Range Rover Velar review

The Range Rover Velar name isn't – as you might suspect – the result of branding experts playing with Scrabble letters over a few drinks. There’s actually history to it.

You see, when Land Rover was developing the original Range Rover, it gave it the codename Velar, derived from the Latin word "velare", which means to cover or hide. Ironically, though, this latest Range Rover Velar makes no effort to hide away – on the contrary, its rakish looks are there to help it stand out.

So, what's the Velar like? Well, put simply, it’s a five-seat SUV that fills the sizeable price gap between the smaller Range Rover Evoque and the bigger Range Rover Sport. And while it's the most road-biased Land Rover yet, it's still very capable off-road.

Rivals include the Audi Q5, the BMW X4, the Mercedes GLC Coupé and the petrol Porsche Macan. Meanwhile, top models in the Velar range are in price contention with the likes of the BMW X6 and the Mercedes GLE Coupé.

For 2024 the Range Rover Velar has had updates to the interior and a bigger battery for its plug-in hybrid option. In this review we're going to look at how it stacks up in all the important areas – from performance to practicality, and comfort to costs.

The fastest Range Rover Velar is the P400e plug-in hybrid (PHEV). When its petrol engine and electric motor are working together to maximise performance, it's capable of 0-60mph in a punchy 5.1 seconds.

Performance is rather more sedate in electric mode, although it can still get you up to motorway speeds if you’re patient, and can officially run for up to 39 miles on a single charge (mid-20s is more realistic in normal driving). When you're running on battery power, the engine can take a moment to wake up when you put your foot down.

If you want effortless performance without having to worry about charging up, consider the 296bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel (D300), which can officially manage 0-60mph in 6.1 seconds. It pulls more than hard enough from low revs and you’ll never struggle for oomph.

Our recommended engine, though, is the cheaper D200 four-cylinder diesel. It’s just over a second slower to 60mph than the D300, but it’s still strong enough for fuss-free acceleration. There's also a six-cylinder P400 petrol option promising similar pace to the PHEV but we've yet to drive that.

The Velar is a fairly versatile towing car: the D200 can pull 2,400kg, with the D300 and P400 upping that to 2,500kg. The P400e manages 2,000kg.

The Velar's standard non-adaptive suspension is softly sprung, and delivers a more supple ride than you get in a BMW X4 or Porsche Macan on standard springs. As a result, it deals with bigger lumps and bumps well, but pockmarked surfaces still cause it to fidget if you’ve picked the bigger, flashier 21in wheels.

If you want the cushiest ride, you should go for the optional air suspension, which is available on all versions except the P400e and allows you to adapt the Velar to suit your mood or the terrain.

In Comfort mode, the air suspension copes better with big wheels than the standard set-up does, although there is some floatiness over undulations at motorway speeds. Dynamic mode makes the ride more settled.

Range Rovers have never been known for pin-sharp handling or delicate levels of driver feedback, and the Velar doesn't change that, but that’s not to say it handles badly. Around town, its light steering makes life easy, yet it offers enough precision on faster roads to let you place the car's nose where you want it.

Still, you can't get away from the fact that the Velar feels heavier and less agile than many of its rivals. Whichever suspension set-up you go for, the Velar leans more than an X4 or a petrol Porsche Macan, although if you switch air-sprung Velars into Dynamic mode, the gap isn't as big.

Mind you, the Velar is far more impressive off road than all its rivals, especially with air suspension fitted. Indeed, with the right setting selected, it’ll scramble up steep, rocky slopes with surprising ease, and its hill-descent control system helps you come safely down the other side. The Velar's official wading depth is 53cm on standard suspension and 58cm with air suspension.

The Velar P400e’s four-cylinder petrol engine sounds more hot hatch than SUV when worked hard, but it settles into the background most of the time and switches between electric and petrol power smoothly.

If you want something sweeter, go for the D300 diesel. It’s extremely hushed at low engine speeds, transmits next to no vibration through the controls, and growls pleasantly as the revs rise. Impressively, it’s a bit more refined than the equivalent BMW diesel, and challenges the Audi offering too. The D200 is pleasantly hushed too, but its engine transmits more resonance into the car than the D300 unit.

An eight-speed automatic gearbox is standard on all models but can be laggy when you want a burst of pace. That said, the more expensive Audi Q8 has an even more dim-witted auto gearbox. Switching the gearbox into Sports mode sharpens its responses and makes it slightly snappier to react. If you really get frustrated, you can take control of gear changes yourself using the steering-wheel mounted paddles.

The Velar’s motorway manners are pretty good. Road noise is well contained at speed, and while there is some wind flutter around its big door mirrors, it’s still quieter overall than the petrol Macan. That said, the P400e does generate a noticeable amount of suspension noise around town.

“A 39-mile official electric-only range isn’t terrible, but a plug-in hybrid version of the BMW X5 would likely travel twice as far on electric power in the real world. I find the smooth diesel options in the Velar are the easiest engines to recommend in the line-up.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Even in entry-level S spec, the Range Rover Velar has 14-way electrically adjustable front seats (including fine-tuning for the lumbar region) that are heated and remain comfortable for hours.

Less impressively, Land Rover has removed the Velar's simple rotary climate controls as part of the car's mid-life refresh. Now you have to use the infotainment touchscreen, which is far more distracting to do on the move.

In all Velars, there's a 12.3in digital driver's display instead of traditional analogue dials. It’s clear and puts lots of information just in front of the driver, although it’s not as easy to configure as the Virtual Cockpit system in the Audi Q5.

Thanks to the Velar’s lofty driving position, the driver's view straight out of the front and to the sides is good. The wide windscreen pillars can obscure your vision slightly at junctions, though, and seeing out of the back could also be easier, because the rear window is small.

Fortunately, all Velars come with front and rear parking sensors, and a reversing camera. If you're really worried about parking, a park-assist system that will find a space and steer you into it is optional.

Entry-level S models get LED headlights with high-beam assist as standard to allow you to keep them set to main beam without dazzling other drivers. On other versions they're upgraded to pixel LED lights, also with high-beam assist.

Previous versions of the Velar had two 10.0in touchscreens, but the latest model has one 11.4in screen with smart-looking graphics and menus that prove easy enough to navigate once you're used to them.

That said, it would be easier to operate the infotainment system functions without taking your eyes off the road if you also had a rotary scroll dial and proper shortcut buttons, as you do in a BMW X4 or BMW X6.

You can bypass the Land Rover software using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. Among other things, they let you use Google Maps or Waze sat-nav apps instead of the built-in sat-nav.

The main areas you look at and interact with in the Velar are suitably stylish, and the higher-spec models have plenty of soft leather on the dashboard and door tops.

Even basic trims are fitted with leather seats and, in the main, Velars feel sturdily put together, although they're not quite as consistently robust as the Audi Q8, or the BMW X4 and BMW X6. If you poke around a bit, you’ll find plastics that feel a little flimsy and some panel gaps.

“When I’m behind the wheel of the Velar I feel like I’m sitting in a big, plush SUV, which is what you want when you’re spending this sort of money.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

The Range Rover Velar is a big car, so front space is generous. There’s plenty of head room and the seats go back a long way to accommodate taller drivers, with a wide gap between them so you won’t be rubbing shoulders with your passenger when you both use the split centre armrests.

There are lots of storage spaces dotted around. The door bins can each take a 500ml bottle and a few oddments, and the cupholders behind the gear selector are a healthy size.

Passengers in the back seats of the Velar are unlikely to complain about head room: even with a panoramic glass roof fitted, six-footers will have plenty.

Leg room isn’t quite so generous. A six-footer can fit behind an equally tall driver, but they will have precious little space between their knees and the back of the front seat. The petrol Porsche Macan is tighter in the back while the Audi Q8 and BMW X6 are roomier.

If you try to fit three people in the rear of the Velar, the middle passenger has to straddle a sizeable hump in the floor. There's also limited elbow room and the middle seat is particularly narrow. The rear door bins are smaller than those in the front, but still useful.

Like the driver's seat, the front passenger seat features 14-way electric adjustment as standard.

All Velars have a handy 40/20/40 split rear bench so you can carry long items, such as skis or a ladder, between two passengers. A sliding rear bench – like the one you get in the Audi Q5 and Volvo XC90 – isn’t available in the Velar.

We recommend adding the optional release handles, which are mounted on the sides of the boot, to drop the rear seatbacks. It’s a bit cheeky that Land Rover charges extra for them on an expensive car, but they do save you having to walk round and open the rear doors to drop the rear seats.

The Velar’s boot space is a lot more usable than rivals' – even the Audi Q8’s. We managed to fit 10 carry-on suitcases inside, compared with eight in the Q8. That said, the PHEV version (the P400e) has a slightly smaller boot because of the big battery under the floor.

The bottom of the Velar's tailgate opening is quite high off the ground, which is something to bear in mind when you need to lift things up and into the boot, but at least there isn't a lip at the entrance with a big drop down to the boot floor behind it. Air-sprung models can be made to lower when you park, aiding access.

A powered tailgate is standard, plus you get a few hooks in the boot, and several partition and storage options are available.

“The Velar has a great boot. Granted, the plug-in hybrid version has about 50 litres less overall capacity than the rest of the line-up, but I could still fit in eight carry-on suitcases in the back, which is the same you’d get in a Q8.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

If you avoid the petrol-powered non-PHEV versions, running costs for the Range Rover Velar shouldn't be too painful.

The D200 diesel has the best official fuel economy – aside from the P400e PHEV's optimistic figure (expect around 25mpg when the battery is depleted). The far punchier D300 is capable of more than 30mpg when driven sensibly.

The P400e, by the way, can accept a CCS fast charge, so a home charger will get you from 0-100% in two and a half hours, but you can top up to 80% in half an hour at a fast public charger – not something many plug-in hybrids can manage. 

Still, the P400e’s high list price means the entry-level engines look most tempting. Our favoured D200 diesel engine is quite a bit cheaper than most of its rivals, including the Audi Q8 and BMW X6 – partly because most competitors offer only bigger six-cylinder diesel engines. For the latest Velar prices see our New Land Rover Deals pages.

None of the conventional engines are great for drivers of company cars because they're all in the top BIK tax bracket. The P400e is the best company car choice.

Demand for the Velar means it holds its value pretty well, but for the strongest resale values in the class, look at the petrol Porsche Macan.

Even entry-level S trim gives you adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights and windscreen wipers, keyless entry, ambient interior lighting, dual-zone climate control and a heated windscreen.

We don't reckon stepping up to Dynamic SE or beyond adds enough extras to justify the price hikes unless you also want to opt for one of the more powerful engines that can't be combined with S spec.

In the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, Land Rover finished fifth from bottom out of 31 manufacturers included. The Velar itself was third from bottom in the large SUV class.

So what’s your back-up? Well, the standard warranty is three years, with no mileage limit, and you might want to consider extending that if you’re keeping the car for longer. Make sure you extend it within the manufacturer’s warranty – once it’s lapsed, you can only buy an approved used warranty, and that might not cover as many eventualities.

The Velar picked up the full five stars from Euro NCAP for safety in the event of a crash. Looking at its test results in detail, there were a few weaknesses noted in its rear passenger chest and whiplash protection, but nothing serious. 

The Audi Q7, which is structurally similar to the Velar's Q8 rival, is about as safe as the Velar, while the Macan also scored the full five stars, although that was several years ago, when the tests weren’t so stringent.

All versions get automatic emergency braking (AEB), a driver condition monitor and lane-keep assist as standard, along with six airbags. Meanwhile, an intrusion sensor is fitted to help with security.

“I understand why someone would be tempted with a range-topping Autobiography version of the Velar. Pixel LED headlights, 21in alloys, an extended leather interior all sound suitably luxurious. But it’s a shame that, given the high price, you’d still need to pay extra to have massaging seats.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

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