I heard that too. What concerned me more is that once again with the interior of LR products "it's lovely BUT too much cheap quality plastics visible". When are JLR going to learn that if you want to play in the same market as Porsche and Audi you have at least to hide the acres of cheap looking plastic even if you build a car that is as good as those cars people notice these things and it puts them off, especially on a car that will be more expensive than either of those marques in higher spec models. It does look good in red though! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-reviews/l...17-review/

donny dog wrote:

Did I hear correctly in the first video, that the front wheels are driven by a chain??

Just got to be careful you don't get oil off the chain on your trousers remember your trouser clips
Had a chain on my bike all my life never let me down don't see why it won't work on a car

It's unusual, and presumably arises because of the car's rear-wheel drive 'ancestry'. As for downsides, I can't offer a technical critique, but it doesn't sound very 'positive', and makes me also wonder whether it will require adjustment, maintenance, or long-term replacement. Like the Haldex system on the Evoque, it also detracts from the off-road 4 x 4 image of the car, being electronically controlled, with no driver intervention possible. Also like the Evoque, I assume the cars normally runs heavily biased towards being rear-wheel driven (it's 95/5 in the Evoque, unless the electronics detect something that justifies shifting more drive to the front). I'm sure that the average driver will neither care, however, nor notice any difference!

There is a nice write-up in the Sunday Times magazine as well. Again compares the car to the Macan S. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

The RRS's front wheels are driven by a chain too, as are FFRR and Disco. It's in the transfer box. Presumably the RRV uses the same system.

It works well, requires no maintenance or adjustment. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

Well, I for one didn't know that! Just shows, a little knowledge (or none!) is a dangerous thing!

donny dog wrote:

. Also like the Evoque, I assume the cars normally runs heavily biased towards being rear-wheel driven (it's 95/5 in the Evoque, unless the electronics detect something that justifies shifting more drive to the front). I'm sure that the average driver will neither care, however, nor notice any difference!

Now that I did know, I just got myself confused!

It is interesting about the chain because Velar has no transfer box. Evoque/Disco Sport have 95% power to front wheels and 5% to the rears and that can be swopped to the end with the most grip via the Viscous coupling. Only the Evoque Petrols have the "ActiveDrive" as standard (their petrol consumption is awful so LR had to do something to reduce it) but it is also a paid for option on the diesels now (but not taken up by many). It disengages the rear drive of the Evoque above 28mph but can re-engage in 1/300th of a second if rear wheel slip is detected. Also oddly on Dynamic Evoques the Dynamic system is also a paid for option now even on cars badged as Dynamic you have to tick the box to get the Magneride suspension and Dynamic function in the TR system............... penny pinching again. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

All four wheel drives have some form of transfer box. The Velar doesn't have a low range but it will still need a box the transfer drive to both axles. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

So is there a difference between the chain used to drive the front wheels in a Velar, and other LR products? Or is the use of a chain unique to LR systems? If not, why was it commented on especially in the Velar write-up?

(Just to educate me, can you point me at any 'exploded' diagrams or other illustrations that would help me understand a little more about how this all works? Thanks!).

Found this on t'internet. Is this similar what you're referring to? (The chain in this is not what I'd imagined, I was thinking along the lines of a Reynolds type chain - I can understand how this chain would be far more robust and reliable).

That's similar to the LR system, yes, but the LR one (by Magna Steyr) is more compact.

No idea why it was commented on, to be honest, other than the journo doesn't know how LR transfer boxes work. Probably heard something from someone on the launch junket but didn't get the whole story. 2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed