2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Reviews, Pricing & Specs

A “reductive” design philosophy guides the 2024 Velar’s exterior styling and interior design. The idea is to reduce the unnecessary, simplify, and modernize the way the SUV looks, inside and out. The Velar was the first Range Rover to adopt that ethos when it arrived in 2018. Tweaks for 2024 take the idea even further.

This year, the Velar has a new grille, revised headlights and taillights, fresh wheel choices, and updated exterior detailing. The rear bumper is new, emphasizing the Velar’s width instead of its height, pairing with a full-length upper stop lamp to give the SUV a lower and wider appearance.

Inside, in addition to a larger 11.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system that appears to float in front of the dashboard, a new centre console eliminates the climate system dials, stereo volume knob, and other controls that used to reside there. Now, you use the touchscreen for these functions.

Overall, aside from a few signs of substandard quality within the cabin, the 2024 Velar looks terrific. But since the natural voice recognition system works only with an active connected services subscription or an Amazon account to use Alexa, omitting the physical temperature, defroster, stereo volume, and radio tuning controls is a mistake.

On a positive note, people who prefer an animal-free seat upholstery can now choose a Kvadrat wool blend option. In addition, the available Cabin Air Purification Plus system with PM 2.5 filtration now includes carbon dioxide monitoring.

Our test vehicle didn’t have these upgrades. Equipped with Dynamic SE trim, which is the base trim in Canada, it came with a more powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine with mild-hybrid technology, expensive paint and wheel upgrades, a Black Exterior Pack, a Cold Climate Pack, and a handful of other upgrades. As tested, the Canadian manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) would come to more than $87,000, including a $4,950 charge for destination and other dealer fees.

Our test model’s turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder featured a 48-volt mild-hybrid system and produced 394 horsepower between 5,500 rpm and 6,500 rpm and 406 lb-ft of torque between 2,000 rpm and 5,000 rpm. Velars with this engine carry a P400 designation. (Note that our test vehicle is in U.S. specification. In Canada, this engine is available only with the Dynamic HSE trim. On the base Dynamic SE, buyers can choose the substantially less powerful 247-horsepower, 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder P250, or the P340 gas/mild hybrid powertrain, which includes a version of the 3.0-litre inline-six that produces 335 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.)

We recommend the upgrade to either 3.0-litre engine. The six sings a sweeter song, gets the Velar to 100 km/h nearly two seconds faster, and is more appropriate for an SUV of this calibre. It isn’t quite as efficient, as measured by Natural Resources Canada fuel economy ratings, but the increase to 11.1 L/100 km in the P400 or 10.7 L/100 km in the P340 in combined driving isn’t substantially higher than the P250, at 10.0 L/100 km. During the evaluation drive, we averaged 12.1 L/100 km.

An eight-speed automatic transmission propels all four wheels through an all-wheel-drive system that continually varies power distribution between the front and rear axles. Ground clearance measures 12.3 centimetres, but with the optional air suspension you can bump that to a maximum of 25 cm. Water fording capability varies from 53 to 58 cm, depending on the suspension type.

The Velar includes standard Terrain Response driving modes. Drivers select between Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud-Ruts, Sand, and Automatic modes. The test vehicle also had a Dynamic mode for on-pavement driving.

In Dynamic mode, the Velar P400 performed well on mountain roads. It lacks the sense of heft evident in the similarly sized Range Rover Sport and in the flagship full-size Range Rover, which makes it feel more nimble and athletic. But with the adaptive damping suspension firmed up and the powertrain on heightened alert, the Velar proved it can deliver on the sport part of the sport/utility equation.

On the highway in Comfort mode, the Velar is quiet and soothing to drive. There is plenty of power for accelerating up to prevailing speeds, and passing slower vehicles is effortless.

In urban driving situations, in Comfort mode, the Velar feels too soft. Accelerate, and the rear end squats while the nose rises. Brake too hard and the opposite happens. Cross speed humps and shopping centre driveway aprons at an angle, and the SUV wobbles a bit. Choosing Dynamic mode resolves much of this behaviour, but then the engine can surge with power unexpectedly. In traffic, the brakes can feel a little sticky, too.

Unfortunately, we could not take the Velar off-roading, as the loan agreement we signed forbade that activity. On paper, it appears the SUV offers competitive off-road capability in that arena, though perhaps not to the same degree as the Sport and top-shelf Range Rover.

When you approach the Velar and unlock the doors, the flush-mounted handles power out for use. Don’t lean in as you open the door, though, because the upper corners stick out and we nearly took a hit to the face on more than one occasion. Getting into one of the front seats is harder for tall people, due to the angled windshield pillars and the small opening. However, once you’re settled in and enjoying the new-for-2024 seat cushions with added support, you’ll have no trouble finding a comfortable position.

The test vehicle had 14-way power adjustable front seats, heated and wrapped in leather. The optional Cold Climate Pack added ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated windshield, and a power-wash system for the headlights.

Decked out in a new-for-2024 Cloud over Ebony theme with genuine wood veneers, the test vehicle exuded quality with two exceptions. First, the plastic on the lower door panels is cheap looking, and the undersized driver’s floor mat wouldn’t properly remain in place. The metal grommets designed to hold it still had divorced themselves from the mat with less than 6,500 kilometres on the Velar’s odometer.

Two adults will be comfortable in the Velar’s back seat, thanks to an excellent backrest angle, impressive lumbar and leg support, decent legroom, and air conditioning vents. Plus, the SUV’s standard panoramic glass sunroof fully extends over the rear seating area. Mystifyingly, though, the rear doors lack side window sunshades.

In-cabin storage space is adequate, largely due to generous door panel bins. Unfortunately, items placed there can slide, forcing you to stop the SUV and reach into the cave-like nether regions of the bin to find them. Under the panel covering the hidden wireless smartphone charger, there is a tray where you can stash house keys, a pack of gum, and other incidentals. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a liner, so it can potentially contribute to unwanted noise.

Open the standard power liftgate, and you’ll find 552 litres of cargo space along with a netted storage area to the side and hooks for hanging plastic grocery bags. The 40/20/40-split folding back seat drops to expand cargo capacity to 1,358 litres.

While the 2024 Velar receives numerous upgrades this year, the next-generation Pivi Pro infotainment system is arguably the most important one. In addition to the larger 11.4-inch touchscreen display, it adds over-the-air software update capability, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an improved user interface.

However, Pivi Pro is also more complex than before. Starting this year, that single screen also contains the climate control, stereo volume, and window defrost/defog functions that used to live on the centre console. Added complexity is a challenge Pivi Pro didn’t need.

Overall, we found Pivi Pro a little easier to use in some ways, and a little harder to use in others. For example, the new sidebars framing the display contain shortcuts to commonly used functions, and Land Rover claims you can execute 80 percent of all tasks within two screen taps from the home page.

Unfortunately, those shortcut icons are small and hard to read at a glance. Plus, there isn’t a place to rest your hand while using the new screen, making it hard to accurately press the correct touch-sensing icon while the Velar is moving. In addition, we still forget where we’re supposed to look for specific features and settings. So, driver distraction remains a significant problem for Pivi Pro.

Land Rover tries to solve this by making Amazon Alexa available as well as a cloud-based digital assistant through an active connected services subscription. The test vehicle’s Online Pack wasn’t set up for guest drivers, and when we tried “Hey, Alexa” as a workaround, it wanted our Amazon account information before it would work.

Of course, you can bypass all of this nonsense by running the new wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Good old Siri! But that still doesn’t solve the desire to adjust cabin temperature or stereo volume using voice commands, making us wish for a return of those physical controls to the Velar’s “reductive” centre console design.

In addition to Pivi Pro, the Velar has a standard 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel with configurable and driver-selectable themes, standard Meridian premium and available Meridian high-fidelity sound systems, and options including a head-up display (HUD) and a surround-view camera.

Our test car had the HUD, and it proved helpful in communicating the status of the Velar’s safety systems. It did not have the surround-view camera, leaving us to rely on the reversing camera, parking sensors, and crossed fingers when trying not to scrape the gorgeous 21-inch wheels on curbs.

Every 2024 Velar comes with a comprehensive collection of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). Generally speaking, most of the Velar’s ADAS works well and, especially with the optional HUD, it should be clear to the driver when features are on and active and when they’re off and not serving as a safety net.

For example, the adaptive cruise control offers a speed-limited function that can help to prevent speeding and a driver-set function that disregards speed zones.

Many European vehicles have this technology, but it’s not always clear when the speed-limited function is on. In the Velar, the LIM lettering on the steering wheel glows green when the SUV will automatically regulate your speed, and doesn’t glow green when it won’t.

The Velar also has Adaptive Cruise Control with Steer Assist, which pairs the adaptive cruise with a lane-centring assist system to create a Level 2, hands-on, semi-autonomous driving assistance system.

Aside from its delayed reaction to vehicles that cut into the gap ahead of the Velar, the adaptive cruise control works well. It smoothly regulates speed and distance, and when you signal to overtake slower traffic, the SUV’s turbo six quickly resumes your set speed.

Steer Assist is not as rewarding to use, and that’s putting it kindly. It struggles to track accurately through bends in the road, often adds unwanted steering inputs, and gets indecisive when you encounter turn lanes, highway exit/entrance ramps, or another vehicle cuts into the gap ahead.

Examples of unwanted behaviour during testing include the time we drove under an overpass and the Velar suddenly darted right when the SUV moved from the sunlight into the shadows. On a suburban boulevard, it attempted to steer into a turn lane rather than continue straight. On a stretch of expressway that climbs a mountain grade, it wanted to continue steering through a curve after the lane had already straightened out.

Ultimately, Steer Assist adds stress to a drive instead of relieving it. We disliked using it, and thought the Velar was much more satisfying to drive without it.

Like the Jaguar F-Pace with which it shares plenty, the Range Rover Velar is bigger than a typical compact luxury SUV but is smaller than many midsize models. However, it is priced solidly in midsize territory, reflecting the premium you’ll pay to own a Range Rover.

Therefore, buying a Velar isn’t cost-effective from that standpoint. However, because the Velar’s best-selling midsize rivals are the dime-a-dozen BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE, there is value is selecting the nearly as large and more exclusive Range Rover Velar. Except in the ritziest of gated communities, you won’t feel like you’re seeing yourself coming and going with every drive.

Plus, when outfitted with optional paint and larger wheels, the Velar looks more expensive than it really is simply by virtue of how it resembles the pricier Range Rover Sport. You can’t pull that off with the smaller Range Rover Evoque, no matter how hard you try.

We think the Range Rover Velar is a compelling pick in a luxury SUV. Find a way to make your peace with Pivi Pro, either by activating the connected services, using Amazon Alexa, or running the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto platforms. Avoid further frustration by leaving the Steer Assist system off. And when you’re driving in the city or suburbs, be deliberate about driving smoothly to avoid power surges, lurching stops, and unwanted body motions.

If you can successfully do those things, the 2024 Velar could serve as your happy place when you’re away from home.

Note: Images show a US model.