Tata Motors-owned JLR unveils the 'Velar'
What's the story
Ratan Tata's passion project, the 'Range Rover Velar' was unveiled by Tata Motors' subsidiary 'Jaguar Land Rover'. JLR's Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern, credited Ratan Tata, the group's chairman emeritus and said, "I would like to thank Ratan Tata. Ever since he saw the first sketch of the Velar, he became a passionate advocate of it." The 'Velar' is now open for orders worldwide.
Background
Range Rover bright spot for England
Since the 1970s, the Range Rover brand, considered as Britain's biggest luxury export, accounts for 85% of all the premium/high-end cars manufactured in UK. The brand includes, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque, and contributes 10 billion pounds to UK's economy annually. Range Rover's production at four UK plants support over 40,000 British jobs and 250,000 across the supply chain.
Details
One of "the hottest products of 2017"
'Velar' is derived from Latin and means to 'to hide' or 'to veil'. Its exterior has been styled by Italian Massimo Frascella: the car's low roofline, slender LED lights, its sheer surfacing make it the most aerodynamic Land Rover. It has already received more pre-orders than any of the previous Land Rover models. It's currently on display at London's Design Museum until March 6.
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Coming full circle
The 2018 Range Rover Velar is only the fourth model to be released in nearly 50 years. 'Velar' was also name of prototypes of original Range Rover that the company sent out for testing in the 1960s.
Tough competition
Taking on Audi and Porsche
The Velar goes on sale in July and will be sold across 100 markets globally. Starting prices are £45,000 and go up to £85,000 for the top end model. It will be pitched against mid-sized SUVs such as the Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan. According to JLR, the Velar offers "luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability" yet to be seen in the mid-size SUV category.