Updated Range Rover Velar emerges from under the wraps

Updated three years ago, but still in its now six-year-old first generation, Land Rover has revealed more updates to the smash-hit Range Rover Velar than just exterior and interior revisions.

Full-size Range Rover restyling

Kept externally unchanged during the first round of revisions in 2020, the Velar, this time around, gains the slimline Pixel LED headlights from the new Range Rover Sport and full-size Range Rover, as well as a new grille, restyled 3D LED taillights and flush door handles that deploy automatically when unlocked or when the key fob is sensed close by.

A selection of new alloy wheels designs completes the exterior, together with two new colour options; Zadar Grey Metallic and Varesine Blue Metallic.

Changes inside

Inside, the 11.4-inch Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment system remains, but now boasts the latest software with improved over-the-air updates, as well as wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

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Along with a newly introduced storage area within the centre console that doubles up as a wireless smartphone charger, Land Rover has availed a new leather-free upholstery option made out of recycled wool and polyurethane textiles called Kvadrat.

Elsewhere, buyers have a choice of four new leather colours; Caraway, Cloud, Deep Garnet and Raven Blue with chrome, dark anodised aluminium or ash wood inserts featuring on the centre console, around the air vents and on the steering wheel.

Underneath, the Velar not only keeps the Adaptive Dynamics setup, but also the Terrain Response 2 off-road system that consists of seven settings; Eco, Comfort, Auto, Dynamic, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Sand and Mud/Ruts.

While standard fare on all six-cylinder models, only four-cylinder Dynamic HSE variants get the Adaptive Dynamics, which additionally comes with adaptive air suspension as standard.

Electrified across the range

For the range itself, Land Rover has slimmed the Velar trim level count to four; S, Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE and Autobiography, with all, but the entry-level P250 and plug-in hybrid P400e, getting the 48-volt mild-hybrid system as standard.

In the case of the P250, the 2.0-litre turbocharged Ingenium petrol engine produces an unchanged 184kW/365Nm that results in the “”mid-level” Rangie positioned above the Evoque getting from 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds.

The step-up turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six Ingenium-powered models are also unchanged with outputs of 250kW/480Nm for the P340 and 294kW/550Nm for the P400. Respective 0-100 km/h sprint times are 6.3 and 5.5 seconds.

On the diesel front, both the 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre straight-six Ingenium mills in the D200 and D300 have been carried over, but while the latter still produces 221kW/650Nm, the former has been tweaked to deliver 150 kW instead of the previous 147 kW. Torque is unchanged though at 430 Nm.

As for the plug-in hybrid Velar P400e, Land Rover has retained the four-cylinder petrol Ingenium from the P250, but mated it to a larger 19.2-kWh battery pack that drives the carryover 105 kW electric motor.

Despite this, the combined output of 297kW/640Nm is unchanged, though the all-electric range increases from 53 km to 64 km thanks to the bigger battery.

As before, all Velar models are all-wheel-drive and equipped with a toggle switch operated ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic gearbox.

On the cards for South Africa

Going on-sale in South Africa from the middle of this year with pricing to be announced later, both the D200 and D300 will be available along with the P340 and P400e.

Unlike in Europe, neither of the diesels will ship with the mild-hybrid system, leaving the P340 as the sole derivative to have it from the start.