Land Rover long ago realized its well-heeled buyers want a raft of technology and luxury goods, utilitarian origin story be damned.
The Velar has all it needs, and possibly all you need, in life: a spectacular warranty, excellent standard and optional equipment, and an infotainment system ripped from Silicon Valley’s newspaper headlines, if such a thing still existed.
We give it an 8, with a point dialed back for its value. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
All base Velar SUVs get synthetic leather upholstery, 18-inch wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, an eight-speaker audio system, keyless ignition, automatic dual-zone climate control, and twin 10-inch touchscreens for infotainment and vehicle controls. A step up in the Velar S, and Land Rover adds power front and rear seats, 19-inch wheels, leather upholstery, navigation, an uprated audio system, and telematics services, as well as a choice between all three drivetrains.
Near the top of the range, the Velar R-Dynamic SE adds a 17-speaker audio system, 20-inch wheels, a 12.3-inch driver information cluster that stands in for analog gauges, perforated leather upholstery with a subconscious message in its holes (think British flag), automatic emergency braking, aluminum interior accents, parking sensors, and exterior details. An HSE level above this gets 20-way adjustable heated and cooled front seats, 21-inch wheels, extra Windsor leather in the cockpit, and a power-adjustable steering column. Major options include 23-speaker sound, a head-up display, a heated steering wheel, 22-inch wheels, and a surround-view camera system. The Velar also offers a high-end cloth interior with wool seats that look and feel fantastic.
Range Rover Velar infotainment
Land Rover calls the two screens and associated interface in the 2019 Velar “Touch Control Pro.” New when it made its debut in last year’s Velar, the system now factors into other Range Rovers, and it’s a substantial step up from their older infotainment systems.
The twin screens divvy up functions like household chores. The top screen tilts toward the driver, and hosts displays for navigation, cameras, vehicle settings, and music and smartphone connectivity. The lower screen takes over climate controls, seat massage, defrosters front and rear, and terrain-traction systems. It’s flanked by twin rotary dials that change functions depending on what’s on the lower screen.
The menus on the system are more readable, and the swipe-touch controls give easier access to myriad functions. The navigation screen accepts pinch and zoom inputs, for example. The whole setup has little lag and has sharp displays. It’s pretty, too: the lower screen gets backgrounds to suggest the Velar’s current terrain modes.
A third screen lets the Velar skip traditional gauges, and plants a 12.3-inch configurable screen in front of the driver. It can show beautifully rendered maps, tachometer, and speedometer. With all three, and without an available head-up display, the Velar has more than 32 inches of screen space, more than most of us have in our offices.
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