Unlike ordinary luxury car models, the decision to choose the Range Rover Velar is definitely a “real player”. Because inside this British sports SUV, there is not only a luxurious presence, but also a dynamic attitude – very suitable for adventurous activities.
Sleek, modern, distinctive appearance
Unlike the “noble family” in the Range Rover genealogy, the Range Rover Velar truly inherits the traditional design DNA of the British luxury brand. The front of the car features a large square-shaped grille with a modern and eye-catching honeycomb pattern.
The R Dynamic exterior package adds a sporty look to the SUV, with a series of dark details in various locations, such as: front and rear air intakes, grille, additional vents on the hood, rearview mirrors… Along with the 21-inch 5-spoke black matte design wheels that are extremely sporty.
All these small exterior details contribute to making the massive SUV with dimensions of 4.7 x 1.9 x 1.6m become extremely elegant, modern, and sporty alongside its inherent luxury. The evidence is that no matter where it appears, or placed next to any car, the Range Rover Velar exudes a special attraction.
In addition, the presence of technology is certainly essential for the Range Rover brand and also for the Velar. The car features a main LED lighting system with intelligent matrix technology – ensuring a lighting range of up to 550m, while being able to recognize and automatically adjust the lighting intensity to avoid dazzling other road users.
Other equipment also increases convenience for users, such as: power tailgate with hands-free operation; soundproof windows for all 4 side windows… or auto-dimming side mirrors.
Spacious and comfortable interior
As soon as you open the door to enter the car, the Range Rover Velar knows how to “show off” its meticulous level of neatness, with the R Dynamic logo present on the B-pillar – hidden behind the door, as well as the illuminated logo on the door sill, as a friendly greeting from the car to the owner.
When not running, the interior of Velar exudes an extremely simple, modern appearance. The three screens in front of the steering wheel and on the dashboard are shiny black blocks in the form of piano keys reflected on a metallic gray aluminum accent lines; creating a feeling like a luxurious living room.
The dashboard is divided into two tiers: arranged neatly and scientifically; giving passengers a feeling of spacious, airy, and comfortable front space. Some small details but very notable, such as: the two knobs for adjusting the air conditioning with an internal display screen; and the compact electronic gear lever, providing very handy grip operation.
In the behind-the-wheel position, the driver is also equipped with a lot of modern “toys”. Most notably is the elegantly designed steering wheel. On the steering wheel are displays of many operating state features of the car, which are both safe and visually displayed information that does not distract the driver; while also providing a modern and premium sense.
The Velar’s steering wheel is wrapped in premium leather, electrically adjustable and integrated with paddles behind the steering wheel made of satin chrome, or the 5-leaf sports pedal set wrapped in Shadow aluminum material. These features help the driver operate the car in the most convenient way. Behind this steering wheel, the instrument cluster is a 12.3-inch screen that can display a lot of different information.
When the system is started, the pair of two 10-inch Pivi pro screens will surely satisfy passengers with their sharp display and extremely attractive interface, with finely designed fonts and icons, bringing a modern and minimalist feeling.
Of course, the passenger experience is still the top priority for Range Rover. And to demonstrate that, Velar is not lacking in equipment to please owners, such as: premium leather-covered seats, a 17-speaker surround sound system with a power of up to 750W from the famous Meridian brand, or an interior ambient lighting system that allows customization of both color and light intensity.
If the front seats of Velar allow 14-way power adjustment with integrated heating and cooling, memory function; then the rear passengers are also equipped with power-adjustable and foldable seats in the 40/20/40 configuration… along with air vents and separate charging ports.
In addition, an indispensable equipment is the large panoramic sunroof, which increases the field of view and provides a more spacious and airy feeling for users. Along with that, the independent multi-zone automatic air conditioning system in the car can detect harmful CO2 levels, while also filtering PM 2.5 standard fine dust; ionizing the air to ensure the cleanest and most beneficial air for the health of passengers.
Impressive off-road capabilities hidden behind the lyrical exterior
Contrary to the majestic and elegant appearance, the Range Rover Velar is fully capable of “swallowing” challenging terrains – beyond the imagination of owners. Of course, it is not heavy off-road like clearing jungle, going up mountains. But any snowy road, sandy road, muddy terrain, deep water puddles can be controlled and easily overcome by Velar.
The 250-horsepower power from the Igenium engine is transmitted to both axles through a ZF 8-speed gearbox, while the Terrain Response technology is responsible for accurately distributing how much pulling force to each wheel. In conjunction with that is the Adaptive Dynamics adaptive air suspension system with the ability to adjust the height of the body by 50mm.
This time, the driver’s job is only to select the driving mode on the secondary screen. The rest, the car will automatically fine-tune all operating parameters so that the Velar can smoothly pass through muddy, sinking sand or rocky paths.
The Velar 2023 has even added a water level sensor and off-road cruise control feature (or low-speed automatic throttle), so that the driver can easily grasp and just focus on steering through bad terrains.
That is the off-road capability, in the city, the Range Rover Velar always shows itself as an agile, flexible car contrary to its powerful appearance. The extremely sharp 360-degree camera system, along with a series of safety driving assistance features, make operating in dense traffic conditions become much smoother and simpler.
In addition to the sensitive throttle, what impresses me the most is the steering wheel on the Range Rover Velar. Unlike German models that are usually used as a “benchmark” for their sharp steering and accurate response to road surfaces; typical British models like Velar do it even better than German models.
Moreover, the British seem to consider that as a “default” on a car so they don’t need much advertising. The driver just needs to experience it and immediately feel it clearly.
Going hand in hand with the sharp steering wheel, the Range Rover Velar also proves to be very solid. The driver only needs to push the car up to a speed of about 100 km/h and enter a curve, or make lane changes, to be able to sense confident, neat steering without any unnecessary movement that the car brings.
Quick summary, with a benchmark price of 5.25 billion for the experience test car (comes with the Lantau copper paint color option, R Dynamic exterior package, and 21-inch wheels), the Range Rover Velar not only brings value in terms of aesthetics as “The World’s Most Beautiful Car 2018”.
This SUV also truly inherits the outstanding superior characteristics of the Range Rover luxury brand, from the powerful engine, flexible off-road capabilities, solid and precise handling, and most importantly, the adventurous and limitless sports spirit; shaping the dynamic lifestyle of users.
Anh Phan (Tuoitrethudo)
