Tow test: Range Rover Velar 2018

With its sweeping, graceful lines it’s no wonder that the new 2018 Range Rover Velar has been voted the most beautiful car in the world. Yet the Velar’s towing capacity is just 2500kg. Will it all turn ugly for the Velar when it comes time to tow?

Just not cricket

You could always count on a Range Rover for towing a heavy trailer, from getting the polo ponies to a match to towing a caravan on the big lap around Oz.

As the model evolved into a brand, smaller Range Rovers have arrived with, of course, lower towing capacity. The latest in the Range Rover franchise is the 2018 Range Rover Velar, which can be saddled with a mere 2500kg behind it.

Will the smaller, pretty car from the green oval brand work as a mid-size trailer hauler?

The set-up

The Velar model line-up is a maze of some 50 variants, but here we’ve tow-tested the R-Dynamic SE D300.

It comes with a bunch of useful gear including 20-inch wheels, sat-nav, Meridian 825-Watt sound system, power gesture tailgate, LED headlights, adjustable air suspension and cruise control.

The extensive safety features list highlights include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, tyre pressure monitoring, 360-degree park assist, reverse traffic detection, reversing camera, roll stability control and trailer stability assist.

The Velar would not be a true prestige vehicle without a sizeable options list and, sure enough, there are numerous -- and expensive -- options to choose from.

Those fitted to the test vehicle included a sliding panoramic roof ($4370), black contrast roof ($1260), tow hitch receiver ($1000), black roof rails ($940), privacy glass ($890), electrically adjustable steering column ($890), all terrain progress control ($640), premium carpet mats ($640), configurable ambient interior lighting ($540) and Terrain Response 2 ($430).

Pretty on the inside

The Velar’s cabin is arguably just as pretty as the exterior, with comfortable seats and enough space for four adults, five at a pinch (although rear leg room is tight when front seats are racked back).

It really feels like you’ve spent more than $100K in here too, with nice materials all knocked together well.

If you’re not tall you’ll want to set up the driver’s seat to access mode (so the seat slides back automatically to allow easier entry/egress, then returns to your driving position on start-up).

With the seat set to stay just in your driving position, every time you jump in you’ll be knocking your head against the swept-back A-pillar and bumping your knee against the dash.

The configurable instrument cluster is a treat, giving a few different display options, all of them clear and concise.

The two high-definition touch-screens, one each on the swept-back centre stack and dashboard centre, are the centre point of this stylish, understated cabin.

Perhaps I didn’t give it enough time to get the feel of it, but I thought some menus on the lower screen (which control driving modes and climate-control) were clunky.

For example, having to get into the climate-control settings from the drive mode screen just to change fan speed or cabin temperature. I also brushed my hand across the screen and unintentionally activated Hill Descent Control a few times.

Dusty screens

The screen surfaces, like most such infotainment screens, attract dust and at certain times on a sunny day the satin silver finish on the centre console throws off a surprising amount of glare.

Cabin storage is well sorted, with highlights being the large, deep door pockets and well thought-out centre console storage.

The Velar’s cargo area offers more useable space than you’d think (thanks to the design’s high hip point, the swept-back tail doesn’t cut back useable space all that much). The spare wheel is a space-saver only (although a full-size wheel is available as an option).

Unsightly rear

You can tell that the Velar’s engineers won over the designers where towbar access is concerned.

To fit the tow bar tongue (and use it) and to be able to plug in trailer wiring, the lower bumper cover (for Dynamic models, at least) has to be removed, exposing more of the Velar’s inner bumper area than you’d want to see.

When you have the towbar fitted, you have to accept that your Velar looks as if a part of its rear bumper has fallen off.

At least you can whack a big trailer behind the Velar to hide it, and that’s what we did with a trailer boat we borrowed from GRE Marine in Prospect NSW and then a JB Gator caravan loaned to us by RV Connection in St Marys NSW.

The Velar can tow up to 2500kg, with 175kg of that on the towball (Tow Ball Mass). Most Aussie caravans are designed with 10 per cent TBM and so you would have expected a 250kg TBM here.

The trailer boat was a lightweight at 1500kg but the JB’s 2200kg total weight (as tested) and 160 TBM would give the Velar a workout.

The Velar’s towbar package comes standard with a 12-pin trailer plug outlet -- a really useful feature for those who have trailers that need the extra power circuits to run equipment on or in trailers such as power-assisted brakes or fridges. The 12-pin vehicle outlet can also be used with seven-pin trailer plugs.

There was no point measuring suspension droop/rise with the trailer attached as the Velar’s air springs automatically compensate for the load.

Smooth diesel performance

The 3.0-litre turbo-diesel was very quiet and smooth and aside from the rare clunky shift, the transmission shifted seamlessly.

This is a quick SUV without a trailer and it didn’t feel slow with one hitched to it. Once beyond the shortest period of turbo lag you’ll ever experience, you’re right into the deep, 700Nm well of mid-range torque.

The Velar motored up the hill climb on our test loop, holding the 90km/h start speed all the way up the hill at just one-quarter throttle. There are very few vehicles that can do that when up near their maximum towing capacity.

The Velar isn’t too thirsty when towing either, with an average of 13.7L/100km achieved with the 2200kg JB Gator behind it.

The Velar’s free-revving diesel provides flexible and fast performance, but it’s not so good for engine braking down hills.

The Velar had increased speed by 6km/h down the 70km/h test hill. The better diesels will peg the 70km/h start speed for the whole descent or even wash off speed.

Once out on the freeway sitting at 100km/h with the trailer boat behind, the Velar bobbed a bit at the front and felt a little twitchy.

However, it did have a very light tow ball download. With the boat full of gear as you’d have it ready for a fishing trip, the download would be higher and stability better.

Stable and secure

With the caravan on the back, the Velar felt much more stable and was able to cruise at 100km/h comfortably.

The Velar’s air suspension has three settings: Dynamic, Comfort and Auto. The best setting for towing varied between Dynamic for undulating roads and Auto for everything else.

While Comfort mode works really well to soak up the worst of Australian roads when the Velar is unladen, when towing it’s just too soft.

Summing up

The Range Rover Velar does look incomplete with the rear garnish removed for towbar use, and the centre console infotainment is not perfect.

But where it really counts, the Velar does deliver. It's a smooth, quiet and powerful luxury SUV that shoulders towing responsibilities really well. With a trailer behind, it’s stable, quick and relatively fuel-efficient.

How much does the 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE D300 cost?
Price: $130,450 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel
Output: 221kW/700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.4L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 167g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP