ELLIE GOULDING DRIVES NEW RANGE ROVER VELAR IN NEW YORK

• Arrival of first Range Rover Velar in US announced by live performance from British pop superstar Ellie Goulding
• Ellie drives fourth member of the Range Rover family ahead of its role in major fundraiser
• Range Rover Velar auction at East Side House Settlement gala for New York education charity
• Velar fills the space between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport
• Available to order from Land Rover retailers now priced from £44,830 / $49900, US deliveries begin late summer

New York, 11 April 2017: The new Range Rover Velar made a spectacular US debut with an exclusive live online performance from Ellie Goulding. The chart-topping singer?s New York show precedes a charity auction of the hotly anticipated new mid-size SUV at the East Side House Settlement Annual Gala later this week.

Goulding brought a touch of British glamour to the Velar?s US launch party when she arrived in Manhattan ? the Metropolitan home of Range Rover ? to be the first person to drive the new Velar and to sing for a global online audience. Her performance of ?Love Me Like You Do? opened the reveal event and was shown live on her Facebook page.

Ellie said: ?I have always been a big Range Rover fan and it was a pleasure to be a part of its launch here in the US. Even more rewarding to be supporting a local charity that improves over 10,000 lives every year in one of my favourite cities.?

A Range Rover Velar will be auctioned at the East Side House Settlement charity gala, a preview of the 2017 New York International Auto Show, at the Jacob Javits Center on Thursday 13 April. The winning bidder will be among the first customers in the world to take delivery of the highly coveted new vehicle. New York remains the world?s biggest Range Rover market.

Proceeds from the gala will benefit the East Side House Settlement, a non-profit organisation providing education and social services in the Bronx and north Manhattan.

Designed to fill the white space between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, Velar brings unprecedented glamour, modernity and elegance to the Range Rover family. A vehicle that has emotionally charged DNA and unquestionable pedigree, it's the first of its kind.

Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design Officer, said: ?Velar is now the compelling, stand-out design in the class, showcasing perfectly optimised volume, powerful, taut surfaces and a stunning silhouette.?

Velar continues Range Rover?s history of innovation, incorporating advanced technologies, compelling design and absolute attention to detail.

Velar launches with a suite of consumer technologies, working together to create an in-built technology butler. At its heart is an all-new, cutting-edge infotainment system called Touch Pro Duo. Known as ?Blade? by development engineers because of its slender profile and clean surfaces, it makes the in-car technology experience clearer, quicker and more enjoyable ? enhancing every journey.

Velar is created from a clean sheet using Jaguar Land Rover?s Lightweight Aluminium Architecture. Safer, stronger and cleaner, it also improves driving performance. Five engines are offered at launch, ranging from the clean, responsive 180PS 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel to the potent 380PS supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. A 300PS Ingenium petrol engine will join the Velar range later in 2017.