Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Range Rover Velar specifications at a glance

A Range Rover name from 1969

"Velar" is not a new word for Land Rover. In 1969 the engineers who built pre-production prototypes of the first Range Rover badged them Velar to hide what they were testing. Almost half a century later the name returned for the fourth model in the Range Rover family. Land Rover released teaser photos on 22 February 2017, unveiled the car in London on 1 March and showed it to the public at the Geneva Motor Show on 7 March.

The Velar was the first Range Rover designed to look as smooth as possible. Flush door handles slide out when the car is unlocked, the bodywork has few visible joints, and inside two 10-inch touchscreens replaced most buttons. In 2018 it won the World Car Design of the Year award. The wider background of the brand is told in our history of Land Rover.

Platform shared with the Jaguar F-Pace

Under the skin the Velar uses the same iQ[Al] architecture as the Jaguar F-Pace, XE and XF. CAR magazine put the share of aluminium in the body at 81 %, with steel making up the rest. The wheelbase is identical to the Jaguar's at 2,874 mm, while the Velar body is 72 mm longer. The front suspension uses double wishbones and the rear an integral-link layout.

All six-cylinder cars had air suspension as standard at launch, while four-cylinder cars came on steel springs with air springs as an option. Terrain Response 2 adjusts the drivetrain for grass, gravel, snow, mud and sand, and the old version of this page quoted 600 mm wading depth. That is less than a Range Rover Sport manages, but enough for flooded tracks. With 2,500 kg of towing capacity, the Velar can pull a mid-size caravan or a horse trailer.

Velar engines and power, 2017–2020

The first engine range had six choices, later extended to eight. All of them drove all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic.

The 3.0 supercharged V6 came from the Jaguar F-Type. A 250 kW P340 version of it was added in 2018. The SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition was a short-run special by Land Rover's SVO division with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8, and it is the most powerful Velar so far. By our calculation, the top V8 has three times the power of the entry D180, a wide spread for one body.

Mild hybrids and the P400e plug-in

For the 2021 model year, announced in autumn 2020, Land Rover rebuilt the engine list around its new Ingenium units. The V6 diesels gave way to a 3.0-litre straight-six diesel (D300, 650 Nm), and the supercharged V6 to a 3.0-litre straight-six petrol (P400, 294 kW). Both use 48-volt mild-hybrid technology, and so does the new four-cylinder D200 diesel with 150 kW.

The biggest change was the P400e plug-in hybrid. It combines a 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine with an electric motor for a total of 297 kW (404 PS) and 640 Nm. In its 2023 form the battery holds 19.2 kWh, of which 15.4 kWh are usable. Using the usable figure and the 64 km electric range, the car needs roughly 24 kWh per 100 km on battery power by our calculation. That makes the P400e worth it mostly for drivers who can charge at home and keep daily trips short.

The 2023 facelift

Land Rover presented an updated Velar in February 2023, sold as the 2024 model year. The two touchscreens made way for a single floating 11.4-inch curved glass display running the Pivi Pro system. Pixel LED headlights and new tail lights changed the face and rear, and Active Road Noise Cancellation was claimed to lower cabin noise by at least 4 dB.

Safety and practicality

Euro NCAP tested the Velar in 2017 and awarded five stars. ANCAP, using the same tests, published the detailed scores: 93 % for adult occupants, 85 % for child occupants, 74 % for pedestrians and 72 % for safety assist. The plug-in hybrid and the SV models were not part of that rating.

The Velar is a strict five-seater, despite claims of a third row in the old version of this page. The old page also quoted a 559-litre boot that grows to 1,731 litres with the 40/20/40 rear seats folded, and ground clearance of 213 mm on springs or 251 mm on air suspension. Those numbers come from early cars and differ slightly by version, so check the figures for the exact car. Our size comparison tool puts the Velar next to its rivals.

Prices and the electric future

At the 2017 launch in the United Kingdom, CAR magazine listed the Velar from 44,830 pounds (about €51,000 at the time) up to 85,450 pounds (about €97,500) for the First Edition. A well-equipped R-Dynamic HSE diesel cost 67,480 pounds (about €77,000).

The model has a clear future. In April 2023 Jaguar Land Rover confirmed that the second-generation Velar will be a battery-electric car on its new EMA platform, to be built at Halewood. Until then, the current car remains on sale with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.

Velar against its rivals: who it suits

The Velar competes with the Porsche Macan, BMW X4, Mercedes GLC Coupé and Audi Q5 Sportback, and its own sister car, the F-Pace. Against the Macan it is the comfort- and design-led choice while the Porsche is sharper to drive, as our Velar vs Porsche Macan comparison shows. Buyers who need seven seats or serious off-road ability should look at the Discovery or the Range Rover Sport instead, while the smaller Range Rover Evoque offers the same design language for less money.

It suits buyers who value design and comfort and drive mostly on roads. For a used car, a 2021-on mild-hybrid six-cylinder is the most refined choice, and the P400e makes sense with home charging. Early D180 cars are the cheapest way in, but feel slow in a car of this size. All Land Rover models are in our Land Rover catalogue.