I love disruption, and more often than not, disruption comes with design and convenience. It’s interesting to watch brands get better with time while others become obsolete, disruption is necessary for progress and for change to happen. Nokia and BlackBerry were once one of the biggest mobile companies in the world; today I don’t have a single friend who uses the brand. But don’t write them off yet, because I have seen brands make a comeback in such a way that you forget why you didn’t care to begin with. Rappers cared about Range Rovers, people cared about Range Rovers but not like they care today though. It represent a different generation and I am not talking the old generation either, it represents the new elite, the new success.
I love design because it’s the first thing that one encounters before even stepping inside the car, sometimes a car is impressive on the outside but disappoints when it comes to the interior. The last time I got excited about a Range Rover was when they announced the LRT aka Range Rover Evoque. I thought the design at the time was futuristic, yet practical and I was right, this was around 2007. Range Rover carried the same look to the other models and it works but the Velar is different. The old Range had the same navigation system that Jaguar has right now, it got the job done but its forward thinking. The Velar is different. It’s like meeting a girl who has it all; a great body, brains, is woke and funny. When Range Rover thought about the Velar you can tell that they had more of the younger professionals in mind and the aim was to please.
The overall design of the Velar is something special; it’s not an Evoque and it’s also not the Range Rover Sport – it’s somewhere in between. The length of the car is Length: 4,803 mm which is smaller than the Range Rover Sport and in my opinion, it’s better than the Sport. When you unlock the car, the door handles pop out and only then you can open it. The back windows are tinted and the black blends well with the top roof while the rest of the car is a solid colour, in this instance red – a killer combination. The front grill has the “I have arrived and I have money and I can be fast if I want to” look. I think the magic in this car lies in the car itself, the technology within this car blew my mind. It gave me features that I didn’t think I needed until I stepped into the 2018 Range Rover Velar. Something as simple as the car giving the driver a massage every 30 minutes while you drive, who does that? I thought I didn’t like massages but now I’m no longer sure about this. The navigation system is something to be fond of as well, it’s interactive and makes your life very simple. I like the fact that I could switch the aircon for just the driver’s side or the passenger’s side without doing both. Obviously the seats came with heated options and massage options which I played around with a lot and I had a good time with those features.
The sound system is good, I was actually impressed because, let’s be honest, Jaguar and Range Rover sound systems are not necessarily the best in the game. I loved the sunroof that was purely panoramic and it felt like I was outside while being inside, the lighting makes all the difference and the roof opens up all the way back. The car has Wi-Fi as well and you can use the browser to surf the internet in the car. Since it’s a Range Rover, it also has all of the options such as Eco (which I used a lot because fuel is not cheap and the Velar doesn’t play games either) but you can switch from Sand, Rocky/Mountain to Ice mode where the car adjusts accordingly. What is also cool is that you can adjust the suspension depending on where you are, you can lower it or take it higher. The R Dynamic comes with two screens at the back with two wireless headphones as well. What impressed me was the ability to use a USB port for everyone to access different types of media and everyone can consume it separately. This is ideal when you have two kids or twins at the back and you want to keep them busy during a road trip to Tshamahansi in Limpopo.
For me this is an ideal car for the Marvin man who has one or two kids and a wife, this car just makes sense and is comfortable and very light on the road while being very fast when it has to be. It’s also good looking enough to be able to take to a chisa nyama or Rockets in Bryanston with such ease. Perfect for road trips with the family as well as work for meetings and for that stable father look. I drive a lot of cars and I can say that this car is perfect, it makes sense and is intuitive. Last two things that impressed me; were the cruise control – usually when you use the cruise control and you come to a stop, you have to set it up again from scratch – but not the Velar. Also, you can set it up in such a way that it measures the distance between the car in front and if that car comes to a standstill so will the Velar and when the car at the front starts moving so will the Velar without touching the driver touching a thing. The steering wheel warmer is another awesome feature – for those winter mornings when you don’t want to get cold.
I want the Velar. I need the Velar. I will get the Velar. It’s sheer perfection. Pricing starts from R1 367 616 if you can afford it get it.
Writer: George Gladwin Matsheke Photographer: Zac Modirapula