Land Rover Range Rover Velar review

Overview

The Velar is the Range Rover to consider if the shape and front-seat experience are as important as its carrying ability. This review focuses on the UK launch D240 HSE, a five-seat four-wheel-drive SUV with a four-cylinder diesel and eight-speed automatic. It is not an assessment of the later facelift, the D300 or the plug-in hybrid. RoadMatch has not road-tested this car; the review weighs the period specification against independent buying and driving assessments. On paper, the equipment and used purchase price make a persuasive combination. In practice, a buyer needs to test the car’s many powered functions and allow enough money to maintain them after the initial attraction wears off.

Exterior and interior

The long roofline and flush door handles distinguish the Velar from the taller, squarer shapes in the same family. The handles deserve a proper test because the cabin is no use if access is temperamental. Try every door from outside after unlocking, then repeat the process with both keys. Inspect large wheels closely for damage and look at the tyre dates and evenness of wear. The launch HSE specification pairs Windsor leather with a broad dual-screen dashboard. Sit in it for longer than a quick showroom visit. Check visibility at junctions, ease of adjusting the climate control and whether you prefer a more conventional layout with more functions available without a screen.

Practicality

Land Rover’s launch brochure states 632 litres with five seats in use, with the reduced-section spare-wheel configuration noted in its dimensions. The figures for folded seats should never be used to promise the same space on a full family trip. The 40:20:40 rear split is useful for longer equipment, but check your passenger and child-seat layout before relying on the centre section. The roof and side glass contribute to the way this SUV looks, yet rear passengers should judge headroom and outward visibility for themselves. Try loading your usual pushchair or suitcases and see whether you can manage the lift into the boot. A similar budget may buy a squarer vehicle with easier everyday access.

Driving experience

The strongest case for the D240 is a calm, well-appointed journey, not the feel of a sports SUV. Auto Express’s launch D240 review found the powertrain more persuasive in ordinary progress than the acceleration claim might suggest; What Car?’s used review also distinguishes four-cylinder and six-cylinder character. The launch brochure lists electronic air suspension as optional on D240, so establish the fitted setup rather than assuming that every HSE rides the same way. Find a road with broken surfaces and a few long curves during the test. A well-kept car should suit your pace and route without asking you to tolerate an unexplained suspension noise or a ride made uncomfortable by the fitted wheels.

Performance

Land Rover’s UK launch figures put the D240 at 240 PS and 500 Nm, with 0–62 mph in 7.3 seconds. The 6.8-second figure is to 60 mph, and later versions can quote different numbers. That specification gives useful headroom when joining a motorway but does not tell you how an older example responds to a gentle accelerator input. Try a cold start, low-speed take-up and a normal warm acceleration with the seller’s permission. An unexplained pause or warning deserves investigation rather than a guess about turbo behaviour. If you prefer effortless six-cylinder delivery or genuinely sharp responses, compare the correct alternative engines and models rather than assuming that HSE trim changes how the D240 drives.

Fuel economy

The launch D240’s 48.7 imperial mpg combined headline comes from the period NEDC specification, not the later WLTP cycle or a reading taken on a RoadMatch trip. Wheel choice, load, speed and repeated cold starts can all shift your result. Our ownership illustration uses 35 mpg so the budget does not depend on repeating the brochure figure. Short journeys are a reason to look seriously at an alternative powertrain; the lower price of an older diesel may not compensate for an unsuitable usage pattern. Compare your real annual mileage and fuel receipts, and use the registration to verify local clean-air treatment instead of relying on the advertised badge.

Reliability

What Car?’s used review describes mixed owner experience, with display, camera and other electrical complaints among the checks worth making. That is model-level context, not a failure rate for the 2017 D240 HSE. Take a drive long enough to try the displays after they have warmed, and ask a specialist to inspect the engine, emissions system and drivetrain rather than accepting the absence of a warning light as proof. Examine service invoices and paperwork for any repeated work on the same fault. If the car has air suspension, check its operation and condition separately. Our limited-confidence reliability score is an editorial judgement; an apparently attractive asking price is not a reason to skip diagnosis.

Safety

Euro NCAP assessed a right-hand-drive 2.0 diesel Velar 4x4 in 2017. The official page now labels the assessment expired. That is historic context under the rules of its time, not a new test or a claim that an individual car is unsafe simply because the assessment has aged out. The launch HSE equipment list includes driver aids, but a camera or radar that has been damaged, disconnected or poorly calibrated is not something to depend on. Have warning messages and accident repairs checked, verify your child restraints in place and confirm recall status with the government checker and the VIN-specific manufacturer record. We link the assessment without reproducing its scores or graphics.

Technology and features

Land Rover’s launch HSE equipment table identifies the rear camera, Park Pro assistance, adaptive cruise and heated front seats. Those functions should all be demonstrated on the car you intend to buy. The original Touch Pro Duo screens divide functions between the two displays, and a single working screen is not a complete test. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are treated as conditional: the presence of a touchscreen, Bluetooth or the later Velar brochure does not establish phone projection on a 2017 example. Connect your handset and make a call before relying on it. Where the seller claims a software upgrade or retrofit, ask for the details and test it independently of their phone.

Running costs

Our £14,000–£22,000 purchase band is a November 2026 planning assumption, not a live valuation or promise of inventory. At 8,000 annual miles and assumed 35 mpg, £1.55 per litre implies about £1,610 for diesel. Set aside another £200–£300 as a tax contingency until you have checked the registration, and £800–£1,700 for routine service, MOT and consumables. That gives roughly £2,600–£3,600 before insurance, finance, depreciation and major repairs. Price the tyres in the fitted size and obtain a specialist inspection before using your full budget on the car itself. A reserve for electronics and mechanical work is much more valuable than a higher trim grade on a car whose history you cannot verify.

Advantages and disadvantages