Singer Ellie Goulding hails new Range Rover Velar

NEW YORK — If luxurious sport-utility vehicles are America's new obsession, let the infatuation continue.

The trend added a new flavor Tuesday with the introduction of Land Rover's Range Rover Velar in an event near the New York Auto Show.

The Range Rover Velar, which made its global debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show, will hit U.S. dealerships "later this year," Jaguar Land Rover said.

The automaker said the basic model of the 2018 model-year mid-size SUV will start at $49,900.

It's the fourth version of the Range Rover, a nameplate that has proven to be quite lucrative for Jaguar Land Rover as Americans abandon cars and snap up luxurious high-riding crossover vehicles.

The nameplate's current variants are the flagship Range Rover, Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport. The Velar is larger than the Evoque but smaller than the Sport and the flagship Range Rover.

The new variant's name is derived from the Latin word "velare," which means "to veil or cover," according to Land Rover.

The Range Rover Velar hit the stage Tuesday at Lincoln Center Plaza.along with a performance by British pop singer Ellie Goulding, who signed on to promote the vehicle.

She belted out several of her hit songs, including "Love Me Like You Do" and "Anything Can Happen," while Land Rover supporters sipped cocktails in a steamy tent across from the famed Juilliard School for performing arts. Though she said nothing about the vehicle during her performance, she posed with it after the performance.

Jaguar Land Rover said the SUV would come in three powertrain variants: a 4-cylinder, 180-horsepower, 2-liter turbocharged diesel engine; a 4-cylinder, 247-horsepower, 2-liter turbocharged gas engine; and a 6-cylinder, 380-horsepower, supercharged 3-liter gas engine.

Several trim levels are available. In the first year only, the company will also make 500 units of the Range Rover Velar First Edition featuring a Meridian Signature Sound System and special paint finish.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.