Range Rover Velar Review & Prices

The Range Rover Velar is one of those SUVs that has instant allure. From its good-looking, low-slung bodywork to its glut of posh badge appeal, it would probably sell extremely well even if it was a terrible car.

The good news is that it isn’t. As one of the cheaper models in the Range Rover family, the Velar’s a bit like flying Premium Economy instead of Business - you still get loads of features and are treated generally very well, but you’re just missing out on that last touch of luxury that you find in full-sized Range Rover models. Of course, you’re also paying a lower price.

You also sacrifice a little of the off-road ability that bigger Range Rovers have, but don’t be fooled - the Velar’s clever off-road systems and adjustable air suspension (on most models) mean that you’ll still be able to go way further off the beaten track than almost any of its SUV competitors. Even 4x4 variants of the BMW X3, Audi Q5 or Lexus NX can’t match the Velar on the rough stuff.

For 2023, the Velar has been updated. Exterior changes are minimal - you get a slightly different pattern on the grille, reprofiled bumpers and interestingly the removal of the ‘Land Rover’ badge from the rear. Inside, it’s a bit more drastic, with the old twin-screen dashboard replaced with a minimal interior that features almost no physical buttons.

Instead, you get a big 11.4-inch touchscreen that controls… everything. The climate control, the smartphone connectivity, even selecting which drive mode you want - it all takes place through the touchscreen. The dashboard that was originally designed for switches and a climate control panel does now look rather barren, with just a gear selector hanging out in the middle of it.

Competitors have interiors that are much easier to use, such as the BMW X3 with its solid build quality and intuitive touchscreen or the Lexus NX with its unique design and ample switchgear. The Velar does hit back with plenty of room in the rear seats as well as a boot that’s bigger than most mid-sized SUVs - only the Mercedes-Benz GLC has more space.

The Velar also offers loads of variety in the range - not always a given in 2024 when so many manufacturers are paring back the number of engines and trims they sell in the UK. There are five engines, with four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel options as well as a plug-in hybrid. There are also four trim levels, and a long list of optional extras and accessories to allow you to personalise your Velar as you see fit.

To find out how much you could save on your choice of new Velar, check out the latest deals, or browse used Range Rover Velars from Carwow’s network of trusted dealers. Want something different? You can browse other used Land Rovers, too, or check out the pick of the best SUV cars. And don’t forget you can also sell your car online through Carwow, too.

The Velar’s wide range of engines and trims means that what you spend can vary wildly. The entry-level car clocks in at just over £54,000, while the range-topping plug-in hybrid is more than £80,000. 

The four trim levels are all well-equipped. The entry-level S looks a bit sad thanks to its 19-inch wheels, which look totally lost in the wheelarches - it also has plainer bodywork than the other trim levels, though it still comes with the usual premium SUV trappings of a leather interior, digital dashboard and various driver assistance features.

Dynamic SE turns up the style with 20-inch wheels, memory front seats and more sculpted bumpers, while Dynamic HSE ups them to 21-inch wheels and adds a posh Windsor leather interior as well as adjustable air suspension. The range-topping Autobiography has 21-inch wheels as well as all the interior goodies you could want. And if there’s anything missing, you can be sure it’s somewhere on the Velar’s lengthy options list.

Choice of great engines, but doesn’t handle bumps as well as some SUVs

In town

The Velar’s raised ride height gives you a commanding view of the road when driving in town - you can easily see over most people in front of you, unless of course they’re driving a full-sized Range Rover. Visibility out the front and rear isn’t perfect though thanks to the thick front pillars and narrow rear window creating blindspots.

Every Velar has an eight-speed automatic gearbox, and this can be a little jerky around town, getting easily confused if you ask it for a sudden burst of acceleration as you might at a roundabout or junction. Once it girds its loins, though, you won’t be disappointed by the performance on offer from even the lowest-powered engines. It’s a bit uncomfortable at low speeds, though, especially on the larger alloy wheels. It can fidget over road imperfections, even on models fitted with air suspension.

To turn your Velar into the ultimate urban warrior, you’ll want to opt for the plug-in hybrid engine option. Nothing feels quite so ‘Range Rover’ as imperiously gliding around in the total silence that electric power affords - at least for 20 or so miles until the battery runs out and the rather noisy petrol engine cuts in. A BMW X3 or Mercedes GLC have more impressive (and efficient) plug-in hybrid options available.

Still, fuel economy around town is great for this model - it’s not so good for the other engines, which use a lot of fuel coping with this car’s impressive bulk.

On the motorway

The Velar feels fantastically at home on the motorway. While the suspension can feel lumpy around town, it smooths out every bit of the road at high speed. Wind noise, road noise, and engine noise are all well-contained allowing you to travel along at 70mph and still speak to your passengers in a whisper.

The further up the engine range you go, the more power there is in reserve for decisive overtakes. The six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines make short work of crossing continents, and at a constant high speed they’re even quite efficient, with 40mpg possible from the diesel.

On a twisty road

Opt for a higher-spec Velar with air suspension and then you can choose ‘Dynamic’ mode to really make the most of a twisting B-road. Do this and the suspension firms up, the steering becomes heavier and the gearbox and throttle more responsive. 

The Velar corners extremely well for an SUV of this size. It’s not as agile or outwardly sporty to drive as a Porsche Macan, instead being satisfying to drive rather than entertaining. It’s still more of an express train than it is a sports car in disguise.

Again, the six-cylinder engines are the best options if you want your Velar to be as powerful as it is prestigious.

Roomy up front and in the boot, but not great for three in the back

Something would really need to go wrong for a 4x4 that’s almost five metres long to be short of space in the front. So it will surprise nobody to confirm that there’s plenty of room in the front of the Velar.

Most drivers should be able to find a sound and supportive driving position, but things could be better still. For one thing, the centre console and transmission tunnel are really wide, which means there’s not as much room for your left leg as you might think.

For another, the entry-level model has less scope for adjustment than the rest of the range. It makes do with eight-way movement and no lumbar adjustment, whereas Velar S and up have 14-way adjustment (including adjustable lumbar support) and the high-spec R-Dynamic HSE has 20-way adjustment. This range-topping model’s seats will heat, cool, and even massage you as you drive.

Storage space is more than adequate, with good-sized door bins and a reasonable amount of room in the glovebox. You’ll find more room for odds and ends under the driver’s armrest, although this space is smaller than the equivalent cubby in plenty of other SUVs.

There are three cupholders between the front seats, although the only way to cover them up when you’re not using them is to pull the armrests forward. There’s also a small storage bin underneath the infotainment screen, where the climate controls used to be.

Space in the back seats

Two passengers will be happy enough in the back. There’s enough headroom for adults even with the panoramic sunroof fitted, and legroom is okay too. However, the sloping roof and high window line mean the rear window isn’t very large, and you sit with your head next to the very thick rear pillar. It means you feel a bit hemmed in.

Three passengers are a bit of a squeeze. There’s a hump in the floor which gets in the way of the middle passenger’s feet, and the cushion is firm and higher than the seats on either side. Better to use the middle seat as an armrest - when you do, there are two cupholders and even two USB-C ports hidden away.

ISOFIX mounting points for child seats are fitted to the outer seats, and fitting the child seats should be easy enough with plenty of room to manoeuvre a big, bulky, rear-facing seat.

Boot space

The Velar’s boot is particularly large compared to most other SUVs of a similar size. At 550 litres in capacity, it’s bigger than a Porsche Macan’s 488 litres, and matches the BMW X3. Only a Mercedes-Benz GLC has more space, with 620 litres. 

Bear in mind, though, that the plug-in hybrid Velar loses 50 litres of its boot capacity in order to accommodate the battery pack. This isn’t unusual, and even with that loss in capacity the Velar’s boot is still big and well-shaped. Hybrid versions of the Mercedes-Benz GLC have an enormous hump in the floor to deal with.

Folding the Velar’s seats down is easy, though there are no switches to do it from the rear of the car as there are in larger Range Rovers. They fold in a 40:20:40 split, giving plenty of flexibility.

There are sturdy tie-down points, a big underfloor storage compartment for keeping things hidden, and four robust bag hooks to keep shopping tidy. It’s a shame that the load cover can’t be stored under the floor, though.

Latest interior update brings a sleek cabin - but it’s unnecessarily hard to use

The trend for car interiors lately is towards more screens and fewer buttons. Range Rover definitely took the latter to heart, and the centre console of the Range Rover Velar now has not a single item of physical switchgear. Instead, everything’s been moved to the large, 11.4-inch curved touchscreen infotainment display.

This is big, clear and looks impressive, but there are some ease-of-use niggles. For example, while there are climate controls permanently visible on the screen, you have to go into a separate menu to adjust the temperature. The same goes for the drive modes, which used to be accessed via a handy dial on the central tunnel. BMW’s latest system, fitted on the X3, shows how onscreen climate controls can still be easy to use and how physical controls can still be implemented.

The minimalist centre console doesn’t even look that good. The materials used don’t feel particularly great to the touch, and the overall impression is rather more stark and barren than refreshing and simple. 

You do at least still get buttons on the steering wheel. While these look like they should be touch-sensitive, they’re proper buttons. It’s just a shame that the handsome digital dashboard is also a bit labyrinthine, requiring lots of button presses to accomplish what you’re after.

Most Velars are pretty thirsty compared to SUVs of a similar size. The petrols are the worst offenders - you’re unlikely to see more than 30mpg from the six-cylinder petrol in daily use.

For the best all-round economy, one of the diesel engines is your best bet. The six-cylinder engine can do over 40mpg on a long run but is less efficient around town. The smaller four-cylinder diesel averages in the low 40s.

The plug-in hybrid Velar has the potential to be very efficient indeed, if you believe its official economy figure of over 100mpg. To achieve anywhere near that, however, you’ll have to plug it in religiously and do mainly short journeys using battery power for a majority of the time. On a longer journey, the small petrol engine and heavy battery pack mean this is a very thirsty SUV. Other PHEV SUVs can manage longer distances on their batteries, too - the Mercedes GLC claims to manage almost 80 miles compared to the Velar’s claimed 38.

Thanks to low CO2 emissions, though, the plug-in hybrid Velar is by far and away the best pick for a company car driver, with lower emissions resulting in a much more reasonable benefit-in-kind tax band. All Velars cost over £40,000, so private buyers will pay the higher rate of car tax for the first five years of ownership.

There’s nothing to worry about when it comes to safety. All Velars come with a whole host of standard equipment, including autonomous emergency braking, while Euro NCAP tested the car in 2017 and scored it a full five stars with particularly impressive results for adult and child occupant protection.

Security is a bigger issue - Range Rovers are very desirable cars and in the past some models have been particularly susceptible to relay theft targeting the keyless entry system. There’s a tracking system available, and all Velars have alarms, but you may wish to take additional security precautions yourself, such as keeping your keys in a Faraday pouch.

Let’s not beat around the bush – Land Rovers are usually close to the bottom of most reliability surveys. Diesel models in particular often suffer from faults. If you are not ready to accept some unscheduled trips to your local dealer, take a close look at the Lexus NX instead.

On the other hand, some owners are ready to forgive cars like the Range Rover Velar because of their looks, driver appeal, and luxury ambience.

The Velar comes with a three-year unlimited mileage warranty. Just don’t be shocked if you need to use it. This is about average for the class, though Lexus in particular will give you up to ten years of cover on the NX.