Range Rover Velar review - Interior & comfort

The Range Rover Velar is luxurious, hi-tech and – we think – stunning inside. First impressions are important, and the Velar’s futuristic flush door handles pop out when you unlock the car. The interior is split into three different sections, the central console is effectively one big glossy high-definition screen, giving you access to the majority of the Velar’s settings.

As part of the 2021 facelift, Active Road Noise Cancellation was added to the Velar range. This reduces the sound level inside the Velar by a minimum of four decibels, making it even more refined once up to speed. Meanwhile, the Velar also features an enhanced air filtration system that can stop harmful pollution getting inside.
 

Range Rover Velar dashboard

A 2023 facelift of the Range Rover Velar turned its already-beautiful cabin up to 11. Still running Jaguar Land Rover’s cutting edge Pivi Pro infotainment technology plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the two screens were replaced by a much slicker 11.4-inch curved display that dominates the centre stack. It’s very similar to the system we’ve used in the Jaguar F-Pace, and a huge improvement on older models. There’s a large digital driver’s display, too, which looks sharp and shows all the information you need while being easy to read.

Like before, there are no physical climate controls, though they remain ever-present on the screen. There are shortcuts for frequently-used features like the sat-nav, radio and media functions, as well as the car’s cameras should you need a specific angle when parking. All in all, the Pivi Pro is bright and crisp, while we think the menus are easy to navigate and the system is responsive.

We’re not convinced the move to even more digital controls has been a good move. While the screen works well and the tech itself is better than before, with faster menus and sharper graphics, it has the usual touchscreen issue of making certain functions, such as minor climate control changes, more difficult and less intuitive. In reality the starter button is one of the few actual physical controls left inside.

Replacing the dual screens does have one visual side effect too – the resulting gap hasn’t been filled with anything, besides a lidded cubby, so there’s just a blank panel in its place. Land Rover might call it minimalist, but it looks cheap.

All cars also get a fully-digital instrument panel, and Land Rover says 80% of the car’s systems can be updated via over-the-air software updates, which could cut down on the number of dealership visits that are required.

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Equipment

Since the Range Rover Velar was facelifted in 2023, it’s been offered in four trim levels: S, Dynamic SE, Dynamic HSE and Autobiography. The entry-level Velar brings the touchscreen setup described above, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a fixed panoramic roof and perforated, heated leather seats. This is the version we’d go for, as it offers most of the kit you’d want or need, without scrimping on luxury features – though it’s worth pointing out that you don’t get the full impact of the Velar’s styling on the smaller wheels.

Upgrading to the Dynamic SE (around £4,000) brings more visually-pleasing 20-inch wheels and a ‘dynamic’ exterior pack, plus a Meridian sound system, while the Dynamic HSE gets even larger 21-inch wheels, a sliding panoramic roof, pixel LED lights and 20-way, electrically-adjustable front seats for just over £6k more.

Sitting atop the range is the aforementioned Autobiography which – you guessed it – gets gargantuan 22-inch wheels. There’s heated and cooled leather seats, four-zone climate control and a head-up display, too. It’s only available with the D300 and P400 engines, but expect to pay a premium of around £7,000 over a like-for-like Dynamic HSE car.

Previously, Land Rover also sold the Velar in SE, R-Dynamic, and HSE trims, as well as offering buyers the raging SVAutobiography car with its 542bhp V8 engine. None of these versions are currently available.

Options

There aren’t actually that many options available for the updated Range Rover Velar – the maker encourages you to step up through the range to get the kit you want. 

That said, the kit count on entry-level models can be bolstered with things like an automatic tailgate (£100), heated and cooled seats (£500) or an electrically-adjustable steering column (£300) among other things. 

There are several option packs available, too, like the Driver Assist Pack (£1,600) which brings things like adaptive cruise control, blind spot assist and rear traffic alert. A Cold Climate Pack adds heated and cooled seats in the front and heated seats in the rear, plus headlamp washers for £1,000. The Dynamic Handling Pack seems unnecessary to our eyes – especially at more than £2k – but some might value the air suspension system if they plan to take their car off-road.