Range Rover Velar Named Most Beautiful Car In The World

Is it any surprise really that the Range Rover Velar has been named by critics from the World Car Awards this year as the most beautiful car on earth this 2018? Not to us of course, but it’s worth taking a second look to understand why it’s such a beautiful car. 

You see, SUVs can be tricky to design well. The fact that a growing number of people are swapping their big sedans for some high-rise comfort, says a lot about how far car manufacturers have progressed in creating a desire for it. It’s the bountiful amount of space, pleasurable ride comfort and of course, safety features to pull off a really good SUV product.​ To this aim, things like speed and race-track handling ability take a back seat, and a more comprehensive suite of features appeal more.

In fact, gone are the days where people look at SUVs as pure utility vehicles for mere transportation functions. SUVs are no longer awkward and are being made currently to flaunt lifestyles with big pockets in the most easiest way- Presence and size. The Velar not only has both done expertly well, it trumps other SUVs in its mere appearance alone.​ It has strolled past some serious automotive contenders to be crowned winners of the coveted World Car Design of the Year at 2018 World Car Awards in New York yesterday.

For Jaguar Land Rover itself, it says much about the great work their designers and engineers have been doing recently, with a string of their cars from recent times winning the same award- the Jaguar F-Type, Range Rover Evoque and last year’s Jaguar F-Pace, have all won the same award.

It looks like all those R&D budgets from multinational giant, Tata Motors, have been put to good use, a similar case also seen with Volvo Car’s resurgence under the push of their Chinese masters, Geely (Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd). But to not stray off point, why has the Range Rover Velar been dubbed the most beautiful car in the world?

For one, there is little to dispute that the exterior design of the Velar has sorted out some of the disjointed-ness that was often talked-about in Range Rover’s Evoque model series. Where the Evoque split a lot of opinions in half, with some favouring its muscular proportions and others disliking it and terming it boring and rigid, the Velar is the product of Jaguar Land Rover being diligent in taking criticism from the Evoque and spinning it in their favour- it looks sexily gorgeous.

As it is positioned between the Evoque and Range Rover Sport as a mid-sized SUV, it also carries some cues from the latter mentioned Sport model, which can be seen from the rear and side profiles of the Velar. The Velar departs away from the testosterone-inducing look of the Range Rover Sport and has dawned a sleek and fluid side profile, that collects itself in the front to give it a very stylish and dapper look, the kind that suits a business meeting and a daring night out on the town quite effortlessly.

What’s more, the Velar beat both the XC60 and the new Lexus LC 500 to bring home the award this year, two models that are radical in their intended segments. The XC60 has become the most coveted compact SUV among its premium competition in the likes of Mercedes-Benz’s GLC range and BMW’s X models. The LC 500 by Lexus on the other hand is a contender to give the Italian supercar fraternity a good run for their money.

The fact that the Velar beat these two candidates speaks about how critics and panelists have received the Velar’s design appeal. The refined interplay of straight lines and smooth curves have resulted in an overall body styling that is not just fresh, but versatile for any kind of lifestyle expression. What’s more, it also has a cabin that comes with the very cool Touch Pro Duo infotainment tech. (watch the video below to learn more on that)

Jaguar Land Rover Malaysia have told us that the Velar will be officially here some time this April with bookings already underway. We know that the Velar comes in six powertrain choices, ranging from a 178 hp 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel to a range-topping 375 hp supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine. Whether we will have all six available for Malaysia is still not clear, but either way, it will be a true joy to see the new Range Rover Velar strolling about Malaysia. 

Here’s a video of the Range Rover Velar:

(Images/Videos: Jaguar Land Rover)