While the idea of a mostly road-biased Land Rover might be blasphemous to some, the two-year-old Velar has proved to be a valuable asset in Land Rover’s portfolio. Which is probably not surprising when you consider the model’s sleek good looks in the right (high level) spec. Hence the announcement of a new limited-run version in the UK called the R-Dynamic Black Edition.
On sale from £56,995 and based on the best-selling D180 variant, the 500-run of Black Editions will each wear an exterior finished in black (see what they did there?), tinted windows and a 21-inch wheels finished in the same shade. There’s also a standard fit panoramic glass roof to lighten things up inside, while buyers can choose from Santorini Black or Eiger Grey for the paintwork. Inside, the plush, dark theme continues with perforated leather with an Ebony Morzine headlining and heated steering wheel.
The Velar’s party piece, that all-digital cabin infotainment, remains unchanged, as does the D180 engine, JLR’s 180hp Ingenium diesel four-pot and the eight-speed auto it works in conjunction with. The Black Edition chassis gets comfort-enhancing adaptive dynamics technology as standard (pretty much essential with those alloys) and, of course, despite being unashamedly road-focussed, the Velar is still unafraid of the mucky stuff thanks to Land Rover’s proven all-wheel drive technology.
Don’t expect the earth to tilt on its axis with announcement of the Black Edition - but do expect the firm to shift all 500 examples before you can say ‘craving’. The combination of fuel-sipping engine and better-looking exterior is perennially high on half the nation’s shopping list, and Land Rover’s limited-edition Velar is entirely primed to fit the bill.
1 / 9