Observation from 27 years as an automotive journalist, 52 years as a licensed driver and car buyer and 60-plus years as a certified car freak:
The difference between American car manufacturers and some manufacturers in other countries is that the Americans usually treat their smaller cars as lesser vehicles.
It's really bad in compacts and subcompacts, but the disease exists in mid-sizes, too. Have you ever heard the phrase "aspirational mid-size"?
And yet, there is such a thing. The Range Rover Velar is a midsize SUV. If you look at the Range Rover line as a ladder, there are four rungs---Range Rover, then Range Rover Sport, and Velar is the third from the top (Evoque, the smallest Range Rover, is the final rung).
But it doesn't feel that way. Smaller is not lesser. And the Range Rover Velar is absolutely a vehicle to aspire to.
Under the hood of our Velar Dynamic SE is the same 3.0-liter turbocharged six-cylinder mild hybrid with 395 horsepower that's in the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. It's a $7,000 option over the standard Velar engine (a turbo four-cylinder with 247 hp) and well worth it.
Eight-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive, selectable driving and off-road modes, adaptive dynamics and torque vectoring. Zero to 60 happens in 5.2 seconds---a couple of tenths quicker than the Range Rover or Range Rover Sport, thanks to the Velar's lighter weight.
The EPA fuel economy estimate is pretty solid, too---19 mpg city/25 highway.
I picked the Velar up in San Francisco, drove it around town for a couple of days and then back to suburban Sacramento and found that it's not quite the isolation chamber the Range Rover is, but it's absolutely quiet, smooth and comfortable.
There's 34.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seat and 70.1 cubic feet with the second row folded flat.
Rear seat passengers get 37.1 inches of legroom.
Base price of the 2025 Range Rover Velard Dynamic SE with the 3.0-liter six is $70,600 (not including destination charges of $1,375). Standard equipment at that price includes LED headlights, daytime running lights, headlight leveling system, automatic high beams, a powered tailgate, sliding panoramic roof with automatic sunblind, rear washer/wiper, rain-sensing wipers, heated rear window, rear privacy glass, auto-dimming driver exterior mirror, power-folding heated exterior mirrors, perforated grained leather seats, heated power front seats with driver memory and lumbar, 40/20/40 split-folding rear seats, a power-adjustable heated steering wheel, front and rear carpet mats, bright metal pedals, metal front sill plates, dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting, keyless entry, pushbutton start, an 11.4-inch center touch screen with a 400-watt Meridian sound system, three-month subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio and its 360L streaming service, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
Our test vehicle had several extra-cost options: $1,680 for the Dynamic Handling Pack (configurable dynamics, electronic air suspension, red brake calipers), $1,175 for the Cold Climate Pack (heated windscreen, headlight power wash, heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats), $2,600 for 21-inch dark grey wheels with diamond-turned finish, $1,300 for the Technology Package (head-up display, 3D surround camera, parking assist and wade sensing), $950 for the Arroios Grey paint, $800 for the black contrast roof, $700 for the Premium Interior Protection Pack, $450 for gloss black roof rails, $75 for an emergency kit and $65 for the Range Rover Handover Pack (a very nice box your key fobs come in).
All told, the bottom line on the window sticker reads $81,770.
Bravo to Range Rover for understanding the difference between smaller and lesser, for building vehicles to a standard rather than a price and for delivering the essence of the Range Rover experience in a smaller package.
