2024 Range Rover Velar – A True SUV or Just A HYPE?
2024 Range Rover Velar Overview
The tailored lines of the 2024 Range Rover Velar's exterior design fit the compact crossover's shape beautifully, but the SUV's driving demeanor is rather unforgettable. Despite sharing a platform with the delightfully agile Jaguar F-Pace, the Range Rover Velar has the fun tuned out of its chassis in the name of luxury. Two turbocharged engines are on offer—a 2.0-liter four and a 3.0-liter six—and all models come standard with all-wheel drive. While the Velar lacks the road manners we like in SUVs such as the BMW X3, the Genesis GV70, and the Porsche Macan, it does offer a posh cabin with more cargo space than the competition. Plus, it comes standard with the Range Rover name tattooed across its face—one luxury feature its rivals can't match.
What's New for 2024?
Land Rover has given the Range Rover Velar a light styling refresh for 2024 that includes a new grille design, updated lighting elements, a reworked rear bumper, and darker exterior trim pieces. Inside, the Velar adopts the 11.4-inch curved touchscreen infotainment display found in other members of the Land Rover family. A new active noise cancellation system is said to create a quieter cabin, and an optional air purifier is now available too. For those who loathe leather, the Velar is now available with wool and polyurethane upholstery, similar to the smaller Evoque SUV.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The base engine—P250 in Land Rover parlance—is a 247-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that is genteel but doesn't move the Velar's heft with much authority. We sampled a four-cylinder Velar for a 40,000-mile long-term test, and that model required 7.4 seconds to hit 60 mph. The P400 powertrain—carrying a 395-hp turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six—provides better acceleration performance, but we haven't tested this powertrain yet. By our estimate, the P400 model should hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds; that's still behind six-cylinder rivals such as the BMW X3 M40i and the Porsche Macan S. Much like the Velar's acceleration, its handling is by no means sporty. The suspension competently controls the SUV's body motions and keeps body roll in check while returning a firm, well-managed ride. Models equipped with the available air suspension can raise and lower their ride height for either more dynamic moves on-road or greater dexterity off it.