Land Rover has unveiled its new model, 2018 Range Rover Velar, which becomes only the fourth model of this premium sports Land Rover sub-brand. Range Rover Velar immediately gathered the applause and opened the hunt for a new demographic type of customers, which will be as much as ten years younger compared to the average other model buyers of this British brand.

Range Rover Velar fits between Evoque and Sport

The first association, when someone mentions the name Range Rover, is usually a mixture of luxury and great terrain performance. And we must say that all current models, Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, are just that.

We will see how the new Range Rover Velar will fit into this subconscious image. Looking at the dimensions and price, it fits right between Evoque and Sport and the factory claims that it is the most road oriented Range Rover ever.

Velar is flirting with younger customers

Somehow daring design, which is a subtle mixture of an SUV and fastback road car, implies to the aforementioned statement. The roof, painted in different color, underscores a very athletic shape. But unlike rivals, such as the BMW X4 or Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe, Range Rover Velar does not exaggerate with the lower rear part. But nevertheless, with a drag coefficient of 0.32, it is the most aerodynamic Range Rover ever.

Range Rover Velar will try to steal customers from many other competitors, all the way to the ones which are also thinking about Porsche Macan. One of the changes for Land Rover is that Velar tries to address much younger customers than they were previously accustomed to. Thus, instead of “50 something”, typical Velar customers will fall within the group “40 and something.” We are talking about age, of course.

Range Rover Velar exterior: general opinion is very positive

The exterior design, according to the first public reactions, hits the bullseye and it seems the Range Rover Velar is one of the stars of the 87th Geneva International Motor Show. Although the car is much inspired by the model Sport, it definitely has some original moves of its own. The rear lights are horizontally oriented, similar to Evoque, but at the same time stretched across the whole rear end. An interesting detail is the door handles, built into the door. They automatically crawl out of the door when the owner unlocks the car. As with Tesla Model S.

Range Rover Velar will borrow a lot from its relative, Jaguar F-Pace, as it is built on the same platform. They will even share the same factory in Solihull, UK. However, among them, there are also many differences. If nothing else, the Velar will supposedly be much more expensive than the F-Pace, but also from direct German rivals.

The car body is mostly made of aluminum (81 percent), which guarantees lightness, but also a sufficient rigidity for agile and comfortable driving.

Range Rover Velar interior: going digital

Even in the interior, Range Rover Velar steps forward in the philosophy of Range Rover. At the heart of the center console are two 10-inch touch screens. The bottom one replaces the analog air conditioning control panel and also provides the choice of different driving programs to the driver. The upper display is dedicated to navigation, phone and audio devices.

When the car is turned off, the two screens seamlessly retract back into the center console. A similar trick is also used on the steering wheel because even there when the car is turned on, the buttons on it slightly crawl out.

The basic luggage compartment in Range Rover Velar offers 673 liters of space (expandable to 1,690 liters), which is, as claimed by Land Rover, the largest in the class.

Mainly for asphalt, but remains true to the brand

The serial four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission are both parts of the standard equipment. Range Rover Velar also offers more than 25 cm of ground clearance (with air suspension variant) and an active rear differential lock. The entry angle is nearly 29 degrees.

Based on this information, Velar (as expected) promises above-average abilities beyond the asphalt road conditions, even though this model is mainly road-oriented. And even if you will come across some flooded underpass, Range Rover Velar will have no problems. As long as the water is less than 65 centimeters deep.

Range Rover Velar engines: three times diesel, three times petrol, hybrid planned

The new Velar is available with four different trims and six engines. Three of them are diesel versions (four-cylinder engine with 180 hp or 240 hp and V6 with 300 hp). The new petrol engine with 250 hp will be later joined by a derivative of the same engine with 300 hp, while the top of the offer is the supercharged V6 with 380 hp. What about the hybrid? Will be available, but not yet at an early stage.

2018 Velar price, rivals and release date

How important will the Range Rover Velar be for the brand tells the fact that in the coming years, Velar will contribute well over one-tenth of all customers. Among them, 70 percent of the buyers are planned to be the new ones. Customers that never before owned a Range Rover.

The Range Rover Velar’s price for the entry model starts at 50 thousand dollars in the USA and at around 45,000 pounds in the UK. Right in the middle of Evoque (30,000 pounds) and Sport (60,000 pounds).

The 2018 Range Rover Velar goes on sale later this year.

Probable competition and rivals are:

• Porsche Macan (video comparison below)
• BMW X4 (video comparison below)
• BMW X6
• Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe (video comparison below)
• Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
• Jaguar F-Pace

2018 Range Rover Velar vs. 2017 Porsche Macan (video)

Head to head technical comparison between 2018 Velar vs. 2017 Macan shows the Velar is bigger in all dimensions, longer, wider, higher, with the longer wheelbase and more luggage space. On the other hand, Porsche Macan is on average better armed under the hood. Its engines are more powerful and can offer better performance in terms of top speed and acceleration.

What about one of the most important factors, the price? Well, for the base models, it is practically the same. So the decisive factor here could be the brand (or country) awareness or the choice (and need) between spaciousness and performance. The difference, of course, is not that big, Velar can also be very fast and Macan is far from being a small car.

2018 Range Rover Velar vs. 2017 BMW X4 (video)

The technical comparison between Range Rover Velar vs. BMW X4 shows Velar is larger in almost all directions, including wheelbase. Inside, the spaciousness is very similar, BMW X4 is slightly more generous with centimeters in the first row.

The offer of engines is similar, both have diesel and petrol motors ranging between 2- and 3-liters. Velar engines have a bit more torque on average, while the BMW X4 is quicker in acceleration from standstill to 100 kilometers per hour. BMW X4 is also cheaper, you can get the base model for around 15% less in Europe while the difference in the United States is a little smaller.

2018 Range Rover Velar vs. 2017 Mercedes GLC Coupe (video)

The first thing we notice comparing Range Rover Velar vs. Mercedes GLC Coupe is the difference in size. Velar is larger in all directions. Not much, but is. As far as engines are concerned, we see no important differences. When racing between traffic lights, GLC Coupe seems a better choice for its quicker acceleration (on average). Also, the price is on the side of the German rival.

2018 Range Rover Velar technical details

Dimensions

Length: 4,803 mm
Width: 2,032 mm
Height: 1,665 mm
Wheelbase: 2,874 mm
Ground clearance: 251 mm (Electronic Air Suspension) or 213mm (Coil Suspension)
Luggage compartment: 632 litres, 1,731 litres with folded rear seats

Engines

Range Rover Velar D180

Engine capacity: 1,999 ccm, Maximum power: 180 hp, Maximum torque: 430 Nm, Top speed: 130 mph (209 km/h), Acceleration (0-60 mph / 0-96 km/h): 8.4 seconds, CO₂ emissions (g/km): 142.

Range Rover Velar D240

Engine capacity: 1,999 ccm, Maximum power: 240 hp, Maximum torque: 500 Nm, Top speed: 135 mph (217 km/h), Acceleration (0-60 mph / 0-96 km/h): 6.8 seconds, CO₂ emissions (g/km): 154.

Range Rover Velar D300

Engine capacity: 2,993 ccm, Maximum power: 300 hp, Maximum torque: 700 Nm, Top speed: 150 mph (241 km/h), Acceleration (0-60 mph / 0-96 km/h): 6.1 seconds, CO₂ emissions (g/km): 167.

Range Rover Velar P250

Engine capacity: 1,997 ccm, Maximum power: 250 hp, Maximum torque: 365 Nm, Top speed: 135 mph (217 km/h), Acceleration (0-60 mph / 0-96 km/h): 6.4 seconds, CO₂ emissions (g/km): 173.

Range Rover Velar P380

Engine capacity: 2,995 ccm, Maximum power: 380 hp, Maximum torque: 450 Nm, Top speed: 155 mph (250 km/h), Acceleration (0-60 mph / 0-96 km/h): 5.3 seconds, CO₂ emissions (g/km): 214.

Image credit: Land Rover