Range Rover’s New Velar Is Turning Into A Sedan Of Sorts, And May Ditch Its Rear Window

A new Range Rover Velar is in the works, and it will look nothing like the model it replaces. Recent spy shots show the Velar morphing into a high-riding sedan, and it is expected to arrive in all-electric and hybrid forms. It is already deep into testing and could break cover within the next six months. So what does the new Velar have going for it?

The new model will be the first Jaguar Land Rover product built on the EMA platform. That architecture was originally drawn up to handle electric powertrains alone, which explains a few recent reports pegging the Velar as EV-only. Last week, JLR waved those off, confirming the platform will accommodate hybrid powertrains as well.

Read: The Range Rover Velar’s Radical New Design Continues On The Inside

Specifics about these powertrains are not yet known, but Autocar reports that the platform will include an 800-volt electrical architecture. The EV will be positioned as a competitor to the BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz GLC EQ, and Volvo EX60, albeit more closely aligned in profile with the low-slung Polestar 4. There’s no word on how big the battery pack could be, but to adequately rival those vehicles, it could offer up to 100 kWh of capacity, if not slightly more.

Sleeker Than Ever Before

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Whether the electric Velar comes with single- or dual-motor setups is also unclear. If Land Rover wants to widen the model’s reach, offering both would be the smart play. JLR has fielded two-wheel-drive models since 2010, though only in entry-level Freelander and Evoque variants, which leaves plenty of room to expand the mix.

The design of the new Velar was penned by Gerry McGovern before he left Jaguar Land Rover. It’s unclear why the company has decided to ditch the current Velar’s more traditional SUV shape for something different, but it will also allow it to compete with electric sedans like the BMW i3 and electric Mercedes-Benz C-Class, as well as their SUV equivalents.

The report adds that the new model may not wear the Velar name at all, as JLR works to carve Discovery, Range Rover, Defender, and Jaguar into distinct brand families.

Illustrations Nikita Chuyko/Kolesa

There is speculation that, like the Polestar 4 and the new Jaguar Type 01, the Velar may go without a rear window and lean entirely on a rear-view camera. That would let the automaker free up rear headroom, and ditching the conventional rear screen also does away with the bulky header rail a glass pane usually demands.

JLR needs the new Velar to work. It will be the first all-new model since PB Balaji took the lead of the company, who also serves as the chief financial officer of Tata Motors. It should sell in higher volumes than the full-size Range Rover and the Land Rover Defender, in part owing to its more approachable price tag.

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