The Range Rover Velar Gets Official

Since the debut of the Range Rover Evoque, there has been a wide gap between it and the Range Rover Sport. Land Rover promised to fill this gap when it first teased the Range Rover Velar a few weeks ago. Recently, the British SUV manufacturer fully unveiled this new rig.

In the looks department, the Velar sits is more Evoque than Range Rover Sport. From the Evoque, the Velar pulls in the elongated headlights and taillights, rounded grille, raked rear glass, and sleek roofline. That said, the Velar has its own attitude with its square backside and overall longer body. This sleek body gives the Velar a 0.32 Cd coefficient of drag, making it the most aerodynamic Lard Rover ever.

2018 Land Rover Range Rove Velar (Credit: © Land Rover)

Like a true Land Rover, the Velar has plenty of off-road chops. Thanks to its available air suspension (V-6 models only), the Velar has up to 9.88 inches of ground clearance and a mighty 25.59 inches of wading clearance – 8.38 inches and 23.62 inches, respectively, with the standard coil-spring suspension. In addition, the Velar has available hill descent control, low-traction launch, Terrain Response, and All Terrain Progress Control.

Not only does this midsize SUV have the off-road chops of any other Land Rover, but it also has the appropriately appointed cabin. Inside, buyers will find a very simple and clean design combined with standard premium textile upholstery instead of leather, suedecloth seat inserts, the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, two 10-inch touchscreens, 34.4 cubic feet of cargo room with the rear seats upright, and more.

Under its hood, the 2018 Range Rover Velar will have a trio of engines. The base engine will be the recently released 2.0-liter Ingenium four-cylinder with 247 horsepower that sprints the Velar to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds. The optional gasoline engine will be a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 with 380 horsepower, which pushes the Velar to 60 mph in just 5.3 seconds. The third engine is a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel with 180 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. All three engines will pair with an eight-speed auto transmission.

2018 Land Rover Range Rove Velar (Credit: © Land Rover)

For buyers looking for something more exclusive, there is the limited-run First Edition trim. There will be 500 units available in the U.S., and they will come with the 3.0-liter V-6 engine, full extended leather, copper-weave carbon-fiber trim, a 1,600-watt Meridian Signature audio system, diamond-turned 22-inch wheels, and more.

Pricing for the 2018 Range Rover Velar starts from $49,900 and stretches to a massive $89,300 for the First Edition. For those looking for the diesel engine, the Velar with this powerplant starts from $56,200, while the 3.0-liter starts at $64,200.