Range Rover Velar

The Range Rover Velar is the latest model from Land Rover’s box of tricks.  The word Velar means veil or covering.  Velar originated in the 18th century from Latin, where it literally meant a “sail, curtain, covering, veil”.  From the outside, the new Velar is elegant and attractive.  Its looks have been tastefully finished thanks to a talented design team at Land Rover who were up to the task of making the new SUV design eye-catching – a task that was challenging considering the taller and larger SUV dimensions.  In keeping with the new brand and look of Land Rover models, the Velar slots itself between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport, and uses the Jaguar F-Pace platform.  If you are wondering how Land Rover and Jaguar can do this; well, Land Rover is actually part of the same company as Jaguar.

The exterior looks superb, and thanks to the F-Pace chassis the new Velar handle’s very well with sporting ability.  Going past the exterior veil and into the interior, Land Rover’s cabin design is exciting and classy.  Taking interior design to the next level, a very grand dash boasts twin 10-inch touch screens, very clear graphics and intuitive functions.  There are a variety of models to choose from and plenty of scope for making your new Range Rover Velar unique to you.

Range Rover Velar

The base model Velar offers standard features that include: an auto-dimming interior rear view mirror, luxtec and suedecloth seats, 8-way manually adjustable front seats, a very nice Land Rover sound system with 250 W and 8-speakers, keyless entry, rear parking aids, voice control, flush deployable door handles, and a really clear rear-view camera that displays up on the touch screen the moment the reverse gear has been selected.  A nice set of 18-inch 15-spoke ‘Style 1022’ alloys, striking LED headlights and a very practical powered gesture tailgate – great for loading the golf clubs into the luggage bay or kids school bags – finishes the vehicle of very nicely, indeed.

Additional luxury items and features are added onto the list as you work your way up through the Velar S, Velar SE and Velar HSE models.  The top of the range Range Rover Velar HSE boasts a big list of premium features, including: 21-inch 5-split-spoke ‘Style 5047’ rims, Matrix LED headlights with Signature DRLs, a powered gesture tailgate, auto-dimming mirrors, power folding heated door mirrors with approach lights, an electrically adjustable steering column, 20-way adjustable seats with driver/passenger memory massage and heated/cooled front seats, rear seats with a power recline function, interior leather upgrades, Windsor leather door top roll lower, a Windsor leather mid instrument panel, a Meridian surround sound system with 825 W and 17-speakers, Navigation Pro, an interactive driver display, a rear view camera, a Drive Pro Pack and a Park Pro Pack.  You are driving a Range Rover after all, so you can expect the best.

Range Rover Velar Interior

Additional interior options for the Velar models include sustainable wool-based textile upholstery, a premium-of-premiums 23-speaker sound system, head-up display, four-zone climate control, and a rear-seat entertainment package with two 8-inch screens mounted in the back of the front-seat headrests so the kids (and big kids) can enjoy visual entertainment on a long journey.  You can also equip the Velar with Land Rover’s Terrain Response 2 AWD system, which includes a number of off-road driving modes.  No low range gearing is available for the Velar, however – just like the Evoque.

I’ve always considered the Range Rover to be the ultimate luxury off-road vehicle that is so smooth and comfortable on and off the tarmac.  The new Range Rover Velar certainly has some very sporty performance and agile handling on the road, with off-roading duties being useful but secondary in purpose.  Land Rover says it made extensive use of aluminium in the Velar’s construction to save weight and improve efficiency and performance.  There are various engines available to power the Velar, and all engines choices have AWD traction and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.

One of the best motors in the range is also the smallest diesel engine which powers the Velar along nicely without being really rapid.  Offering a full 430 Nm of torque from low engine revs makes it very relaxed for managing any every day drives with ease.  It cruises really well and is also the most frugal in the range, offering less than 6 litres/100 km in a combined run of everyday driving on a mix of urban and extra-urban roads.  The engine is called the D180, and still has the goods to push you from a standstill to 100 km/h in around 9 seconds while topping out at over 200 km/h.

The D240 engine is a diesel motor that sits between the D180 and the D300.  Packing 500 Nm of torque, the D240 has ample torque for towing, while everyday drives remain efficient and sporty in the meantime.

Staying in diesel guise, the Range Rover Velar D300 engine is hugely powerful, with enough torque to tow a train.  No less than 700 Nm of torque is available pretty much all the time and in an instant.  It is no slouch either, having the ability to sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds.  The top speed of 241 km/h is made for the autobahn, while Land Rover claim CO2 emissions of 167 g/km will be the norm.  Fuel efficiency can still be kept well under 8 litres/100 km – a result from careful right foot behaviour.

If diesel motors aren’t your thing, then the refined P250 petrol-fed motor is the base engine that provides its power via a 2.0-litre turbo unit.  You should find that there is plenty of power available.  However, the speedster in the Velar range belongs to the only other petrol model with the P380 engine.  Turbo technology and modern air flow technology gives the V6 P380 Range Rover Velar a 0-100 km/h sprint time of less than 6 seconds.

How many can you fit on-board the new Velar?  Five adults will find the seats exceptionally comfortable.  Also, the Velar offers 974 litres of cargo space behind the second-row seats – making family excursions a breeze!  Properly equipped, Land Rover claims a maximum towing capacity for the Velar of 2.5 tonnes.

Range Rovers will always offer some capable off-road action, and the Velar’s off-road capability positions itself between that of the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.  This would also indicate that on-road ability is actually where the Velar excels.  Still, you have 25 cm of ground clearance and a 65 cm wading depth when equipped with the optional air suspension package.

Land Rover’s Range Rover Velar is up against a huge number of SUV rivals in this segment.  You’ll find the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, BMW’s X3 and X4, Porsche’s excellent Macan, Jaguar’s F-Pace, and even Jeep’s Grand Cherokee are direct competitors.  But you can rest assured; the Range Rover Velar is very good.

The current Range Rover Velar model series includes the:

• Velar
• Velar S
• Velar SE
• Velar HSE

For any more information on the Range Rover Velar or, for that matter, any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of Land Rover dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!