After record sales in 2016, Land Rover sales are already up 10 per cent in 2017 and it’ll be hoping that some of that success rubs off on this new Range Rover Velar too.The fourth model in the Range Rover line-up, the Velar slots into the gap between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.While in principle that might seem like a small gap, in reality it’s actually quite big. The Evoque is way too small as a family car, while the Range Rover Sport is a big seven-seater.
Furthermore, you’ve only got to see the recent boom in the premium crossover market with the Porsche Macan, Mercedes GLC, Volvo XC60 and Audi Q5 to see the level of sales that Land Rover has been missing out on.
And that’s before you even mention the Velar’s sister car, the Jaguar F-Pace.Not that this new Velar comes cheap mind you. Yes the range officially starts at £44,830, but in reality most Velars will leave showrooms for not much less than £60,000 and the initial First Edition models both lie the wrong side of 80 grand. And no, that’s not a misprint.In fact, this Velar actually sits longer and lower than the average between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport and from a design point of view adopts a very different look.
With much smoother lines than the existing Land Rover family, it certainly pushes the green oval towards the future and there’s unfussy cleanliness about the styling.
