Motoring: A Range Rover revolution,
THE stars were out in force for the launch of the most beautiful Range Rover yet. Indeed, it far outshone the celebrities viewing it. The new mid-sized Velar, designed to appeal to women, is aimed at those who shun leather, but still like life’s little luxuries.
Well-heeled customers have the option of high-tech, man-made fabrics created from recycled plastic bottles as an alternative to traditional, high-grade hides.
Actor Damian Lewis, socialite and model Poppy Delevingne, comedians Rob Brydon and Jimmy Carr, Zara Tindall, model David Gandy, Sharleen Spiteri from the band Texas, and broadcaster Piers Morgan were among the VIPs at the launch at the new Design Museum in Kensington, West London, ahead of the car’s appearance at next week’s Geneva Motor Show.
The top-range Velar still features the highest-grade, animal-skin trim — soft, perforated Windsor leather for the seats and dashboard.
But options also include a man-made microfibre material, Suedecloth, created from recycled plastic bottles and crafted into a textured, non-woven material that is soft to touch.
They have also used a fabric made from a 30 per cent blend of New Zealand wool with polyester. Land Rover admits that the inclusion of some wool blends may still not be acceptable to vegans — but said it was a ‘step in the right direction’. Leather-free options cost from £620 to £2,465. The new Velar is the fourth member of the 47-year-old Range Rover family and takes its name from the codename used on the original 26 pre-production Range Rover prototypes of 1969 — derived from the Latin velaris meaning ‘to veil or cover’. Costing between £44,830 and £85,830, it fills the gap between the smaller £40,000 Evoque 4x4 and the larger £80,000 Range Rover Sport. Topping the four-strong range is the ultra high-performance Range Rover SV Autobiography costing more than £150,000.