Land Rover has announced an upgraded 21MY Range Rover Velar range that will bring a new mild-hybrid turbo-petrol inline six, new Pivi Pro infotainment system and more standard equipment.
However, the admission price increases by more than $5000, there are now just three engine options (down from seven), there’s no sign of the range-topping SV Autobiography V8 and the range has been reduced from 13 to just five variants.
On sale now ahead of first deliveries in March 2021, the more slender 21MY Range Rover Velar line-up follows the release of the 20MY range in August 2019, when Land Rover Australia cut the Velar family from 65 to 13 members.
The MY21 revisions for the large luxury SUV, which is based on the Jaguar F-PACE and arrived in Australia as the fourth Range Rover model in September 2017, also follows similar tech upgrades and range reductions announced recently for the 21MY Range Rover Evoque and its Land Rover sister model, the 21MY Land Rover Discovery Sport, both of which arrive here in February 2021.
However, the Velar will not bring Jaguar Land Rover’s new Ingenium mild-hybrid inline six-cylinder turbo-diesel, which debuts in (and replaces the 4.4-litre TDV8 diesel in) the 21MY Range Rover and 21MY Range Rover Sport that land Down Under in December.
Indeed, there is now just one diesel engine: the new 150kW/430Nm ‘D200’ Ingenium 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel with 48-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) tech, as seen in the 21MY Evoque and Disco Sport, following the axing of the 132kW D180 and 177kW D240 fours, and the 221kW D300 V6.
The D200 MHEV powertrain consumes 6.3L/100km – 0.1L/100km more than the less powerful D180 it replaces.
Following the axing of the 221kW P300 four and the P550 V8, the two petrol engines are the carryover 184kW/365Nm P250 turbo four-cylinder and the new 294kW/550Nm P400 MHEV Ingenium 3.0-litre turbo straight-six from the born-again Land Rover Defender (replacing the 280kW P380 V6).
For MY21, all Range Rover Velar variants are now R-Dynamic specification, starting with the R-Dynamic S P250 at $87,000 plus on-road costs – more than the entry-level 20MY P250 S ($81,647) but slightly less than the $87,648 P250 R-Dynamic S it replaces.
The SE version of the same model costs $5000 more at $92,000 plus ORCs, while the SE D200 is positioned $4000 higher at $96,000.
The MHEV P400 petrol six commands a hefty $21,000 premium in identical R-Dynamic SE spec ($117,000 plus ORCs) and the top-shelf HSE version is $10,000 pricier again at $127,000 plus ORCs, which is nevertheless $807 less than the P380 R-Dynamic HSE it replaces.
Matched with air suspension as standard, the new P400 powertrain is claimed to deliver 0-100km/h acceleration in just 5.5 seconds (a full two seconds sooner than the P250) and, as with all Velars, is mated exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Offsetting those prices somewhat is the fact all variants now score adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and wade sensing as standard.
Also standard across the 21MY Velar range is the new Pivi Pro infotainment system that debuted in the Defender, including an Online Pack that supports over-the-air software and navigation updates via an embedded data connection (a Spotify Premium subscription is required for online music).
Other new gear for 2021 includes a new steering wheel, gear shifter, Active Road Noise Cancellation, a new cabin air filtration system and a second-generation Activity Key that’s wearable, waterproof, shock-proof and can start, stop and un/lock the vehicle.
How much does the 2021 Range Rover Velar cost?
R-Dynamic S P250 (184kW/365Nm) – $87,000
R-Dynamic SE P250 (184kW/365Nm) – $92,000
R-Dynamic SE D200 MHEV (150kW/430Nm) – $96,000
R-Dynamic SE P400 MHEV (294kW/550Nm) – $117,000
R-Dynamic HSE P400 MHEV (294kW/550Nm) – 127,000
* All prices exclude on-road costs