NEW YORK, May 5 — After only just missing out in the final of the 2018 World Car of the Year Awards, the Velar that was only launched last year is already being updated by Land Rover.
Unsurprisingly, the stunning exterior design of the Velar is remaining untouched, but there are a number of significant updates happening underneath that body shell. Most notably, a fresh six-cylinder diesel engine option is being introduced, but there’s also a raft of enhancements to the luxury SUV’s driver-assist and safety features.
The new engine is a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel developing 271 bhp and 625 Nm of torque, and models equipped with this unit will wear a D275 badge. Performance figures for the diesel engine haven’t been revealed yet, but Land Rover is claiming fuel economy of up to 42.8 mpg and CO2 emissions of 175 g/km.
Emissions are obviously at the forefront of Land Rover’s current thinking as all the petrol and diesel engines in the Velar are being updated with new particulate filters. The P250 and P300 petrols will also be benefitting from larger 83-liter fuel tanks that will allow a greater range between fill-ups.
Among the driver assistance updates are the new inclusion of Steering Assist and Lane Centring features, which are probably baby steps towards autonomous driving as they allow the Velar to maintain a steady path in a single lane.
The standard specification of all versions of the Velar will now include: a rear camera, front and rear parking aids, a driver condition monitor, emergency braking and lane keep assist. The existing forward collision detection system is also benefitting from an upgrade, and will now work at speeds between 6 and 99 mph to warn the driver about potential hazards, while applying the brakes automatically in what the system deems as a critical situation.
Although all versions of the Velar get coil springs as standard, the four-cylinder D240 and P300 models and all V-6 variants will now have four-corner air suspension as an available option, and some models will also be available with Adaptive Damping. — AFP-Relaxnews
