There’s no shying away from all the attention the Velar attracts. We drive the 2-litre petrol-powered P250 SE to find out what’s hidden behind that pretty face
Veil. Hide. Keep a secret. That’s what the Velar’s name means, derived from the latin word ‘velare’. It’s also what Land Rover engineers called their top secret Range Rover prototype, back in 1969. That two-door off-roader, a big departure from the boxy Land Rover Series 2, simply bore a ‘VELAR’ badge to throw people off its scent. The next year the Range Rover brand was officially revealed.
Now, almost 50 years later the Velar takes another leap of design for the company. Land Rover’s design chief, Gerry McGovern, calls it reductionism. Looking at the Velar, you notice that there isn’t a line or crease or curve that doesn’t absolutely have to be there. And as a result, the design is pure, clean and all the better for it. Like several cars these days, the Velar has a rising belt line. But there’s nothing else that gets it so right. The roof drops down towards the rear of the car to create a glasshouse of decreasing visual weight. The designers have also, quite cleverly, made the bottoms of the doors fall away inwards. The plastic running boards also contribute towards making the doors seem less substantive. The doors themselves have flush door handles that pop out when you unlock the car. Something as simple as the rear wiper is hidden away under a functional roof spoiler, the first time we’ve ever seen one on an SUV.
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2018 edition of Auto Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
50 Shades Of Touring
Building on the core of an already capable iX the xDrive50 brings performance and touring range to BMW's flagship electric SUV
Mercedes EQS SUV To Arrive Later This Year
MERCEDES-BENZ INDIA has big plans for 2024. After achieving its highest-ever sales in 2023, the luxury carmaker has grand plans to introduce 12 new models this year including three electric vehicles and most importantly, the EQS SUV.
A HERO'S TALE: MAVRICK IN THE MAKING
Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest motorcycle and scooter manufacturer is now stepping into the world of premium motorcycles and creating waves already
Hero Vida V1 Plus reintroduced in India
HERO MOTOCORP has relaunched the V1 Plus variant of the company’s electric scooter.
Geneva returns to the motor show calendar
The Geneva International Motor Show Is back to Switzerland and Anagh Bhaskar brings you the highlights
Winds of change
Join us on a 10,000km journey with the Mahindra XUV700 across the country as Dipayan Dutta and Dhruv Saxena share stories of extraordinary women who have gone against the grain to fight for what they believe in
Jaw(a)line Adjustment
Can the significantly updated Jawa finally come out as a real contender in the heavily contested 350cc motorcycle space? We took it out for a spin recently to find out
BYD Seal arrives in India
This is the third product from the Chinese automaker, the first two being the Atto 3 electric SUV and eé electric MPV. Abhinav Jakhar takes a closer look at the Seal
The emperor's new clothes
Hyundai has launched the Creta in N Line guise. So what does it offer and why you should get one? We find out
MG Motor's fresh aspirations
The joint venture between MG Motor India and JSW Group has been a long time coming, but it's finally here. SAlC-owned MG has laid out a plan for the future. Abhinav Jakhar brings you all the details