Land Rover unveiled the newest Range Rover family member in time for the Geneva Motor Show. Set to slot between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport, the 2018 Range Rover Velar is a midsize SUV that Land Rover Chief Design Officer, Gerry McGovern, calls “the avant-garde Range Rover” because “it brings a new dimension of glamour, modernity and elegance to the brand.” Embodying a “visually reductive design approach, McGovern notes it reflects an evolution of the Range Rover DNA and previews the next-generation of vehicles being readied by the automaker.

Refinement redefined

Available in base, S, SE, R-Dynamic SE, R-Dynamic HSE and First Edition trims, the new Velar matches its crisply styled exterior – a 0.32 coefficient of drag makes this the sleekest Land Rover ever – with full LED lighting and the marque’s first ever flush-retractable door handles. It features JLR’s Lightweight Aluminum Architecture used in the Jaguar F-Pace, sharing the same 113.2-inch wheelbase and rolling on a selection of 18-inch to 22-inch wheel/tire packages. Engine choices include JLR’s 247-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline-fired Ingenium 4-cylinder, a new 2.0-liter/180-horse Ingenium 4-cylinder turbodiesel – the first oil-burner to appear in any Land Rover – that makes a stout 317 lb-ft of torque and a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that cranks out 380 ponies. All are backed by an 8-speed, paddle-shift automatic transmission.

The Velar’s underpinnings, which incorporate an optimized mix of steel and aluminum components, features conventional coil springs on 4-cylinder models while all V6s nets ride-height-adjustable full air suspension. Adaptive Dynamics damping control is standard across the lineup as is the Torque Vectoring by Braking system. All members of the Velar family come with a torque-on-demand all-wheel drive setup that uses a single-speed transfer case and an Intelligent Driveline Dynamics system that interfaces with the vehicle’s stability control, torque vectoring System and active locking rear differential (optional on V6 models).

Touch Pro Duo infotainment system

Whether trimmed in premium fabric or supple leather, the roomy passenger compartment of the new Range Rover Velar is a study in elegant minimalism. Well-formed and highly adjustable, the front buckets offer heating/cooling and up to 20-way power adjustability while the backs on the 40/20/40 rear bench offer power recline and can be folded to further expand the Velar’s already generous 34.4-cu ft cargo bay. Highlighting the cabin is the first application of JLR’s Touch Pro Duo infotainment system that features a pair of centrally positioned 10-inch high-def touchscreens. Augmented by configurable rotary controllers for better functionality, it also includes a Wi-Fi hotspot. The Velar will come with or offer a full range of driver assists including adaptive cruise control and advanced tow assist.

The 2018 Range Rover Velar goes on sale here this summer. Pricing will start at N19,085,625 for a base Velar 2.0 Si4, with the Velar S 2.0 Td4 turbodiesel opening at N22,198,125 and the Velar S 3.0 SC V6 kicking off at N24,448,125. Topping the range is the Velar First Edition at N33,860,625.