Range Rover GT instead of the new Velar: electric cross-liftback with a glamorous interior

JLR has announced the fifth model in the Range Rover line-up — a mid-sized crossover liftback GT built on the new EMA (Electrified Modular Architecture) platform, with production and sales set to begin next year.

It was known as early as 2023 that JLR was preparing a fundamentally new Range Rover with a lower roofline, but until today it was assumed that this new form factor would be applied to the second-generation Range Rover Velar. In reality, it turns out that the low-slung Range Rover is the brand's fifth model, not a replacement for the Velar.

The new model has been named the Range Rover GT, while the current Velar, which debuted in 2017, will remain in production for a few more years, as JLR's customers still want models with petrol and diesel engines. Whether there will actually be a second-generation Velar remains unknown for now — JLR is currently not in the best financial shape and is restructuring its plans to minimise risks.

The Range Rover GT has been announced as an electric vehicle, but hybrid versions are promised for the future (likely of the series type, with an internal combustion engine acting as a generator). The EMA platform, on which the Range Rover GT is built, was announced back in 2021; it features an 800-volt electrical architecture and promises a substantial range on a single charge, though no official technical details have been released yet. British magazine Autocar claims that all-wheel drive (i.e., at least two electric motors) will be standard, and its off-road capability will be, shall we say, acceptable enough not to tarnish the Range Rover brand's reputation.

Today, JLR's press office published photos of the pre-production Range Rover GT in camouflage wrap and revealed its interior design. It is easy to see that the Range Rover GT bears some stylistic resemblance to the upcoming electric Jaguar Type 01 (especially in the design of the body pillars), but it is not yet possible to tell whether there is any parts-sharing between these models. Officially, the Jaguar Type 01 uses a different platform — JEA (Jaguar Electrified Architecture) — though individual components and assemblies may be shared.

The minimalist interior of the Range Rover GT, with eco-friendly fabric upholstery and wooden trim, shows a stylistic link to the Jaguar Type 00 concept, which is a precursor to the Jaguar Type 01. Physical buttons are only found on the steering wheel and door cards — which, as they say, is better than nothing. The narrow instrument display sits slightly above the slightly flattened steering wheel and is complemented by a head-up display. The front seats are separated by a high 'floating' centre console. In the second row, there are only two seats, divided by a flat console with a multimedia and climate control screen. The panoramic glass roof has no crossbars, but there is no opening section either.

Further details about the Range Rover GT will be published later this year; the date of the full premiere has not yet been announced. The Range Rover GT will be produced at JLR's plant in Halewood (England, Merseyside), which currently builds the ageing compact crossovers Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport. Whether these models will get their previously promised successors on the EMA platform remains unknown, but it is known that a smaller, angular SUV, the Defender Sport, will soon appear on this platform.