Key highlights
- Next-gen Range Rover Velar to get hybrid engine
- Initially to be launched as a pure electric SUV
- Likely to use a modified EMA platform
A latest online report published by Autocar UK has revealed that the Range Rover Velar’s successor model will be launched as a pure electric SUV, which will be later followed by a hybrid engine. The company aims to provide the flexibility to new customers to opt between the electric powertrain and hybrid engine options in the future.
To achieve the powertrain flexibility, Range Rover is believed to use a modified version of the EMA platform. The Electrified Modular Architecture, or EMA, is JLR’s platform that has been designed to power the electric SUVs of the future. However, it was initially designed with a thought to make it compatible with hybrid powertrains as well, which can now happen with the new-gen Velar.
However, it will be interesting to see whether JLR will use the 118 kWh battery pack from the Range Rover Electric, which is based on the MLA platform, or whether the brand will use a new setup to power the electric version. Additionally, the hybrid powertrain details are also unknown, and we suspect that the hybrid Velar could use Chery’s range-extender technology to offer optimum performance and efficiency.
The previous spy shots of the upcoming Velar successor show that the new SUV model will undergo a massive design change. Unlike the conventionally-styled three-box proportions of the current JLR SUVs, the new-gen Velar is likely to get a more sporty profile with rakish windscreens and a sleek roofline.
Leaving the design aside, the new Velar is also likely to be powered by the in-house developed battery cells. Tata Agratas is building the new batteries at the Somerset gigafactory, which will power the upcoming Range Rover Electric and the next-gen Velar. Moreover, the next-gen Velar EV will be based on the 800V platform, which will allow it to use rapid charging tech.
