Range Rover Velar debuts on the stock exchange

Unusual shape and equally unobvious place. The new Range Rover, in line with the fashion trend of sport utility vehicles, debuted at the Stock Exchange building.

Where did this idea come from? It turns out that the importer of JLR Group cars, that is, the Jaguar, Land Rover and Range Rover brands, wants to become a public joint-stock company this fall. The move is quite interesting, as is the group of invited guests. The presentation was also attended by screen stars and politicians who willingly posed on the photo wall. For us, the car turned out to be more important, and we focused our attention on it.

And there is a reason, because the new Velar is not just another new SUV. First of all - on the hood it has a proud inscription "Range Rover", which already puts it in the sights of the keepers of traditions, who ask if it is worthy of other products of the British brand. The second is to fill the gap between the compact Evoque and the much larger and more expensive Range Rover Sport. Thirdly, it will start tough competition with coupe-SUVs, and fourthly, it will initiate a new stylistic language and introduce completely new technical solutions that were not previously in the JLR group.

The name itself can be a little confusing, especially for fans of the brand. They know that VELRAR is the name of the prototype of the first Range Rover, short for Vee Eight Land Rover, or "Landka" with a V8 engine. There are no plans for the powerful V-3.0 engine for the Velar, but there is a supercharged 6 V380 option with 180 hp. For less demanding, and more precisely, more demanding for combustion, we offer diesel units with power from 300 to XNUMX hp. Of course, both axles are driven by an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Strong power and all-wheel drive promise a rugged chassis, with optional air suspension that the Range Rover can take off-road. Low-profile tires may be the only hurdle, as the brand's typical drivetrain makes it possible to navigate through fast-moving traffic - ground clearance exceeds 25 cm and fording depth of 65 cm, impressive figures that most buyers prefer not to notice. test.

Velar is not small, it is only a few centimeters smaller than the Sport. As a result, it has a huge trunk with a volume of 673 liters and impresses with its majesty. And it should cost a lot less. The Polish price list is not yet known, but in the UK the price of the base model is exactly in the middle between the Evoque and Sport models. In our conditions it should be 240-250 thousand. zloty.

At this price, it is difficult to attribute it to one class or another. Velar is longer than BMW X4 or Mercedes GLC Coupe, but their direct competitor is rather Jaguar F-Pace. The Range Rover Velar is closely related to Jaguar's first SUV, including from its platform, but the body is noticeably larger. But not enough to compare it with the BMW X6 or Mercedes GLE Coupe, because this is the territory of the Range Rover Sport.

The new Velar reflects the style of its smaller and larger cousins ​​in every way, but also brings new features. First of all, this applies to the concept models, which can be seen, for example, by retractable handles, as well as the most modern solutions, such as Matrix-Laser LED headlights. In the cabin, in addition to quality materials, we already find three huge screens - including two 10-inch touch screens for controlling on-board systems.

Finally, let's return for a moment to the evening stars. Among them was Mateusz Kusnerevich, a multiple world champion in sailing, an Olympic champion. An important figure in the context of the presentation of the new Range Rover, because this is his face. The choice is not accidental as the British brand wants to promote itself through sailing. Therefore, it is difficult to imagine a better representative of the Velar model than this talented and titled athlete.