On February 21st, 2017 Range Rover announced the latest addition to their lineup, the Range Rover Velar. When they made this announcement, the British automaker said that this car would fill the gap between the Evoque and Sport models. However, other than some pictures and a description of where this car fits in the lineup, we did not get much information. Today, Range Rover unveiled the Velar at the Design Museum, London, and with that reveal came a lot more information about the vehicle, including technical specifications and pricing.
The Velar will be offered in the US with three engine choices. First is a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder which produces 247 horsepower. There is also a 2.0L turbo-diesel engine which makes 180 horsepower and 317 lb-ft. of torque. Finally, there is a 3.0L supercharged V6 which makes 380 horsepower and can reportedly take the Velar to 60 MPH in 5.3 Seconds. All three motors come paired with a ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and, being a Range Rover, all wheel drive is standard. Towing capacity is listed as 5,500 lbs if you get the V6 model, which is further aided by the Advanced Tow Assist function which mimics Ford’s towing assistant in which the driver uses a separate control to aim the trailer where they want, allowing the vehicle to do the steering for them.
Range Rover have also released some information about the Velar’s off-road capability. The Velar will have optional air suspension that provide the vehicle with 9.88 inches (8.38 with coil springs) of ground clearance and a wading depth of 25.59 inches (23.62 with coil springs). Furthermore the Velar will have a sophisticated all wheel drive system featuring “a suite of traction technologies which include Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control”. These are effectively terrain management software and crawl control respectively.
The Velar also boasts some impressive technology in its interior. Paramount of which is the new Land Rover Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, comprised of two 10 inch touch screen displays that are mounted in the dash board. One is used as a multi-media interface, controlling phone connectivity, music and navigation, while the other is used for vehicle systems control such as climate control and terrain management systems.
Pricing is set to start at $49,900 for the base model with the 2.0L gasoline engine, but the top-of-the-line model has a base price of $89,300. Range Rover says the Velar will go on sale late this year.
Until we can get our hands on the Velar here is everything you ever wanted to know about this vehicle’s cousin, the 2017 Land Rover Discovery:
