Range Rover Velar review 2025

Make and model: Range Rover Velar Dynamic SE D300 diesel
Description: Mid-sized SUV, diesel engine with automatic transmission
Price: £66,905 (plus options)

Land Rover says: “An air of sophistication. A flawless example of our modernist design philosophy.”

We say: Nice-looking with punchy diesel engines, but it’s let down by a sub-par interior.

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Introduction

The Range Rover Velar sits between the smaller Range Rover Evoque and the larger Range Rover Sport. Like its siblings, it’s attractive, is capable off-road, and offers as much comfort and refinement as you would expect from such a luxury brand.

The Velar’s shape remains largely unchanged since its 2017 release, but a 2023 update introduced some fresh exterior bits alongside a new infotainment system.

We spent a week with a Range Rover Velar to find out just how good it is.

What is it?

The Range Rover Velar is a premium mid-sized SUV that competes with cars like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Porsche Macan. It shares its underpinnings with the discontinued Jaguar F-Pace and can be purchased with either a diesel or petrol engine (with mild hybrid assistance), or a petrol/electric plug-in hybrid powertrain.

£55k gets you the entry-level D200 ‘S’ model with a 2.0-litre, 204hp diesel engine, but to get the more powerful D300 3.0-litre, 300 hp engine, you’ll need to spend an extra £11k. This is because it’s only available in ‘Dynamic SE’ and ‘Autobiography’ trims.

Opting for the P400 3.0-litre, 400hp petrol engine might mean more power, but you’ll pay for it in fuel consumption. If you go for the P400e plug-in hybrid – which pairs the same petrol engine with an electric motor and battery – you’ll get significantly better economy, but boot space drops by 50 litres to accommodate the battery.

Who is this car aimed at?

Like most Land Rover and Range Rover luxury SUVs, the Velar is aimed at style-conscious individuals, tech-savvy drivers, and those seeking a balance between sportiness and practicality. Meanwhile, the smaller Evoque suits couples with small children, while the larger Sport and full-fat Range Rover suit larger families best.

The Velar isn’t a dominant force within the caravan towing community, but both the D200 and D300 will cover most needs, with the former capable of towing up to 2.4 tonnes and the latter 2.5 tonnes.

Who won’t like it?

The Velar is a luxury car made by a premium brand, meaning the entry-level car is already expensive. Go wild with the optional extras tick boxes, and the price will climb alarmingly. Therefore, if bang for buck is important, you should be looking at the Skoda Kodiaq.

Likewise, if you enjoy rotary dials and clicky switches, you’re in for disappointment. As part of the refresh, Land Rover removed the dials and switches in favour of the touchscreen. We know that everyone’s doing it, but it’s still a backwards step for usability on the move.

First impressions

Despite its design being almost seven years old, the Velar still looks fresh and modern. Land Rover has done a great job of future-proofing its design.

There’s also plenty of room inside for six-foot-tall adults, and the boot is large enough for two dogs. If you own dogs, it’s worth noting that the boot floor sits quite high, and even with the air suspension dropped, our two medium-sized dogs struggled to climb in.

Inside is where things roll downhill. The seats are incredibly comfortable, and the dashboard feels very Range Rover-y, but the centre console contains cheap-feeling plastic and awkward cupholders, which look like an afterthought. And although this all sounds picky, it’s enough to lower the grandeur that you’d expect from such an expensive product.

What do you get for your money?

The range kicks off with the ‘S’, giving you 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, leather seats, a fancy sound system, a 3D surround camera, and adaptive cruise control — a decent standard equipment list.

Velar ‘S’ buyers can only choose from two engines: the D200 and P400e plug-in hybrid, while ‘Dynamic SE’ and ‘Autobiography’ come with either the D300 or P400 mild hybrid engines.

Upgrading to ‘Dynamic SE’ costs an additional £5k and adds extra exterior trim, 20-inch alloys, an even fancier Meridian sound system, blind spot assist, a rear traffic monitor and metal pedals.

And finally, there’s the ‘Autobiography’ for an extra £7k over the ‘Dynamic SE’. This adds 21-inch alloys, a panoramic roof, more leather, a 3D surround sound system, and adaptive cruise control with steering assist.

If you can live without a panoramic roof, larger alloys and an over-the-top sound system, the ‘Dynamic SE’ trim is what we would choose. Sadly, Land Rover only offers a three-year warranty with the Velar, while BMW offers a slightly better four-year warranty with its X5.

We like: Decent equipment levels on all models.
We don’t like: Sub-par warranty

What’s the Range Rover Velar like inside?

It’s comfortable and airy; if you’re trying a Velar for the first time and are coming from something like an older BMW, you’ll likely be impressed. However, if you’re upgrading your pre-2023 Velar to a new one, you’ll probably miss your old interior. 

The main areas you interact with are all well and good, but start feeling around — more so below the dashboard and above the steering wheel — and you’ll find scratchy plastics alongside various panel gaps.

The seats are comfortable and supportive, making long journeys a breeze. Our car had heated rear seats, although there are an £800 option, and there were additional USB-C ports up front, alongside wireless charging.

The large bugbear, however, is that almost everything is controlled via the central touchscreen. Controlling in-car technology from an 11-inch touchscreen is a bit like removing your home’s light switches and linking every room to a separate smartphone app. A daft decision that’s all a bit much; I don’t want to faff around with my phone to turn on the kitchen light. The same applies here.

Fortunately, the voice assistant does well at changing climate settings, the radio channel and various other features — it even understood my Scottish accent when at its worst.

We like: Comfortable seats and a great driving position
We don’t like: Lack of physical control and questionable material quality

What’s the Range Rover Velar like to drive?

We’ve only driven the 300hp diesel with all-wheel drive, although the 200hp model will be fine in most everyday situations. If I were ready to buy a Range Rover Velar, it would be the D300 unless I really needed a plug-in hybrid. But then, I’m unsure if a Range Rover would be at the top of my list if that were the case.

Despite being a diesel, the D300 engine is quiet at speed; I measured just under 65dB at 70 mph, putting it less than 3dB behind a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Land Rover has included a mountain of drive modes including Eco, Dynamic, Snow, Gravel, Grass, Sand, and Mud Ruts, and although I never destroyed any fields with it, I’m told it’s just as capable as its bigger Sport sibling.

While in Eco mode, the Velar’s suspension hardened, and I found it to have very little impact on those all-important mpg figures. I kept it in Standard for most of the week, and it returned 35 mpg. At the end of the week, the readout showed an average of just under 38mpg.

Dynamic mode releases all 300hp, and 0-62 mph arrived in 6.2 seconds under my testing, while 30-70 mph took 6.5 seconds. However, this mode is best reserved for overtaking or pulling out of busy junctions; otherwise, the car crashes over drain covers and road ruts.

Through town, the Velar feels civilised thanks to plenty of cameras and safety tech. Similarly, it glides over bumps, is easy to park, and its turning circle is quite good for such a long car.

We like: Punchy yet efficient 300 bhp diesel engine. It’s comfortable on the open road.
We don’t like: Eco mode is too firm and doesn’t really benefit economy.

How safe is the Range Rover Velar?

Although the refresh hasn’t been tested, EuroNCAP awarded the 2017 Range Rover Velar five stars, and it scored well in every category (adult protection, child protection, pedestrian/cyclist protection and accident avoidance).

While this is good news, it’s worth noting that only the Dynamic SE and Autobiography models have the full safety suite, including blind spot assist and rear traffic monitoring.  

Still, all versions have automatic emergency braking, a driver condition monitor, six airbags and lane-keep assist as standard.

Expert tips

• The Velar was awarded a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP when tested in 2027, but this rating has now since expired.

Verdict

There’s a lot to like about the Range Rover Velar. It’s easy on the eye, roomy, efficient and comfortable, and is a large step up from an Evoque.

Standard equipment is decent across all trim levels, but luxuries, like cooled and heated seats, come at an additional cost. The Velar also excels as a family hauler. The boot’s big enough for two dogs or a pram, and backseat passengers can charge their phones via two USB-C ports.

As good as the D300 engine is, the diesel car market has collapsed in the UK and throughout most of the world, so unless you don’t like plug-in hybrids or find yourself towing a caravan, there’s no good reason to buy the diesel. However, Land Rover also doesn’t provide much choice otherwise.

Similar cars

Alfa Romeo Stelvio | Audi Q5 | BMW X3 | BMW X4 | DS 7 Crossback | Genesis GV70 | Jaguar F-Pace | Lexus NX | Mercedes-Benz GLC | Porsche Macan | Volkswagen Tiguan | Volvo XC60

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