Skip to main content

Land Rover takes the fight to Stuttgart with a new SUV aimed right at Porsche

Land Rover is preparing to expand its lineup with a new, style-focused model named Range Rover Velar. The SUV will slot between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport in the British company’s lineup.

The only official image of the Velar shows its rear end. We can tell that it borrows styling cues from recent additions to the Land Rover lineup like the brand-new Discovery, but its overall design looks markedly more fluid than that of the aforementioned Evoque. While additional details — including what’s under the hood — are few and far between, the Velar is shaping up to be Land Rover’s most road-focused model yet.

Recommended Videos

The fourth member of the Range Rover lineup puts a big focus on tech. A look through the panoramic sunroof reveals a wide touchscreen neatly embedded into the dashboard, thin air vents framed by an elegant strip of chrome trim, and a color screen in the instrument cluster.

“We call the Velar the avant-garde Range Rover. It brings a new dimension of glamour, modernity, and elegance to the brand. The Range Rover Velar changes everything,” promised Land Rover design boss Gerry McGovern.

Aimed right at the Porsche Macan, the Land Rover Velar will be introduced online on March 1, and we’ll see it in the metal for the first time less than a week later during this year’s Geneva Auto Show. The first examples will arrive in showrooms in time for the 2018 model year.

What’s in a name?

The Velar will take Land Rover into a segment it’s never competed in before, but its name is deeply rooted in the company’s history. In 1969, development engineers began testing pre-production prototypes of the original Range Rover. The first 26 test mules were driven out on the open road without any camouflage, so the “Range Rover” lettering on the hood was replaced by the made-up name “Velar” to fool onlookers.

The company explains the name “Velar” is derived from the Latin word “velare,” which means to veil or to cover. Of course, the moniker was dropped when production of the first Range Rover started in 1970.

Ronan Glon
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…
Tesla’s new Cybertruck trim goes low on price, high on range 
Tesla Cybertruck

Tesla has just introduced the most affordable variant of its Cybertruck in the US market. Carrying a sticker price worth $69,990, and dipping down to $62,490 with the federal tax credit applied, the new “Long Range” rear-wheel drive (RWD) model is quite an interesting package, in both good and odd ways. 

For starters, despite being the most affordable trim, it offers the highest per-charge mileage at 350 miles. The pricier All-Wheel Drive version delivers a range of 325 miles, while the top-of-the-line $99,990 Cyberbeast model can only muster 301 miles. 

Read more
Subaru’s electric comeback starts now: Trailseeker EV to debut in NYC
subaru trailseeker ev debut 2026 4  thumb

Subaru is finally accelerating into the EV fast lane. The automaker is officially teasing the 2026 Trailseeker, an all-new electric SUV set to debut at the New York International Auto Show next week. While details are still scarce, the Trailseeker marks Subaru’s long-awaited second entry into the EV space, joining the Solterra — and the expectations couldn't be higher.
The teaser image offers only a glimpse of the Trailseeker’s rear badge and taillight, but the name alone suggests rugged ambitions. It's a clear nod to Subaru’s outdoorsy heritage. But in the EV space, the outdoors belongs to brands like Rivian, whose upcoming R2 compact SUV is already turning heads. The Trailseeker is Subaru’s chance to reassert its identity in an electric age.
Currently, Subaru’s only EV is the Solterra, a joint venture with Toyota that shares a platform with the bZ4X. While the Solterra nails some Subaru essentials — all-wheel drive, spaciousness, and off-road capability — it falls short on key EV metrics. Reviewers have pointed to its modest 225-mile range, slow 100kW charging, and unremarkable acceleration, especially compared to rivals like the Hyundai Ioniq 5  or Ford Mustang Mach-E.
The hope is that Subaru has learned from these criticisms and is poised to deliver a more competitive product. The Trailseeker could either be a variation of a newer Toyota EV (possibly the next-gen C-HR+), or something entirely new under the shared platform strategy. Subaru previously announced that its next three EVs would be co-developed with Toyota, before launching four in-house EVs by 2028.
Given how long Subaru has waited to expand its EV offerings, the Trailseeker has to deliver. It's not just about adding a second electric model — it's about keeping pace with a market rapidly leaving legacy automakers behind. If the Trailseeker can improve on the Solterra's shortcomings and channel that classic Subaru ruggedness into a truly modern EV, it might just be the spark the brand needs.

Read more
EVs top gas cars in German reliability report — but one weak spot won’t quit
future electric cars 2021 volkswagen id4 official 32

Electric vehicles are quietly crushing old stereotypes about being delicate or unreliable, and the data now backs it up in a big way. According to Germany’s ADAC — Europe’s largest roadside assistance provider — EVs are actually more reliable than their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts. And this isn’t just a small study — it’s based on a staggering 3.6 million breakdowns in 2024 alone.
For cars registered between 2020 and 2022, EVs averaged just 4.2 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles, while ICE cars saw more than double that, at 10.4 per 1,000. Even with more EVs hitting the road, they only accounted for 1.2% of total breakdowns — a big win for the battery-powered crowd.
Among standout performers, some cars delivered exceptionally low breakdown rates. The Audi A4 clocked in at just 0.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for 2022 models, with Tesla’s Model 3 right behind at 0.5. The Volkswagen ID.4, another popular EV, also impressed with a rate of 1.0 – as did the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross at 1.3. On the flip side, there were some major outliers: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 showed a surprisingly high 22.4 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles for its 2022 models, while the hybrid Toyota RAV4 posted 18.4.
Interestingly, the most common issue for both EVs and ICE vehicles was exactly the same: the humble 12-volt battery. Despite all the futuristic tech in EVs, it’s this old-school component that causes 50% of all EV breakdowns, and 45% for gas-powered cars. Meanwhile, EVs shine in categories like engine management and electrical systems — areas where traditional engines are more complex and failure-prone.
But EVs aren’t completely flawless. They had a slightly higher rate of tire-related issues — 1.3 breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles compared to 0.9 for ICE cars. That could be due to their heavier weight and high torque, which can accelerate tire wear. Still, this trend is fading in newer EVs as tire tech and vehicle calibration improve.
Now, zooming out beyond Germany: a 2024 Consumer Reports study in the U.S. painted a different picture. It found that EVs, especially newer models, had more reliability issues than gas cars, citing tech glitches and inconsistent build quality. But it’s worth noting that the American data focused more on owner-reported problems, not just roadside breakdowns.
So, while the long-term story is still developing, especially for older EVs, Germany’s data suggests that when it comes to simply keeping you on the road, EVs are pulling ahead — quietly, efficiently, and with far fewer breakdowns than you might expect.

Read more