Range Rover Velar Review

The Range Rover Velar is a style-conscious SUV with serious off-roading credentials that commands a high price to go with its fashionable looks. Slotting in between the smaller Evoque and larger Range Rover Sport, it comes with all the capability you'd expect from a Land Rover, loaded with the latest on-board technology. Find out if it's the family SUV for you in our Range Rover Velar review.

The Range Rover Velar has a wow-factor that few SUVs can match - an undeniable part of its appeal - and the main reason buyers in this price range pick one brand over another. You can further enhance its looks with the Dynamic models or options such as the Black Pack or Dynamic Handling Pack, transforming the car from smart 4x4 to glitzy, sharper cornering bauble, with a pandora's box of additional bling available.

None of this stuff represents great value though, and it feels as if Land Rover has skimped on the equipment list with the Range Rover Velar. Standard models get all the usual essentials, but full leather upholstery is notably missing. That's forgivable in an entry-level family hatchback, less so a luxurious SUV with a starting price north of £54,000.

The Range Rover Velar does look impressive inside, with its 11.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, attractive interior design and wide range of different trim finishes should you wish to indulge.

Poke around a little and the veneer of quality starts to slip, with a few cheap-feeling plastics above the dials and in the lower reaches of the cabin. You'll need to upgrade to our preferred Dynamic SE trim for it to feel really plush.

Even though the Range Rover Velar is priced to match larger seven-seaters cars such as the Audi Q7, Volvo XC90 and BMW X5, the Velar only has room for five. That's understandable given the presence of the Discovery in Land Rover's line-up, but if practicality is a top priority, it could be a deciding factor in picking one of the rivals we mention.

The Range Rover Velar does make up for this with a seriously large boot. In fact, few owners will find it wanting for luggage space, towing capacity (all Velars can haul up to 2.4 tonnes) or off-road capability. It has an array of electronic aids to help you tackle mixed terrain should you wish to explore the great outdoors, and a set of all-season tyres.

Every Velar comes with four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard. There's a choice of efficient petrol and diesel engines, while there's also the option of either self-charging and plug-in hybrid engines if you're in the market for a hybrid SUV. Land Rover dropped the powerful V6s, but you'll find these on the used market, while you might be tempted to search out a used Range Rover Velar with a stonking 5.0-litre V8 engine with a towering 550PS. 

We like the Range Rover's softly-sprung suspension, precise steering and reassuring stability, but it's not as engaging on a twisty road as a Porsche Macan, and only models fitted with air-suspension glide over bumps.

Since the Range Rover Velar looks so striking, this lack of cornering agility is unlikely to matter for many buyers. If you can afford it, then the Velar is a compelling package, but the further up the range you go, the harder it gets to justify the high price.

For most buyers, the sweet spot is the Range Rover Velar D300 Belgravia Edition.

The D300 is the engine that best suits the Velar’s character. It has the smoothness and effortlessness the D200 cannot quite match, while avoiding the heavier running costs of the petrols and plug-in hybrid if your usage does not make full use of charging.

Belgravia Edition is the trim we would target because it already gets a strong blend of visual appeal and luxury features, while the Satin version and Autobiography push the price into territory where the Velar becomes harder to justify purely on logic.

The P400e plug-in hybrid has clear appeal if you can charge at home and want lower day-to-day fuel use on short trips, but the diesel remains the more convincing all-rounder.

The current UK Range Rover Velar range starts at £57,475 for the D200 Belgravia Edition. Higher-spec and higher-output versions take the car well into the £60,000 bracket, with Autobiography starting from £67,710.

Those are stiff prices for a five-seat SUV of this size, especially when larger and more practical alternatives are available for similar money.

That has always been the Velar’s tension. It is expensive, but it is also not trying to win on simple pounds-per-litre logic. Buyers are paying for the design, the image and the Range Rover badge as much as the equipment and engineering.

The Porsche Macan is the obvious alternative if you want a premium SUV with more driver appeal. It is sharper, more rewarding and feels more sporting from behind the wheel.

The BMW X5 and Audi Q7 both make more sense if practicality matters most, because they are bigger and more versatile for similar money. The BMW X4 and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe are the more style-led German alternatives if you want something with a sleeker image.

There is also the Volvo XC90 if your priorities are family space and elegance, though it is less design-led than the Velar. The Range Rover Velar’s edge remains its look and its sense of occasion.

The Velar is more practical than its sleek shape suggests, but it is not as spacious in the back as some buyers may expect given the price.

The front seats have plenty of room, and the broad cabin gives both occupants a comfortable amount of personal space. Storage is reasonable too, though not quite as generous as in a Discovery.

Rear-seat space is decent rather than exceptional. Headroom is fine, but legroom is not especially generous for taller adults sitting behind equally tall front-seat occupants. The rear cabin can also feel a little dark because of the shallow side windows.

Boot space is one of the Velar’s stronger points. The plug-in hybrid offers 503 litres, while the rest of the range manages 552 litres. Fold the rear seats and total capacity rises to 1,791 litres in the P400e and up to 1,811 litres in non-plug-in versions, depending on how the figures are measured.

In practical terms, it is a very usable boot for everyday family duties, even if the Velar is still no match for larger seven-seat SUVs.

The Range Rover Velar measures 4,797mm long, 2,147mm wide & 1,683mm high.

That makes it a sizeable SUV, and the width is the dimension you notice most on narrow roads and in tight car parks. The upside is that it gives the Velar a planted stance and a genuinely substantial feel on the road.

All current Velars get Land Rover’s 11.4-inch Pivi Pro infotainment system, and that is a clear improvement over the older dual-screen Touch Pro Duo setup.

The system is more responsive, easier to navigate and less distracting than the old arrangement. Navigation is standard, as are Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the cleaner dashboard design helps make the whole cabin feel calmer and more modern.

This is one of those cases where newer really is better. The old dual-screen system looked dramatic, but the current setup is much easier to live with.

The Velar looks more luxurious than it sometimes feels. That has long been part of its story.

The major surfaces and the overall design create a very strong first impression, and upper trims such as Autobiography do a convincing job of delivering the richness buyers will expect.

Look lower down, though, and there are still a few harder materials that remind you this is not quite the class benchmark for perceived quality. It is a stylish interior first, and a tactile masterpiece second.

The current range opens with the D200 diesel mild hybrid, then moves to the D300 diesel mild hybrid, the P400 petrol mild hybrid and the P400e plug-in hybrid.

The D200 produces 204PS and covers 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds. The D300 raises output to 300PS and cuts that to 6.5 seconds. The P400 petrol brings 400PS and a 5.5-second 0-62mph time, while the P400e plug-in hybrid combines 404PS with up to 37 miles of official electric range.

For most buyers, the D300 is the engine that best fits the Velar’s brief. It has the effortless pace and refinement expected of an expensive Range Rover without the thirst of the petrols.

The Velar’s standard setup remains biased towards comfort rather than cornering sharpness. That is exactly the right choice for this sort of SUV.

The steering is accurate enough, body control is tidy enough and it feels secure and planted on the move, but it is not especially agile by the standards of sportier rivals. A Porsche Macan it is not.

What it does very well is refinement. The Velar settles into a relaxed motorway cruise nicely, and air-suspension versions in particular feel very polished over rougher surfaces.

Off road, the Velar still has far more ability than most buyers will ever need. Terrain Response, four-wheel drive and a wading depth of up to 530mm in the plug-in hybrid help keep it true to the Range Rover name, even if few owners will ever venture far beyond a muddy track.

The Range Rover Velar has a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating.

Current standard safety kit includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, parking sensors front and rear, a reversing camera and traffic-sign recognition. Driver-assistance packages are available to add more advanced features such as adaptive cruise control with steering assist.

That is a solid safety story, even if some rivals bundle more of the advanced systems into standard trim.

Official combined fuel economy peaks at up to 44.1mpg for the D200 diesel mild hybrid. The D300 manages up to 38.7mpg, while the P400 petrol returns up to 30.3mpg.

The P400e plug-in hybrid is the efficiency wildcard. If you keep it charged and make good use of its electric range, it can make a strong case for itself. If not, it is still a heavy petrol SUV with a battery on board.

Land Rover covers the Range Rover Velar with a three-year manufacturer warranty from first registration.

Anti-corrosion cover lasts for six years from delivery, while the paint surface warranty runs for three years. Genuine Parts and Accessories fitted or supplied by a retailer or Approved Service Centre are covered by the vehicle warranty if purchased within one month or 1,000 miles of handover. Outside that window, they are covered by a 24-month warranty.

Service intervals are set by Land Rover’s maintenance schedule and are based on time or distance, whichever comes first.

Insurance groups start around 31 for the more modest diesel versions and climb sharply from there, with the fastest and most expensive variants sitting much higher.

That puts the Velar broadly in line with other premium SUVs, but it is still not a cheap car to cover.

After year one, the Range Rover Velar pays the standard annual VED rate for non-EV cars, currently £200.

Because every current Velar sits above the £40,000 Expensive Car Supplement threshold for petrol, diesel and hybrid cars, it also attracts the additional annual charge from years two to six. At current rates, that takes the annual total to £640 during that period.-