The Velar is unarguably one of the most beautiful SUVs in its segment. And Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) India has received a good response for it. To make it even more enticing, the aim was to bring down the asking price. What’s the best way of achieving that? Reduce input costs. JLR India has done just that. The Range Rover Velar is now locally put together. Only two R-Dynamic S variants (one petrol and one diesel) remain and both are priced at Rs 72.47 lakh (ex-showroom India).

Up until now, the Range Rover Velar came to India via the CBU (completely built unit) route. And we all know what that does to the price of any car. The petrol-powered R-Dynamic S variant was priced at Rs 88.88 lakh whereas the diesel-fed one had a price tag of Rs 88.89 lakh (both prices were ex-showroom India). Because of the local assembly, the asking price has gone down by at least Rs 16.41 lakh. That is a staggering figure!

Too bored with prices? Alright! Let’s shift our focus on the engines. If you opt for the diesel variant, you’ll get a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine which is good for 179PS/430Nm. The petrol variant, on the other hand, will also get you a 2.0-litre mill. However, that produces 250PS/365Nm. Both engines come mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The 0-100kmph times and the top speed figures for the diesel and petrol variants are 8.9 seconds and 201kmph, and 7.1 seconds and 217kmph, respectively.

On the features front, the R-Dynamic S trim isn’t shy. On the outside, the Range Rover Velar gets 20-inch alloy wheels, a black-painted roof, electric panoramic sunroof, LED-powered headlamps and DRLs, flush deployable door handles, auto on and levelling headlamps, auto wipers and a powered tailgate with hands-free function. Inside the cabin, the plush SUV brings electric front seats with memory function for the driver, auto dimming IRVM, keyless entry, four-zone climate control, JLR’s Touch Pro Duo mated to an 11-speaker, 380-watt Meridian sound system, six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system and 360-degree parking aid.

The company has officially commenced bookings for the locally assembled Range Rover Velar and deliveries will start from early next month. In India, the Velar falls in the same sort of price bracket as the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE, Porsche Macan and the Volvo XC90.