JLR unveils its new mid-sized luxury SUV, the Range Rover Velar

Seeking to inject a dose of modernity and minimalism into the iconic English brand, Land Rover unveiled a new mid-size SUV, the 2018 Range Rover Velar, in London today.

Priced from £44,8300 and topping out at over £80,000, it covers every conceivable base now occupied, not only by the F Pace, but rivals from Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Porsche to name a quartet. “If something is on the auto, you take it off and it makes no difference, it shouldn’t be there anyway”.

Since going on sale in 1970, the Range Rover group has expanded to now include the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque. It doesn’t have any overbearing elements, but the few details that are present look very well thought out and elegant. All will send drive to all four wheels through a standard eight-speed ZF automatic. Of course, the moniker was dropped when production of the first Range Rover started in 1970. The result may be an all-new design, but it’s distinctively Land Rover-plus, it’s the most aerodynamic Range Rover to date, with a drag coefficient of 0.32. The roof however, doesn’t swoop down as sharply as in the X6 and GLE Coupe. And for the first year of the car’s life, there’s a First Edition, which adds more luxury on top of HSE spec, including a 1,600W sound system and 22-inch alloy wheels. The 1665mm overall height is just 5mm taller than the Evoque, 185mm lower than the Range Rover Sport and 250mm below the Range Rover. A 10-inch touchscreen embedded into the center console replaces all of the buttons and knobs typically located within the driver’s reach. Customers can also specify the fully integrated rear seat entertainment system, comprising two 8-inch HD touchscreens in 15:9 widescreen format, two remote controls and two sets of WhiteFire-connected wireless headphones. Both screens will have dual-functionality, meaning you can switch things like the navigation screen from one to the next, so it’s not interrupted while you’re using other functions on another screen.

The top screen is gently curved to lie flush to fit in with the dashboard and can tilt through 30 degrees. The lower screen meanwhile, handles functions like climate control and the Terrain Response system. breaking celebrity news

The Velar will sport the company’s Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, which uses two 10-inch high-definition touch screens, plus safety tech inlcuding autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection and adaptive cruise control with queue assist.

In the USA, the Range Rover Velar will launch with several powertrain offerings, with the base model equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine generating 247 horsepower. There will also be a huge choice of engines, ranging from the family-friendly 180PS 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel to the Nurburgring crunching, 380PS supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol. The diesel offers 221kW and a thumping 700Nm, with the supercharged petrol throwing out 280kW and 450Nm.

The pictures show a similar design that is seen in all Range Rover models but one can also locate a sleek and smooth design on the exterior as well.

The options list will include the Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control traction aids, while a locking rear differential will also be available.