Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e 2025 Review
Another refresh for the gracefully ageing luxury SUV as its heads into model year 2026The 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e has been refreshed for 2025 – well, according to Land Rover, it’s model year 2026. While by no means a new entrant in the competitive large luxury SUV market, the Velar still has plenty of appeal with up-to-date tech, design and features. Yet, it lacks a current ANCAP safety score and after nearly eight years on the market, it certainly is not the newest product on the block.
How much does the Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e cost?
The MY26 Range Rover Velar range has been simplified; long gone are the 50-plus variants available on introduction to Australia in 2017.
The line-up begins with the Dynamic SE grade with either the P250 petrol, P400 mild hybrid or P400e PHEV. The Velar Autobiography P400e tested here is the top-spec model. Updates for 2026, which are on sale now, include infotainment system improvements and two new colours, Giola Green and Zadar Grey.
The 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e starts at $138,961 (plus on-road costs), but the test vehicle is loaded up with options. Despite there no longer being a swathe of Velar models, that doesn’t mean Land Rover has gone lean on the options list. We’re talking about $15,000 added to the bottom line of our tester, with three option packs and seven individual extras ticked.
The bundles include the $3813 Cold Climate Pack (heated windscreen and washer jets, heated/cooled front seats, heated rear seats and heated steering wheel), the $2973 Technology Pack (heads-up display and park assist) and the $2667 Comfort Pack (configurable interior lighting, cooled glovebox, four-zone climate control and cabin air purification plus).
The individual options are the $1496 black contrast roof, $987 configurable dynamics, $935 privacy glass, $887 powered gesture tailgate, $315 remote rear seat levers, $276 illuminated metal front and rear treadplates and finally, the $116 tyre repair system. As tested the Velar is $153,426 (plus on-road costs).
Key standard gear on the 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e includes a sliding glass roof, heated, power-fold side mirrors (auto-dimming on driver’s side), flush door handles, power tailgate, home and public charging cables, two-tone leather seats (power front, including driver memory) and a 750W Meridian 3D sound system with 16 speakers and subwoofer.
Exterior equipment includes the 21-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry/start, dynamic rear indicators and a solar attenuating acoustic laminated windscreen. Inside there’s an air quality sensor, dual-zone climate control, auto dimming rear-view mirror, illuminated vanity mirrors and 40/20/40-split folding rear seat.
Infotainment is housed within a 11.4-inch colour touch-screen incorporating smartphone connectivity, DAB+ digital radio, wireless phone charging and an online pack that includes a free data plan for the first year. There’s also a 12.3-inch LCD digital dash as well as both USB-A and USB-C charging ports front and rear.
Despite being on the market for some time, the safety inclusions are still contemporary – for the most part. The highlights are 3D surround view, adaptive cruise control with steering assist, driver attention alert, lane keeping assist, blind spot assist, rear collision monitor, front and rear park assist, rear traffic monitor and traffic sign recognition. Six airbags are fitted, while the Velar no longer has an ANCAP rating as its five-star result expired in December 2023.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain consists of a 2.0-litre petrol engine, eight-speed automatic transmission and a 105kW electric motor providing total outputs of 221kW/640Nm. There’s a Type 2 CCS port to allow fast charging from zero to 80 per cent in 30 minutes on a 50kW system or zero to 100 per cent in two hours. On a domestic 240v AC charge it takes a claimed eight hours for a depleted battery to reach a full charge.
Warranty is five years and unlimited kilometres, which also includes five years of roadside assistance. The capped-price-servicing offer is $2500 for five years servicing.
What’s good about the Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e?
It doesn’t feel like eight years since we first saw the Velar in Australia. That’s a testament to its smart design given it still looks fresh.
The 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e also has a great ride-and-handling balance for a heavy SUV, and the interior is spacious and comfortable.
The infotainment screen is one of the easier ones to navigate and there’s also steering wheel-mounted buttons for some operations to save on distracting scrolling.
The powertrain offers strong acceleration and predictable response while the interior is particularly hushed on the move – in EV mode or not.
Assuming you are prepared to charge the Velar every day, you can get about 50km of battery-powered EV commuting. That’s not class leading in terms of electric-only range, but at least it is a viable way to save fuel and emissions if you’re prepared to charge overnight on a regular basis.
What’s not so good about the Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e?
The 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e is a dated model in a premium segment where having something fresh and new counts.
Like most modern cars, there are some audible annoyances to contend with. The speed warning chime that kicks off when exceeding the speed limit can be switched off on the steering wheel, but resets on each start cycle. The speed-sign recognition, like most of them, isn’t always accurate.
In terms of ergonomics, the sweeping A-pillar can make it awkward to enter the front seats if you’re a bit short of stature, unless you rack the seat back.
On test, the claimed EV mode (69km) wasn’t quite achievable, with 53km available after a depleted battery (down to 1.0 per cent) took 14 hours on AC 240v home charging to reach 100 per cent.
The average fuel consumption was 8.0L/100km using mostly hybrid mode and not charging the battery every night. That’s a long way from the 2.2L/100km claimed average.
Should I buy a Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e?
The 2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e remains an SUV that keeps its appeal in a prestige SUV class.
It’s a shame the PHEV system is not quite as efficient as it could be and that the Velar is now quite long in the tooth. However, its combination of smart looks, mostly current features, interior space and competent handling renders it relevant.
2025 Range Rover Velar Autobiography P400e at a glance:
Price: $153,426 (as tested, plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: 2.0-litre Four-cylinder petrol-electric
Output: 221kW/640Nm (electric motor: 105kW)
Combined output: 297kW/640Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Battery: 15.4kWh lithium-ion
Range: 69km (NEDC)
Energy consumption: n/a
Fuel: 2.2L/100km (NEDC)
CO2: 51g/km (NEDC)
Safety rating: Unrated
Related: Next Range Rover Evoque and Velar will be EVs
Related: Upgraded 2024 Range Rover Velar now on sale
Related: Refreshed Range Rover Velar bags plug-in hybrid
Related: Range Rover Velar P550 SV Autobiography Dynamic Edition 2019 Review
- Still looks like a fresh design with signature Range Rover style elements
- Interior space and comfort
- Ride and handling compromise
- Doesn’t have a great EV-only range
- Hybrid fuel consumption is nothing special
- No ANCAP rating a sign this series has been on the market a long time
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