At a packed venue within Hearst Plaza, Lincoln Center, Ellie Goulding took to the stage to present Land Rover’s fourth Range Rover model. After a live performance, Goulding showed off the Velar and shared her impressions of the SUV – she was the first person to drive the model in North America. Goulding will also host a charity auction of the Velar at the East Side House Settlement Gala later this week.
Slotting between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport, the Velar pioneers new design themes for the luxury brand. We’d hasten to call this the most attractive Land Rover model ever, thanks in part to its low-slung stance and long wheelbase. Signature exterior features include a high beltline, cab-rearward shape, and sloping roofline. Viewed from above, the Velar’s lower half appears completely disconnected from its greenhouse. In other words, the defined character line wraps completely around the SUV’s exterior.
The Velar’s cabin is equally groundbreaking for Land Rover. Elegant minimalism is the best way to describe the latest Range Rover’s interior. Physical buttons are a thing of the past, replaced by a 10.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display above a new glass panel. When the vehicle is brought to life, climate settings and drive modes are accessible on the panel. When the Velar is turned off, the panel goes completely blank.
Leather seating surfaces are standard on the Velar, but those wanting something more unique can choose sustainable textile fabrics by Kvadrat.
Powertrains options include an Ingenium Diesel with 180 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque, a four-cylinder gas engine with 247 hp, and a supercharged V6 with 380 hp. Whichever engine you choose is paired to a ZF eight-speed transmission.
All-wheel drive will be standard on every Velar, but a four-corner air suspension, locking rear differential, Terrain Response 2 drive modes, progress control, low traction launch, hill descent control, and gradient release control are optional off-road goodies. Equipped with the adaptive suspension, the Velar has a ride height of up to 9.88 inches and can wade to a depth of 25.59 inches. Yes, it’s a looker — but this is still a Land Rover, and that means it can go far off the beaten path.
The Range Rover Velar will come in two design variants: standard guise, and an R-Dynamic kit with black accents, unique bumpers, and optional 22-inch wheel designs. Four distinct trims fall beneath these two configurations: Standard, S, SE, and HSE. Above these, a limited run of 500 “First Edition” models will be offered.
The entry-level Velar will be priced from $49,900 and arrives at dealers later this year.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.