If you thought that the Range Rover Evoque was a little too small, and the Range Rover Sport wasn’t stylish enough, don’t worry, because Land Rover too figured this out. So, to tackle this issue, the British carmaker simply, seems like, blended the Evoque’s styling with the proportions of the larger Sport – and the result? Well, it’s called the Range Rover Velar, and it’s the marquee’s fourth model within the Range Rover family. It’s based on a platform that it shares with the Jaguar F-Pace, and made its debut in 2017. This isn’t just a beautiful concept vehicle, but an SUV that’s designed to perform exceptionally on the road and of course, off the beaten path as well.
The Range Rover Velar is a luxury crossover SUV, but thanks to its intelligent terrain-response system and inherent Land Rover DNA, it can go where most luxury crossovers can’t. Unlike some of its rivals, the Velar just looks that much more special, and I think it looks absolutely gorgeous. And talking of competition, the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar goes up against the Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X4, Audi Q5, and Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe.
Exterior
The exterior form factor of the 2019 Range Rover Velar looks effortlessly stylish and elegant. It’s truly an eye-catching design by Land Rover, almost like its younger sibling, the Evoque. The svelte yet intimidating front fascia of the Velar features a steeply-raked windshield, vast clamshell hood with fake vents, wide honeycomb grille, magnificent dual-projector LED headlights with Land Rover’s signature LED DRLs, and a sporty bumper with aggressive-looking air intakes, plus a front lip spoiler.
The expressive side profile of the Range Rover Velar displays a confident and sporty posture. There are the massive 21-inch alloy wheels, flared fenders, cool designer elements along the fender and front door, flush door handles, distinctive shoulder line, and blacked-out door pillars with a floating roof. The flamboyant back end gets a steeply-sloped rear window, large rear spoiler, stunning LED wrap-around taillights, and a chunky bumper with dual exhausts and an air diffuser. The 2019 Range Rover Velar measures 4.803 meters in length, 2.032 meters in width, 1.666 meters in height, and has a wheelbase of 2.873 meters. Its total boot space isn’t too practical or generous at just 532 liters.
Interior
The design of the interior space of the 2019 Range Rover Velar is beautiful and feels truly a class above. The layout, textures, and general styling is exceptionally sophisticated and contemporary. The quality of the build, materials, trim, and fit & finish is almost perfect in the Velar. Space in the front is great, though the same can’t be said about the rear bench.
The new Velar is chock-full of equipment, as you get adaptive suspension, radar cruise control, adaptive full-LED headlights, panoramic glass roof, electric tailgate, leather upholstery, paddle shifters, aluminum pedals, ambient lighting, dual center-console 10-inch touch-displays, a 12.3-inch driver’s display, a Meridian 23-speaker sound system, front, side, and curtain airbags, and several more electronic safety nannies.
Engine and performance
The 2019 Range Rover Velar P380 uses a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine that produces 376 hp and 450 Nm of torque. This motor comes paired to a smooth, quick-shifting ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and Land Rover’s Terrain-Response all-wheel-drive system. This means that the two-ton Velar can get from naught to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds, while also being able to achieve an electronically-limited top speed of 250 km/h, and average 9.4 L/100 km.
Verdict
The 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar costs from AED 213,150 to AED 436,100, while insurance premiums cost between AED 4,796 and AED 9,812.
