, one can argue that rich folk these days buy Range Rovers without using an inch of its off-road capabilities.
Based on the Land Rover’s lightweight Aluminium Architecture and follows the design lines of its Range Rover siblings. It will be on-sale as the Velar and Velar R-Dynamic range, and each of these will have 4 variants – Standard, S, SE and HSE. There is also a First Edition model which will be available worldwide for just one model year.
Velar will slot between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport.
Exterior-wise, the Velar gets full LED headlamps with DRLs and a grille which is similar to the one seen on the Evoque (but this one is broader). The front bumper houses air inlets as well as a skid plate at the bottom. It has a wheelbase of 2,874 mm and the pillars are blacked out which is seen throughout the Range Rover series. The rear taillights and fog lights also get LED treatment while the twin chrome exhausts are integrated into the rear bumper.
Step-inside, you’ll see the front seats have 20-way adjustment with heating, cooling and massage functions. The rear seats are also available with heating and electric recline options. The car has a four zone climate control system and two 10-inch touch-screens. Direct access to various functions can be personalized on both these screens. SE and above variants have a 12.3 inch MFD behind the steering wheel which shows information such as speed, turn-by-turn navigation, safety system warnings etc.
Velar features Touch Pro Duo infotainment system with two 10-inch HD touchscreens.
The Velar also gets a head-up display and the luggage compartment is 673 litres. In terms of safety, the Velar is equipped with 6 airbags, ABS with EBD, traction control, dynamic stability control, cornering brake control, roll stability control and emergency brake assist. Electronic air suspension allows the height to be lowered by 50 mm.
A total of 4 engines are on offer – 2 petrol and 2 diesel. The petrol engine is a 2.0 L, in-line 4-cylinder engine which makes 247 BHP and 365 Nm of torque. The First edition model will be available with a 3.0 L, V6 petrol engine which is capable of producing 375 BHP. The 2.0 L Ingenium diesel engine is rated at 177 BHP and 430 Nm while the 3.0 L churns out 296 BHP and 700 Nm of torque.
The original Velar was launched in 1970, and now the name has been revived.
The Range Rover Velar’s production will take place alongside the Jaguar F-Pace in Solihull, UK. For India, the new Range Rover will be launched in CBU form with prices starting at around Rs 70 lakh to Rs 1 crore (ex-showroom price). As per the trusted source, the Velar will hit Indian shores in the second half of 2017.
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