2024 Range Rover Velar Borrows Style And Tech From Its Handsome Big Brother
While Land Rover might be more well-known for its hardy luxury SUVs that excel in harsher conditions, it's made significant headway in the mid-sized SUV segment with its Range Rover series. When the Velar was introduced in 2017, the company aimed to bring some of the styling and features from its high-end lineup down to a more affordable platform, unifying the design language and making luxury features more accessible to a larger market.
The SUV market is currently having a bit of a boom, with GoodCarBadCar reporting that five of the top 10 best-selling vehicles in the U.S. for 2022 were part of this segment. It makes sense, then, that Land Rover would put significant effort into updating its stylish Velar. For 2024, the Range Rover Velar is getting a facelift and an update to some of the tech that makes it quite an appealing muscular crossover SUV apt for everything from mall crawling with the family to the occasional light off-road adventure.
Two powerplants with an expensive mild-hybrid option
The 2024 Range Rover Velar, which is available starting February 1, 2023, comes in four different trim levels. Starting at the bottom, the $61,500 Velar P250 S and $63,600 P250 Dynamic SE are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 247 horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. Moving up in the range, the $70,600 Velar P400 Dynamic SE and $84,795 Velar P400 Dynamic HSE are both powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid that produces a more significant 395 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque. Both of the available powertrains feature AWD and deliver power to the wheels via eight-speed automatic transmissions. Land Rover claims that the P250 platform goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 7.1 seconds, while the P400 does it in just 5.2 seconds.
Some high-tech chassis and suspension technology is also included as standard on the P400 models, bringing Adaptive Dynamics and Configurable Dynamics down from the premium Land Rover models with an option for Electronic Air Suspension available. The Adaptive Dynamics and optional Electronic Air Suspension constantly adjust to different conditions at each wheel to deliver an excellent on-road experience. The mild-hybrid powertrain in the P400 models helps to improve efficiency by collecting lost energy where it can and pumping it back through the wheels via a 48v Li-ion battery in the rear of the vehicle.
A handsome, comfortable SUV with off-road ambitions
Aside from on-road performance, the 2024 Range Rover Velar has got some off-road chops, as well. The model's torque-on-demand AWD system may not make it ideal for rock crawling or any serious off-road work, but it's probably capable of more than most will put it through. Terrain Response 2 is available, which allows drivers to adjust the driving dynamics with a number of modes, including Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud-Ruts, Sand, Dynamic, and Automatic. These modes will adjust the power delivery, suspension, transmission, traction, and stability control systems to optimize for various driving conditions.
The new model year also comes with some new styling cues in the form of an updated grille, a lower rear, and updated LED rear lights and headlights, which Land Rover says are meant to unify the visual language across the range and accentuate the vehicle's wide stance and muscular proportions. The interior also features Cabin Air Purification Plus, CO2 Management, and PM2.5 Cabin Air Filtration to monitor and regulate cabin air quality.
A next-generation Pivi Pro infotainment system adds a floating, curved 11.4-inch touchscreen and gives users access to Wireless Apple CarPlay, Wireless Android Auto, and standalone Spotify and Deezer, while also providing OTA updates to 80% of the vehicle's electronic systems. An impressive 17-speaker Meridian 3D Surround Sound System with a 750-watt amplified output takes care of audio playback. The sound system also takes care of road noise using Active Road Noise Cancellation tech on certain models.