In the six years it’s been on the market, I’ve never had the opportunity to drive a Range Rover Velar.
Situation rectified, as the folks at Jaguar Land Rover made sure I got a week in the newly refreshed 2024 Velar.
There are four vehicles that wear the Range Rover (as opposed to Land Rover) badge: the compact Evoque (On the Road, March 2020), the midsize Velar, the slightly larger Range Rover Sport (On the Road, July 2023) and then the Range Rover (On the Road, January 2023). They may differ in size, but not in mission. Each lives up to the luxury image of Range Rover.
Under the hood of the 2024 Range Rover Velar is a 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder, 395 horsepower, 405 pound-feet of torque, with an eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, selectable drive modes, adaptive dynamics and torque vectoring. Sixty miles an hour from a standing start should be in the low-five-second range, and the Environmental Protection Agency economy estimate is 21 mpg combined city/highway.
The base price of the 2024 Range Rover Velar Dynamic SE is $71,875, and it comes with a solid list of standard features, including 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and running lights, with auto-leveling and auto high-beam assist, sliding panoramic roof, rain-sensing wipers, rear privacy glass, auto-dimming driver’s side exterior mirror, perforated grained leather seats, heated front seats and steering wheel, ambient lighting, keyless entry, pushbutton start, 11.4-inch touchscreen and 400-watt Meridian sound system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
The interior of the Velar pictured below features a Shadow Grey Ash Veneer trim.
Mike Hagerty/Special to the Town Crier
Our test car also had some extra-cost options, including the Cold Climate Pack (heated windshield, headlight power wash, heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats) for $1,175, 21-inch dark grey wheels with diamond turned finish for $2,600 and head-up display for $1,000.
The Varesine Blue paint color is $950, the black contrast roof $800, the black exterior pack $750, the Shadow Grey Ash Veneer interior trim $460, the wheel protection pack $220, the emergency kit $75 and the “handover pack” (a box with your key fobs) $28.
Bottom line on the window sticker: $79,333.
For the blend of performance, luxury and features, that’s actually a fair price, and one that keeps it competitive with other luxury vehicles.
Mike Hagerty, vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews on his website (MikeHagertyCars.com) and follow him on Twitter (twitter.com/mikehagertycars).
