The next-generation Range Rover Velar, due to be unveiled in 2026, will become more car-like with a unique, lower-to-the-ground body channeling JLR’s previous ‘Road Rover’ concept that never saw the light of day.
A report from Autocar suggests a new lower, car-like body is in the works for the second-generation Velar, following the current model’s introduction in 2017 as a five-seat SUV positioned between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport.
The 2026 Velar will reportedly borrow heavily from the electric versions of the Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque which will be revealed later this year, launching with electric power – though combustion powertrains could follow.
It’ll ride on JLR’s new EMA platform, set to also underpin the next Evoque and a small SUV bearing the Defender nameplate.
The move to the new electric powertrain, says Autocar, will see Velar with a new body sitting lower to the ground, with a shape combining conventional sedan, shooting brake/wagon and SUV design elements, and even a third row of seats.
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Current Range Rover Velar
The Velar’s identity shift will not only differentiate electric versions of its Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Evoque stablemates – which will have a greater focus on off-road capability – but become a stronger showroom alternative to the Porsche Macan Electric and BMW iX electric SUVs.
The design may also channel the defunct ‘Road Rover’ concept being studied by JLR ahead of the Jaguar brand’s transformation, which was a high-end rival to the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series sedans.
In that sense, the 2026 Velar also shapes as a partial replacement for the previous Jaguar XJ sedan as Jaguar undergoes a transformation of its own to become a higher-end, lower volume luxury brand targeting Bentley and Porsche.
The Road Rover name was used on prototypes in the 1950s and 1960s which were conventional, road-going vehicles – such as a station wagon – made using Land Rover components.
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Jaguar Type 00 concept
It was revisited in the 2010s as a potential sub-brand for Land Rover/Range Rover, enabling the carmaker to offer road-going models while protecting the lauded off-road pedigree of its four-wheel drives.
Details of the 2026 Range Rover Velar are yet to be revealed, with limited information released about the electric Range Rover Sport and Evoque showroom siblings set to be shown later this year.
JLR has confirmed the electric Sport and Evoque will use an 800V electrical architecture – which the Velar will use too, then – with the ability to wade 850mm of water, something the lower-riding Velar will seemingly skip in favour of its road-going focus.
