Range Rover Velar P400e 2021 UK first drive

We've already experienced what the P400e powertrain has to offer, because it is deployed in exactly the same specification in the updated Jaguar F-Pace, which with the Velar shares its D7a platform.

The system integrates a 141bhp electric motor into the Velar's eight-speed transmission. That motor is fed by a 17.1kWh battery pack beneath the boot floor and alone can take the Velar to 87mph. However, because the driveline only ever operates with full four-wheel drive, even solely under electric power, there's always an extra layer of mechanical drag, so EV range is rated at only 33 miles.

Note also that, on account of the battery pack, the P400e doesn't come with a spare tyre, as do its rangemates. This caveat isn't unusual for plug-in hybrids, but for the many out there who consider a physical spare essential, it's worth knowing about. 

As for charging up, given the meagre electric range on offer, it's debatable how often owners will utilise the car's 32kW DC capability, but a full charge at home takes around three hours from a 7kW wallbox so is easily completed overnight. Plugging the car in also gives you the option of pre-conditioning the cabin via smartphone.

The driving experience is then a mixture of spell-binding serenity and, well, something that's a little underwhelming, given the £61,000 asking price.

The Velar P400e has three driving modes (EV, Hybrid and Save), all quickly selectable via the lower touchscreen – and in the default Hybrid mode, it will happily switch the 296bhp 2.0-litre engine on and off and lean on the electric motor to a greater or lesser extent in order to maintain the progress your right foot is requesting.

If you want to game things, there's a useful indicator on the tacho that shows you where, in terms of your throttle application, the system will switch between pure-electric and dual-power running, but really it's best to ignore this and leave the car to balance things itself.

Playing into the general sense of intuitive ease in Hybrid mode are the brakes, which have a regenerative function but are natural in pedal-feel. It all means that when you're just trundling along, this quietly effective PHEV powertrain doesn't do much wrong – especially when you factor in Range Rover's precise steering rack.

If you live in the city and you like the idea of pure-electric driving, and you can charge up at home, and of course you actaully want a Velar in the first place, then yes, you should probably buy the P400e.

Sounds familiar, doesn't it? As is often the way, the plug-in hybrid model in the line-up isn't hugely compelling in it's own right, but excels within a specific set of circumstances.

In this case, the fact you can't have air suspension on the P400e makes the £10,000 cheaper D200 the pick of the four-cylinder models. The D200 would also better suit high-mileage drivers, as would the D300, with its effortless torque and reasonable fuel economy at an unstressed top-gear cruise.

But if you do mainly intend to drive your Velar in town (and, let's face it, that's probably most of them) and want to do so relatively free of guilt, the P400e is undoubtedly the one you want. Along the with low tax band, that ought to make it a strong-seller in the line-up.

Perhaps the bigger question is whether the Velar should be your plug-in hybrid SUV of choice in the first place. The BMW X5 xDrive45e springs to mind: it's heavier than the P400e, costs a little more and has its own share of ride-quality issues, but it also possesses a juicy straight-six turbo petrol engine, pairs it with a bigger battery for more than 50 miles of electric range and has an interior every bit as lavish as that of the Range Rover.