Range Rover Velar vs Mercedes-Benz S-Class

What's the difference?

The new Range Rover Velar P400e Dynamic HSE, or P400e for short, is the first Velar offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. In theory, this should make it a solid contender for those wanting a luxury SUV that produces a smaller and greener footprint.

It’s not as big as its Range Rover siblings, so if you’re after a sleeker Rangie that can do some 'mild' adventuring on the weekends while still looking flash during the week, this may be the one you’re looking for.

It faces competition from the BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and… at a stretch, the Porsche Cayenne. I’ve spent a week with the mid-level P400e Velar to see how it stacks up for everyday use.

It's only in the running for the title of world's best luxury car. No biggie here, then.

Like Rolex and Concorde, S-Class has become a byword for ultimate, and deserved or not, the Mercedes-Benz defines its segment despite the best efforts of the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and (sadly now-defunct) Jaguar XJ, as well as pointing the way forward with new technologies that eventually trickle down to more proletarian models.

Replacing the half-million selling W222 unveiled in 2013, the W223 is the latest in a long line since the first W187 Ponton debuted in 1951, and includes the famous ‘Finnies' and Stroke-8 models that followed immediately afterwards, but it is the 1972 W116 that really set the template.

Now, seven generations in, the 2021 S-Class is all-new again, with progressive safety and interior features that should help keep it Australia's bestselling full-sized upper-luxury sedan.