Wow! New Range Rover
Get in early if you want next summer’s must-have fashion accessory
Land Rover has opened the order books for the new Range Rover Velar SUV, set to land in Australia late this year priced from an appealing $70,300 before on road costs.
Yep, you read right. That’s a smidge over $70k for a large SUV with that oh-so desirable Range Rover script across its sculpted bonnet.
So what is this Velar, the new 4x4 with a name you can’t help saying in an aristocratic English accent? Well, it’s as British as a country pub and warm pint of bitter - but far more stylish – as it has been designed, engineered and manufactured in the UK. And it’s been priced to tempt we premium Suv-loving Aussies.
As a value proposition the Range Rover Velar looks a lot pricier in the metal than its $70,300 sticker price. I was able to get a close-up look of the SUV during its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and it is unquestionably attractive.
Sleek yet sizeable enough for family or long-distance driving duties, it has a purity of design free from the sharp angles and awkward lines that plague so many modern car designs.
As a good Range Rover should, it carries itself with an air of grace, not least thanks to super-slim Matrix Laser-led headlights and flush deployable door handles that disappear into the metalwork.
Okay, so the car I saw under bright lights on the Geneva show stand will be the bells-and-whistles expensive one…arguably the real looker you really want.to prove this, when the Velar arrives here near year’s end there will be a $167,600 First Edition model complete with a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol engine or 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel engine. The former, incidentally, helps the Velar sprint to 100kmh in 5.7-seconds and on to 250kmh.
The cheaper Velars will use more fuel-efficient and sensible four-cylinder engines – both petrol and diesel.
We haven’t been told exactly what goodies our Australian Velars will receive, but the Range Rover teases are intriguing.
For starters we’re told the Velar has customer focussed technology which turns the car into a “digital butler” to enhance customers’ lives.
Peter Virk, Jaguar Land Rover’s Director of Connected Car & Future Technology said: “Two high definition 10-inch touchscreens are your window to the world. The connected infotainment system learns from you and anticipates your needs, serving you what you want, when you want it.”
Rest assured the Velar will still be able to do the renowned Range Rover off-road bit too, even if the vast majority of buyers will never tackle anything more challenging that a speed bump.
It features the brand’s clever Terrain Response 2 system and air-suspension (standard on V6 models, optional on the rest) to give a wading depth of 650mm and ground clearance of 251mm. It’ll also tow up to 2500kg if you fancy hauling a caravan around Australia in the lap of luxury.
Practical too, with a boot space of 558-litres it’ll carry more than a BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E-class sedan, plus you’ll be sitting in a far loftier driving position above the traffic.
The striking Velar’s cheaper entry price than its luxury rivals should send it to the top of many shopping lists.