Range Rover Velar review

Range Rover Velar is a pretty odd name, isn’t it? Believe it or not, it’s not the result of a few glasses of wine and a bag of Scrabble letters – there’s a history to it.

When Land Rover developed the original Range Rover, the firm wanted to conceal its identity, so it came up with the name Velar, from the Latin word 'velare' – meaning to cover or hide. Anyway, that's the history lesson over, now back to the review, and what the modern Range Rover Velar is all about.

Well, put simply, it’s a rakish five-door SUV that fills the big price gap between the entry-level Evoque and the cheapest Range Rover Sport. It’s the most road-biased Range Rover yet, but it’s still incredibly capable over the rough stuff thanks to standard-fit four-wheel drive and lots of clever mud-plugging technology.

Engines range from a 2.0-litre diesel with 201bhp, all the way up to a plug-in hybrid that produces a hefty 398bhp. Between those extremes, the Velar comes fitted with a range of petrols and diesels with various amounts of oomph.

As for rivals, they are many and varied. It’s up against the stylish brigade of coupé SUVs – including the BMW X4, Mercedes GLC Coupé and Porsche Macan. You could also have a seven-seater, for example the Audi Q7 or BMW X5, for similar money. Then there are the really high-end models that fall into the Velar's upper price range, such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupé and BMW X6.

Over the next few pages of this Range Rover Velar review, we’ll take a look at how the SUV drives, what it’s like inside and how costly it will be to own. If you've already been seduced by its sleek lines – or have another car of any or model in mind – head to our New Car Buying pages for big savings on the list price with a minimum of effort on your part.