Range Rover Velar - TopCarNews

Range Rover Velar (2017 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Range Rover Velar is a luxury SUV by Land Rover that sits between the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport in the model range. It is built at Jaguar Land Rover’s factory in Solihull.

The Velar was launched in the summer of 2017, with a high-performance SVAutobiography model added a year later. It is built on the same platform as the Jaguar F-Pace SUV, XF saloon and XE saloon models.

The Range Rover Velar currently holds an Expert Rating of 72% (as of December 2021) based on 32 UK reviews, which is just behind the class leaders for all the mid-size premium SUVs we have analysed to date. The Velar has received consistently good scores from the UK motoring media across all models in the range. It has been particularly praised for its design and comfortable driving experience, however it has been criticised for being overly expensive and not hitting the same quality standards as rivals.

Like many Land Rovers, the Velar has seen many complaints about poor quality and reliability. In August 2020, Which? magazine publicly called for the Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery Sport to be recalled due to ongoing software problems.

autos, cars, land rover, range rover, range rover velar

Key specifications

Body style: Medium SUV/crossoverEngines: petrol, diesel
Price: From £31,615 on-road

Launched: Summer 2017Last updated: Winter 2018/19
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic HSE D240Score: 7.7 / 10“The Range Rover Velar isn’t the cheapest option in the market – but that won’t bother its target market. This is a significant upmarket SUV contender.”
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Auto Express

Model reviewed: P400e PHEV 2021Score: 9 / 10“The Land Rover Range Rover Velar is more attractive than ever with plug-in hybrid power – and it was a pretty attractive proposition in the first place.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is Land Rover’s most desirable product yet. Rivals are arguably better value, but the stylish Velar remains tempting.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 8 / 10“It may be expensive, but the Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography is a deeply impressive performance SUV.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic SEScore: 8 / 10“Regular motorway users could do far worse than pick its blend of comfortable ride, cruising refinement and long-distance range.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 8 / 10“Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations wanted to add performance to the Velar without sacrificing comfort, and it looks to have nailed the brief, building on the standard car’s strengths of style and refinement, while adding extra sharpness and a thunderous engine.”
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Auto Trader

Score: 8 / 10“New engines and a full plug-in hybrid option add further appeal to Range Rover’s stylish and sporty Range Rover Velar.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“What if you want all the prestige of a Range Rover, but without the tall, upright stance? What if, in other words, you want your Range Rover to be slinky and stylish? Well, this Velar, with its lower roofline and laid-back stance, might be just the thing.”
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Autocar

Model reviewed: P400e 2021Score: 7 / 10“If you do mainly intend to drive your Velar in town and want to do so relatively free of guilt, the P400e is undoubtedly the one you want. Along the with low tax band, that ought to make it a strong-seller in the line-up.”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic R-DynamicScore: 8 / 10“New entry-level Velar brings affordable four-cylinder motoring to Land Rover’s most road-focused model.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 7 / 10“Stylish, advanced and accomplished but in need of a better powertrain.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 9 / 10“There’s very little about the fast, handsome Range Rover Velar SVAutobiography Dynamic – apart perhaps from the record-breaking 16 syllables of its name – that comes as a shock.”
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Car

Model reviewed: HybridScore: 8 / 10“The Land Rover Range Rover Velar Hybrid is as stylish and dynamically impressive as SUVs go, and the Velar’s new plug-in powertrain gives it another great selling point.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 8 / 10“The crucial news is this is the only Velar to get JLR’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8.”
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Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol automatic First Edition P380Score: 8 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is a beautifully designed and (mostly) finely wrought car. It will sell well to the growing number of affluent urbanites who want a stand-out SUV. They’ll buy it, probably love it, and get covetous glances from neighbours, other road users and the fashion conscious.”
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Carbuyer

Model reviewed: 2021Score: 8.2 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is one of the coolest SUVs money can buy, with eye-catching looks and cutting-edge in-car technology.”
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Model reviewed: (range review)Score: 8.2 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is one of the coolest SUVs money can buy, with eye-catching looks and cutting-edge in-car technology.”
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Company Car Today

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic HSE“Classy, stylish and progressive in styling and technology, the Velar fills a hole in the Range Rover range.”
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Daily Mail

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre diesel automaticScore: 10 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is so good-looking, it has suddenly made even the Evoque and the Jaguar F-Pace look worryingly dated by comparison.” (Chris Evans)
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Evo

Model reviewed: 2021Score: 7 / 10“Elegant Land Rover Range Rover Velar SUV now has the powertrains it deserves.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 8 / 10“Push harder, even in the suspension’s Dynamic mode, and the Velar’s body does move around to a certain level, but it never lacks control, floating over the worst imperfections in the road surface without feeling like that 542bhp is getting away from you.”
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Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 6 / 10“The Range Rover Velar looks and feels special inside and out, and offers a suitably luxurious driving experience too.”
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Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“It rides well enough and is very relaxing to drive. What we’re not too keen on is the 2.0-litre diesel engine. The Ingenium unit is certainly quick enough but lacks the refinement and smoothness you’d expect of a premium car like the Velar. Luckily, there are also decent petrols available.”
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Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.2 / 10“Super-stylish Range Rover for townies is well worth considering”
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The Sun

Model reviewed: 5.0-litre petrol automatic SV Autobiography“New Range Rover Velar SV is posh and potent — but it comes at a price”
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Model reviewed: 2.0-litre diesel automatic“The Range Rover Velar is the British firm’s best yet and raises the bar with its classy cabin and slick technology”
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The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: 3.0-litre petrol automatic HSE P380Score: 8 / 10“Outrageously expensive and has a silly name. You’ll still want one, though.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
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Top Gear

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Range Rover Velar majors on style but it’s still a useful car. It’s roomy enough for a family, not so big it’s awkward in cities, and capable of unusual off-road feats.”
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Model reviewed: SVAutobiography DynamicScore: 7 / 10“Mentally it’s an increasingly hard car to justify – expensive to buy and run, and with a power unit rapidly approaching end-of-life obsolescence. So, a confession: I rather liked it. It’s flattering, I like that it swerves the full-ticket fakery of an SUV that thinks it’s a sports car. It’s a more honest, pleasing car than that. This could catch on.”
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What Car?

Model reviewed: 2021Score: 10 / 10“The Range Rover Velar is a stylish, refined and seriously appealing SUV.”
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Which?

Model reviewed: Range overview“Despite some very swish touches, the Velar feel expensive for what it is, and that will inevitably send people to rival cars like the Audi Q7.”
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Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: October 2017

93%

ADULT OCCUPANT

85%

CHILD OCCUPANT

74%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

72%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The Range Rover Velar has not been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the Range Rover Velar has received

2020

What Car? Awards – Best Coupe SUV

2018

World Car of the Year Awards – World Car Design of the Year
News UK Motoring Awards – SUV of the Year
GQ Car of the Year Awards – ‘Climb Every Mountain in Luxury’ Award

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Keyword: Range Rover Velar