Page 33 - issue05.04.2019

Royal Air Force News Friday, April 5, 2019 P25

Range Rover Velar 3.0 V6 Motoring

Land Rover’s 4 x phwoar

Muscular Velar isn’t cheap,

but is a real head-turner

INTERIOR: It’s a pleasure to be in SET-UP: Tailor your
engine performance

HOW POPULAR a particular and lane assist to keep you on the terrain settings ranging from
brand of car is depends largely TIM MORRIS straight and narrow. In ‘Comfort’ tarmac to desert. The rest of the Range Rover Velar
on where in the world you Motoring mode it really is a rolling armchair. cabin control features are equally
happen to be standing. Take Fiat Correspondent The seats are made from cloth impressive. You can easily set the Pros
500s in Turin for example, or rather than traditional leather and climate control, drive the incredibly l Stunning exterior
the Mercedes-Benz C Class in feel as soft as a kitten that’s just loud sound system and alter the l Stylish interior
Berlin, they seem to be absolutely been bathed and blow dried. temperature of the seats but it’s the l Refined V6 engines
everywhere. It is verging on the paradoxical The wheel is finished in tactile massage function that really wows. l Incredibly refined on-road
This is England however to describe any 4x4 as stylish, but suede and the whole roof appears to With minimal effort front seat l And good off-road
and where I live is Range Rover somehow this one is. be tinted glass. The result is a light, passengers can select from a range
country. There are probably more That’s largely due to its squat airy, futuristic cabin that you just of functions to hit just the right spot Cons
Range Rover owners around my stance and muscular haunches, enjoy sitting in. The programmable on those long drives. l First gear feels a little
patch than you’d find in some of but details like the foldaway door 20-direction electric seats also As you’d expect from a 21st- clumsy pulling away in Drive
the trendier parts of Essex, or West handles, boot spoiler and its shark make it easy to find the perfect Century Range Rover, it will even l Average rear leg room
London. fin aerial help too. driving position. park itself if you’re unsure of the l And a fiddly infotainment
The school run here is therefore It’s a car that would give dimensions of the car. that requires a Weapons
a good test of how popular this Lamborghini’s Urus, or Porsche’s This is useful as rear visibility is Systems Operator on board
model has already become with the Macan a good run in a SUV beauty limited thanks to thick rear pillars to prevent you from getting
Range Rover faithful. pageant. It’s not just a head-turner and a fairly small back window. distracted and making your
In a hugely scientific though, it’s quite an effective bit of Whether you actually need to use own road through somebody’s
investigation I counted the number kit too. it or not you find yourself engaging hedge.
of Range Rovers I drove past along Off-road it’s a strong performer. the system because it’s just really
an 800-yard stretch of road linking Testing it down a short stretch of cool to watch. Verdict
three schools. old Roman road, with its stoney Economical The Velar is a stylish, refined
After complicated calculations surface and a few craters, is hardly a and seriously-appealing SUV,
the answer turned out to be eight – full workout but its pedigree shines So what about practicality? but there are perhaps more
four of which were the new Velar. through. When it comes to running costs the practical alternatives around
That this car is popular round these On the road this 3.0 V6 TD REAR: The Velar is striking from back, too Velar is pretty economical in Range for less outlay. Car buyers are
parts is obvious. The question is provides storming performance, Rover terms. quite prepared to pay over
why? hitting the 0-60mph benchmark in Then there’s the two-screen The petrol models can guzzle the odds for the right product,
Sleek just 6.1sec. infotainment system. a bit of course but my 3.0-litre especially if it turns enough
Seventy mph is effortless and This is the Velar’s centrepiece Turbo Diesel returned a respectable heads, and that’s the niche
Step out of the cabin and the there’s very little wind noise. With – a clever display that shows you 44.1mpg on the official combined that Land Rover has exploited
answer becomes instantly obvious the suspension set to comfort or everything from G Force to Tilt cycle, with CO2 emissions of 167g/ with the Velar. You know
– its striking looks. It may be just auto, the Velar just glides along angle. It allows you to set the km. it’s pricey, but you want one
a five-door SUV but its detailing with sedate grace. car’s performance and handling It’s no Prius, but for this level of anyway because it looks awe-
and sleek lines make it something To make your life even easier characteristics to your own luxury and performance it’s not a some. Price from £60,000.
special. it also has adaptive cruise control preference, with pre-programmed disaster either.