2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar comes with some major powertrain revisions including the introduction of a new engine option. A new Inline-6 engine option with a mild-hybrid system has been introduced for this model year while the supercharged V6 and the V8 options have been discontinued. The Velar also features the new and updated pivi Pro infotainment unit with a dual-screen setup. It is, however, on the more expensive side compared to some of the rivals in the class. The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar competes with the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE 450, Genesis GV80.

The Land Rover Range Rover Velar is available in three trims with various powertrain options. The base S well as the mid-level R-Dynamic S trims are available with two powertrain options. The P250 models are powered by a turbocharged 2.0 L Inline-4 engine, whereas the P340 models lose the V6 that has been powering them till last model year and gains a new turbocharged 3.0 L Inline-6 which is said to deliver more fuel efficiency. The P400 models come with the same engine but with more power. 

All models come as standard with the same 8-speed automatic transmission and AWD as standard. There are also various packages including Hot and Cold Climate Packs, Dynamic Handling Package, and a truckload of other customization options available with the Velar. These options can however increase the price of the Velar drastically. The major differences across trims are specified in the table below with their respective prices- 

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The R-Dynamic S trim with the P340 powertrain consisting of the stronger Inline-6 engine would be the best option to choose. It comes with updated styling over the base S trim along with a specific R-Dynamic appearance. The R-Dynamic S with the stronger engine is the perfect balance between the much more expensive R-Dynamic HSE while looking and feeling much more luxurious than the base S trim.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar comes with three powertrains on offer which are named P250, P340, and P400. The base S and the mid-level R-Dynamic S trims come with the option to choose between the P250 and P340 powertrain option whereas P400 is exclusive to the top-end R-Dynamic HSE trim. The P250 which is the base option comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 247 hp and 269 lb-ft of power and torque respectively. The P340 models come with a new and stronger 3.0 L Inline-6 engine with a mild-hybrid system producing 335 hp and 354 lb-ft. 

The P400 trim also gets the same engine, but it produces increased power and torque of 395 hp and 405 lb-ft in that model. All powertrains come standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission and AWD. We have taken Velar’s base S model with the stronger P340 powertrain here for comparison. This model is capable of reaching 60 mph in 5.7 seconds which is not the best time in the segment. The Velar crosses the quarter-mile mark in 14.2 which again is not very competitive in the segment. 

The BMW X5 xDrive40i and the Mercedes-Benz GLE 450 4Matic dominate the speed and performance game, staying on top of the Velar. The irony is that the Genesis GV80 3.5T is the strongest and delivers the most power in this comparison while being the slowest. It has a significant power and torque advantage while still providing disappointing speed figures. The Bimmer is the best in the speed department while the Merc follows being just a fraction of a second slower. The Velar performs pretty well but still is not strong enough to compete with the BMW and Mercedes in terms of sheer drag speeds.

How well does the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Drive and Handle?

The Velar is also not the best handling machine in the segment. As we mentioned earlier, the sporty looks, don’t actually mean that it gets sporty handling and driving dynamics. The handling is proper SUV like but the strong electronics in the Velar do keep body roll contained while delivering a stiff ride. The ride is on the firmer side with the default suspension setup. However, things are different with optional extras added. The Dynamic Handling Pack adds features including All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), Configurable Dynamics, Electronic Air Suspension, and Adaptive Dynamics. 

While All-Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) ATPC is a low-speed, cruise control feature for all road conditions the Configurable Dynamics system allows you to set specific chassis and powertrain settings to suit your individual driving style. But the Electronic Air Suspension is what makes the whole difference. The system switches between ride heights according to the mode selected and delivers an impressive ride quality and a composed driving experience whereas the adaptive damping system monitors the wheel position up to 500 times per second and body movements up to 100 times per second, providing more control and stability while reducing body roll. The package is highly recommended if you plan to get the Velar.

How efficient is the braking performance of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar? 

The Land Rover Range Rover Velar is equipped with 355mm front and 325mm rear disc brakes along with 14.6-inch calipers in the front and 12.8-inch ones in the rear. These do a good job of bringing the vehicle to a stop. The braking distance of the Velar is not available as of now, but we speculate it to be in the range of 110-115 ft. The Velar performs pretty well in terms of braking and does hold up against the competition.

The BMW is the best performer in terms of braking as it is in terms of speed, handling, and performance. The Genesis surprised us with the impressive braking performance whereas the Velar and the Mercedes remain in the lower-territory in terms of braking power. They are by no means bad and all of the vehicles in this comparison deliver respectable braking performance.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar comes with the new engine option which is said to deliver improved efficiency figures compared to the older V6. And It certainly does what it claims to do. The Velar provides a fuel economy of 20mpg in the city, 26 on the highway, and a combined efficiency of 22 mpg which is 2mpg higher than the 20mpg of combined fuel economy that was provided by the older V6 model. 

The base engine of the Velar delivers a combined efficiency of 23 mpg while the top-end P400 powertrain gives 21 mpg. The Range Rover Velar with the P340 engine option delivers a range of 332 miles in the city. 432 on the highway and a combined range of around 365 miles which is actually on the lower side. 

Both the BMW and the Mercedes deliver the best-combined fuel efficiency of 23 mpg followed by the Velar providing 22 mpg. The Velar, however, does give a slightly higher fuel economy of 26 mpg on the highway compared to the BMW. The Velar has the smallest fuel capacity among all of the competition with a capacity of 16.6 gallons which is much lower than all others. The Mercedes and the BMW deliver the best-combined range also, topping up above the 500-mile mark.

The Land Rover Range Rover Velar comes with a luxurious interior with all of the creature comforts and a super well-built cabin. The cabin gets an Ebony-themed interior Cosmic Grey trim finishing in the base trim while the higher models are finished in a Shadow Aluminum trim finish. The interior features Ebony perforated grained leather seats in the base trim, while the higher trims further get suede cloth inserts in the seats. The top-end HSE trim also gets an extended leather upgrade and comes with Ebony perforated Windsor leather. 

The base trims get 14-way-adjustability for the driver seat along with memory functionality for the front seats while the R-Dynamic HSE trim comes exclusively with 20–way heated and cooled, memory, massage front seats. The seats are supportive and super-comfortable during long drives and journeys. The interior is spacious and offers enough space in both rows along with a spacious cargo area. The legroom in the front, as well as second rows, is impressive while the shoulder room is a bit tight compared to others in the segment. The Velar, however, has a cargo capacity of 34.4 cu-ft which is very good.

The interior quality of the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is impressive and on par with the BMW X5 and the Mercedes GLE-Class. The Mercedes however is the most spacious providing the best overall interior space followed by the Genesis GV80. The Velar is on par with the rivals in terms of legroom but it seriously lacks shoulder room compared to others which are significantly wider. The Velar, however, delivers a larger cargo area measuring 34.4 which is slightly better than the BMW and Mercedes while being a little lesser than the Genesis. The following are the most important interior features- 

• 20–way heated and cooled, memory, massage front seats
• Ebony Perforated grained leather seats and suede cloth seats with Ebony interior
• Extended Leather Upgrade
• Leather steering wheel
• Ebony Morzine headlining
• Two-zone Climate Control
• Cabin lighting

How intuitive is the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar’s infotainment unit?

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover features the new and upgraded 12,3" high-definition Interactive Driver Display along with Pivi Pro dual touch screens of 10-inches each for infotainment. The screens control various infotainment features along with the climate controls and other system functions. The infotainment unit is impressively intuitive and easy to use with a superb-looking user interface. 

The audio system is a Meridian sound system in the lower trim 12 speakers and a dual-channel subwoofer and a 400W amplifier along with Meridian Digital Signal Processing, Cabin Correction, and Digital Dither Shaping. The HSE R-Dynamic trim features a higher quality Meridian 3D Surround Sound System with 17 speakers and a dual-channel subwoofer and an 825W amplifier along with 3D Trifield technology. The following are some of the most important infotainment features-

• Meridian 3D Surround Sound System
• Interactive Driver Display
• Pivi Pro dual 10-inch Touchscreen with newly designed interface
• All-new intelligent navigation with Real-Time Traffic Information
• Available Heads Up Display
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration 

The Velar looks incredibly beautiful and sporty from the outside with a bold and sleek design language with extensive lines and curves all over it. The Velas has some exclusive touches all around including the flush deployable door handles which makes the vehicle look more advanced. The Velar comes with 24 color options in which the only one is a free option which is Fuji White while all others are paid options. The Velar has a distinct design language with a more aerodynamic design compared to other Range Rovers.

The wheels in the Velar are 19-inch 5 spoke, Gloss Sparkle Silver colored ones in the S models and larger 21-inch Satin Dark Grey ones of the same style in the highest HSE R-Dynamic trim. There are also plenty of available wheel options that can be opted for at an extra cost. The Velar is definitely one of the best-looking Range Rovers of the present generation, if not the best. The R-Dynamics trims can also be further equipped with the R-Dynamic Black Pack that comes with Narvik Black accents all around the exterior. 

The Velar is the shortest while all of the others in the comparison are around 6-inches longer than it. The width of the Velar is however on par with the competition. The Velar from the exterior doesn’t match others in terms of exterior size, but it competes with the larger vehicles in terms of price. This is where its higher price tags let down the Velar. But however, the Velar does provide impressive legroom and cargo capacity despite being smaller in exterior size which is actually an advantage. The following are the standout exterior features-

• 21" Style 5109, 5 spoke, Satin Dark Grey
• Premium LED headlights with signature DRL
• Sliding panoramic roof
• Solar attenuating windshield
• Acoustic laminated windshield
• Privacy glass
• Powered tailgate

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover has not been crash-tested or rated by either NHTSA or IIHS, so these ratings are not available for comparison and analysis. However, the Velar features a host of safety features including Dynamic Stability Control (DSC), Low traction launch, Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Roll Stability Control (RSC), Cornering Brake Control (CBC), and Hill Descent Control (HDC) along with another advanced safety tech. The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is undoubtedly a very safe car with impressive safety and driver assistance features. Other important safety features include-

• Emergency Braking
• Driver Condition Monitor
• Lane Keep Assist
• Front and Rear Parking Aid
• Traffic Sign Recognition and Adaptive Speed Limiter
• Blind Spot Assist Pack
• Standard Driver Assist Pack

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar vs 2021 BMW X5

The BMW X5 is the overall superior machine providing more power as well as better handling. The interior quality is on par with each other but the BMW provides more space inside the cabin whereas the Velar has slightly better cargo space. The BMW is also better in terms of braking as well as fuel economy making it the obvious choice. The Range Rover comes with a better and more intuitive infotainment unit compared to the iDrive unit in the X5. The Velar and X5 while being very similar in terms of pricing, BMW is the overall better option.

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Mercedes-Benz GLE is the better performing SUV in terms of handling as well as speed runs. The Velar doesn’t have much to provide over the Merc as it comes with better fuel economy as well as interior space. The Velar however provides a little bit more cargo space but the difference is marginal. The inside of the cabin, however, is equally plush and luxurious in both models. But overall the GLE-Class is a better option than the Velar. 

2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar vs 2021 Genesis GV80

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is the better choice compared to the Genesis GV80. The Genesis, although it outputs far more power than the Velar, is still slower than the Range. The Velar also has a more luxurious and premium cabin along with a far better infotainment unit. The Genesis, however, is more spacious in terms of both passenger space as well as cargo capacity. Overall the 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is the better option compared to the Genesis GV80.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is a great vehicle that just has been priced a bit higher than it should have been, That makes it overshadowed by some healthy and better competitors like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Class. It is in the pricing department Land Rover should have concentrated better. 

The base powertrain model is lower priced but that one lacks power and punch whereas the Inline-6 powered motor is powerful enough but for the price, it is not just worthy. The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is definitely a great vehicle with lots of features, but unless you are sure that you want this one only, there are much better options in the price range and segment.