More sophistication coming to Velar SUV, in the form of new technology and new engines
Running changes for the Range Rover Velar medium SUV will include two news engines and a slew of updated safety equipment, according to an announcement this week by Jaguar Land Rover in the UK.
Expected to arrive in Australia late in 2018, the new 2019 Range Rover Velar models’ adaptive radar cruise control is now updated with steering assist as standard. This works by automatically steering the car, detecting road lines and keeping the SUV in its lane without driver input.
Other standard features for the UK-spec Range Rover Velar include a rear camera, front and rear parking aids, emergency braking and a driver condition monitor, most of which are expected to be offered locally.
The updated Range 2019 Rover Velar will be optional with Adaptive Dynamics on certain models. This system monitors the relationship between the wheels and the road and constantly adjusts damping rates to ensure “suspension stiffness is optimised for the driving conditions,” according to Range Rover.
Regular models are fitted with traditional coil spring suspension and, for the ultimate in malleability, air-suspension can be optioned on more models too.
There are also two new engines offered in the range, one petrol, one diesel, both V6. The D275 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel produces 200kW/625Nm and the P340 3.0-litre supercharged V6 is rated at 250kW/450Nm; the latter engine slots in underneath the range-topping 280kW petrol model.
The British-based, Indian-owned company has now fitted particulate filters to all petrol engines. These are designed to trap and oxidise potentially harmful ultrafine-particulate tail-pipe emissions.
Like all Range Rover Velar models, the two new engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s not yet clear whether both new engines will be offered in Australia later in the year.
“We’ve just introduced the updated F-PACE pricing and specifications and soon we’ll do the same for Velar in Australia,” said James Scrimshaw, Land Rover’s Product Public Affairs Manager.
He explained that the Australian importer’s product planning team is currently working on which features, engines and variants will be offered in Australia when the 2019 Range Rover Velar touches terra firma, locally.
“We’ll have prices and details in a couple of weeks,” said Scrimshaw.
Currently, the sophisticated medium SUV starts at $71,550 for the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel and tops out at $135,762 for the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 in Australia.
There’s also Range Rover Velar SVR in the works, powered by the brand’s barking-mad 5.0-litre blown V8 engine (405kW/680Nm) that’s expected to come to bear in 2019.
For the first four months of 2018 the Velar has sold 576 units, ahead of the Range Rover Evoque on 514 units but well behind the luxury medium SUV category leader BMW X3 on 1878 sales.
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