Range Rover Evoque

Make
Land Rover
Segment
SUV

Land Rover took a gamble with the launch of the mid-sized Range Rover Velar slotting between its Evoque and Sport siblings, but its strong sales suggest it could overtake the Evoque as Land Rover's current best-selling SUV. While it doesn't quite have the heft of the larger Sport, Land Rover hasn't made any safety sacrifices for the luxurious Velar, which was recently awarded a perfect five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP after being subjected to numerous crash tests, making it one of the safest SUVs in its class alongside the Volvo XC90.

The Velar scored an impressive 93 percent for adult protection and 85 percent for child occupant protection, garnering high praise for how it withstands side-impacts, reducing the risk of head injuries. While SUV pedestrian safety ratings are typically low, the Velar scored 73 percent, beating the Volvo XC90's 72 percent rating which Euro NCAP declared as the safest car it had ever tested.

Helping protect pedestrians is the Velar's active safety technology which helps prevent accidents happening altogether. As standard, the Velar is equipped with Intelligent Speed Limiter, lane departure warnings, seat belt reminders and autonomous emergency braking which helped it achieve a 72 percent safety assist rating. For comparison, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio achieved a higher adult occupation protection rating at 97 percent and a 84 percent child occupant protection rating, but the Velar beats the Italian SUV in the pedestrian and assistance categories scoring three and 12 percentage points respectively.

"Twenty years on from when Euro NCAP started, it's encouraging to see a competitive safety environment still working," said Michiel van Ratingen, Secretary General of Euro NCAP. "All of the SUVs we have tested in the last couple of years have had a five-star rating and the Velar is towards the top of the table in all areas of assessment. That's great news for consumers, who are able to buy the kind of cars they like with the confidence that they offer high levels of protection." JLR's UK managing director Jeremy Hicks also commented on the results. "For Velar customers, only the best is good enough and we are delighted the fourth Range Rover has been awarded five-star safety credentials," he said.

"This, combined with excellent residual values and stunning design, really set Velar out as a car that appeals to the heart and the head."