Despite its slick looks, the Land Rover Range Rover Velar lives closer to the low end of the sport utility maker's lineup. Its starting price of about $64,000 is little more than half that of the flagship Range Rover proper, and is just $20,000 more than the Discovery Sport, the brand's least-expensive model.
But that's not to say the Velar has to come with an attainable price tag, a notion Land Rover amplifies with 2019's addition of a new top-end trim called the SV Autobiography Dynamic. For the record, this model's full name is Land Rover Range Rover Velar SV Autobiography Dynamic. Try saying that three times fast -- or even once -- without tripping over your tongue.
The SV Autobiography Dynamic is the first Velar to use Rover's supercharged 5.0L V8 engine, which makes 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque in this application. Rover says it powers this utility from 0-100 km/h in 4.5 seconds.
This new Velar flagship also gets a unique exterior treatment, quilted and perforated leather upholstery, sport steering wheel, knurled aluminum infotainment controls, larger brakes and a sport configuration for the eight-speed transmission, steering and suspension systems.
Lesser Velar trims continue to derive their motivation from a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine (296 hp/295 lb-ft) in P300 S trim; a supercharged 3.0L V6 (340 hp/332 lb-ft in the P340 S and 380 hp/332 lb-ft in P 380 variants), while a 2.0L turbodiesel makes 180 hp and 317 lb-ft in the P180 D. All engines use the same eight-speed transmission and 4WD system as the new V8 model.
Velar trims carried over from 2018 are S, SE R-Dynamic and HSE R-Dynamic.
S comes with 19-inch wheels, the adaptive dynamics drive mode system, LED headlights and automatic high beams, hands-free tailgate, auto-dimming and power-folding side mirrors, perforated leather upholstery, 10-way power seats, navigation, front and rear parking aids, an 11-speaker stereo, lane assist, driver conditioning monitoring, traffic sign recognition and an adaptive speed limiter.
SE trim adds 20-inch wheels, suedecloth upholstery, 17-speaker sound system, interactive driver display, 360-degree parking aid with park assist and lane keep assist.
Finally, HSE trim brings 21-inch wheels, Windsor leather upholstery, power-adjustable steering column, extended leather interior trim, blind spot assist, automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go.
There's a 2,500-kg tow rating and a tow assist function. Land Rover's high-tech solution lets the driver "steer" using the infotainment controller while the car carries out steering inputs to put the trailer where it needs to go.
Inside, Velar boasts Land Rover's InControl TouchPro Duo dual-screen infotainment system. It puts one 10-inch touch-sensitive display in the dash for navigation and media functions and a second in the console that's for terrain response and climate controls.
Land Rover's fuel consumption estimates are 9.2/7.8 L/100 km with the diesel; 11.7/9.2 for the 2.0L four-cylinder; and 13.0/10.0 for V6 models. When we wrote this, Land Rover hadn't published figures for the new V8 powertrain. We expect them to be similar to those of the Ranger Rover Sport with the same engine, at 14.1/10.7 L/100 km.
This vehicle has not yet been reviewed
