FIRST IMPRESSIONS

IAIN: This is the best-looking SUV in the world.

JULES: Brave call but I’m struggling to think of other SUVs this glamorous and elegant.

IAIN: The Velar won 2018 World Car Design of the Year, thanks to its coupe-esque silhouette, slim LED headlights, wraparound rear lights — and how cool are flush door handles that pop out when you unlock it?

JULES: Love them. Probably wouldn’t if they broke though, locking me out.

IAIN: British engineering here, nothing to fear. I love the shape but not sure about how very gangster our one looks.

JULES: Black body, wheels, roof rails, door handles, badges and grille. My friends asked, in no particular order, whether I’m a drug dealer, rapper or English Premier League player now.

IAIN: That’s the R-Dynamic Black Pack, yours for $2180. Guess how much the options cost on this Velar?

JULES: Well, our one is $104,750 already, so surely there’s not much to add?

IAIN: Wrong. A mighty $50K of options here. You get reasonable kit as standard but the luxe in ours adds the price of a range-topping Mazda CX-5.

JULES: Ouch. Who buys a Velar?

IAIN: Wealthy stylish types. They start from $70K but buyers always spend more and they have 40 different selections. Ludicrous. The Velar fits between the Evoque and Sport in Range Rover’s line-up and rivals the Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-Pace and Mercedes GLE.

THE LIVING SPACE

JULES: It feels like a $150,000 car inside; truly special.

IAIN: Wow factor personified. If money’s no object, ticking the options boxes makes you feel very important.

JULES: With such a black body, having two-tone colours inside is ideal, with lots of tan and black leather and suede for seats, doors and dashboard.

IAIN: Prepare yourself. The climate control massage seats move 20 different ways for an extra $8570. Windsor perforated leather and an extended leather upgrade adds another $3110 and cabin carbon-fibre finish is $3020.

JULES: But it’s all so comfy, luxurious and the carbon sparkles beautifully in the sun.

IAIN: It is easy to be wooed by the beautiful finish. Two 10-inch touchscreens are bang on trend but combined with the piano black surrounds the cabin is very reflective in the sun and shows up all the dust and fingerprints.

JULES: Velar owners have staff, I’m sure, to keep things clean.

THE COMMUTE

IAIN: The screens and functionality are great when you get used to them but you have to learn quickly to navigate through everything.

JULES: The voice control didn’t always work for me so I spent a lot of time not watching the road trying to adjust ventilation and media. I miss simple buttons…

IAIN: The drive is superb though. What a pampering place to go to work. With electronic air suspension ($2010) and whisper-quiet insulation, it is limousine-like for cruising.

JULES: It’s properly fast too — and just a four-cylinder?

IAIN: Turbocharged, and good for 221kW/ 400Nm. It means you fly off the line and it’s all the performance you’d ever need.

JULES: One complaint — the indicators are clunky-sounding noisy things, ruining the serenity of the cabin.

THE SHOPPING

IAIN: I noticed you headed off to the fancy shops in Brisbane in the Velar.

JULES: It looks better outside boutiques than parked at Big W.

IAIN: With a power gesture tailgate and decent 558L boot space, it is a practical thing.

JULES: It’s not a big SUV and easy to park with the surround view cameras, even if they were a bit slow to load.

SUNDAY RUN

IAIN: Rangie refuses to make a car without off-road nous. This thing has Terrain Response to cover you over every surface, will wade to a class-leading 650mm and tows 2500kg. You can option even more hardcore off-road kit too.

JULES: Off-road? Really? How many Velar owners will go get dirty?

IAIN: None with the 22-inch rims and low-profile tyres (another $2860) ours has. But it’s nice to know you can.

JULES: It’s really balanced for an SUV. I could throw it into corners with confidence. My Sunday drive would be on back roads as this engine is a rapid delight.

THE FAMILY

IAIN: The boot’s good for kiddie stuff but the back seat’s not as wide as the exterior size suggests. No adult could fit between our two kids’ car seats.

JULES: The safety kit is ideal with families in mind. We used 11L/100km, which isn’t great for the family budget.

THE VERDICT

IAIN: Option costs are comical but I’m sold on the Velar. Standard kit is good enough, there’s luxury in spades, it drives better than any SUV should and I don’t think I’d ever tire of the looks.

JULES: Stunning and elegant inside and out with the required special elements prestige buyers demand. Our test Velar may be hugely expensive but feels worth every penny.

RANGE ROVER VELAR R-DYNAMIC SE P300

PRICE From $104,750 ($154,300 as tested)

WARRANTY/SERVICING 3 years/100,000km; $1500 prepaid for 5 years/102,000km

ENGINE 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo, 221kW/400Nm

SAFETY 5 stars, 6 airbags, reversing camera, 360-degree parking aid, AEB, rear traffic monitor, lane departure warning, blind spot monitor, driver condition monitor, hill descent control, trailer stability assist

THIRST 7.8L/100km

SPARE Space-saver

BOOT 558L