Indian-owned British SUV manufacturer, Land Rover, have unveiled their latest in the luxury SUV segment; the Range Rover Velar. Aimed for the slot in between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, the Velar has already picked its niche and is ready for a worthy fight.
At the unveiling, Land Rover announced that, to start with, the Velar will be offered with three engine options; the Ingenium four-cylinder, 2.0-litre, turbocharged diesel (D180), the 3.0-litre, V6, twin-turbocharged diesel (D300) and the all-new Ingenium four-cylinder, 2.0-litre, turbocharged petrol (P250). Land Rover have promised four more engine options post the launch of the vehicle.
The D180 is the smallest engine of the lot and is specifically aimed at providing outstanding fuel economy and lower emissions. It produces 180 PS at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 430 Nm at 1,500 rpm. The D300 was made to be ruthless, so it is no surprise that it makes 300 PS at 4,000 rpm and a peak torque of 700 Nm at 1,500 rpm. The only petrol option at the moment, the P250 produces 250 PS at 5,500 rpm and a peak torque of 365 Nm at 1,200 rpm. All the available engines are mated to an eight-speed, automatic gearbox with power going to all four wheels. The closely-spaced gear ratios are supposed to optimise the fuel usage and help the Velar accelerate quickly.
Apart from the potent engines the Velar also has a buffet of mouth-watering features like Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD), electronic air suspension, All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), wade sensing and active locking rear differential among other driver-aids.
The Velar is available in four trim levels; standard S, S, SE and HSE. The HSE comes loaded with the most technological ingenuity and luxuriously-crafted interior that the Velar has to offer. Land Rover have begun accepting orders for the Velar. The global launch is expected to happen this summer. We expect the Velar to be priced in the Rs 90 lakh – Rs1.5 crore bracket.
