If - after thoroughly road-testing a new model car for a few thousand miles - you can dredge up only three or four piffling complaints about it, and would happily drive for many thousand more, it must be quite a success.
That’s how it is with the Range Rover Velar, R-Dynamic, which I’ve driven to France on a family adventure, to Yorkshire to tackle Land Rover’s tough off-road ‘Experience’, and to Herefordshire to learn to tow, among other adventures.
It’s been supremely comfortable, fun to drive, commodious and addictive. I think Land Rover were also particularly canny in sending along the specific model I drove, as it’s the best example I’ve spotted, by a country mile.
Most cars are ‘colour sensitive’, so that certain palettes flatter the vehicle’s lines, while others dull them, to the extent of robbing an otherwise great car of any presence.
Several owners have ordered the Velar in black, or even white and - while beauty is in the eye of the beholder - I scarcely notice these cars. At a glance, the black Velars look passingly similar to the smaller Evoque.
But take the R-Dynamic HSE D300 I drove, which was painted in ‘Kaikoura Stone’. Doesn’t sound amazing on paper but it’s a warm, striking bronze shade that really brings out the Velar’s distinctive lines. The clever trick by whoever specced it, however, was to order the R Dynamic Black Pack, which includes black bonnet ‘louvres’, A-pillars and roof rails, as well as black inserts beneath the front grille, below the doors and below the boot-line. It gives the car a truly dynamic appearance, making it appear so much more substantial than a one-block colour.
It’s just the right side of bling and - with the look heightened by 21-inch ‘satin grey’ alloy wheels (giving a better rider than the larger 22-inch options) - it looks sensational.
The ‘Light Oyster with Ebony Trim’ interior nicely complements the exterior, as does the Light Oyster Grey Headlining, and blackened panoramic glass roof (a £1,115 option). It feels luxurious and - as the fabric is Range Rover’s own suede-like Kvadrat - it’s nice to sit on in all climates. It’s cool in summer and - when those with leather seats must shudder at the thought of sub-zero temperatures - warm in winter. It’s nice and grippy on bendy roads, too, so a winner all round, especially with the 20-way electrical adjustment, and massage/heating/cooling function.
Powered by a smooth, punchy, V6 3-litre diesel, there’s plenty of performance, with CO2 emissions listed at 167 g/km. The diesel’s engine note is nicely muted but if you do rev it hard, making the most of that quick-changing automatic gearbox, it sounds OK, and really moves. Top speed 155 mph, 0-60 mph in a hot hatch-rivalling 6.1 seconds.
Engage Dynamic mode and everything comes further, more crisply, to life. It sharpens throttle and steering response, firms up the suspension and raises gear-change points, transforming the feel of the vehicle. It’s a bit like having two cars in one, each with a slightly different character.
The Velar handles well and - although firm over lumps and bumps at low speeds - the suspension improves at speed, giving the Velar a nicely cushioned ride, thanks to the air suspension.
Vision out is good, aided by a reversing camera. Another touch I particularly like is the suede-effect steering wheel which not only gives an extra touch of luxury but which, again, is a great choice in all weathers. Grippy too.
So those niggles? A little piffling, as I say. I found it almost impossible to switch on the adaptive cruise control without having to toggle backwards and forwards, endlessly, on the steering wheel-mounted control, which also activates the speed limiter. It’s way too fiddly. Slight fussy, too, is the steering wheel mounted control for the Menu, guiding the user through the trip, tyre pressures and so on. It should be a little easier to use and – for instance – to select the dashboard layout of your preference.
The ‘roller blind’ covering the load space was also unnecessarily fiddly, frequently becoming jammed when moved, and although the Velar was hugely comfortable, I felt that the headrest projected too far forward. That might be great for safety but it meant it constantly rubbed on the back of my head, causing me to recline the seat further, not really where I wanted it. Maybe when the Velar is ‘refreshed’ in a couple of years, they’ll iron these minor niggles out.
In the meantime it makes for a great, luxurious, handsome and highly able alternative to the big Range Rover itself - and a keen rival to BMW’s X4, Porsche’s Macan and the Mercedes GLE Coupe - with tons of panache, pace and ability.
Details: Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE D300
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 twin turbo
Price: £70,530
Top speed: 150mph
0-60mph: 6.1 seconds
Emissions: 167 g/km
Combined MPG: 44.1.
More at http://bit.ly/2IzvHzu
From this month – for just a year – the Range Rover Velar is getting even more performance, luxury and exclusivity with the introduction of the limited ‘SVAutobiography Dynamic Edition’.
Designed as the pinnacle of the Velar line-up, the new model has been developed by Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations and is powered by a 550PS 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine with a range of unique design enhancements. Adding to its exclusivity, this distinctive model will be available to purchase for one year only.
With a supercharged V8 engine, the most powerful Velar accelerates from 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and is capable of 170mph. It also has uprated brakes and suspension components, plus bespoke settings for everything from the powertrain to the safety systems. Price? From £86,120.
David Williams can be found Tweeting at @djrwilliams
