Features / 26 August 2021 / Albert du Toit

Range Rover Velar vs Land Rover Discovery – The differences you need to know

The Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery could be mistaken as the same SUV upon first inspection.

They have the same features, the same engines, and nearly the same price – but looking past the outer shell makes it clear they are rather different.

Below, we compare the Land Rover Discovery D300 S to the Range Rover Velar D300 S – both with a starting price of R1.4 million – to see where the differences lie.

Practicality

Although the Velar has more of an urban design compared to the more rugged look of the Discovery, they both carry the unmistakable aesthetic of the Land Rover brand.

Both are tall and narrow SUVs with sporty bumpers, mesh grilles, elegant LED lights, skinny taillamps, and a model insignia pressed onto a gloss black panel.

Apart from the design, the physical sizes differ, too, with the Discovery larger across the board.

This generous size translates into more cargo capacity in the Land Rover.

Alongside the integrated roof rails that can carry up to 80kg, the Discovery makes space for 1,137 litres of cargo in five-seater mode and tows up to a maximum braked capacity of 3,500kg.

The Velar carries up to 79kg on its roof, fits 735 litres of cargo in five-seater mode, and tows up to a maximum braked capacity of 2,500kg.

In addition, the Discovery trumps the Velar in off-road capabilities – as it offers 32mm of additional ground clearance, a 320mm deeper water wading depth, and more aggressive approach, departure, and breakover angles.

The Discovery also comes with seven seats as standard, whereas the Velar is fitted with five.

Features

On the feature front, these premium SUVs in their “S” trims are equal – with only small details setting the cabins apart.

Shared equipment between the vehicles includes rain-sensing wipers, a multifunction steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, a powered bootlid, and a dual-display infotainment set-up that supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

After this, the differences start to become noticeable, however.

On the Velar, you will find a 14-way electrically adjustable driver seat, perforated grained leather seats, a fixed panoramic roof, automatic headlights with high beam and levelling assist, an analogue gauge cluster with a TFT display, an 11-speaker Meridian sound system, and adaptive cruise control.

These features are also fitted to the Discovery, but are somewhat different.

You get two 14-way electrically adjustable front seats, non-perforated grained leather seats, a sliding panoramic roof with a fixed rear section, automatic headlights with manual adjustment, an analogue gauge cluster with an interactive TFT display, an 8-speaker sound system, and adaptive cruise control with steering assist.

Furthermore, the Discovery sees the addition of a sliding rear bench with powered reclining, headrest, and armrest abilities.

The Velar then brings headlight washers and flush door handles to the table.

Driver assistance

As these are modern SUVs from a premium company, they come with a host of driver assistance systems as standard.

A 360-degree camera system is fitted to both, along with lane keep assist, blind-spot assist, a rear traffic monitor, a rear collision monitor, and automatic emergency braking.

In addition, both SUVs have all-round parking sensors, hill launch and descent assist, and a driver fatigue monitor – while the Discovery offers a clear exit monitor that lets you know when it’s unsafe to open the doors.

Both the Range Rover Velar and Land Rover Discovery then achieve 5-star Euro NCAP safety ratings.

Performance

The engine is the reason for these siblings carrying the D300 badge.

At the front of either, you will find a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The motor sends power to all four wheels via an adaptive air suspension system and a high-range transfer box.

Its 221kW and 650Nm output sends the Discovery to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds and to a top speed of 209km/h, while the Velar boasts a 6.5-second sprint and a top speed of 230km/h.

Fuel consumption is also higher in the Land Rover, at a combined rate of 7.4l/100km, with the Range Rover reporting a combined fuel consumption of 6.9l/100km.

The Discovery then receives an electrically deployable towbar and gradient acceleration assist as standard.