Simply Abu Dhabi XXX

that Velar shares the same underpinnings and footprint as the Jag, yet they feel quite different from behind the wheel. Whereas the F-Pace has a very car-like feel, Velar feels as though it sits taller and rolls a bit more through corners, a bit like the larger Range Rovers. It’s a plush ride and despite being more road focused like the Evoque and less off-road like the Rangie Sport, it feels more accommodating to handling the rough stuff than the Jag. The model we tested was the First Edition, P380 HSE flagship with its three-litre, supercharged V6 petrol engine that produces 375bhp at 6500rpm and 450Nm at 3500rpm—like all Velars, it runs through an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters Other engine options include two variations of the two-litre, turbo four-cylinder petrol putting out 247bhp and 296bhp as well as well as two diesel four-cylinder turbos and a diesel V6 turbo. At 1884kg, the company claims our test V6 gets from zero to 100km/h in 5.7 seconds and tops out at 250km/h and like the F-Pace, its all-wheel drive system is heavily rear-wheel drive biased with no transfer case or low range like its bigger brothers. It only calls upon the front wheels when traction is needed. Likewise with the traditional Range Rovers, there’s no manually centre-locked diff, but all three diffs do lock up as they detect wheel slip which can be monitored on board through one of the centre screen displays. The drive was a mix of on-road and gravel fire trails that included a steep climb to the top of a mountain that is normally only accessible by chair lift or snowmobile. It crawled effortlessly in low gear, finding grip as the rocks dislodged and on the way back down it was a solid 15 to 20 minutes where I left it in Hill Descent mode and let it crawl its own way without touching the pedals. At the bottom was a brief wading exercise through a creek up to mid-door height which confirmed its ability to cross rivers even with roasting-hot brakes from the long descent. Velar also includes Land Rover’s Terrain Response System which works its magic depending on whether you’re driving across rocks, snow, sand, mud or sealed roads. Once back on the bitumen it was a flick of the TRS system back to the Road setting and lower the ride height and we were good to go for another few hours of supremely comfortable highway touring. I challenge anyone to not love the style of the Velar inside or out. Externally, it retains the trademark Range Rover continuous beltline and floating roof, but the matrix- laser LED lights, thin shut lines and the burnished copper detailing along the side, bonnet vents and front bumper are exquisite. On their own, they’re small details, but when combined it gives the feeling of wearing a beautifully crafted watch. Easily one of the best interiors I’ve seen in the past decade, the Velar’s cabin is about simplicity yet still opulent. Dominated by three large high-res screens, there are no buttons and just two dials and it’s not until everything lights up that you get the full picture. It was instinctive and immediately comfortable. The two 10-inch touch screens control everything, from volume to driving settings, via a digital display that changes according to each function selected. No doubt sparked by the influence of the company’s Indian owner Ratan Tata, the Velar also features what’s been dubbed as a ‘vegan option’ interior which, if you’re inclined to stay away from the traditional leather cow hides, is a premium fabric from Danish textile manufacturer Kvadrat, comprising a wool-blend fabric with suede cloth inserts made from recycled plastic bottles. It’s just another area that shows the Velar could actually be the gamechanger its makers promised it would be from the start.