Velar boasts the build to take on rivals like BMW

Expect the model to contribute greatly to Range Rover’s bottom line

The Range Rover line-up always needed a credible mid-sized contender. With this Velar model, it now has one.

The very first luxury SUV was a Range Rover, a pioneering 4x4 first launched back in 1970.

Prior to that car’s original introduction, a fleet of 26 preproduction models were used by development engineers and these ran under the ‘Velar’ name, Land Rover keen to hide the revolutionary vehicle’s real identity, the word derived from the Latin ‘velaris’, meaning to veil or cover.

Today, almost half a century later, the Velar name has returned to the Range Rover line-up, used to badge the brand’s fourth model, a mid-sized contender that plugs the previous gap between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.

The Solihull brand knows that premium German rivals have set a high standard in this market segment, so has spared no effort in building in advanced technology, compelling design and absolute attention to detail.

We haven’t yet driven a Velar but the prospects look good. It is, after all, built on the same IQ platform that underpins the extraordinarily successful Jaguar F-PACE. On top of that sits a light, stiff, aluminium-intensive body and this, together with double-wishbone front and Integral Link rear suspension, should provide the perfect basis for the agile handling, excellent ride comfort and impressive refinement this car will need if it’s to take on tough segment rivals like Porsche’s Macan and BMW’S X6.

Under the bonnet, buyers get a choice of the brand’s usual four cylinder Ingenium 2.0-litre diesel units, with a choice of 180 and 240PS outputs.

There’s also a four-cylinder 2.5-litre Ingenium petrol unit offering either 250 or 300PS

You’ll need one of the V6 models though, if you want to try Range Rover’s sophisticated four-corner air suspension set-up.

There’s a 300PS diesel with 700Nm of torque. Or a flagship 380PS supercharged V6 petrol engine that gets the Velar from rest to 62mph in just 5.3s on the way to an artificially-limited 155mph maximum.

All the powerplants on offer are matched to smooth-shifting ZF eightspeed automatic transmissions and allwheel drive with so-called Intelligent Driveline Dynamics. It’s clear from the Velar’s market positioning that it’ll be used off road even less than other Range

The Velar is aimed at the upper end of the mid-sized luxury SUV market.