2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar revealed with updated styling

ABU DHABI: The 2024 Range Rover Velar is finally out with limited exterior changes and a no-button minimalist interior. Starting with the exterior styling, the Velar gains a new grille that harmonises it with the new Range Rover for that family-like appearance, along with new headlights with modified daytime running light designs. 

The new LED tail lights on the back and the redesigned lower rear bumper finish off the exterior updates. There's no denying that the Velar continues to have a fairly sleek exterior, even though we could have hoped for a few more upgrades than these.

The Velar's interior is where the notable changes have taken place. The new 11.4-inch curved glass infotainment system, which is prominently displayed in the waterfall centre stack, is the centre of attention, for better or ill. There aren't any buttons, knobs, or dials everywhere; Land Rover even got rid of the odd push/pull climate controls.

All of the vehicle's controls are now located on the infotainment screen, which now utilises a new version of Land Rover's Pivi Pro software and supports wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, over-the-air software updates, and voice command intelligence based on Amazon Alexa.

Quick controls for frequently used settings like climate, heated seats, and music level are always within reach, thanks to new sidebars on the screen. Every time you get in the car, a start-up screen, according to Land Rover, will prompt you to turn on the defrosters or the heated seats. The effectiveness of this new method will need to be thoroughly tested, but in general, we believe that relying too heavily on touchscreen controls is a significant step backwards in terms of usability.

Powering the 2024 Velar is a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This 2.0-litre unit is capable of churning out 247 hp of maximum power and 365 Nm of peak torque. You also get a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six mild hybrid engine with 395 hp maximum power and 549 Nm of peak torque. This identical powertrain's lower-horsepower variant (335 hp) gets removed from the updated range. 

Also on offer is an upgraded plug-in hybrid model combining a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, an e-motor and a 19.2-kWh battery pack.

Pricing for the new Range Rover Velar starts at £54,045 (AED 244,731) in the UK.

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