Range Rover Velar is equal parts form and function

Its not easy to build a car that looks so completely different yet similar to the rest of its stablemates. But Range Rover has done exactly that with the Velar. We take a look at what sets Range Rover Velar apart from its siblings and competitors.

What is a Range Rover?

For those that aren’t familiar with the brand, Range Rover is to Land Rover what AMG is to Mercedes, and M Division is to BMW, but instead of focusing on performance, Range Rover focuses on luxury whilst still maintaining the core essence of Land Rover with go-anywhere ability. Where Range Rover trades off some off-road ability, it makes up for that with sheer comfort and exquisite refinement

Outside

There so much to talk about when it comes to Velar, from the flush doors handles that we first saw in the Jaguar F-Type. This time the door slides out to reveal an ergonomic handle, and once on the move slots into position making Velar look like the clay model, rather than a full production car. The reductionist theme continues in every detail. The flush sitting Matrix LED’s light up the road with surprising clarity and with this being the most customizable Range Rover to date, Velar is available with 18” to 22”wheels and a multitude of other options, using the online Land Rover Configurator.

Inside; where it all comes together.

This was my first time behind the wheel of a modern Range Rover, and I was told that it drives like no other, and they were right. From the pedal feel, which at first feels spongy, but later feels intentionally luxurious, to the environmentally friendly seats which are perfectly ergonomic with a massage feature that is simply the best I’ve experienced. The kilometres get dispatched in this car with ease and I confirmed with my driving partner that a 100km journey really does feel like a trip down the road. This is absolute comfort at its very best.

But it’s not just comfort that is to be experienced inside, the interior technology is cutting edge with two 10” touchscreens integrated into the dashboard and centre console and a built-in 4G hotspot. All extra buttons have been removed and although the system isn’t instantly responsive, it is one of the best of it’s kind available today.   The steering wheel controls have intuitive rotary touch sensitive buttons on the wheel and selected knobs are multi-functional, depending on which menu you’re in, thus continuing the theme of minimalism into the interior.

The audio system is good, and designed by acoustic engineers, but unfortunately falls just short of the benchmark set by Volvos S and XC range.

Engines

For our launch test, we had 3 engine variants available, the 2.0 Diesel, 3.0 Diesel and 3.0 V6 Supercharged petrol. The flagship produces 280kW and even on wet gravel managed a 0-100 time of just 6.4 seconds. It also seems to be more economical than the F-Pace it shares an engine with, on the road we managed to achieved figures of around 11l/100.  The 2.0 doesn’t feel as refined and there is a sense of emptiness from the engine, although with 177kW, the engine is capable in almost all conditions but it’s hard stepping out of the 3.0 derivatives as the difference in power delivery then becomes quite obvious.  The pick of the bunch for me was the 700Nm 3.0 Diesel which matches great fuel consumption with effortless torque and power delivery. There is parity between the smoothness of the chassis and the engine on a newly tarred road that simply has to be experienced to be believed.

Verdict

With a list of features way too long to talk about, we urge our readers to have a look at the production documentary of the Velar to get an idea of how well put together this car is. Velar is intentionally in a league of it’s own. Range Rover says they’re not sure how many of these will be sold in SA and although a full off-road test will be be needed to understand the full breadth of its abilities, Velar is superb in what most of its owners will be using it for.

Velars starting price is R947 700, but be sure to tick as many options as possible. It certainly feels worth it.