After a well deserved rest, we started the day with breakfast and a briefing of the day. We then chose our vehicles and headed off for a day of driving. The Velar is really stylish. The outside is bold and dynamic but for me, the interior is really what got me excited. As a tech lover, I was pretty impressed to see that there are three large displays. Two are located in the central console and are used for the infotainment system. You can pretty much do everything from these two touch screen displays. You can change the aircon temperature or your seat height by just a tap on the display. The third display is used for the speedometer and is also customizable. You can choose various configurations to suite your needs. There is also a heads up display so you can keep your eyes on the road while still keeping an eye on your speed. I was also happy to see the Ambient Lighting that I first saw in the Jaguar F-Pace which allows you to set the mood with a range of colours. After doing loads of driving and trying out two of the models, we stopped at the BOSJES Restaurant in Worcester for lunch. After lunch we changed vehicles and drove the final stretch back to the airport. The Velar is really comfortable all thanks to its suspension which provides the perfect basis for agile handling, superior ride comfort and outstanding refinement. Whether I was cruising on the open road or driving on a bumpy gravel path, the seats really kept me in relaxed and in secure.
The Velar does not lack at all when it comes to performance. Even in Eco mode the Velar has loads of power but switching to Dynamic mode is when the Velar really opens up. The Velar which only comes in all wheel drive is great on and off the road. Just like we saw in the Land Rover Discovery, the Velar has preset modes for different terrains.
More information from Land Rover:
Created from a clean sheet using Jaguar Land Rover’s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture, the Velar represents the next chapter of the Range Rover success story as Britain’s biggest luxury export. Velar is defined by a visually reductive approach and meticulous attention to precision in every detail, which evolves Range Rover DNA and previews the next generation of Range Rover vehicles.
Velar’s design is beautifully balanced, from its powerful proportions to its continuous waist line through to the taut tapered lines of the rear. The generous wheelbase contributes significantly to its elegance while helping to provide a spacious interior.
Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover said:
“Velar is now the compelling, stand-out design in the class, showcasing perfectly optimised volume, powerful, taut surfaces and a stunning silhouette.”
The large alloy wheels – in particular the range of 22-inch designs – optimise the vehicle’s stunning silhouette, while further enhancing Velar’s dramatic presence.
Advanced technology is pivotal to enabling Velar’s contemporary design: the full-LED headlights are the most-slender ever to appear on a production Land Rover. The flush deployable door handles emphasise Velar’s reductive, sculptured form, and contribute to the low drag coefficient of only 0.32 – this is the most aerodynamically-efficient Land Rover ever produced.
Look inside Velar’s interior and you will see elegant simplicity, sophistication and refinement. An unwavering belief in reductionism has been fully employed, with switches being kept to an absolute minimum to help create a calm sanctuary.
Design enabling technology has been engaged fully to create the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system which is the centrepiece of Velar’s interior. Touch Pro Duo features two 10-inch high-definition touchscreens integrated seamlessly behind hidden-until-lit surfaces. These slim, intuitive displays work in harmony with the cabin architecture while adding an overall sense of modernity congruent with the vehicle’s exterior design. All of this is equalled by the Velar’s practicality: luggage compartment volume is class-leading at 673-litres.
Unique in the segment, the Velar offers a sustainable, premium textile seat material as an alternative to leather. The Dapple Grey material was developed together with Kvadrat, Europe’s leading manufacturer of high-quality design textiles, and is complemented with Suedecloth inserts in Ebony or Light Oyster.
The light, stiff, aluminium-intensive body, together with double-wishbone front- and Integral Link rear suspension provides the perfect basis for agile handling, superior ride comfort and outstanding refinement. It also delivers exceptional levels of crash protection, and the Velar has been developed to meet the most demanding crash test regulations worldwide.
Combined with a comprehensive restraints system that includes six airbags, and a suite of advanced driver assistance systems, including Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, the Velar integrates the latest safety technologies.
The Velar features a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, four-corner air suspension, class-leading ground clearance of 251mm (213mm when equipped with coil springs), class-leading wading depth of 650mm (600mm when equipped with coil springs) and Land Rover’s unmatched suite of traction technologies including Terrain Response 2 and All Terrain Progress Control. The Velar – like all Range Rovers – offers world-class all-terrain capability.
Exceptional performance and efficiency comes from the range of six petrol and diesel powertrains, all matched to smooth-shifting ZF eight-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive with Intelligent Driveline Dynamics.
Clean, refined four-cylinder Ingenium diesels are offered in 132kW and 177kW variants, noted for their low 142g/km CO2 emissions and high 500Nm torque output, respectively. These engines are joined by the new, two highly-advanced four-cylinder Ingenium petrol engines delivering 184kW and 365Nm, for 0-100km/h acceleration in 6.7 seconds, and a more powerful variant with outputs of 221kW and 400Nm, to achieve the 0-100km/h sprint in just 6.0 seconds.
The V6 diesel combines an extraordinary 700Nm of torque for effortless acceleration and off-road capability with CO2 emissions of only 167g/km. The 280kW supercharged V6 petrol engine combines exhilarating performance with a unique soundtrack and enables the Velar to reach 100km/h in only 5.7 seconds, before reaching an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h.
The Velar and Velar R-Dynamic range comprise Standard, S, SE and HSE specifications. Customers can also specify Black and Premium exterior packs for an even more distinguished appearance. Customers can build their own Velar using the Land Rover Configurator. All new Land Rover vehicles come with the Land Rover Five-Year Care Plan: a five-year/100 000km service plan, a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan and a five-year/100 000km warranty, as standard.
The Velar is available in South Africa from today. Pricing starts at R947k and goes up to R1.5M. Don’t forget there are still extras which you may want to add.
