Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Long, relatively low and crisply detailed, the Range Rover Velar is incredibly eye-catching. Equally appealing is its cabin. It’s minimalist and beautifully executed with the highlight being the dual-touchscreen setup on the dash. You don’t sit all that high up in a Velar but drivers still get a good view of the world outside. However, rear seat passengers have to make do with relatively small windows and ingress isn’t the most convenient either. Comfort at the back is good, if best for two occupants.
Of the engines, the 180hp, 2.0-litre diesel feels adequate but is unexciting and not particularly quiet. The 300hp, 3.0 V6 diesel, on the other hand, is punchy and very refined. The 250hp, 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol is surprisingly potent and delivers strong performance without making much noise. The Velar’s performance is complemented by tidy handling. Do note, only V6 diesel Velars get air suspension. Coil-sprung Velars feel a bit fidgety at low speeds. Impressively, the Velar doesn’t feel out of place in the rough even if it isn’t the most hardcore of range Rovers.

The Velar is pricey, to begin with, and things get outrageous in the higher trims. The 3.0 V6 diesel in particular is just too expensive. The 2.0 petrol and diesels are priced at par but aren’t particularly cheap either. Our pick of the engines is the 2.0 petrol. We’d also recommend spending on the top-spec HSE trim that comes with a full host of features, including adaptive cruise control and front seats with massage function. The R-Dynamic package adds more distinction to the look and is worth considering too.