2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

It may be cliched to compare the Range Rover Velar to a Saville Row suit, but the analogy works. This fashion-forward SUV cuts a dash like few others and, being a Land Rover, it handles rough going without so much as loosening its tie. It slots between the petite Evoque and the slightly larger Range Rover Sport and offers seating for five with prices starting at just over $58,000.

The Velar, whose name references a prototype of the original 1970s Range Rover, was unveiled at the London Design Museum in 2017 and shares its platform with Jaguar’s sporty F-Pace. Both are built at Land Rover’s factory in Solihull, England. Like the Jag, it competes with a fierce group of high end SUVs like the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6, and the aggressively priced Genesis GV80. 

The Velar’s slick styling sets it apart. A shallow greenhouse, blacked-out roof pillars and chunky body make it obviously a Land Rover, but it looks sporty and tailored in a way few other Land Rovers ever have. Flush-mounted door handles that pop out when required and squinting headlamps complete the Bond-film-worthy aesthetic. R-Dynamic trim brings copper color body accents.

The Velar’s cabin is modern and tastefully minimalist. Rich upholstery and fine surfaces abound. JLR’s new Pivi Pro infotainment software promises to be less glitchy than earlier systems.

The downside of the low roof is that the Velar trades some space for style. There are 30.9 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 62.7 with them folded flat. This bests both the Cayenne, X6 or Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, but the Genesis GV80 comes out well ahead, boasting a capacity of 84 cubic-feet.  

The Velar offers 40.28 inches of front legroom and 37.17 inches for rear-seat passengers, putting it ahead of the German competition but again behind the GV80’s 41.6 inches up front and 38.7 inches in the second row. Unlike the Velar, the GV80 also offers an optional third row with a scant 30.3 inches of legroom. 

A 2.0 liter, turbocharged four-cylinder is the base engine, offering 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque capable of delivering a 7.1-second sprint to 60 mph. The optional prime movers are more in keeping with the Velar’s suave demeanor. There are two iterations of the new-for-2021 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine allied to a mild hybrid system. The P340, rated at 340 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque will catapult the Velar to 60 mph in 6.0 seconds, according to Land Rover. 

At the top of the lineup, now that last year’s V8 has been discontinued, is the P400 I-6 MHEV in the R-Dynamic HSE. It puts 395 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque at the driver’s command and blitzes to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Whatever the engine or trim level, all-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission are standard.

Fuel economy ratings stack up at 21 mpg city and 27 mpg highway for the four-cylinder. The I-6 MVEH comes in at one mpg less than the four delivering a not too thirsty 20 mpg city and 26 mpg in highway driving. The R-Dynamic HSE is thirstier at 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. 

All models offer a minimum of 8-inches of ground clearance and the R-Dynamic HSE brings a 155 mph top speed. Velars are capable of towing unbraked trailers weighing up to 1,653 pounds, which is below average for the class. Buyers can specify electronic air suspension which gives better wheel travel at speeds below 30 mph, improves towing characteristics, and lowers the vehicle to aid ingress and egress.  

For 2021, Land Rover hasn’t made any drastic changes to safety equipment. Standard safety equipment includes lane departure warnings with lane keep assist, forward automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alerts, a driver monitor, blind spot monitoring and traffic sign recognition. Adaptive cruise control is a stand-alone $1,350 option. 

Like many high-end SUVs, the Velar hasn’t been tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), but it earned five stars from the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP). That EU agency performs tests similar to those of IIHS and NHTSA.