The 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is a different type of Land Rover, designed for modern times. Rather than coming across as an off-road-ready, adventure-seeking, rugged SUV, the Velar is a sleek, high-tech sporty machine that's designed to attract customers mostly from the esteemed German competitors. The Velar shares a platform with its corporate cousin, the Jaguar F-Pace, which was in turn derived from the Jaguar XF sedan

We recently purchased a Velar to test. It's powered by a 247-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Our Velar S started at $54,700, but with a few options and driver assist features, the total came to $59,503, putting it at the high end of its segment.  

The Velar gives a different vibe than any other Land Rover. It greets you with retractable door handles (shown below), reminiscent of the Tesla Model S. Once inside, attractive touch screens instill a sleek, high-tech ambience. Drive off, and it's immediately clear that this Range Rover sits lower than its brethren. It feels more stiffly sprung and sharper in the corners than any other member of its extended family. 

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Behind the Wheel

The seat is firm and supportive, and the driving position is well sorted out. But we were dismayed that our $60,000 vehicle lacks a lumbar support adjustment for the driver's seat and that the steering wheel adjustment is a clunky manual setup. Visibility isn't great, with thick pillars between the front and rear side windows obscuring the view, as well as a tapering glass area toward the rear, make backing up and merging a challenge.

Jaguar/Land Rover's new 247-hp, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine does a commendable job of moving this 4,300-pound car, once some revs are piled on. A brief initial hesitation takes away from the feeling of urgency. A somewhat raspy engine sound mars the otherwise quiet cabin. The eight-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and decisively, but power delivery is spoiled by the rough start/stop system that announces itself with a jolt. Annoyingly, shutting it off requires wading through a settings menu on the screen after every restart.

Paddle shifters by the steering wheel allow you to override the Velar's own gear ratios, but we can't understand why they're only activated when you twist the rotary gear selector to Sport mode. What if you're descending a long hill and want to use some engine braking instead of hovering on the brake pedal? (This isn't unusual; all Jaguar/Land Rover models work this way.)

Given its lineage, it's no surprise that the Velar is quite nimble. It takes sharp curves with restrained body lean, and the steering is quick, making it one of the more athletic SUVs. Relying on a rear-wheel-drive platform with a 50/50 weight distribution certainly doesn't hurt here. A firm and linear brake pedal also contributes to the confident, sporty feel.

Drivers shouldn't expect the plush and stately ride of the big, classic Range Rover here. The Velar's ride is rather stiff even on the modest 19-inch tires that came on our car. We haven't tried a version with the optional air suspension, which might help the ride, but that benefit could be mitigated by the lower-profile tires that typically come on those versions.

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar interior

The Velar ushers in Land Rover's new dual touch-screen control system. While it looks sleek and modern, we found it to be unnecessarily fussy, requiring extra steps to perform common tasks. The upper screen is not that different from current Jaguar/Land Rover offerings. It contains audio, phone, and navigation functions. While not the most well-organized screen, it's manageable. 

The lower screen provides access to the climate functions, seat heaters, drive modes, and other settings. It requires choosing from among those categories first before executing a command, which not only adds steps but also forces drivers to take their gaze down and away from the road. Changing the climate temperature requires verifying first that you're in climate mode, otherwise you might be changing the intensity of the seat heater. Small text and a few tiny touch areas don't help, either. For instance, when choosing dynamic mode, you have to carefully decipher among the various off-road oriented modes. Seriously?

Some steering wheel controls alternate between being lit or appearing piano black. As a result, it's possible for the button that advances radio presets to go blank right when you wanted to bump to a different station. At least the volume control stays illuminated.

2018 Land Rover Velar Door Handles

We bought our Velar with a $570 optional Drive Package that includes blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control. Automatic emergency braking and lane-departure warning are standard; the latter, however, sends such a tremor through the whole vehicle when it's about to veer out of your lane that you'll be shutting off the system, which negates its helpfulness.

The automaker would like you to think that Range RoverLand Rover, and Discovery are three distinct brands within its confusing lineup. In the brand's hierarchy, the Velar is positioned above the small Evoque and below the luxurious Range Rover Sport, but it basically has price parity with the Discovery. Clearly, the family-oriented, seven-seat Discovery is a different kind of a vehicle. With more powerful engines and more lavish equipment, the Velar's price can top $90,000, where the flagship Range Rover resides.

So far, we've had no problem accumulating some break-in miles on the Velar. Maybe that's because it's an unusual vehicle that carries some level of swagger. We'll see if the novelty wears off, given some of the daily frustrations the car brings.

Check back with us after we're done putting the Velar through its paces.  

2018 Land Rover Range Rover Velar puddle light
The Velar touts its design in the puddle lights.