Range Rover Velar arrives

Land Rover Australia has received more than 400 pre-orders for the fourth member of the Range Rover family, the Velar, which is now available Down Under less than two months after its global launch in late July.

However, due to the plethora of variants and options on offer, it says customers will face a minimum six-week waiting time (new orders won’t be delivered until March and the average will be three months, but “significantly longer” for bespoke orders) and admits there’s a high chance many buyers will downsize from the larger Range Rover Sport.

Local pricing and specifications were announced in June for no fewer than 50 different Velar variants, including three diesel engines (D180 and D240 four-cylinder and D300 V6), six petrol engines (P250 and P300 four-cylinder and P380 V6), four equipment grades (Velar, S, SE and HSE) and three design packages (Velar, R-Dynamic and First Edition), plus an extensive options list.

Jaguar Land Rover Australia managing director Matthew Wiesner would not divulge the level of sales substitution he expects between the mid-size Velar and Range Rover’s 400mm-shorter Evoque ($56,050-$93,588) and the slightly larger Rangie Sport ($130,011-$233,211), but insisted the vast majority of customers would come from other brands.

“We’ve got our internal assumptions,” he said. “Will it be more people going up or down? Is it upsizing or downsizing? [Either way] I’d rather have internal cannibalisation than customers going to our competitors. Velar’s main role is bringing people to the brand.”

See the full model range below, but pricing opens at $71,550 plus on-road costs for the Velar D180 and tops out at $168,250 for the D300 First Edition and $168,862 for the P380 First Edition, representing a price premium of $53,200 over the models on which they’re based.

Both First Edition models come standard with Corris Grey paint and can be optioned with Silicon Silver ($1780) or Flux Silver ($13,120) paint, bringing the price to about $182,000.

The top-shelf Velar models come with a host of extra luxury features available at extra cost in lesser models, including All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), Terrain Response 2, Configurable Dynamics, Active Rear Locking Differential and Wade Sensing.

Differentiated by First Edition badging on the B-pillar, there’s also a black contrast roof, sliding panoramic roof, Matrix-Laser LED headlights with Signature Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) and privacy glass and 22-inch wheels with Diamond Turned finish.

Other additional features include 20-way heated/cooled front seats with memory and massage functions in Light Oyster/Ebony perforated Windsor leather, heated rear reclining seats, Carbon Fibre with Copper Wire Weave trim finishers with exclusive First Edition script, Suedecloth headlining, illuminated R-Dynamic treadplates and premium carpet mats.

Rounding out the First Edition extras is configurable Ambient Interior Lighting, a heated steering wheel, heated windscreen, head-up display, 1600W/23-speaker Meridian Signature Sound System, Power Socket Pack 2 (4xUSB, 3x12V), instrument panel chrome ends, reduced section alloy spare wheel, Interior Luxury Pack Plus, Surround Camera System and the Activity Key wristband.

Almost all of these features can be optioned in other models, although air suspension is only standard on V6 models, costs $2110 on the mid-range D240/P300 and is unavailable in the base D180/P250 models.

Along with Land Rover’s Terrain Response system and an electronic locking rear diff (unavailable on four-cylinder models, $1110 on V6 models), air suspension is a key differentiator to Jaguar’s sportier F-PACE, with which the more luxurious Velar shares its platform and 2.0- and 3.0-litre petrol and diesel engines.

As with the F-PACE, there is no low-range gearing, a full-size alloy spare wheel (which reduces the class-leading boot capacity to 558 litres) costs $1020, metallic paint costs $1780 extra and there are three premium metallic paints ($3550); the only standard solid paint colours are white and black.

Further exterior design options include a black contrast roof ($1260), fixed panoramic roof ($3550), sliding panoramic roof ($4370) and silver or black roof rails ($940).

Stepping up from the standard Velar to the S, SE and HSE brings 19-, 20- and 21-inch wheels, premium LED, Matrix LED and Matrix LED headlights with signature DRLs, and higher-spec seats and sound systems for a price premium of $11,100, $8900 and $16,300 respectively.

Standard safety equipment at base level is extensive, including autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, reversing camera, six airbags, traction/stability control, roll stability control, cornering brake control, torque vectoring by braking, anti-lock brakes, emergency brake assist, brake pad wear indicator, hill descent control, gradient release control, hill launch assist, trailer stability assist, tyre pressure monitoring and a perimeter alarm.

However, blind-spot, rear traffic and driver condition monitors are standard only from SE level, and high-speed AEB, lane-keeping assist and automatic parking only from HSE level.

Other range-wide standard equipment includes all-wheel drive, a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, Terrain Response, Powered Gesture Tailgate, electric park brake, adaptive dynamics, idle-stop, electric power steering, automatic wipers and headlights, front/rear LED lights, heated wing mirrors, acoustic laminated windscreen, keyless entry/start, rear parking sensors and deployable flush door handles.

Base models run on 18-inch alloy wheels but still score the new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system (which comprises two 10-inch colour touch-screens but doesn’t yet support Apple CarPlay or Android Auto), voice control, leather steering wheel, illuminated vanity mirrors, Morzine headlining, 5.0-inch instrument panel display, black gearshift paddles, metal scuff and tread plates, dual-zone climate-control, ambient interior lighting, Bluetooth connectivity, air quality sensor and 250W eight-speaker audio.

At the entry level there’s also Luxtec and suedecloth seat trim, eight-way manual front seats, two-piece sliding front centre armrests, a 40:20:40-split folding rear seat, four one-touch power windows, cruise control, speed limiter, lockable glovebox, luggage cover, two USB outlets and three 12V sockets.

In addition, for a further $6000, R-Dynamic models come with unique front and rear bumper designs with front fog lights and integrated rear exhaust finishers, branded treadplates, a leather steering wheel with chrome bezel, Satin Chrome gearshift paddles, Shadow Aluminium trim finisher, Bright metal pedals, Ebony Morzine headlining and Gloss Black side mirrors with Narvik Black scalps.

All models – from the 132kW Ingenium-engined D180 to the 280kW supercharged V6 P380 – come with a 2500kg braked tow capacity, but a tow hitch receiver costs $1000 extra (and is unavailable with the First Edition).

Among a host of other range-wide options are a luggage net ($380), Terrain Response 2 ($430), cooled glovebox ($430), configurable ambient lighting ($540), All Terrain Progress Control ($640), Interactive Drive Display ($890), privacy glass ($890), digital DAB+ radio ($940), Activity Key ($960), surround camera ($1650), four-zone climate-control ($1910), digital TV ($2220), head-up display ($2420), an 8.0-inch rear entertainment system ($5490) and an array of seat options.

Wiesner defended the extensive optional extras list and potential waiting list, saying: “Velar brings a new level of model complexity. It’s a balance between offering greater choice and maximum value. Early adopters don’t mind waiting. Dealers will have to think about it in a different way. It’s not about where we’ve been but where we’re going.”

He said that despite its similar size, engines and starting price, the Jaguar F-PACE was a different offering to the Velar, which is more luxurious, higher-tech and has a wider breadth of ability.

“Velar’s clean, minimalist design is a taste of where Range Rover is headed. It’s a space we haven’t been in before and it’s a level of luxury we haven’t had in the past. I’m looking forward to what Velar will add.”

The local JLR chief denied a fourth Range Rover model diluted the British luxury SUV brand, which started as a single model, despite the fact it focusses more on design than capability.

“We’re expanding what Land Rover means over a far broader space. There are plenty of others that want a piece of us, so we have to make sure we give customers what they want,” he said.

“Range Rover’s role continues to be upmarket. Range Rover is going from niche to a broader premium luxury space more towards Mercedes-Benz and BMW, so it needs to have more premium products, but that doesn’t detract from Land Rover’s reputation for capability.”

2018 Range Rover Velar pricing (plus ORCs):
Velar D180 132kW 5.4L/100km -- $71,550
Velar D240 177kW 5.8L/100km -- $80,950
Velar D300 221kW 6.4L/100km -- $92,850
Velar P250 184kW 7.6L/100km -- $70,662
Velar P300 221kW 7.8L/100km -- $78,750
Velar P380 280kW 9.4L/100km -- $93,462
Velar S D180 132kW 5.4L/100km -- $82,650
Velar S D240 177kW 5.8L/100km -- $92,050
Velar S D300 221kW 6.4L/100km -- $103,950
Velar S P250 184kW 7.6L/100km -- $81,762
Velar S P300 221kW 7.8L/100km -- $89,850
Velar S P380 280kW 9.4L/100km -- $104,562
Velar SE D180 132kW 5.4L/100km -- $91,550
Velar SE D240 177kW 5.8L/100km -- $100,950
Velar SE D300 221kW 6.4L/100km -- $112,850
Velar SE P250 184kW 7.6L/100km -- $90,662
Velar SE P300 221kW 7.8L/100km -- $98,750
Velar SE P380 280kW 9.4L/100km -- $113,462
Velar HSE D180 132kW 5.4L/100km -- $107,850
Velar HSE D240 177kW 5.8L/100km -- $117,250
Velar HSE D300 221kW 6.4L/100km -- $129,150
Velar HSE P250 184kW 7.6L/100km -- $106,962
Velar HSE P300 221kW 7.8L/100km -- $115,050
Velar HSE P380 280kW 9.4L/100km -- $129,762
Velar First Edition D300 221kW 6.4L/100km -- $168,250
Velar First Edition P380 280kW 9.4L/100km -- $168,862