WE LIKE Stunning design, compliant ride, all-road capability
WE DON’T LIKE Digital user interface, interior trim glare, poor price-value
If the Jeep Wrangler is an analog off-roader, the Velar is the digital future, with its various drivetrain and suspension modes selectable by touch rather than tugging at levers. Which would be fine if the Velar touchscreens’ user interface and switches were fast, intuitive, and reliable. Unfortunately, they’re not. “When it comes to using this interior, nothing is easy,” Christian Seabaugh grumbled. “Bad electronics are ruining an otherwise nice car for me.”
True that, because for most judges the Velar was love at first sight. Its elegant, sheer surfacing, extravagant proportions, and obsessively reductive detailing set a new benchmark for modern SUV styling. “Advancement in design? Do you even have to ask?” Scott Evans said. The haute couture interior has only one glaring design fault—literally. Sunlight reflected off the shiny aluminum on the center console is blinding, bad enough to be a deal-breaker for customers in Sun Belt states.
On the road the Velar is defined by great body control and chassis balance, enhanced by delicate steering. “Remarkably strong handling for a car this big,” Mark Rechtin said. “It feels really planted.” But the 380-hp V-6 is grainy at idle and under load. The 180-hp I-4 diesel is, apart from startup, smoother and more efficient, but it takes almost twice as long to get the 4,500-pound Velar to 60 mph.
We found the Velar’s options pricing inscrutable. Although $70,000 gets you a cranking Meridian audio system, two versions we tested at this price point lacked adjustable lumbar in your powered seats, nor did either have smart cruise control.
The Range Rover Velar is gorgeous to look at and enjoyable to drive, which makes its niggling disappointments that much harder to bear.
READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:
- BMW X2
- BMW X3
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- Ford EcoSport
- Ford Edge
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- Jeep Cherokee
- Lexus RX L
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READ ABOUT 2019 CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:
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| 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar | D180 S | P380 S |
| Base Price/As tested | $57,195/$66,820 | $65,195/$69,461 |
| Power (SAE net) | 180 hp @ 4,000 rpm | 380 hp @ 6,500 rpm |
| Torque (SAE net) | 317 lb-ft @ 1,500 rpm | 332 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm |
| Accel, 0-60 mph | 10.6 sec | 5.8 sec |
| Quarter-mile | 17.7 sec @ 78.2 mph | 14.2 sec @ 99.2 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 131 ft | 128 ft |
| Lateral Acceleration | 0.77 g (avg) | 0.82 g (avg) |
| MT Figure Eight | 28.6 sec @ 0.57 g (avg) | 27.0 sec @ 0.65 g (avg) |
| EPA City/Hwy/Comb | 26/30/28 mpg | 18/24/20 mpg |
| Vehicle Layout | Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV | Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV |
| Engine/Transmission | 2.0L turbodiesel DOHC 16-valve I-4 /8-speed automatic | 3.0L supercharged DOHC 24-valve V-6 /8-speed automatic |
| Curb Weight (F/R Dist) | 4,491 lb (50/50%) | 4,521 lb (50/50%) |
| Wheelbase | 113.1 in | 113.1 in |
| Length x Width x Height | 189.1 x 76.0 x 65.6 in | 189.1 x 76.0 x 63.1-67.0 in |
| Energy Cons, City/Hwy | 145/126 kW-hrs/100 miles | 187/140 kW-hrs/100 miles |
| CO2 Emissions, Comb | 0.80 lb/mile | 0.96 lb/mile |
The post Range Rover Velar: 2019 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist appeared first on Motor Trend.
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