2019 range rover velar8/17/2023 But as cool as that entire digital dashboard looks, the issue is when it’s -20 degrees outside and you’re wearing gloves, that screen gets annoying fast. But it’s all tailored to have its own design, feel, and exclusivity. Like in the Jaguar I-Pace, there’s a second screen to control climate, heated seats, massaging seats (of course this thing has massaging seats what do you think?), as well as the full battalion of driving modes. Its cabin is just as finely appointed and unique, complete with a James Bond style retractable shifter and screen. The great thing about the Velar is that it isn’t just a pretty body put onto a Jaguar interior. If anything, that supercharged V6 seems to be the best engine with which I’ve seen this transmission bolted on to. I say this because in the four-cylinder F-Pace, the eight-speed is tremendously laggy, taking forever to downshift, hunting gears and clunking awkwardly when shifting from one cog to the next. ZF gearboxes seem to work better with larger displacement engines, or the ones that produce large amounts of torque. It just has no personality, which is ironic coming from Jaguar. Sadly, however, that engine sound like ass, emitting diesel-like decibels when its idling, and lamenting itself when going all out. It’ll do 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds for Christ sake, which isn’t bad at all. The stiff suspension doesn’t play well with its luxury pretentions.Īt least, that supercharged V6 makes great power, with ample low-end grunt and an ability to get this big guy up and going without too much fuss. It’s generally more relaxed than its cousin, but I would have wanted a slightly softer ride. So, dynamically, the Velar feels, well the same as an F-Pace, but with added weight. All-wheel drive comes standard on all Velars, but it’s the good kind of all-wheel drive, the one where the engine sends the power to the rear wheels first. And, like everything JLR these days, that engine is coupled to a ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox. You can even choose between two four-cylinder engines, one fed by gasoline, the other by diesel. Or, you can opt for a weaker version of that same engine which is good for a more subtle 340 horsepower. In the top-spec Velar I cranks out a healthy 380 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. Inevitably, it isn’t the quickest luxury mall-crawler out there, unless of course you opt for the full-fat HSE supercharged V6 model, like the one I was driving. Except, it weighs 4,676 pounds for some reason. Also, I know it appears to be a midsize SUV due its – ahem – massive girth, but the Velar sits on the same platform as the compact Jaguar F-Pace. Just in case you still don’t understand what a Velar is supposed to be, it sits between a Discovery and a Range Rover Sport within the Land Rover lineup. The R-Dynamic package adds a set of sportier wheels, a Meridian audio system, enhanced leather, and some interesting off-road bits such as a rear locking differential and dedicated driving modes. The fact that my tester was a P380 R-Dynamic HSE model certainly helped. But this thing is on a totally different playing field. Is it the tapering roof? The slim lights? The rounded off rear end, or the iconic Range Rover beltline that stretches from the front grille all the way to the taillights that makes this thing attractive as hell? I normally don’t get so excited when seeing an SUV.
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