Last month, the Indian arm of British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced that the Range Rover Velar has entered the local assembly and that it can be booked. Now, the luxury SUV is on sale. The Range Rover Velar is available in two R-Dynamic S variants and both are priced at Rs 72.47 lakh (ex-showroom India).

There were two main drivers for JLR India to make space for Velar in the assembly plant. One, it has been well received; and two, to bring the asking price down. As we’re sure you’ll agree, the latter will only help boost the former. Another key aspect under this development was to let go of the lengthy list of variants. No one likes to get confused in a plethora of options available.

The retained R-Dynamic S variants comprise of one petrol and one diesel. In both cases, the Range Rover Velar gets a heart with 2.0 litres of displacement. The petrol-fed one produces 250PS/365Nm, whereas the diesel-powered has 179PS/430Nm on tap. With either engine, the only transmission option available is an 8-speed automatic. Land Rover claims that the 0-100kmph times and top-speed figures for the petrol and diesel variants are 8.9 seconds and 201kmph, and 7.1 seconds and 217kmph, respectively.

As you’d expect from a luxury SUV, the Range Rover Velar comes loaded with creature comforts. The list includes ambient lighting, panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, LED-powered DRLs and headlamps, flush deployable door handles and a powered tailgate with hands-free function. JLR’s Touch Pro Duo mated to an 11-speaker, 380-watt Meridian sound system also makes the cut. The package also includes a 360-degree parking aid, six airbags, auto-dimming IRVM and tyre pressure monitoring system.

With the reduced prices, the Range Rover Velar now undercuts the Volvo XC90 and comes closer to the price tags of the Audi Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE. Later this month, the all-new BMW X5 will join the party. Porsche will also launch the refreshed Macan in India this year. That should also fall in the same sort of price range.