The Range Rover Velar isn’t dead yet but its successor is coming. Fast. Reports say we’ll see it by the end of 2016. Maybe sooner. It’s been since 2022, remember.
Autocar says the next-gen model debuts within six months. Don’t hold your breath on the name though. It might not even be called a Velar anymore. That doesn’t matter much anyway. What does is the chassis. This thing rides on JLR’s new EMA platform.
Originally? Pure electric only. Obviously not anymore. EV uptake stalled. The US is still caught up on the hype. So JLR changed the game. Now the EMA architecture allows for hybrid options. Flexible is the word.
The EMA platform now “provides flexibility in the future through a full Hybrid Electric Vehicle propulsion offering”.
The Velar replacement launches as an EV first. Hybrids later. The hybrids won’t share guts with JLR’s old petrol engines. Clean break.
We’ve got spy pics from March. Cold weather testing reveals a bit more than just camo. Look at that interior. Two-spoke wheel. Digital cluster. Big freestanding touchscreen dominating the dash. Typical JLR now.
Externally? Sharp. This was one of the last cars under Gerry McGovern. He left. The car didn’t. It looks rakish. Short flat rear deck. Steeply raked tailgate. It wants to look fast even if it isn’t going off-roading. Which is the point. Refinement over mud. JLR wants long-distance luxury. Not a tool.
Is it a real Range Rover then?
Technically yes. It’s got badges. But it’s built different. The EMA base supposedly has an 800V architecture. That means charging speed. Fast charging. Like BMW iX, Mercedes GLC EQ, and Volvo EX30 fast charging speeds. 300kW potential.
Size matters too. It’s around 4.8 meters long. Much smaller than the big Range Rover EV. Battery capacity unconfirmed. But given the platform… maybe 110kWh?
It’s possible. The same platform underpins the Defender Sport too. We’ll see if JLR delivers the refinement or just another crossover in a suit.
The Velar era ends soon. Whatever replaces it needs to justify its existence beyond just looking good on a driveway. Let’s wait and see if they get that part right. 🚗💨
