We Test Drove The Best New Range Rovers From Paris to Champagne, France
Range Rover’s new Velar and Evoque SUVs proved themselves perfectly suited to the luxe life à la Française.
On a recent trip to Paris we were handed the keys to two of the newest and coolest Range Rovers from parent company JLR to see how they handled an international mission focused on luxury and style. These were not from the full-size, six-figure, top-line Range Rover model line like the one we drove in California recently; but rather from JLR’s Velar and Evoque range, which while not as revered nonetheless have their own coterie of dedicated enthusiasts.
There was no inherent expectation however that they could pull off a luxury road trip in famously snobbish France with similar aplomb; so to demonstrate their capability and savoir faire, the brand designed an epic itinerary that would decide once and for all if these vehicles deserve the storied Range Rover badge, which has been a true icon since the day the very first example rolled out of the factory in the UK in 1970.
Previously we might have been skeptical that the Velar, and especially the Evoque, the smaller, starter model in the Range Rover lineup, were up to the task. But JLR recently relaunched both vehicles, upgrading them significantly in both design and engineering, and truly bringing them in to the storied Range Rover family, all while keeping pricing competitive.
We began the excursion auspiciously enough at one of the city’s top five-star hotels, the famed Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris, often home to visiting dignitaries and celebrities. And hence there is usually an array of six-and-seven-figure cars idling out front. So the first test for the new Velar and Evoque came when they arrived to pick us up.
First of all, however, we gathered in the hotel’s ultra-posh Katara Suite for the Range Rover House Experience, a traveling immersion into the Range Rover lifestyle that engages all the senses and demonstrates how the marque has recently upped its game, retaining its rich traditions and UK craftsmanship while embracing new technology and more.
They passed the Le Royal Monceau test with flying colors. And thus the morning after an incredible welcome dinner at Le 39V, one of Paris’ most coveted restaurants, located on a stunning rooftop high above the Champs Elysées, we set off in the Velar for Moulin Royale, a five-star boutique hotel the heart of Forest de Compiegne, an hour-and-a-half outside Paris on the way to our ultimate destination in Champagne.
The route took us on some stunning country roads, and along the way we got to experience everything the new Velar has to offer. Range Rover touts the new Velar’s “dramatic, clean and reductive design” as among its most avant-garde offerings, and rightly so. For 2024 Velar sports a new grille combined with the “floating roof, unbroken waistline and flush, deployable door handles” that have become the luxury SUV’s signature.
In addition, new headlights are designed to convey a “technical, jewel-like appearance” and offer optimized visibility, while the exterior is enhanced by a new lower rear bumper and dark accents, giving it a more sophisticated look. Inside, a new single, floating 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen is integrated into the center console, “providing immediate and intuitive control of all key vehicle functions” and allowing you to focus on the drive itself.
For 2024, the Velar P250 S launches the lineup with a 2.0L turbocharged engine good for 247 hp, clocking in at $61,500; while the top offering is the Velar P 400 Dynamic HSE with a “mild hybrid” 3.0L turbocharged engine delivering 395 hp, starting at $84,795. Looking beyond leather, the brand is now offering interior options featuring wool blends and other textiles inspired by bespoke tailoring.
Two new color options join the Velar’s exterior palette for 2024—Metallic Varesine Blue and Premium Metallic Zadar Grey—while those preferring a traditional leather interior now have three additional colorways to choose amongst, Cloud, Raven Blue and Deep Garnet. The new colors and materials greatly add to the sense of inspiration from the UK’s bespoke tailoring traditions.
While slightly less excited by the Evoque, when it came time to take it for a spin we nonetheless had to admire how much more prestige and puissance JLR has given its entry-level Range Rover. Priced from $49,900 it is certainly a great value proposition for those who don’t want or need a full-size luxury SUV. It now also has the new 11.4-inch curved glass touchscreen, along with a new grill and super-slim headlights, plus new exterior accents and colors.
“The original compact luxury Range Rover for the city is even smarter and more sophisticated than its predecessor,” notes Geraldine Ingham, Range Rover’s Managing Director. “The cabin is reductive and serene, with new materials and colorways for effortless luxury. And a single curved glass interface and clean air technology allows clients to enjoy the calm and tranquility that is the hallmark of a Range Rover.”
Needless to say, we arrived at our ultimate destination, the Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, in world-class comfort and style. We even found time to visit the legendary wine caves at Veuve Clicquot, to sample some of their rarest and most coveted vintages—handing the keys to the Evoque and Velar over to Range Rover’s professional drivers for the last leg of the trip.
At the Royal Champagne, Ryan Miller, Range Rover’s Global Product Senior Manager, explained the importance of the new models and how they fit into Range Rover’s storied legacy:
“In 1970 we revealed the very first Range Rover to the world, and it was class defining, as we call it. It created a new segment of vehicle and it was extremely unique because for the first time it had encapsulated three things—and these three things remain our absolute sacrosanct DNAs today. It was a hugely desirable design, it was amazing on-road refinement, and it was class leading off-road capabilities. And it packaged all of these three things up in an extremely luxurious way to really bring to the world something different than anyone had seen before.”
Miller continues, “It’s now 53 years after that the first car was shown, and we’ve achieved iconic status with the Range Rover, and it is the undisputed leader of luxury SUVs globally. And that’s something we are hugely proud of, and hugely protective of. And as we grow our range, we need to make sure that we retain all of that uniqueness across all of the vehicles. Another saying we use a lot is that Range Rover leads by example.”
“If you think about the people that buy these cars, they’re typically successful people that are either in business or have their own businesses, but they are effectively life leaders in many, many cases,” he adds. “And how have we done all this? We’ve done it through a really laser-like focus on breathtaking modernity and everything that we do from a design perspective—fearlessness, refinement, and capability…. We’ve now got a whole family of Range River vehicles, and I guess the tagline is we’ve got the epitome of luxury and fine craftsmanship, married with visionary design. That’s kind of the mantra of what we’re trying to do.”