Finally, Lindiwe has arrived. In the Zulu culture, Lindiwe is a name given to a girl child whose arrival has been long anticipated. The Range Rover Velar’s arrival has long been awaited, and sorry to spoil the fun, the wait has been worth it. The aesthetically pleasing Range Rover Velar brings the tally of Range Rover products to four and slots in between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport.

Inside the Range Rover Velar boasts class leading style and sophistication. The new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system features two 10-inch high-definition touchscreens integrated seamlessly behind hidden-until-lit surfaces. The elimination of a lot of buttons in the dash gives the Velar an overall sense of modernity which matches the car’s fresh exterior design. Overall, the cabin of this mid-sized premium SUV is classy, roomy and the boot is decent.

Outside, the Velar distinguishes itself from the rest of the line up with its slender full-LED headlights and the flush deployable door handles. The Velar and Velar R-Dynamic range comes in Standard, S, SE and HSE versions. You can also opt for Black and Premium exterior packs for an even more distinguished appearance.

On the diesel front, the Velar is offered in 132 kW, 177kW and 221 kW. The latter produces 400 Nm of torque and sprints from 0 -100 km/h in 6.0 seconds. The petrol versions come in 184 kW and 280 kW. The 280 kW supercharged V6 petrol engine enables the Velar to reach 100km/h in only 5.7 seconds.

We drove the Velar at the local launch in the Western Cape and we were blown away. The Velar takes things to the next level in terms of interior and exterior design in the segment. Indeed, the Velar is the one that that has been waited for, Lindiwe so to say.

This is the pricing of the Range Rover Velar:

2.0 diesel 132kW Base – R947 700
2.0 diesel 132kW S – R1 028 600
2.0 diesel 132kW SE – R1 077 900
2.0 diesel 132kW HSE – R1 172 400
2.0 diesel 177kW Base – R1 010 400
2.0 diesel 177kW S – R1 091 300
2.0 diesel 177kW SE – R1 140 600
2.0 diesel 177kW HSE – R1 235 100
2.0 petrol 184kW Base – R947 700
2.0 petrol 184kW S – R1 028 600
2.0 petrol 184kW SE – R1 077 900
2.0 petrol 184kW HSE – R1 172 400

3.0 diesel 221kW Base – R1 089 000
3.0 diesel 221kW S – R1 169 800
3.0 diesel 221kW SE – R1 219 100
3.0 diesel 221kW HSE – R1 313 700

3.0 petrol 280kW Base – R1 099 400
3.0 petrol 280kW S – R1 180 300
3.0 petrol 280kW SE – R1 229 600
3.0 petrol 280kW – HSE R1 324 100

Velar R-Dynamic

2.0 diesel 132kW Base – R980 500
2.0 diesel 132kW S – R1 061 300
2.0 diesel 132kW SE – R1 110 600
2.0 diesel 132kW HSE – R1 205 200

2.0 diesel 177kW Base – R1 043 200
2.0 diesel 177kW S – R1 124 000
2.0 diesel 177kW SE – R1 173 300
2.0 diesel 177kW HSE – R1 267 900

2.0 petrol 184kW Base – R980 500
2.0 petrol 184kW S – R1 061 300
2.0 petrol 184kW SE – R1 110 600
2.0 petrol 184kW HSE – R1 205 200

3.0 diesel 221kW Base – R1 121 800
3.0 diesel 221kW S – R1 202 600
3.0 diesel 221kW SE – R1 251 900
3.0 diesel 221kW HSE – R1 346 400
3.0 petrol 280kW Base – R1 132 200
3.0 petrol 280kW S – R1 213 100
3.0 petrol 280kW SE – R1 262 400
3.0 petrol 280kW HSE – R1 356 900

Velar First Edition

3.0 diesel 221kW – R1 529 300
3.0 petrol 280kW – R1 539 800

The prices are inclusive of Land Rover’s Land Rover Five-Year Care Plan: a five-year/100 000km service plan, a five-year/100 000km maintenance plan and a five-year/100 000km warranty, as standard.