New 2023 Range Rover Velar goes on sale from £54k with big updates
The Velar receives a bigger battery for the PHEV version and a new exterior design
The Range Rover Velar was launched in 2017 to squeeze in between Range Rover’s smallest model, the Evoque, and the larger Range Rover Sport as a dynamic, style-led option. 2023 sees the Velar gain a thorough mid-life update, bringing changes to the exterior, interior and even the powertrain.
Available to order now, the new 2023 Velar continues as Range Rover’s rival to the BMW X6, Porsche Macan and Alfa Romeo Stelvio. The Gerry McGovern-designed Velar also retains its Jaguar F-Pace underpinnings, which are mostly constructed of aluminium.
Although this D7 platform is also used by the Jaguar I-Pace, there’s no fully-electric version of the Velar. Those waiting for a Range Rover EV will have to hold on until 2025, when that car is due to be launched alongside an all-electric Land Rover Defender.
The 2023 Velar gains a fresh grille design, a new LED headlight signature (on certain models) and at the rear there’s a revised bumper, but overall it’s a minor exterior tweak over the outgoing car.
Inside you’ll find Range Rover’s next-generation Pivi Pro infotainment, with a single curved screen replacing the old dual-screen set up. Controls for the climate, seating and radio are constantly available at the side of the central screen with sliding functions. Shortcuts for frequently used features like media, navigation, camera and window demisters are also permanently visible.
Pivi Pro has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, plus smartphone wireless charging can be found in the centre console. Over-the-air updates for 80 per cent of the Velar’s digital features will be possible with the latest infotainment system. Range Rover says the Velar is the quietest in its class, thanks to noise cancellation technology.
Starting from £54,045, the Range Rover Velar can be had in entry-level S guise with the cheapest powertrain option - a mild-hybrid 201bhp 2.0-litre diesel. Dynamic SE starts from £58,450, Dynamics HSE at £64,045 and range-topping Autobiography from £76,415.
The D200 diesel engine now comes with mild-hybrid power courtesy of a 48V motor. This means the D200 has CO2 emissions of 168g/km and fuel consumption of up to 44.1mpg.
Step up to the D300 and you’ll find a mild-hybrid 3.0-litre straight-six diesel engine with 296hp and 650Nm of torque. This allows for 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds and a CO2 emissions figure of 188g/km and fuel consumption of 39.2mpg.
Petrol models start with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder - also with mild-hybrid technology, providing 247bhp and 365Nm of torque for a 0-60mph sprint of 7.1 seconds. The larger 3.0-litre straight-six petrol is only available in Dynamic HSE and Autobiography trim and comes with 395bhp and 550Nm of torque for a 5.2-second 0-60mph time. The P400’s CO2 emissions drop from 227g/km to 211g/km thanks to the hybridisation.
The P400e combines a 105kW electric motor with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol for 398bhp and 640Nm of torque. The battery has grown in size to 19.2kW, resulting in a longer electric-only range of 33 miles. The battery can also be recharged from 0-80 per cent in 30 minutes thanks to 50kW charging capacity.
All six-cylinder versions of the Velar, and the plug-in hybrid P400e, get ‘Adaptive Dynamics’ as standard. This is essentially a system that continuously varies the damping forces at each wheel. The new Pivi Pro system then allows access to Range Rover’s usual extensive driving mode choices of Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud, Sand, Dynamic and Automatic.
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