BEVERLY HILLS, Mich. — The 2024 Range Rover Velar received some light updates, including a new grille, updated lights and a larger touchscreen. It’s a little bit nicer, but the Velar’s mission is based on design and style, which it has in spades. After a week in this sleek Range Rover, I condensed my musings into five thoughts.
Stylish in profile
Vehicles in the middle of the lineup can sometimes lack identity, but Range Rover gave the Velar a chopped look and definitive styling. “Reductive design,” as the company describes it. The beltline runs high, making the side panels seem tall and the greenhouse sit low, a bit like a Cold War submarine. It works. The back is tapered, almost like a boat tail, and the grille and LED headlights are understated in a classy, British way. It’s the alter ego to the curvy and surprisingly still-excellent Jaguar F-Pace, with which it shares a platform.
I tested a Dynamic SE model in a moody shade of Varesine Blue with optional 21-inch gray wheels that could have a bronze look in certain light. The SUV also had a contrasting black roof, and black exterior accents for the grille, fender vents and badging. All of this stuff dresses up the Rover. As much as I like it, the SUV could also pass for a Ford Explorer, so the Velar can also seem understated from some angles.
The interior has a cocooning feel
Inside, the chopped look gives the occupants a secure feeling, yet the driver still has a solid view of the road ahead. Credit the high side sills, which make you feel lower in the vehicle than you really are. I like it. It makes the Velar, a midsize SUV, feel more athletic than it really is. The only downside is your elbows are propped a little higher when cruising, and the mirrors create blind spots when making turns. You can certainly adjust the seats to a higher position. This is how I sit in most test vehicles, so for me the Velar has a cocooning feel. The cargo hold swallowed everything I threw back there with ease, and I was thankful for the rubber mats in back for fishing poles and tackle boxes, which were grimy after a damp afternoon outing.
A couple of downsides: The dark interior was cool but plain. It made the veneer and leathers look less premium than they actually were, and I’m not a huge fan of the Pivi Pro 7 infotainment.
Speaking of Pivi Pro …
Measuring 11.4 inches, the curved touchscreen is large and colorful, but not super intuitive. The latest generation of the system, Pivi Pro 7, is powerful, and Range Rover says 80% of tasks can be done in two taps or fewer of the screen. I found the tapping to not always work, as some of the climate functions were challenging to use, with me punching my fingers at the screen. Nevertheless, I was able to also change driving mode, use the navigation and set up driving features like stop-start, all from this centrally located control center. It’s a decent system, better than past versions, but middle of the pack as far as these things go.
The motor has mojo
The Ingenium 3.0-liter mild-hybrid turbo inline-six powertrain has character. It’s a step up from the 2.0 four-cylinder and it’s worth the money. Throttle tip-in is excellent, it makes a pleasing, though subtle sound, and most importantly, makes the Velar move. The eight-speed auto is a solid partner and smoothly sorts out shifts. With a turbo hybrid, there’s potential for choppiness, but I didn’t detect that in this Velar. It’s quick when launching from stoplights and the 0-to-60-mph time of 5.2 seconds is more than believable. Personally, I don’t need an SUV dripping in carbon with insane horsepower. Rather, a strong-willed straight-six under the hood of a thoughtfully styled machine is a proportional response to the flashy wares from Mercedes, BMW, Genesis and others.
The rizz factor
At the end of the day, you buy a Velar for its charisma, or the rizz, as kids say. The Velar exudes a modern version of Land Rover’s old-school British charm, yet advances that notion with a sleeker, more distinctive design than anything else in Range Rover’s lineup. It manages to look sporty and still convey an off-road toughness. I could see why you might cross-shop the Velar with a Range Rover or Range Rover Sport, depending on how large of an SUV you need. The Velar is that substantial. Conversely, the Evoque feels like a backmarker barely worthy of the Range Rover name. Don’t get me started on the Land Rover brand setup, with the Range Rover, Defender and Discovery divisions all nestled under the badgeless Land Rover name. Colloquially, it probably is how some Land Rover owners refer to their vehicles, but it’s giving up a lot of overall brand heritage in the process. I digress. The Velar more than holds its own in the Range Rover stable.
