Land Rover Range Rover Velar Review

Whenever a Range Rover Velar passes me, I can’t help but stare! It’s a beautiful, sleek looking vehicle. The Velar sits between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport. It has a gorgeous exterior, an elegantly simplistic interior, and delivers confident on- and off-road performance.  An advanced lineup of V6 and 4-cylinder Ingenium engines are offered with the Velar. All are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission and come with all-wheel drive.

The model lineup includes the base Velar, Velar S, Velar R-Dynamic SE, and the range-topping Velar R-Dynamic HSE.

The Range Rover Velar definitely exudes elegance! Flush deployable door handles and an integrated rear spoiler are among standard features that set the bar high. Those features are also designed to help improve the Velar’s aerodynamic efficiency.

The luxury SUV’s foil-stamped grille is beautiful and gives it undeniable presence. Sleek LED headlights and rear lights add to the look.

The higher level Velar R-Dynamic SE and HSE models get improved LED headlights, as well as fog lights. They also receive R-Dynamic exterior styling treatment, including beautiful burnished copper accents. The front and rear bumper design of the R-Dynamic models is more unique, as well.

Models higher than the base Velar also receive auto-dimming, power fold, heated door mirrors with approach lights (talk about fancy). A powered gesture tailgate also comes standard on those models.

The base Range Rover Velar gets 18-inch wheels. The wheels go up in size by an inch with each model. That means the range-topping Velar R-Dynamic HSE has 21-inch wheels.

What’s also cool is that you can opt for a black contrast panoramic roof instead of the body-colored one. It helps make the Range Rover Velar’s exterior stand out even more.

There are three gasoline engines to choose from with the Velar. All are powerful and are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission. The standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine gets 247 horsepower. It goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 6.4 seconds and can reach a max speed of 135 miles per hour. It has an EPA estimated fuel economy rating of 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined.

The more potent 3.0-liter V6 supercharged engine comes in two power outputs. The slightly less powerful P340 churns out 340 horsepower and can reach 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. It’s capable of reaching a top speed of 145 mph.

The most powerful P380 option produces 380 horsepower and is capable of reaching 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Fuel economy does drop to 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway, though.

There’s also a turbodiesel engine offered. It gets 26 mpg city and 30 mpg highway. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel produces 180 horsepower. It does not come with the electric air suspension system, though.

All Velar models feature standard all-wheel drive with Land Rover’s Intelligent Driveline Dynamics and Torque Vectoring by Braking. There’s also an electronic air suspension system that changes the Range Rover Velar’s height quickly. You can even use it to your advantage when loading heavy items in the back. Terrain response systems, meanwhile, help the vehicle meet the demands of the terrain. Modes include comfort, grass/gravel/snow, mud and ruts, sand, ECO, and dynamic.

The Range Rover Velar can tow up to a maximum of 5,291 pounds with an optional tow hitch receiver.

As for safety features, a rear view camera is standard on all models. That camera system is improved in higher models. There’s also front and rear parking aid. Lane keep assist is also standard, as is emergency braking. There are six airbags, power operated child locks, a seat belt reminder, brake pad wear indicator, and more.

The R-Dynamic models get the additional Park Pro and Driver Assist packages. The Park Pro package consists of park assist, 360 degree parking aid, and rear traffic monitor. The Driver Assist package tacks on blind spot assist, a 360 degree surround camera, and high-speed emergency braking.

Moving inside the Velar now, Range Rover describes the interior as a calm sanctuary. Elegant simplicity is the theme, with a Touch Pro Duo infotainment system taking center stage. The system seamlessly integrates two 10” high-definition touchscreens. You can make a phone call on one screen while using the other to get to your destination. There’s also an optional full-color head-up display to complement the system, putting critical information right in the driver’s field of vision. The range topping R-Dynamic HSE model additionally gets the 12.3” interactive driver display with ultra-sharp resolution. It’s optional on other models. You can interact directly with the display to control your media and make and receive phone calls.

There’s so much else to highlight inside the beautiful Velar. From the individual sliding armrests, to the configurable mood lighting, there’s a little something for everyone! The panoramic roof enhances the feeling of spaciousness inside the vehicle, flooding it with natural light. Speaking of space, there’s 38 inches head clearance and 37 inches legroom. The optional four-zone climate control system is also designed to help all passengers feel comfortable.

Higher models of the Velar get leather memory seating and an improved sound system. The range topping R-Dynamic HSE features more leather inside than in any other model. Both the R-Dynamic SE and HSE models come with 20-way power seats with massage functionality.

For your friends in the back, there’s an optional electric recline function. It will help those in the second row feel more comfortable on long rides. To also help keep your friends entertained, you could opt for the rear seat entertainment system. It features two 8” screens in the headrests. The optional system has two USB 3.0 ports, one HDMI, and a Mobile High-Definitional Link for connecting devices.

The 40:20:40 second row seat configuration features an armrest and rear-seat pass-through for storage of lengthy items like skis. There are many ways to expand the 34.4 cubic feet of space offered in the cargo area. Folding down all the seats, for example, opens up the back for a maximum storage capacity of 70.1 cubic feet. Again, a hands-free liftgate is standard on all models except for the base.

One other thing to note is that getting in and out of the Velar is made easier thanks to the electronic air suspension. It lowers the vehicle by 1.6 inches when entering and exiting.

The standard Velar with 18” wheels, LED headlights, a rear view camera, panoramic sunroof, and more starts at $49,950. The Velar S receives premium LED headlights, a powered gesture tailgate, improved audio system, navigation, and leather seats. It starts at $54,700.

Moving up to the R-Dynamic models brings the price up further. The R-Dynamic SE has a starting price of $59,000. It features 20” wheels, Matrix LED headlights, fog lights, 20-way leather seats with massage functionality, an interactive driver display, R-Dynamic exterior styling treatment, and more driver assist systems.

The range-topping R-Dynamic HSE starts at $74,500. It offers the largest 21” wheels, tons of leather inside, a surround system with 17 speakers, and a power adjustable steering column.

We like the engine offerings of the Range Rover Velar, as well as the sophisticated interior and sexy, sleek exterior. It’s a beautiful SUV and one that’s capable to boot. This vehicle can quickly become expensive, though, when opting for the higher models and tacking on additional features. But, people opting for luxury vehicles like the Range Rover Velar tend to not worry as much about the price. The vehicle certainly makes an impression, and that might be just enough to win over consumers!