Sitting between the Evoque and the Sport in the Range Rover lineup, there has always been the potential for the Velar to be the difficult middle child since it first arrived in 2017. However, with its fresh design, the Velar has managed to move out of the shadow to become one of the most popular models. So successful was the original car that a second-generation model was launched back in 2022, with a mild facelift coming a year later in 2023. The car offers a more minimalist approach than the rest of the Range Rover lineup in a bid to reach out to a more youthful audience. However, it still offers the calm, quiet comfort that buyers have come to expect from the brand, as well as improved hybrid efficiency.
The Range Rover Velar blends modernist design with a refined, almost serene driving experience. It doesn’t try to be the sportiest SUV in the class — instead, it focuses on comfort, technology and style. The result is a mid-size luxury SUV that feels far more special than most rivals. The Velar isn’t cheap, and some may want sharper handling, but as a complete premium package, it remains one of the most desirable SUVs in its segment.
Jack is an experienced motoring journalist who has been covering the latest new-car releases for the last 10 years.
Read bioA look at the Range Rover configurator will show you that prices for the most basic Velar S model get underway at £55,410. The car is also available in mid-range Dynamic SE and range-topping Autobiography spec which start at £60,395 and £67,630 respectively. Those prices place the Velar below a number of its premium rivals and pitch the Velar as a more reasonably-priced alternative to the Range Rover Sport and standard Range Rover.
On the used market, the current Velar can be picked up on AA Cars for around £30,000, with more recent, lower-mileage examples climbing all the way above the £60,000 mark. While Velars do tend to hold their value well, if you do want to grab a bargain, it’s worth looking for first generation cars, which can be picked up for as little as £15,000. Regardless of which model you do go for, it is important to be aware that, like most Range Rovers, the Velar can bring steep running costs with high insurance groups and potentially thirsty engine choices.
Land Rover is slowly transitioning towards all-electric motoring and as such, the majority of Range Rover products are now offered with a choice of full and mild-hybrid powertrains. The range includes 2.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol and diesel options as well as sportier 3.0-litre six-cylinder choices. The Velar can also be bought as a full plug-in hybrid which partners a 2.0-litre engine with an electric motor and a generously sized battery pack. This final option is the standout choice in real-world conditions, where it offers an electric-only range of up to 45 miles. This makes it significantly better suited to inner-city journeys – like commuting and school-run duties – than the rest of the range. Meanwhile, the six-cylinder petrol and diesel models feel like the most traditional Range Rover units, delivering smooth, muscular and effortless power.
The Velar has never been the sportiest of SUVs, with the model taking on a far more serene approach to things. That remains the case with the latest car, which provides a smooth and quiet driving experience. Throughout the range, the Velar’s powertrains feel at their best at low to mid revs, where their innate smoothness shines through. Whereas some SUVs feel huge and cumbersome around town, the Velar is right at home in urban environments where it positively glides at low speeds.
That refinement continues when you leave town and head out onto the motorway, where wind and engine noise are kept to an absolute minimum. Overall, driving the Velar is a relaxing and composed experience, which puts comfort at the heart of everything you do. While this is great for the vast majority of motorists, it does result in a slight lack of pure driving pleasure. The Velar is an outstanding car out on the road but it does lack the excitement of some of its German rivals – especially the Porsche Macan.
Since the Velar first arrived on the scene almost a decade ago, it has been one of the very best cars in its segment for ride quality. Even basic cars absorb the bumps impressively, but for the absolute cream of the crop it’s worth going for Range Rover’s optional air suspension system, which irons out rough surfaces and allows the car to float effortlessly along most surfaces. As far as handling is concerned, the Velar feels controlled rather than thrilling and it doesn’t want to be thrown around corners in the same way that some sportier SUVs do. The steering is accurate but very much on the light side, which reduces feedback in the bends.
While not designed to go off-road in the same way that some bigger Range Rovers are, the Velar is also good when things get muddy, thanks to its genuine Land Rover DNA. The car comes with Terrain Response, hill-descent control, strong ground clearance and summer-tyre-friendly AWD calibration. While it may never be a Land Rover Defender, it is certainly more capable than its fashionable looks would suggest.
Inside the Velar, Range Rover very much adopted a philosophy of ‘less is more’ as the brand strives for a more minimalist feeling. This means that the car does away with physical controls with everything from the climate control to the off-road system manageable through a single 11.4-inch curved touchscreen which dominates the centre of the dashboard. While some will say that this keeps the interior uncluttered, it does have the potential to make things unnecessarily complicated.
Elsewhere, the materials used throughout the cabin are of the highest quality, with a choice of leathers, top-level veneers and soft-touch surfaces. Up front, comfort is excellent with higher spec cars getting heating, cooling and massage seat options, as well as a high, dominant driving position. Moving to the back and two adults have ample room to sit comfortably enough, but the sloping roofline does eat into headroom, especially for taller passengers.
Depending on which model you go for, the Range Rover Velar offers between 558 to 748 litres of boot space – an absolutely vast amount when compared to its rivals. This rises to over 1,300 litres with the back seats folded down, giving the car one of the best load capacities in its class. The boot itself is nice and wide and has no load lip, which makes it easier to lift things in and out of the back. There is also a good level of underfloor storage as well as some smaller, netted cubbies on either side of the boot. Inside the cabin itself, there are generous door bins, a deep central cubby, hidden storage spaces, and plenty of charging points. While it does lack the outright practicality of a seven-seat option, the Velar is still a pretty well-rounded option on this front.
Standard equipment on the Velar is generous, with even the most basic models kitted out with an 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen; wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto; LED headlights, a digital driver display and a 3D surround-view camera. Moving up the range, a number of more high-end touches can be added including a panoramic roof; Meridian premium audio, air suspension; ventilated & massaging seats and larger alloy wheels. As always with Land Rover, options can become very expensive, so it is important to keep an eye on what you are spending.
The current Velar is available in S, Dynamic SE and Autobiography trim, with each level adding increased technology, comfort and visual enhancements. Popular colour choices include Santorini Black, Fuji White, Carpathian Grey, Portofino Blue, Eiger Grey, Hakuba Silver and Ostuni Pearl White.
Reliability remains a mixed picture for all Jaguar Land Rover products but the Velar does at least seem to be more robust than a lot of models of yesteryear. Despite this, ownership surveys still cite electrical or infotainment issues as areas of concern. From a safety standpoint, equipment is strong across the range with features including autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control and driver attention monitoring.
The Velar’s efficiency varies significantly depending on engine choice but the most economical P400e plug-in hybrid variant has an official mpg figure of 130.2. While this is technically possible under test conditions, in the real world, drivers are far more likely to achieve in the region of 50mpg. Petrol and diesel mild-hybrid versions will also be well short of this, although numbers do vary depending on which setup you go for. When it comes to CO₂ emissions, plug-in hybrid versions of the Velar produce around 38 g/km, with more powerful petrol variants producing over 200 g/km. Buyers should also be aware that as a premium model, the Velar is subject to the government’s Expensive Car Supplement, which costs an extra £425 a year for five years, applied from the second year of registration.
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