Who needs a six? Not the Velar P250

Wednesday, 26 September 2018

You couldn't think the Velar was anything other than a Range Rover. the styling cues are obvious. And it's written across the front as well.

RANGE ROVER VELAR P250 S

Base price: $114,900

Powertrain and performance: 2.0-litre turbo petrol four with 184kW/365Nm, eight-speed automatic transmission, AWD, Combined economy 7.6 litres per 100km.

Vital statistics: 4803mm long, 1665mm high, 2874mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 673 litres, 19-inch alloy wheels, 255/55 tyres.

The 2.0-litre turbo four does a remarkably good impression of a six and even manages to sound good.

We like: Looks and feels like a proper Range Rover, superb interior, six-cylinder-like performance from a four.

We don't like: Clunky infotainment system, poor rear leg room, six-cylinder-like thirst from a four.

A Range Rover with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine? Bet that made a few stiff upper lips quiver.

But it is a thing and it is here in the form of the Velar P250.

The Velar has a massive boot, but leg room in the rear is restricted.

While the capacity and cylinder count may seem lacking for a Rangie, the new 2.0-litre unit pumps out 184kW of power and an impressive 365Nm of torque and lowers the entry price for the Velar, all of which are good things.

A 2.0-litre Range Rover? That doesn't work, right?

The interior is beautifully put together and massively high quality. The infotainment system is clunky and annoying though.

Actually, it works rather well indeed.

It might be pricier than anything else in its segment, but nothing can touch the Velar for sheer presence.

* Reborn Range Rover is 'perfect'

* What exactly is a Range Rover Velar again?**

While it certainly sounds like a four-cylinder engine, crank the stereo up and it could convincingly fool you into thing it was a decent six from the way it pulls at low speeds.

Effortlessly muscular for a small turbo engine, with an impressively strong low-down response, the 2.0-litre even sound good - definitely a four, but a charismatic and eager four that never sounds strained.

Does it keep up that eager attitude out on the open road?

Absolutely. In fact the lighter engine even brings an added eagerness to the Velar's handling.

Sure, it's still a luxurious SUV, with the associated ride and handling, but the P250's lighter nose makes for a more responsive front end that turns in sharper and grips tighter through the curves.

But it is ride quality that matters most in a luxury SUV and the P250 nails that nicely as well, being superbly comfortable without being soft and wallowy.

While the 2.0-litre engine does a rather good impression of a six in terms of power and response, it does an equally close mimicry of a six's fuel consumption as well - while Range Rover claims a combined figure of 7.6L/100km, we saw nowhere near that during our time with it, instead ending the week on 11.8L/100km.

However, this is still a more than acceptable figure when you consider the performance on hand and the size of the Velar.

The Velar looks like a proper Range Rover and performs well enough with the 2.0-litre engine to actually feel like one as well.

Any other vehicles I should consider?

There is certainly no shortage of medium premium SUVs on the market, but the Velar's biggest competition is essentially in-house in the form of the Jaguar F-Pace 25t that packs the same engine. They are also around the same price, but the Velar has a superior ride to the sportier Jaguar.

A Mercedes-Benz GLC 250 and BMW X3 xDrive30i are both considerably cheaper (at $95,450 and $99,850 respectively) and both make a compelling case as, while the Velar has a better ride and interior than both, it is well behind the Germans in terms of technology and driver assists, and has a vastly inferior infotainment system as well.

But, let's face it, if you are considering a Velar, it is almost certainly going to be because you want a Range Rover, and even with a smaller engine, it is certainly that.