The video will start in 8 Cancel

News, views and top stories in your inbox. Don't miss our must-read newsletter Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Range Rover last night launched a stunning new luxury car - only their fourth model in almost 50 years.

The Velar, named after an original prototype, will go on sale this summer and will cost from £45,000 with the flagship model boasting super car levels of perfomance.

It was unveiled to the world at a glitzy launch at the Design Museum in London and will fit in between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport.

Engineered and built at Jaguar Land Rover's Solihull plant, it will take on rivals in the medium-sized SUV market such as the Audi Q5 and Porsche Macan.

It has clearly been popular already with reports that it has attracted more pre-orders than any other model in Land Rover history.

Prices for the Velar, which goes on sale in July, will start at £44,830 and rise to around £85,000 for the top-of-the-range, 155mph 'First Edition'.

Luxurious touches inside the cabin include hidden-until-lit controls and a state-of-the-art Touch Pro Duo infotainment system.

For those with an aversion to leather upholstery, there is also an option to have the seats covered with a material made from recycled plastic bottles.

On the outside super-slim matrix-laser LED headlights and Burnished Copper-coloured detailing highlight the design flourishes.

There is also an option for Matrix-Laser LED Headlights which can cast a full beam to 550 metres.

Another cool feature are the flush deployable door handles – a Range Rover-first – which feature subtle LED illumination and pop out when the car is unlocked. Once the car goes above 5mph the slide back in to maintain the sleek lines.

There is an impressive 632-litre luggage compartment and air suspension is standard on six-cylinder models.

A state-of-the-art audio system can be ordered to provide a surround sound to all occupants through 23 speakers.

Land Rover say the new model, which takes its name from the original 1969 Range Rover prototype, offers "luxury, refinement and all-terrain capability" never before seen in the midsize SUV segment.

All models have the also has the go-anywhere ability associated with the off-road brand.

Engineers have fitted it with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system as well as class-leading ground clearance and wading ability.

Inside, the Velar has two high-definition ten-inch central mounted touchscreens for the infotainment system and car controls.

Read more: Unstoppable Range Rover proved its worth going no where at all

Jeremy Hicks, Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director, said: "The new Range Rover Velar is a stunning addition to the Range Rover family.

"It enhances a model line-up that originally defined the luxury SUV segment and continues to do so.

"Velar brings increased choice to new and existing customers in a growing SUV market.

"It leads the way in terms of design, usable technology, new materials and of course Land Rover's legendary go anywhere, do anything capability.

"The whole team is enormously excited about bringing the new Range Rover Velar to customers across the UK."

There will be six engine options available including a petrol or diesel 2.0-litre four-cylinder power plant. The current petrol engine will put out 247bhp and hit 0-60mph in 6.7 seconds.

A more powerful, 296bhp version of this engine is set to join the Velar range later in the year.

More potent power plants include a V6 diesel and a 375bhp supercharged V6 petrol engine, capable of taking the Velar to 60mph in only 5.3 seconds.

Available as the Velar and Velar R-Dynamic, the range will offer the following trim levels - Standard, S, SE or HSE. Black and Luxury Exterior Packs are also options.

Velar's announcement is good news for UK manufacturing and is expected to be the next success story for Land Rover, which has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years.

Read more: Range Rover Sport posed more questions than answers at first - but clue is in the name

More than 430,000 Land Rovers rolled off the production line in a record-breaking 2016, with sales driven by the Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The overall company, Jaguar Land Rover, sold more than 583,000 cars in 2016, topping the half-million mark for the first time.

They are the biggest UK manufacturer, accounting for 30 per cent of all domestic car production and contributing £10 BILLION to the economy each year.

Production of all Jaguar Land Rover models at the four UK manufacturing plants now directly supports more than 40,000 British jobs with a further 250,000 in the supply chain.