We were very keen to see the new Velar after Geneva in our country, and Land Rover chose a rather dramatic setting for it.

Indeed, as Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design Officer puts it, this is a new type of Range Rover, sitting between the Evoque and the Sport, being from design a truly avant-garde Range Rover.

We just show you the pictures and a short film here,

Hans Knol ten Bensel

 

Striking design

We already applauded the elegant and clean proportions of the Velar. Its design philosophy is widening the frontiers. Flush door handles and an integrated rear spoiler all improve aerodynamics. Features including the foil stamped grille give the vehicle’s front profile a remarkable, unique presence. Sleek LED headlights and rear lights which wrap around the body edges are also standard. Matrix LED and Matrix-Laser LED headlights are available as an option.

 

The Velar is versaltile. It offers 970 mm head clearance and 945 mm knee clearance for occupants, along with adequate loadspace of 673 litres.  Optional Electronic Air Suspension enables automatic access height for easier entry and the option of Powered Gesture Tailgate allows simple loading with hands free access.

Typical Range Rover interior ambiance retained…

We could appreciate the – as Land Rover calls it – “Sports Command” driving position. The elevated position gives you very good views, adding to the feeling of safety and security. We also were impressed with the quality of the materials, the clean design of dashboard, centre console and instruments, giving this Velar the aura of clean technical refinement we came to appreciate in the original first generation Range Rovers and the early Rover 2000 sedans back in the sixties.

The commands are now integrated in the central touchscreen, with the area below exclusively reserved for climate controls.

The standard Touch Pro Duo infotainment system makes seamlessly integrates two 10″ high-definition Touchscreens to enable you to make a phone call on one screen while navigating on the other. Touch Pro Duo is complemented with full-colour Head-up Display, an optional state-of-the-art system providing sharp graphics and optional Interactive Driver Display with configurable touch steering wheel controls.

One is spoiled by the materials and components meticulously developed by a specialist team, to deliver a refined, tactile experience. Supple leathers or premium textile and suedecloth can be specified for seats, steering wheel and extensively throughout the cabin.

Fit for every road…

Standard features include: All Wheel Drive (AWD) with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD), Adaptive Dynamics and Torque Vectoring by Braking to deliver a connected drive. Adding to driver confidence off-road, optional features include: Electronic Air Suspension, All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), Terrain Response 2 and an Active Rear Locking Differential. Wading depth of up to 650 mm helps provide composure and sure-footed progress in challenging conditions.

Efficient power

A choice of V6 and 4-cylinder Ingenium engines deliver efficient, refined and responsive driving. The D300 engine delivers a class-leading 700Nm of torque while the D180 engine delivers CO2 from just 142 g/km. This “base” Ingenium 2,0 litre 4-cylinder 180 PS Turbocharged Diesel engine produces 430Nm of torque.

All engines are equipped with Stop/Start technology and smart regenerative charging. Performance is very adequate indeed. Even the 180 PS Diesel provides an acceleration of 0 to 100 in merely 8,9 seconds, and pushes further to a top speed of 209 km/h. Average fuel consumption is given at 5,4 l/100 km. The D300 lets the Velar go from 0 to 100 in 6,5 seconds, and runs to a top speed of 241 km/h. All Diesel and Petrol engines in Range Rover Velar are coupled with an 8-speed Automatic Transmission.

The “base” petrol engine is the Ingenium 2,0 litre 4-cylinder 250PS Turbocharged unit, producing 365Nm of torque, available between 1200 and 4500 rpm. The intelligent Continuously Variable Valve Lift (CVVL) system of this engine varies the extent to which inlet valves are opened, reducing engine-pumping losses. CVVL works in combination with dual independent variable cam timing for ultimate operating flexibility. This petrol engine pushes the Velar to 100 km in merely 6,7 seconds, further to a top speed of 217 km.

We are looking forward to a test drive, in the meantime we appreciated the comfort of the split central armrests, which serve as covers for the console bin! 

Needless to say that we will be very keen to drive this Velar, which already from its looks, is quite impressive indeed…

Hans Knol ten Bensel