Sacramento,
California -- Take a drive through the Hollywood Hills, and you know what
you'll see, besides movie stars and gigantic gateways blocking driveways?
A whole lot of
Land Rover sport-utility vehicles.
Yes, it
appears to be the brand of choice among those who are paid handsomely to
entertain us. But what if the super-rich
want to spend their cash on a Land Rover Range Rover beyond that cheapo,
entry-level Evoque (which can top $65,000) or the higher-up
Sport (think
north of $110,000 for the loaded version)?
For the 2018
model year, they're in luck, with the introduction of the all-new 2018 Land
Rover Range Rover Velar.
Unveiled to
the world on March 1, 2017 in London, the Velar quickly amassed awards for its stunning,
elegant looks. If I had been handing out
the trophies, I would have happily presented Land Rover with the hardware. The tested Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic SE was
a stunner, with a sleek hood cover, a sharply raked windshield and a smooth
aerodynamic sweep over a long roofline.
The tester,
with a bottom line price of $74,895, looked particularly alluring with its
Firenze Red paint job. Those 20-inch,
sweetly sculpted wheels with a gloss-black finish were likewise easy on the
eyes.
Looks aren't
everything -- well, maybe they are in the Hollywood Hills -- so I was wondering
if the 2-liter, turbo-4 rated at 247 horsepower would be enough for this SUV to handle the
town and country roadways of Northern California. Turns out the power plant has plenty of juice
for the chores.
The Velar was
surprisingly agile in sharp maneuvers and bank-vault quiet on freeway cruises. Gas mileage is not so great at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.
Interior room
and comfort are top-tier, and the state-of-the-art infotainment system is a
marvel, but be forewarned: It will take you some time to master it. Beyond that, the Velar is packed with
exceptional safety/comfort/convenience features that you expect from a luxury
automaker.
Want to be
part of the Hollywood in crowd? This
Velar should be on your test-drive list.
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