Land Rover launches Range Rover Velar luxury SUV in India at Rs 78.83 lakh

Land Rover, the British off-road specialist under Tata Motors' umbrella, has launched the fourth luxury SUV in its Range Rover line, Velar, in India for a starting price of Rs 78.83 lakh. Available in an array of 25 trims, Range Rover Velar in its top-end First Edition trim would cost Rs 1.37 crore (ex-showroom, India).

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Velar sits between Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport as a brand's most modern SUV. Derived from the Latin word Velare meaning 'to cover' or 'veil', Range Rover Velar is inspired by the code name used on the original, pre-production Range Rovers of the late 1960s.

Sleek exterior

Range Rover Velar looks very beautiful as it flaunts a contemporary design. The SUV has an unmistakable Range Rover family's front end, but the Land Rover designers have given it a fashionable touch with a rearward lean to the grille and front windshield. The black-out roof, angular vented bumper, thin shoulder line that runs from the front fender to the rear lamps, flush doors pulls and narrow and wraparound lights give the Velar a sleek stance.

Contemporary interior

The interior is equally impressive. The highlight inside Range Rover Evoque is the Touch Pro Duo 10-inch stacked displays at the centre of the dashboard. The display on top acts like the media interface, reversing camera displays and helps in navigation, while the display at the bottom features controls for the climate, seat heating and cooling as well as controls for terrain response.

100% off-road machine

All the glitz and glamour doesn't mean that Range Rover Velar is not an on and on off-roader. The Velar comes equipped with Hill Descent Control (HDC) as standard, the Terrain Response 2 system and an active rear-locking e-differential.

Three engine options

Range Rover Velar is offered in three powertrain options – 2.0-litre diesel, 2.0-litre petrol and 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The 2.0-litre diesel mill develops 178bhp and 430Nm, while its higher tune will be 237bhp and 500Nm. The 3.0-litre diesel motor will develop 296bhp and 700Nm. The Ingenium petrol engine is available in 247bhp and 365Nm tune and 296bhp and 400Nm tune. All the engines will be mated to the ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Variants and rivals

Range Rover Velar range starts with the base trim and then upgraded to S, SE, HSE, R-Dynamic, R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE and the R-Dynamic HSE variants. The 3.0-litre diesel V6 also gets a top-spec First Edition variant.

Velar will take on the likes of BMW X5, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and even Jaguar F-Pace.