Used 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

The 2022 Land Rover Range Rover Velar is a small but larger-than-compact midsize luxury SUV. Because of its pedigree, this is one of the few luxury vehicles with real off-road ability.

As its extremely long proper name indicates, the Velar is made by Land Rover. This is a British company, with the same kind of enviable reputation for rock climbing, mud stirring, and dune trampling as Jeep. But Jeep never had an aristocracy to adopt it and propel it into the high-class echelons.

Within the Range Rover portfolio, the Velar slots between the small Evoque and the conventionally midsize Range Rover Sport. So it’s easily maneuverable in the city (especially with the optional self-parking feature), yet spacious enough for a well-off family of four. It also has more contemporary styling than the RR Sport.

Something with the heft and premium air of a new Range Rover Velar really needs more than the 247 horsepower conjured up by the base turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. It’s adequate for the suburbs, but those trips to the mountains would be better with one of the Velar’s 6-cylinder units.

These engines have their cylinders in a line, as opposed to the more common V formation. This arrangement has an in-built smoothness that goes well with the Velar’s overall slickness.

Not that there’s much sportiness to the Velar’s driving experience. It prioritizes comfort, but the adaptive air suspension (standard in the top trim, optional elsewhere) brings some extra body control. This suspension can lower the ride height for freeway driving and raise it for off-road work.

Land Rover includes a standard all-wheel-drive system, now with All Terrain Progress Control, which is like cruise control for slippery conditions. The driver just has to steer, and this feature takes care of the throttle, brakes, and transmission.

Even so, the company went for a brake-based torque-vectoring system instead of programming the all-wheel-drive setup. This means that, when going around a tight and/or fast corner, the inside rear wheel goes subtly slower than its outside partner, bringing the Velar through the curve with stability and efficiency.

Range Rovers have wonderful interiors. It is the way. The 2-row/5-passenger Velar brings that special Range Rover sumptuousness into a larger-than-compact package. The overall look is unfussy yet still undeniably classy, thanks to cabin materials whose quality is easily perceived.

Despite the Velar’s between-the-categories size, rear legroom of 37.2 inches is more in line with compact rivals than midsize contenders. For example, the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class has 40.9 inches.

Cargo space is good, though, measuring 19.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and opening up to 70.1 cubic feet when they’re folded.

Back in those simple and innocent days of 2018 when all we had to worry about was fake news, the esteemed judges of the World Car Awards made the then-fresh Velar the year’s most beautiful design. It’s easy to see why.

For an SUV, the Velar has tidy proportions and an overall sleekness, enhanced by flush-mounted door handles. They pop out with the remote unlocking function. The model-specific LED light signature, meanwhile, leaves no one in any doubt that there’s a Range Rover in their rearview mirror.

Buyers can personalize the exterior of their new Velar by choosing side mirror housings and side vents in gloss black or carbon fiber. Land Rover will even create a special paint from a customer’s sample, but it won’t be cheap.

INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM
Land Rover calls it Pivi Pro. We call it a big improvement over what came before. This system is user-friendly, puts frequent functions higher up the scrolling process, enables over-the-air updates, boots up quickly, and allows smartphone-like gestures such as pinch-to-zoom.

ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE HARDWARE
While acknowledging that many people who spend $60k or more on a new Velar might not want to take it deep into the wild, it’s good to know that it can tackle all sorts of challenging conditions. Quite often, all the driver has to do is select, say, Snow mode in the terrain response system and things become suddenly become much less fraught.

To complement the standard all-wheel drive system — developed using decades of expertise acquired by one of the absolute top names in off-roading — All Terrain Progress Control is now included.

Heated front seats are another newly standard feature in every 2022 Range Rover Velar. They’re also 14-way power-adjustable with memory settings on the driver’s side and covered in real leather.

Although the 2022 Velar is on the pricey side, it does come with many features that might often be options in other marques. Such as a sliding panoramic roof, self-leveling LED headlights, power-adjustable steering column, 360-degree camera system, powered tailgate, and a 12-speaker/400-watt audio system from the highly regarded Meridian company.

Then there’s the expected stuff like 19-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, self-dimming rearview mirror, garage door opener, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, Bluetooth, and satellite radio.

Driver aids go from pleasant details like tilting side mirrors when reverse gear is engaged, automatic high beams, and front/rear parking sensors, to brake-based torque vectoring, terrain response, wade sensing, blind-spot monitoring, and forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

New options for the 2022 Velar include adaptive cruise control with steering assistance that keep the vehicle centered in its lane, and an improved cabin air ionization system with carbon dioxide monitoring, and a new Purify Cycle function that can be activated before stepping into the Velar.

The R-Dynamic S has a few cosmetic differences, along with perforated leather for the steering wheel and upholstery, and metal pedals. These two variants can also be ordered with the 6-cylinder engine.

The R-Dynamic HSE has a 395-horsepower/6-cylinder engine as standard, as well as an adaptive air suspension, 21-inch alloy wheels, adaptive cruise control, heated/ventilated/massaging/20-way power-adjustable front seats, hands-free tailgate operation, and an 825-watt/17-speaker Meridian surround-sound system.

Some of the HSE’s items are available as options in the lower two trims. Among the extras for all versions of the 2022 Velar are a self-parking feature, Wi-Fi, head-up display, heated windshield/steering wheel, quad-zone automatic climate control, chilled glove box, larger alloy wheels, and the Activity Key (worn on the wrist, shockproof and waterproof).

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine developing 247 horsepower is standard in the Velar S and Velar R-Dynamic S. Both models offer the option of a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 augmented by a mild hybrid system providing a smooth action for the fuel-conserving stop/restart feature.

In these two trims, the 6-cylinder unit generates 335 horsepower. The ultimate 2022 Velar, the R-Dynamic HSE version, not only has this engine as standard, it also boosts output to 395 horsepower.

Regardless of engine or trim level, an 8-speed automatic transmission is deployed, sending power to all four wheels. The maximum tow rating is 5,511 pounds. Premium gasoline is required across the board.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (S, R-Dynamic S)
247 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
269 lb-ft of torque @ 1,300-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/26 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 (S, R-Dynamic S)
335 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
354 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 20/26 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 (R-Dynamic HSE)
395 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
405 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/24 mpg