Range Rover Velar

Land Rover put all car enthusiasts out of their misery by finally releasing images of their latest model the Range Rover Velar. These images come after months of eager speculation regarding the forth model in the range from Land Rover, and by early indications they may be onto a winner. 

The Velar in keeping with Range Rover tradition is elegantly styled, but more than equipped for any off road excursions. The concept of this luxury mid-size SUV is to fill the gap that the manufacturers hope they have correctly identified that lies between the iconic Range Rover Sport and the popular Range Rover Evoque.

I personally feel that the market place is more than ready for this type of crossover SUV as some drivers may not welcome the idea of the fully grown Sport, yet at the same time don't deem the Evoque big enough to give you the "Real Range Rover Experience".

In regards to the marketplace obvious similarities have been drawn to The Jaguar F-Pace but that shouldn't be surprising. Most people aren't aware that Jaguar and Land Rover have a long association. The companies were separated for long periods of their history, but were reunited again in 2008 following their purchase by TATA Motors from Ford Motor Company. 

The precise coupe like silhouette of the Velar is under pinned mainly by the use of aluminium in its construction, likewise in the F-Pace. They will also both share the same engine and suspension. In my opinion if you were going to choose a SUV to follow the trail of the F-Pace is definitely a great starting point, however there are also major differences that make them both very unique cars to drive.

The glaringly obvious applies when looking at the differences, The Range Rover series has become synonymous for its Off Road capability, and the Velar will be no different. Land Rover have given all variants of the Velar All wheel drive and their unique Intelligent Drive Dynamic technology (IDD), which reads driving conditions and adapts constantly to insure that traction is always optimised.

This feature coupled with the optional Terrain Response 2 system will give the driver the ability to switch between a number of driving modes, that also optimise the cars performance irrespective of the terrain. Despite having a similar suspension system to the F-Pace, the air suspension used in the Velar will drop by 10mm when driving around 65mph which is designed to reduce aerodynamic drag and improve fuel efficiency.

We can sit and systematically breakdown all the technology that sets this vehicle apart from its rivals. In the grand scheme of things the casual driver who will use the car on a school run or to go shopping will not notice the subtle differences. On the other hand the striking interior is sure to capture the imagination of anybody that is afforded the luxury of sitting inside a Velar.

Before you even open the doors the retractable door handles will pop out on you smoothly, and once you step inside the lush cabin you will automatically get a feel for the premium materials and textiles used. Inside is very spacious and can easily carry 4 adults without any cramping, and is comfortable even if you have the misfortune of sitting in the back. 

Up front is where this car really comes to life, and all the magic happens. Jaguar Land Rover have overhauled the infotainment system seen in previous models. The Velar has some pretty impressive technology at its disposal which they are calling "Touch Pro Duo" which incorporates the "Interactive Driver Display" and two 10" HD fully touch screens. The upper screen is used for infotainment, while the lower screen is adaptive depending on what you're doing, and will allow you to operate things such as climate control without your infotainment being interrupted.

The infotainment system allows 4G connectivity with up to 8 mobile devices, at the same damn time! If that isn't enough to impress you the a Land Rover mobile app allows you to preset temperature of the vehicle from anywhere, so no more cold car first thing in the morning! 

Some people might assume that an infotainment system overhaul means that Range Rover have fully abandoned all their signature design features but you still have the option for mood lighting and Panoramic Roof. In addition it also has a class leading 673 litres a boot space, and Matrix LED Adaptive headlights.

I can continue to rave about the Tech for days, as comfort is something that can turn a good car into a great car, but realistically if you are buying a Velar you also care somewhat about the performance. 

The Velar will have the Jaguar Land Rover prototype Ingenium Engine, all variants will have an 8 speed automatic engine available in both Diesel and Petrol. There will be 3 Diesel and 2 Petrol versions including a Supercharged 6 cylinder 3.0 option available in both. 

The most standard Velar has a CO2 Emisison of 142g/km and a Fuel economy of roughly 52.5 mpg combined, making it reasonably economic and not as expensive to run as anticipated with the new tax laws being introduced in April.

Another great thing about the Velar is that it is offered in a multitude of models (R-Dynamic & First Edition) with 3 additional specification packs. There will be an S, SE and HSE all available at varying list prices.

The Range Rover Velar has a starting price of £44,830 and pre-orders will start sometime this month. Given all that we have already seen it will be interesting to see if there are any more surprises in store when the car will be properly unveiled at the Geneva Motor show this week.

Range Rover have stated that minimalism and subtle details are some of the driving concepts behind The Velar, but it seems to be like the are intent on making a pretty loud statement will their latest release. It will be interesting to see how it matches up to its rivals in the Porsche Macan, BMW X6 and the Mercedes GLE.