Range Rover saloon? Sleek new Velar EV sheds SUV cues

The new Range Rover Velar EV is set for an unveiling in the coming months - and the latest pictures from testing reveal just how radically different it will look from the brand's other models past and present. 

Expected to be the one of the first models to use JLR's new EMA platform for smaller electric models, the Mk2 Velar is tipped for a debut by the end of this year before going into production at Halewood in 2027.

It will be joined at the Merseyside factory by the new Defender Sport and possibly a next-generation Range Rover Evoque. 

Like the current Velar, it will be the most overtly 'road-focused' Land Rover model, and it looks like JLR is working to emphasise that billing by more dramatically differentiating its design from that of its range-mates.

Previously spotted prototypes had already indicated that the Velar would become a much sleeker proposition, but as the layers of camouflage come off it's becoming clear that it could in fact be closer in shape and profile to a saloon than an SUV.

Beneath the light cladding that still obscures the final details of the rear end, it's possible to see a rakish, fastback-style roofline sloping towards a boot lip that appears to extend beyond the rear window.

As with previous mules, the window itself is entirely covered, lending weight to speculation that the Velar could follow its Jaguar Type 00 sibling in swapping glass for a rear-view camera in the name of improving aero and rear head room. 

The glasshouse appears to be narrower than that of the current Velar, too, helping to give an overall silhouette that would seem to fit the mould of high-riding fastback EVs like the Volvo ES90 and Polestar 4.

Other details that are now visible include distinctive flat haunches, a prominent crease along the sides and a front panel that mimics the shape of the current Velar's grille.

It remains unclear exactly when JLR plans to reveal its answer to the Porsche Macan Electric, having significantly delayed the roll-out of its new flagship EVs, the Type 00 and Range Rover Electric, by more than a year. 

But with the new Velar (and its recently spotted Defender Sport sibling) now looking all but ready for production, it's likely that JLR is preparing to renew its line-up via a rapid succession of new product launches, following a four-year drought.