The 2021 - Land Rover Range Rover Velar
The Range Rover Velar offered by the Tata Motors owned British Auto company Land Rover was first introduced in the Indian market in 2018 as a Completely Built Unit (CBU) which means very high import duties have to be paid. In 2019, Land Rover introduced the R-Dynamic variants with some aesthetical changes, a better petrol engine and shift from a CBU to locally assembled, and now in 2021 the SUV brand released the R-Dynamic S-Trim variants and discontinued the previous variants. The 2 variants available now are the 2L R-Dynamic S petrol for ₹79.87lakhs and the 2L R-Dynamic S diesel for ₹80.71lakhs ex-showroom India. By changing the path from a CBU to local assembly, the Land Rover has managed to reduce the price by approximately ₹15lakhs. The Land Rover Range Rover Velar which neatly fits between the brand's very own Evoque and Discovery Sport rivals against the BMW X5, Mercedes-Benz GLE and JLR's very own F-Pace, but is the Velar better than others? Is it worth the price it asks? Let us find out.
Engine and Technology
The petrol powered engine comes as a 2L 4-cylinder Turbo which produces 250hp and 365nm of torque whereas the diesel powered engine comes as a 2L 4-cylinder Inline Turbo producing 201hp and 430nm of torque. The 2021 R-Dynamic S-trim variant diesel engine has been improved from a previous 180hp engine with a mild-hybrid technology. The petrol variant does 0-100km/h in 8.89secs thanks to an 8-speed torque converter automatic transmission and all-wheel drive (AWD) system which comes as standard. To add more practicality and comfort to a SUV, Land Rover has added an Electronic Air Suspension and a Start/Stop system.
Design
As the Velar is to fit between the Evoque and Discovery Sport it does shares elements from both of them, this makes it not completely boxy and not exactly a Sportback, this fusion has its own charm and looks very unique. The change from 2018 model to the 2019 R-Dynamic variant was with more black accents over the bonnet, bumpers and side vents to look more sport and in the 2021 R-Dynamic S-trim variant the Land Rover went a step ahead to add copper accents over the black ones because, well no one else is doing it. 4.8m long, 2.14m wide, 1.66m high with a wheelbase of 2.87m are the measurements of a bulky SUV, combined with a standard 19-inch allow wheels with an option of 20-inch. Big “Range Rover” badging on the bonnet along with a mesh grille and a contrasting sleek headlamps completely compliments the front look. The bigger dimensions of the Velar come from Discovery Sport and the sloping roofline with a small spoiler at the end is taken from the Evoque. Available in 4 color options - Fuji White, Portofino Blue, Sartorini Black and Silicon Silver with a black contrast roof as standard along with black pillars.
The interior of the Velar is a blend of minimalistic and elegant elements, with leather soft touch dashboard, iconic Land Rover thick headrests and an eye catching dual screen setup in the center console. The Touch Pro Duo as called by the Jaguar and Land Rover (JLR) is a 10-inch each dual touch screen setup, the upper screen controls the GPS, Bluetooth and infotainment tasks whereas the lower screen controls the air conditioning and the driving mode of the car. Due to these screens, the center console has a beautiful flow, the upper screen has a flip function which is it changes the angle when starting the car which acts as a greeting, this angle can be adjusted accordingly to avoid sun glare. Despite the beauty and elegance these screen carries, there is still a lag in the response time which is very common in all Land Rovers. To add more to the elegant and futuristic design, there are touch screen track pads on the steering wheel to access various functions, now this looks elegant but can be disturbing while driving the car. The front seats are comfortable and have 20-way adjusted seats with memory function, the rear seats have good knee room and headroom but it would be comfortable for only 2 passengers and not 3 due to elevated floor and hard back hand rest for the middle seat.
Features
With time and variant upgrades, Land Rover has increased the features list for the Velar, features like the 360-degree camera with parking assist, ambient lighting, full size spare wheel, four zone climate control and a full size panoramic sunroof which were all optional in the 2018 variants became a standard offering since the 2019 R-Dynamic variants. Adding to this list of features is a Cabin Air Ionisation with PM 2.5 filter, Power Gesture electric tailgate and a better Pivi Pro Infotainment system but unfortunately the Velar still doesn’t support the Android Auto and Apple Carplay.
Safety
The big British SUV brand is known for taking the cars on serious off-roading tasks and trying to achieve the impossible, so there is absolutely no doubt of Velar being low on safety terms. 6 airbags, Roll Stability Control, All Terrain Progress Control (ATPC), Roll Stability Control (DSC), Hill Launch assist and Cornering Brake control are some of the safety features that make the Velar so tough on bad terrains and roads.
Verdict
The Land Rover Range Rover Velar has gone through 2 major facelifts and one change in the manufacturing process thanks to which the car now costs ₹15lakhs less. With this price cut, if we were to compare the price to the benefits that one gets, then the Velar is a good buy but if we were to consider the competition then the story would be different. The rival BMW X5 offers a 6-cylinder 3L Turbocharged petrol engine with 335hp and 450nm of torque which comes with additional ₹10lakhs over the Velar and should be considered by those who prefer the engine before anything. As far as the Velar is concerned, one should go for the R-Dynamic S-trim petrol option for ₹79.87lakhs with any color except for white.