Range Rover’s sublime head-turner
The luxurious Range Rover Velar is a £62,000 looker – and worth every penny, says Sarah Moore.
The new Range Rover Velar seems to serve no purpose, says Jeremy Clarkson in The Sunday Times. "I mean, saying that you want something between an Evoque and whatever the next biggest Land Rover is these days is like saying your shoe size is 12." As a result, "I was going to be petulant and simply ignore the Velar, but then I saw one. I was strolling down the Embankment in London, ignoring the velvet Ferraris and lime green Lamborghinis, when it came crawling past, and it stopped me dead in my tracks."
It's so pretty you could park it in the Design Museum and bask in the subtle nuances of its surfaces, says Jason Barlow in GQ magazine. And if anything, the Velar's cabin is "even better executed than its sublime exterior". The Velar's various dashboard displays remain "secret until lit", hidden behind three panels of toughened glass in a horizontal beam that introduces a zen-like calm to the cabin. Then it all comes alive with a "theatrical, techy flourish" and the main multimedia touch-screen is "ergonomically intuitive and graphically harmonious".
Aesthetics aside, don't come to the Velar for Porsche Macan-like agility, says Top Gear. Like a proper Range Rover, it's "dignified and in command of most situations, with well-oiled, accurate steering". If you're in a real hurry, the sport mode tautens the damping, lowers the body and shifts more power to the rear. And for that odd trip off the Embankment, the Velar's ability on a steep climb, or traversing a perilous 45-degree incline, is "genuinely gob-smacking" for a car that's so magnificently composed on the road, says Barlow.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Admittedly, anyone who pays upwards of £62,000 for the Velar is completely mad, says Clarkson. And yet, "you want one no matter what the price, because after you lock it, you'll never tire of turning round for one last look before you go through the front door".
Price (2.0 petrol): £62,390. Fuel consumption: 34mpg. 0-62mph: 5.9 seconds. Top speed: 145mph. Boot space (rear seats up): 632 litres
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.
Sarah is MoneyWeek's investment editor. She graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA in English and History, before going on to complete a graduate diploma in law at the College of Law in Guildford. She joined MoneyWeek in 2014 and writes on funds, personal finance, pensions and property.
-
Reeves warned against property tax shake-up – 3 ways it could backfire on first-time buyers
Rachel Reeves reportedly has her eye on high-end property taxes in the upcoming Budget, but there are concerns a shake-up could unintentionally hamper those trying to get on the housing ladder
-
Average Brits want to retire five years before they can – who has the widest retirement gap?
Brits are expecting to work for longer than ever but there are big disparities in the number of extra working years predicted. A small tweak could help close the gap