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Velar: unveiled the new Range Rover’s model

The Velar entry onto the scene did not go unnoticed. Indeed, the message it brought with it was disruptive, demonstrating once again the creative capabilities of the British manufacturer. It was 2017 and six years later, history is repeating itself. (Here all our posts on Land Rover)

Velar

New Velar, the evolution of the species 

Range Rover presents the new Velar. This is not a 2.0 version, but what is referred to in the jargon as a restyling or face lift. In practice, the areas of intervention covered a number of areas that affect both the bodywork and the interior. The research work went in the direction on the one hand of making this model even more attractive from the outside, and on the other of enhancing the ‘on board’ living experience in terms of quality.

Velar

The exteriors

“The new Range Rover Velar is an impeccable example of our modernist design philosophy: clean, reductive and irresistibly desirable. Defined by perfectly optimised proportions it embodies refinement with bold elegance and a truly unique presence,” comments Professor Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer, Jaguar Land Rover. Goal achieved. To the eye, the new Velar retains a design with a sculpted and essential look enhanced by an unbroken beltline that has become the stylistic signature and hallmark of this range. But there are some elements that further enhance its aesthetic content.

Velar

Starting with the choice to revise the front grille, which adopts an even squarer mesh pattern graphic. The profile acquires even more dynamism thanks to the sloping windscreen that merges, integrating, into the suspended panoramic roof, and the powerful overhang at the rear where the new design of the bumper, also conceived to hide the exhaust tailpipes, further enhances the proportions.

Velar

The concept of extreme formal cleanliness of design around which the new Velar has been developed is also reflected in the flush door handles. These are quickly withdrawn when the doors are unlocked by remote control, or by pressing a discreet button in the handle, and then gently retract when the car is locked, or reaches speeds above 8 km/h, thereby reducing aerodynamic drag.

Velar

The interiors

The minimalist approach that characterises the exterior design of the new Ranger Rover Velar is also reflected in the way the interior has been conceived. Here too, the design imprint follows a pattern that proceeds by subtraction. The research work went in the direction of harmonising and integrating as best as possible the presence of all those elements with a technological flavour that have now become an indispensable part of on-board equipment. A fundamental step that in the case of the new Velar takes a further quantum leap in thinking.

So the curved 11.4-inch touchscreen is not an extraneous element disconnected from the rest but, on the contrary, its presence integrates perfectly with the design of the dashboard. From here, all the on-board and infotainment functions of the Pivi Pro Range Rover system can be managed at the touch of a finger, with even more attractive graphics and even more intuitive and immediate access and management of information.

Velar

That’s for the driver. And for the other occupants? The issue of connectivity was central to the thinking behind the development of the design of the new Velar. And the presence of Alexa in the Pivi Pro system goes in this direction. Available for use without the need for a smartphone in the car, occupants can in fact interact with Alexa to control vehicle functions, including navigation, phone calls and music selection, using built-in apps such as Spotify, TuneIn and Deezer, all of which are always connected to Alexa, and music accounts supported through InControl.

Velar

Then there is the subject of materials, and here a whole new chapter opens. In addition to traditional leather, the options available include a combination of Danish KvadratTM wool fabric, (58 per cent lighter than leather), with UltrafabricsTM perforated polyurethane inserts featuring a herringbone weave. In addition, the carpet is made of Econyl, a fabric derived mainly from discarded and recovered fishing nets. In terms of equipment, for the first time the Velar is also available in the Autobiography version, thus extending an offer in which customers can opt for other solutions such as Velar S, Dynamic SE, and Dynamic HSE. On the colour front, the palette is enriched with three new exterior colours: Metallic Varesine Blue, Metallic Arroios Grey and Premium Metallic Zadar Grey, which join the six already on the list.

Velar

New Velar: each to his own powertrain

The latest Range Rover is available with the latest petrol, diesel mild hybrid and hybrid-electric engines.  “By increasing the battery size by 12 per cent, we were able to extend the all-electric driving range of the plug-in P400e to 64 km (40 miles). With the added benefit of DC fast-charging capability, customers will be able to complete their daily journeys using electric propulsion more easily than ever before,” comments James Sanderson, Lifecycle Chief Engineer of the new Range Rover Velar.

Velar

In detail, the Velar P400e with a combined torque of 404 bhp and 640 Nm, delivered by the 300 bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine and the 105 kW electric motor, is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.4 seconds, and reaching a top speed of 209 km/h. 

Matteo Zaccagnino

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