2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar Review

Low-end thrust from the diesel engine is strong and makes the Velar feel quicker than its 9.6-second trot to 60 mph suggests. It's great around town, but accelerating from higher speeds reveals its power deficit. You can work around it if you know what to expect.

The Velar has reassuring, light-effort brakes that are easy to operate smoothly. They also deliver stable, consistent stopping power in an emergency braking situation. The anti-lock braking system acts quickly and quietly.

The steering is overly sensitive right off-center, given the amount of body roll the Velar returns. It's akin to moving your head quickly without sufficient neck muscle support. It has a good on-center feel but doesn't convey much of the texture of the road beneath the tires.

The Velar has some sporting pretensions, but the experience isn't cohesive even for a diesel-powered SUV. Yet it's not the hard-wearing tires that are holding it back. Rather, the soft suspension can't keep up with the path corrections provided by its all-wheel-drive and braking systems.

This SUV requires planning ahead. Initial acceleration is good, but big accelerator inputs while at speed elicit a leisurely response from the powertrain. The transmission is much more attentive when commanding shifts via the paddles. The engine's auto stop-start system can be a bother in traffic.

The absence of low-range gearing combined with the somewhat tight approach, departure and breakover angles — not to mention the huge wheels and short tire sidewalls — limit the Velar's abilities somewhat.

The front seats have great support all around. The cushions are firm but comfortable, with decent power cooling and heating. Our test Velar HSE had the front seats with the massage function, but it's more of a gimmick than a real benefit. It also had back seats with an independent power-reclining function across the 60/40-split. All armrests have excellent padding.

With the recommended tire pressure settings for Normal loads, the Velar rides harshly over less-than-smooth surfaces. The ride drastically improves when set to the lower light-load pressures (for up to three people). It isn't plush, but it is far more livable especially when equipped with 20-inch wheels.

For a luxury SUV, there's more wind noise than we anticipated, plus a noticeable amount of low-frequency boominess when rolling over sharp bumps. Tire noise is otherwise pretty minimal, as is diesel engine clatter.

The touchscreen complicates the climate controls by prioritizing sleek minimalism over straightforward convenience. Our tester's four-zone climate control maintained comfortable cabin temps. Heating and cooling for the front seats are decently powerful.

Dual touchscreens and touch-sensitive steering wheel controls look fantastic but are slow to respond, unnecessarily complicating all tasks. The steering wheel controls are especially unresponsive, which makes accessing the driver-specific functions a nuisance and a distraction. This system is difficult to live with.

The step-in height is a little elevated to improve ground clearance. And the roof is a bit low due to the Velar's sleek profile, creating a minor inconvenience when exiting or entering the cabin. Otherwise, the seats are at an optimal height, making it easy to slip into the cabin.

There's excellent variability in the 20-way adjustable seats. You can sit low and feel more ensconced or sit higher up for a commanding view of the road. The adjustment range for the steering wheel's tilt and reach is decent, and you get a sizable dead pedal for resting your left foot.

The wide center console eats into the front occupants' space, but otherwise there's a fair amount of room. Rear legroom could be better. An average-size person will fit, but hard front seatbacks don't leave much wiggle room. The seats offer good toe room and decent seat width and headroom.

There's adequate visibility straight back, nice-size sideview mirrors and rear cabin windows that help in the usual blind spots. The front pillars are somewhat wide, and the mirrors mildly obstruct forward visibility through turns. Some drivers might be bothered by the heated windshield's squiggly wire elements.

The interior build quality is top-notch. Soft, high-quality leather abounds. The high-resolution dual touchscreens are especially handsome and high-tech. Were it not for their sluggish responses and some too-wide exterior panel gaps, the Velar could've set a new standard in its class.

You get three cupholders up front plus decent-size rubberized door pockets. A small space behind the lower touchscreen, a shallow center armrest bin and a relatively modest glovebox can conceal little items. The rear door pockets are more minuscule, and the center armrest has cupholders with an anti-tip design.

There's a fairly good amount of rear cargo space (34.4 cubic feet), which is somewhere between what you get from a compact and a midsize SUV. Useful features for the cargo area include robust sliding tie-down points and convenient hooks that can flip down to hold bags. The 60/40-split rear seats fold nearly flat.

Isofix anchors are easily accessible beneath plastic covers as are the exposed rear tether points. The available legroom in back will probably be the limiting factor for fitting rear-facing car seats.

Our tester's premium Meridian system has good sound quality and significant bass supplied by a subwoofer. The nav system has modern 3D-satellite imagery, live traffic and pinch-to-zoom functions. We successfully located various destinations in our testing without issue.

Bluetooth pairing isn't the quickest, but you can do it on the move. The media interface is pretty basic — make sure to get the newly available Apple CarPlay or Android Auto option for 2019. Phones can stay charged up thanks to two USBs, a 12-volt and HDMI plug up front, and a 12-volt for the rear.

Driver aids are hit-or-miss. Forward collision is a bit sensitive, and adaptive cruise brings you to a stop but can only be set above a certain speed. The parking aid is dormant until Reverse is selected — the parking sonar must be manually activated if nosing in.

The Velar's voice controls are pretty basic and limited to making phone calls, tuning the radio or accessing your media library. Surprisingly, there are no voice commands for the navigation system. Like the rest of the system, the voice commands are pretty slow to react.

The base Velar starts with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder (247 horsepower, 269 pound-feet of torque) that's connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. Standard feature highlights include adaptive suspension dampers, 18-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, automatic wipers, keyless ignition and entry, and LED headlights. Inside you'll find dual-zone climate control, simulated leather upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, a 40/20/40-split rear seat, two 10-inch infotainment touchscreens, two USB ports and an eight-speaker sound system.

Standard driver assistance systems include a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, hill start assist, automatic emergency braking, and driver-adjustable drive settings for different surfaces including mud, sand and rocks.

The S adds two engine choices to the mix — a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 (380 hp, 332 lb-ft of torque) and a turbocharged 2.0-liter diesel-powered four-cylinder (180 hp, 317 lb-ft of torque). The S also includes 19-inch wheels, a power tailgate with a hands-free opening, auto-dimming side mirrors, leather upholstery, power-reclining rear seats, an 11-speaker Meridian sound system navigation, Jaguar InControl smartphone app integration, and traffic sign recognition.

Along with 20-inch wheels, the R-Dynamic SE receives more aggressive-looking bodywork and special exterior trim. The interior is swathed in perforated leather with microfiber-suede seat material and trim-specific finishes. Entertainment upgrades consist of a full-digital gauge cluster and a 17-speaker Meridian sound system. Driver assistance additions include blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a driver attention monitor, and a surround-view parking camera.

The R-Dynamic HSE looks similar to the SE, but it rides on 21-inch wheels. The interior gains extended leather trimming and upgraded front seats (with massage, heating and ventilation functions). Adaptive cruise control, high-speed emergency braking and blind-spot assist are standard as well.

For 2019, every trim has the option of the smartphone package with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Most of the extra standard features of the higher trim levels are offered as options on the lower trims. And many optional packages are available across most of the trim levels. Notable picks include the On/Road package, a towing package and a rear-seat entertainment system.