2024 Range Rover Velar Review: Driving in Style

In the Range Rover lineup, there are some stunning products, and the Velar is a unique offering amongst them. It’s an absolute looker, and yet, is positioned uniquely, for it offers a rather stylish design, and yet offers the traditional Range Rover functionality at the same time.

Range Rover Velar Review: Stylish Upgrade

For 2024, Velar gets a styling refresh, but the overall design stays true to the original’s “reductive design” language that went on to be adopted by the product range – similar to the Range Rover and the Range Rover Sport with their sleek lines. The main difference here being the swept back roofline which differentiates the Velar from its siblings. The updates include the latest family grille and reshaped LED headlamps with streamlined running lights. At the rear, designers accentuated the Velar’s overhang with a new bumper and LED taillamps with a 3D effect and brighter illumination. There are other small changes to the design too, but mostly, the Velar remains perhaps the most stylish of the products from the Range Rover line up, and has a distinct edge over its cousins when it comes to design kudos.

On the inside though, the Velar keeps its itself very near to absolute luxury with its tactile interiors, as well as large screens that dot the dashboard. As with its other siblings, the Velar gains a single, 11.4-inch curved touchscreen that now handles all infotainment and climate functions. Running JLR’s latest Pivi Pro system, its greatly improved despite an increased workload, and integrates wireless everything: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and OTA updates, along with Alexa.

There is, of course, a lower screen on the dashboard, which is used to manage the Terrain Response 2 system for off-road excursions, meaning the larger, main screen is now tasked with selecting one of the seven settings for varied environments. Of course, being a Range Rover, Hill Descent Control and All-Terrain Progress Control are standard, mainly for drivers who like to take their machines on steep or slippery terrain.

Range Rover Velar Review: Power Upgrade

Taking it on the highway, and in urban traffic though, I felt that the 2.0-litre does the job admirably, but I might prefer a bigger engine. In most conditions, the 247bhp engine with its 365Nm of torque was adequate, but on long highways, you could always sense that the Velar could do with a bigger engine. Suspension wise, however, there were no complaints as the Velar dealt with all kind of conditions with aplomb and was very adept with dealing with bad surfaces despite being on large 20-inch wheels. The steering offered a decent amount of feel, and when it comes to driving modes, after sampling with the various options on offer, I preferred the Sport mode, as it offered better drivability and more urgent gearshifts.

The one question I always get about the Velar is its practicality, and to be honest, that’s something I’ve always struggled to answer. Like its smaller sibling – the Evoque which has also got an update for 2024 – the Velar is something you buy to make a style statement. So practicality is not its finest attribute. However, for what it’s worth, the Velar will seat five adults with comfort, and also take your weekend luggage without an issue. So that’s not really an issue. And, let’s add to that the fact that it can most probably off-road better than most SUVs in the world without a worry.

Range Rover Velar Review: Desirablity

Like every other product in the Range Rover family, the Velar is a highly desirable luxury SUV that has the image and sophistication to justify its price tag. It’s not all flash and no substance, as the interior is a lovely place to sit with its selection of tasteful materials and user-friendly technologies. It’s also quite nice to drive, and offers a very large amount of practicality for what it is.

The other aspect is that virtually no Velar – not in India, at least – will ever go off-road, but, nevertheless, the Velar offers you an insane amount of off-road ability for what is essentially a lifestyle focused product. So, where does that leave the Velar? Well, it is a very capable, stylish and versatile SUV, but at the same time, costing nearly ₹1 crore on-road (if not more), it is also a very premium one. If I were a buyer, I would look at how much I value the style quotient when looking at the Velar, and that would be my primary choice for picking one up. However, if your primary drive is style, you would hardly find anything more stylish than the Velar at its price point.