The current Velar is already seven years old, but it is not yet clear whether JLR intends to keep it in production until its replacement arrives. It is the slowest-selling model in the Range Rover family, notching up just 10k sales in the nine months to September of this year, half that of the Evoque and around a quarter of the amount of full-sized Range Rovers sold. It does, however, comfortably outsell the Discovery and came in just above the Discovery Sport.
Details of the next-generation Velar remain firmly under wraps, but clearly the company remains committed to the model’s more overt road-going focus than the other models in the Land Rover line-up.
Notably, in these images its body looks long enough behind the rear axle to accommodate a third row of seats. JLR has yet to give any indication that it plans to upsize the Velar, but a roomier interior would certainly mark it out more clearly from the Discovery Sport, which is seen as key to boosting sales.
The next Velar will also be more overt in its positioning as a luxury SUV, in line with JLR’s ambition to carve out each of its core model lines – Jaguar, Discovery, Defender and Range Rover – into distinct brands with their own design languages, values and target markets.
JLR previously confirmed that it will introduce hands-free, eyes-on driving functionality with the launch of the first model on the EMA platform.
