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Well it's here, the latest Range Rover family member the Velar.An SUV primarily known as a road car, prices start at around £44,000 and it goes on sale this summer in direct with the Porsche Macan, BMW X4 and X6 and the Mercedes GLE, it's a clever design and neatly fits in between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.
 
The Velar is a great looking vehicle which the developers have dubbed it as 'the most car like Range Rover yet' however that doesn't mean it's not as capable as a range rover or a Land Rover the range off-road. The Velar has been one of the big stars of the Geneva motor show this year and already 40,000 customers have shown an interest in the vehicle, 12,000 of those living in the U.K.
 
 
At first glance you can tell this is a JLR vehicle as it echoes the Jaguar F pace in its size, look and feel and that's not surprising as the wheelbase and architecture is from the F Pace and to keep it British, or as possible it's going be built in Solihull, the manufacturing plant of Jaguar Land Rover.
 
The Velar is an all wheel drive or 4x4 unlike the F pace, it has at its disposal a full suite of off-road tech too, it is a touch longer than the Jaguar SUV and has a few great options from terrain  response to its wade depth which is a staggering 650 mm which is quite something. The Velar is a fully capable off road vehicle, however that is not the market its targeted at instead it's been pitched as a mid-size SUV for the road, meaning very agile and sporty, which means it  handles somewhat differently to the classic Range Rover.
 
JLR have made the Velar available with a range of power trains, meaning you'll be able to choose from six great engines, no word yet on an EV. Each engine comes with its own eight speed box. The range starts with the 2L Ingenium Diesel engine which is the base model, a unit which is capable of generating 178bhp, then there is the entry-level petroleum engined version which is a 2L Ingenium unit with 247 horses but if you're after something with a bit more power you can either go for the 375bhp engines which is a V6 or the slightly tamer 296 brake horsepower unit which is basically a tweaked 2 litre expected at the end of the year. 
 
As yet no mention of an SVO or an SVR model however JLR are very likely to release a range of special vehicle operations models so watch the skies for these as well an SV autobiography. Design director Gerry McGovern mentioned due to the style and type of the Velar it's very easy to create both sporty and luxury versions, he called the vehicle "a masterclass in design reduction", adding "if you have something on a car, take it if and it makes no difference, it shouldn't be there in the 1st place".
 

 

The Velar has a new design language, yet it still demonstrates its Range Rover heritage McGovern said "It is always going to look modern, that's just progression it is just evolution" - The Velar is available in 2 trims, a sporty looking dynamic model and a heavy luxurious HSE model, however if your looking for a real eye catching luxury model you want them first edition version. This is rumoured to be far more luxurious than the current HSE - however you will be paying a touch more, in a word the cost of this model limited edition Velar is almost double the entry level version at around the £61,000 mark.
Land Rover have claimed that the Velar is likely to be there most practical cars in its class, however this market is getting popular meaning it's not alone in Car/SUV practicality it has a whole host of rivals including the BMW X4 and X6 the Mercedes GLE and of course the Porsche Macan, however there's not a world of difference between the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, Maserati Levante and Audi Q5.
 
 
 
All you need to do is decide whether you want one to sway you the Velar has a large spacious boot plenty of leg and headroom inside the cabin and if you if your a lover of luxury, there is are powered reclining front and rear seats, a range of trims, schemes and colours. Also if your wanting a sustainable luxury look you can have a premium textile interior rather than leather this removes all leather from the vehicle therefore adding a greater sustainability to your new vehicle. Tech as you'd expect is quite staggering including touch-pads on the steering wheel which control a range of driving functions and key interior parts, laser spotlights to clearly light your way, and a rear locking differential as well as gesture control to open the tailgate, what more could you want. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Northern Group of Motoring Writers NGMW

Northern Group Of Motoring Writers

Annabelle Quirk Vice Chairwoman
Ben D T Quirk Member