2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

Is the Land Rover Range Rover Velar a Good SUV?

Overall, the two-row Land Rover Range Rover Velar is a good SUV. It has one of the best interiors in our luxury midsize SUV class, with sumptuous materials, comfortable seats, and a cutting-edge infotainment system. Other hallmarks of the Velar are its refined, lively engines; superb fuel economy ratings; and smooth ride. On the downside, the Velar doesn't have a record of good predicted reliability ratings, though the 2019 model year hasn't been scored as of the date of this review.

Should I Buy the Land Rover Range Rover Velar?

The Range Rover Velar is one of the better-scoring Land Rovers. Much of its success can be linked directly with its high levels of refinement, a characteristic that is evident in its expertly crafted cabin and wide-ranging powertrain lineup. Like much of its kin, the Velar is also a capable off-roader. That said, this SUV belongs to a very competitive class, and there are a few other worthwhile rivals to consider. The Audi Q7, for example, combines a posh cabin with sporty driving dynamics. Families will find the BMW X5 appealing, in part for its above-average safety and predicted reliability ratings.

Compare the Range Rover Velar, Q7, and X5 »

Should I Buy a New or Used Land Rover Range Rover Velar?

Following its launch in 2018, Land Rover reshuffled the Velar's trim levels and features for the 2019 model year. Prices also dropped for the 2019 Velar, so it's a toss-up whether you'll save more money purchasing a used or a new Range Rover Velar. We recommend cross-shopping both to find the best deal. You can also review our Used Car Deals page to learn about savings and discounts on used vehicles.

We Did the Research for You: 13 Reviews Analyzed

Our Land Rover Range Rover Velar review includes far more than just one person's opinion. We collected professional evaluations from 13 sources and combined them with concrete data like fuel economy estimates, safety scores, and performance specs to help you make an informed buying decision.

Why You Can Trust Us

At U.S. News & World Report, we rank the Best Jobs, Best Hospitals, and Best Colleges to guide readers through some of life’s most complicated decisions. We've been ranking and reviewing the Best Cars since 2007, backed by a team with more than 75 years of combined automotive experience. To keep favoritism out of the picture, we maintain a separate advertising team and decline expensive gifts and trips from car companies.

How Much Does the Land Rover Range Rover Velar Cost?

Prices for a 2019 Range Rover Velar start at $49,600, which is about $5,000 less than the average base price for a new vehicle in this class. The Velar tops out at some $74,000 for the R-Dynamic HSE trim. For more details on trim levels and pricing, see our Which Land Rover Range Rover Velar Model Is Right for Me? section below.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings at your local Land Rover dealer.

Land Rover Range Rover Velar Versus the Competition

Which Is Better: Land Rover Range Rover Velar or Mercedes-Benz GLE?

For the most part, the Range Rover Velar outclasses the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Velar's advantages include its lower starting price, standard four-wheel drive, and a thriftier base engine. The GLE does have a few attributes that may swing the bar back in its favor. You can tow a much heavier trailer with the Mercedes, and you’ll be able to pack an extra suitcase or two, thanks to its larger cargo area.  

Which Is Better: Land Rover Range Rover Velar or Jaguar I-Pace?

If you're into the hottest new vehicles, another SUV to consider is the Jaguar I-Pace. A sibling to the Velar, the I-Pace is a luxury compact SUV that operates solely on electric power. This is a superb choice for those who need only a little extra space beyond the cockpit, but want blistering acceleration paired with nimble handling. However, its starting price is some $20,000 more than the Velar’s. Between these two, pick the SUV with the powertrain, price tag, and cabin space that best matches your lifestyle.

Compare the Range Rover Velar, GLE, and I-Pace »

Range Rover Velar Interior

How Many People Does the Range Rover Velar Seat?

As a luxury SUV with 2 rows, the Velar has seating for five. It has generous room in both rows, and the panoramic sunroof makes the cabin feel exceptionally airy. Synthetic leather seats are standard. For a posh retreat, upgrade to one of the first-class leather options, or upgrade the front seats to have 20-way power adjustments as well as heating, cooling, and massaging functions.

Range Rover Velar and Car Seats

In the back seat, the Velar has a full set of LATCH anchors mounted on the outboard seats, and a third tether anchor for the middle seat.

Range Rover Velar Interior Quality

The Velar's cabin is one of the finest in the class. It's awash in first-class materials, including an optional rich wool blend that adds an element of sophistication. The minimalistic layout, dual touch screens, and available adaptive driver's display complement this Land Rover’s elegant interior styling.

Range Rover Velar Cargo Space

The cargo area in the Velar measures 34.4 cubic feet, which is above average for a luxury SUV with 2 rows. The standard 40/20/40 split folding rear seats offer multiple ways to expand the cargo area. Folding all of them down creates a 70.1-cubic-foot cargo area. The hands-free liftgate is also a convenient bonus that comes standard in all but the base trim.

Range Rover Velar Infotainment, Bluetooth, and Navigation

The Velar comes with a state-of-the-art infotainment system that uses a pair of 10-inch touch screens. The upper screen can tilt up to 30 degrees, giving you the flexibility to adjust it for optimal viewing. The high-definition graphics look stunning, and the menus have a straightforward layout. Range Rover's ample entertainment options include HD Radio, a 23-speaker Meridian sound system, and an activity key – a wearable, waterproof wristband that lets you lock the car without keeping up with a set of keys. 

Read more about interior »

Range Rover Velar Performance

Range Rover Velar Engine: A Powerful Trinity

It doesn't matter that the standard turbocharged four-cylinder has one of the lower horsepower ratings in our ranking of luxury 2-row SUVs. This 247-horsepower engine still delivers satisfying acceleration, and you'll be able to easily merge onto the highway or overtake a slower vehicle. A 180-horsepower turbodiesel and a 380-horsepower V6 engine are also available. All three engines come with a responsive eight-speed automatic transmission. To the disappointment of some, no meaty V8 engine is available.

Range Rover Velar Gas Mileage: Two Economical Choices

Two of the Velar's engines are very efficient for a luxury midsize SUV. The standard four-cylinder engine returns 21 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. The optional turbodiesel is rated at 26/30 mpg city/highway, which can save you an average of $500 in fuel costs each year over the base engine, according to the EPA. Gas mileage drops to 18/24 mpg with the supercharged V6.

Range Rover Velar Ride and Handling: Comfortable and Stable

The Velar handles curves with composure and confidence. It owes much of its refined on-road manners to its standard adjustable suspension system, which keeps the ride nice and comfortable. This Land Rover is also pleasantly responsive, though it isn't necessarily sporty.

Range Rover Velar Off-Road Performance

The Velar is also capable of moderate off-roading antics. In addition to four-wheel drive, it comes standard with low traction launch, hill launch assist, and hill descent control. The Terrain response system adjusts performance for maximum grip, with Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud-Ruts, Sand, and Dynamic drive modes. An active rear locking differential is available.

Range Rover Velar Dimensions and Weight

The Velar is a 15.8-foot-long SUV. Curb weight values range from 4,020 to 4,471 pounds.

Range Rover Velar Towing Capacity

The Velar has a maximum towing capacity of 5,512 pounds. Trailer stability assist, which monitors for and minimizes trailer sway, is standard.

Read more about performance »

Range Rover Velar Reliability

Is the Land Rover Range Rover Velar Reliable?

A J.D. Power predicted reliability rating is not available for the 2019 Velar at the time of writing.

Land Rover Range Rover Velar Warranty

Land Rover covers the Velar with a four-year/50,000-mile limited warranty.

Read more about reliability »

Range Rover Velar Safety

Range Rover Velar Crash Test Results

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have not conducted crash test evaluations on the Velar. That's common for new vehicles of this caliber. 

Range Rover Velar Safety Features

Emergency brake assist, a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, lane departure warning, lane keep assist, and rain-sensing windshield wipers are standard on every 2019 Velar.

Optional safety features include a 360-degree camera system, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, high-speed emergency braking, a head-up display, a driver drowsiness monitor, rear cross traffic alert, traffic sign recognition with adaptive speed limiter, blind spot monitoring, and active park assist for parallel and perpendicular parking.

Read more about safety »

Which Land Rover Range Rover Velar Model Is Right for Me?

Land Rover has slimmed down the Velar's trim levels for the 2019 model year, also dropping the prices slightly. The 2019 editions include the base trim, Velar S, Velar R-Dynamic SE, and Velar R-Dynamic HSE. A turbocharged four-cylinder engine comes standard in the base, Velar S, and Velar R-Dynamic SE. A supercharged V6 is standard in the Velar R-Dynamic HSE and available in all lower trims except the base model. A turbodiesel engine is available solely in the Velar S.

If you want a dash of luxury and a good value, we recommend starting with the Velar S. Like the base trim, it comes with synthetic leather seats, but those in the Velar S are even swankier with perforated and grained leather. This trim comes with a hands-free liftgate, which is an indispensable feature if you find yourself short an extra hand to reach your keys. It's also the only edition that has the full selection of engine options available.

Land Rover Range Rover Velar

The entry-level Velar ($49,600) comes with synthetic leather and suede upholstery, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a panoramic sunroof, and proximity key entry. Key features of the base infotainment system include the Touch Pro Duo interface, two 10-inch touch screens, Bluetooth, eight-speakers, voice commands, and smartphone integration via InControl Apps. Standard safety features include a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and emergency brake assist. The base model is only available with the standard four-cylinder engine.

Land Rover Range Rover Velar S

Perforated, grained leather seats, an 11-speaker Meridian sound system, a navigation system, a hands-free liftgate, traffic sign recognition, and an adaptive speed limiter are among the upgrades in the Velar S. Engine choices include the standard four-cylinder ($54,400), the turbodiesel engine ($55,900), and the supercharged V6 ($63,300).

Land Rover Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE

The Velar R-Dynamic SE comes with the choice between the standard four-cylinder engine ($58,700) and the supercharged V6 ($67,600). Its key features include rear cross traffic alert, a 360-degree camera system, and perforated grained leather and suede seats. The standard active park assist operates the steering to guide the vehicle into and out of parallel and perpendicular parking spaces.

Land Rover Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE

A wealth of enhancements makes the Velar R-Dynamic HSE ($74,000) an appealing choice. It starts with the perforated Windsor leather upholstery, but the 20-way power-adjustable front seats also impress with heating, cooling, and massage functions. The audio setup gets an upgrade to the 17-speaker Meridian surround sound system. A power adjustable steering column, blind spot monitoring, driver drowsiness monitoring, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, and high-speed emergency braking are also included. This trim level is powered by the supercharged V6 engine; there are no other engine options.

Check out our U.S. News Best Price Program for great savings and special offers at your local Land Rover dealer.

See 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar specs and trims »

The Final Call

The 2019 Range Rover Velar may be one of the best vehicles Range Rover has to offer. This SUV nails a broad range of requirements – it has satisfying acceleration, polished road manners, a magnificent interior, and a high-tech infotainment system that will make your neighbors envious. The Velar's off-road abilities are the cherry on top. There are very few arguments against buying this two-row Land Rover, though one legitimate complaint is the brand's history of below-average predicted reliability ratings.

Don’t just take our word for it. Check out comments from some of the reviews that drive our rankings and analysis.

• "It's hard to forget a name like the 2019 Land Rover Range Rover Velar, and even harder to forget the vehicle. The Velar is the latest Land Rover born of the company's new design language, creating a sleek and stealthy-looking SUV aimed squarely at the likes of the Audi Q5, the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Porsche Macan. In doing so, the Velar offers a slightly larger and more functional package that's more elegant than the conservatively styled Audi and more off-road-capable than the Porsche or the Mercedes-Benz." -- Autotrader
• "When it hits the market this fall, the Velar should have genuine broadband appeal among upscale shoppers, drawing in everyone from tech junkies and luxury hounds to off-roaders and the design obsessed. The biggest velvet-rope barrier to entry, as always, will be price…. [W]hether you're a design buff or not, the Velar feels worth it -- and that's something I don't often say of fully loaded models." -- CNET  (2018)
• "The Velar's subtext might be subtlety, but a recurrent thread is a shock of the new that (mostly) peacefully coexists with the comfort of tradition. … The top-line Velar First Edition knocks it out of the park as … both an instrument of utility and an object of desire." -- Automobile Magazine (2018)