s road trips go, a recent
one in the Range Rover
Velar was one of the
more unusual. The quiet,
comfortable 150-mile drive was
unremarkable, but once we arrived
at our destination, things got more
interesting. The car managed to get
on two wheels, as the picture above
shows, while conquering one of many
extreme obstacles, and it, and we,
emerged without a scratch for an
equally relaxing and unremarkable
150-mile drive home.
The term ‘road-biased’ is oft used
to describe the Velar, but as our day
at the Land Rover Experience West
Country (LREWC) in Honiton,
Devon, showed, that’s very much a
relative term.
While most road-biased 4x4s/
SUVs/crossovers are capable of
conquering the puddles and potholes
of the gravel car park at the village
hall and little else, the Velar is merely
more road biased when compared
w it h ot he r L a nd R ov e r s i n t he r a n ge.
A
Most won’t use their Velars off road, but here’s proof you can if you choose to
RANGE ROVER VELAR
The full-on Land Rover off-road
experience comes highly recommended
It does without the low-ratio
gearbox (and our car also came
minus the optional locking rear
differential with which the Velars
at LREWC are equipped), but the
Terrain Response 2 system – a clever
piece of electronic trickery that
adapts the car’s traction intelligently
to suit the conditions below its wheels
- is largely the same as those of the
larger Range Rovers in its tuning.
No low-ratio ’box rules out rock
crawling, but pretty much everything
else is fair game: river crossings,
steep ascents and descents,
implausible-looking terrain and, ofcourse, getting up on two wheels.
The Velar’s air suspension is
c lo s e l y r e l at e d t o t h at of t he R a n ge
Rover Sport, yet the Velar’s is very
muc h t u ne d t o r oa d u s e. S o w h i le t he
t u n i n g of t he s u s p e n sion a l low s for a
softer, more comfortable ride on road,
the trade-off is a firmer ride off road,
because there’s less travel left in the
springs when the Velar’s ride height
is raised to its maximum.
The Velar’s ground clearance is
a l s o le s s due t o it s low, sle e k , r oa d-
hugging shape, all of which means
you need to make slower, steadier
progress off road. Yet on our course at
L R E WC , w e go e v e r y w he r e t he le a d
Land Rover Discovery can go (Disco
being the most capable off-roader
Land Rover has yet built, remember).
We ’r e u s e d t o s e e i n g L a nd R ov e r s do
quite extraordinary things off road,
yet to see the Velar do the same is
even more impressive. LREWC has
a series of mirrors next to its more
dramatic man-made obstacles, which
require a double-take as you spot the
Velar at an implausible angle doing
its best impression of a trapeze artist.
As Land Rover makes more
and more road-biased cars, the
temptation could be there to sacrificethat off-road capability. Yet to do so
would lose the authenticity of the
brand: the Velar is credible as a Land
Rover because of what it’s capable
of off road, no matter how shiny and
new it looks from the outside.
The LREWC centre has recently
undergone a refurbishment and
gained a new visitor and conference
centre. From there, the 8000 or so
people who come through the facility
each year drive across the 120-acre
OWN ONE? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
RANGE ROVER
VELAR HSE D300
Price £68,110 Price as tested £73,295
Faults None Expenses None
Economy 38.2mpg Last seen 10.7.19
TEST DATA
estate, taking in 45 acres of woodland
where the toughest terrain lies.
You can also tap the knowledge of
t he i n s t r uc t or s , s uc h a s W i l l Mc K e a n ,
who are the ultimate product experts.
Will can not only help you drive over
a mountain but also describe in detail
the infotainment system and help
make it easier to use.
Any new or approved used Land
Rover can come and do this, and I
u r ge y ou t o do s o. Ev e n i f y ou h av e
no intention of using your car this
way (and let’s be honest, most Velar
ow ne r s i n r e a l it y w on’t pl a n on it), t o
d r i v e it t h i s w ay i s a s br e at ht a k i n ga nd i mpr e s si v e a s it i s pl a i n go o d f u n.
MARK TISSHAW
NO APPLE CARPLAY
Not yet, anyway, but the
infotainment is about to get a
software upgrade...
ECONOMY
Can now return more than 40mpg
on a long run – it’s the big V6
diesel’s latest party piece.
LOATHE IT
LOVE IT
MILEAGE 16,100
WHY WE’RE RUNNING IT
To see if this newest twist on the
Range Rover formula is worthy of
the badge – and its price
OOUURR C CAARRSS
7 AUGUST 2019 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 67