The 4 × 4 Land Rover brand launches a new member of the Range family called te 2018 Velar
The 4 × 4 Land Rover brand launches a new member of the Range family called te 2018 Velar
Anglo-Saxon measurement units sometimes reserve us some surprises. So when Land Rover announces the arrival of a new SUV located between the Evoque (4.37 meters long) and the Range Rover Sport (4.85 m), many of us expected, of course , to see a 4 × 4 landing of about 4.60 m, to compete, for example, the Audi Q5. Well no ! The British brand, bought in 2008 by the Indian Tata Motors, has laid the Velar, a "small" model so chic 4.80 m which, according to the metric system, will not be easier to park than the Range Rover Sport ...
This detail does not seem to discourage the customers: even before its launch, more than 500 purchase orders were established in France without the machine having been tried. The Velar, carrying a modern image, rakes broad: 80% of buyers were not owners of Land Rover before signing for this novelty. How to explain such a craze? By the look, above all. Clean design, reduced front overhang, small glass surfaces, remote cell and huge wheels (up to 22 inches) ... English stands out from the rest, without falling into the caricature of the pretentious "coupe SUV" Mercedes GLE Coupe or a BMW X6. Special mention for retractable door handles, which unfold only on unlocking and then return to their home beyond 8 km / h.
The opening of the doors reveals an impressive universe. We feel on board as in a refined cocoon. The atmosphere, typically "Range", enjoys leather surpiqué profusion, a contemporary presentation, original and refined. What give a real shot of old to the luxurious Range Rover. This rolling salon also benefits from innovative ergonomics to get rid of the superfluous: instead of traditional and countless buttons, three knobs and two touch screens of 10 inches. This is an intuitive way of controlling all embedded systems, thanks to a clear and easy-to-understand interface. The change of scenery is total but a few kilometers are enough to control this environment, also enjoying counters replaced by a customizable screen. Bathed in luxury and technology, the most fussy drivers will however regret some small finishing details, the firmness of the leather seat backs and steering wheel satellite controls, impractical. As for the passengers in the rear, where the roof guard is very generous, they could have hoped for more legroom.
Based on the modular Jaguar F-Pace platform, the Velar boasts a lower weight compared to the Range Sport. This is not a feather: the basic versions are 1,804 kg (according to the manufacturer) and the high-end, with six-cylinder engines, exceed two tons. If this weight is not felt on fast track, the sequences of turns highlight it. The steering lacks consistency and precision while the road behavior, extremely healthy, suffers from a front train which gradually widens the trajectory as soon as it is manhandled. The pneumatic controlled suspension, delivered in series with the V6, limits the cash movements but hardly to generate soft on degraded road, betrayed by the wheels of 21 inches of our model of test. The Velar only likes coatings like billiards ... or battlefields. Because it is a "real" Land.
Despite its huge wheels, English climbs to the top of the ski resorts, at least in summer, and crosses the rivers of 65 cm deep (it's real ...) without blinking. With a permanent all-wheel drive and Terrain Response II, a customizable off-road driving assistance program, it plays out the difficulties despite the lack of short reports. Its ground clearance can, for example, climb up to 25.1 cm at 50 km / h, and its multiple cameras make it possible to locate the front wheels and to see the ruts to cross even when the hood hides them.
A hood that, precisely, only houses engines with 4 or 6 cylinders. A way to stand out from the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport who can receive a V8. With a diesel V6 of 300 hp (malus of € 4,050), which represents 56% of diesel Velar already ordered, our model shines with its quiet operation and its approval. Seconded by a remarkable 8-speed automatic transmission, it shows a very appreciable flexibility and accelerates strongly (6.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h). Its generous torque of 700 Nm, available from 1500 rpm, also benefits the occasions. This is certainly the best choice, especially since it consumes only 6.4 l / 100 km according to the homologation cycle, and 8.9 l / 100 km on average during our test.
This detail does not seem to discourage the customers: even before its launch, more than 500 purchase orders were established in France without the machine having been tried. The Velar, carrying a modern image, rakes broad: 80% of buyers were not owners of Land Rover before signing for this novelty. How to explain such a craze? By the look, above all. Clean design, reduced front overhang, small glass surfaces, remote cell and huge wheels (up to 22 inches) ... English stands out from the rest, without falling into the caricature of the pretentious "coupe SUV" Mercedes GLE Coupe or a BMW X6. Special mention for retractable door handles, which unfold only on unlocking and then return to their home beyond 8 km / h.
The opening of the doors reveals an impressive universe. We feel on board as in a refined cocoon. The atmosphere, typically "Range", enjoys leather surpiqué profusion, a contemporary presentation, original and refined. What give a real shot of old to the luxurious Range Rover. This rolling salon also benefits from innovative ergonomics to get rid of the superfluous: instead of traditional and countless buttons, three knobs and two touch screens of 10 inches. This is an intuitive way of controlling all embedded systems, thanks to a clear and easy-to-understand interface. The change of scenery is total but a few kilometers are enough to control this environment, also enjoying counters replaced by a customizable screen. Bathed in luxury and technology, the most fussy drivers will however regret some small finishing details, the firmness of the leather seat backs and steering wheel satellite controls, impractical. As for the passengers in the rear, where the roof guard is very generous, they could have hoped for more legroom.
Based on the modular Jaguar F-Pace platform, the Velar boasts a lower weight compared to the Range Sport. This is not a feather: the basic versions are 1,804 kg (according to the manufacturer) and the high-end, with six-cylinder engines, exceed two tons. If this weight is not felt on fast track, the sequences of turns highlight it. The steering lacks consistency and precision while the road behavior, extremely healthy, suffers from a front train which gradually widens the trajectory as soon as it is manhandled. The pneumatic controlled suspension, delivered in series with the V6, limits the cash movements but hardly to generate soft on degraded road, betrayed by the wheels of 21 inches of our model of test. The Velar only likes coatings like billiards ... or battlefields. Because it is a "real" Land.
Despite its huge wheels, English climbs to the top of the ski resorts, at least in summer, and crosses the rivers of 65 cm deep (it's real ...) without blinking. With a permanent all-wheel drive and Terrain Response II, a customizable off-road driving assistance program, it plays out the difficulties despite the lack of short reports. Its ground clearance can, for example, climb up to 25.1 cm at 50 km / h, and its multiple cameras make it possible to locate the front wheels and to see the ruts to cross even when the hood hides them.
A hood that, precisely, only houses engines with 4 or 6 cylinders. A way to stand out from the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport who can receive a V8. With a diesel V6 of 300 hp (malus of € 4,050), which represents 56% of diesel Velar already ordered, our model shines with its quiet operation and its approval. Seconded by a remarkable 8-speed automatic transmission, it shows a very appreciable flexibility and accelerates strongly (6.5 seconds from 0 to 100 km / h). Its generous torque of 700 Nm, available from 1500 rpm, also benefits the occasions. This is certainly the best choice, especially since it consumes only 6.4 l / 100 km according to the homologation cycle, and 8.9 l / 100 km on average during our test.
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