Posts

Best Cars 2018 – The Range Rover Velar

In Europe, we have been seeing rapid growth if it comes to the number of sold SUVs. In 2017, around 820,000 SUVs* were sold in Germany, which is – for the first time – more than in the compact class . It is relatively obvious why: there is enough space for luggage and children, SUV’s look chic and offer a lot of comfort.

Meanwhile, brands such as Lamborghini, Bentley and Rolls Royce also produce off-road vehicles and follow the high demand. Accordingly, there is endless choice and it is not at all easy to make a decision. So we thought to present the best cars 2018.

Best cars 2018 – the Range Rover Velar

We drove the Range Rover Velar for the second time 2 weeks in a row and had the opportunity to put the Land Rover SUV through its paces.

Our goal: a sailing trip in Slovenia. We started from Zurich to Milan on the incredibly beautiful roads of Slovenia towards Portoroz. Yet again we are thrilled what a brilliant car it is, but let’s talk about it a bit more detailed. 

Pictures & Rights @destination-sailing.com

The Range Rover Velar D300

Its design

In terms of size, the Range Rover Velar takes the place in the model range between the Range Rover Evoque and the Range Rover Sport.

From every perspective, the new Range Rover Velar is a real eye-catcher and therefore suits perfectly into our best cars 2018 choice: with perfect visual balance, optimised proportions and a dynamic rear. Wheels up to 22 inches give it a spectacular silhouette and captivating visual presence of the new Velar.

“Thanks to its elegant and pure design, the new Velar presents itself with an outstanding character in its class. Its perfectly balanced proportions and its powerful, taut surfaces find their perfection in its unmistakable silhouette”.  – Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Design Officer

best suv

Best Cars 2018

top rated suvs

best luxury suv

The Interior

The interior is characterised by high-quality materials, the seats are pleasantly white and look very classy. Furthermore, the two high-resolution 10.2-inch HD touchscreens are striking, the buttons have been reduced to a minimum, which gives it a futuristic touch. 

There is also the option of choosing between fixed panorama roofs or equally large sliding roofs, which allows a lot of light to enter the Velar interior.

With a volume of 673 litres, it has plenty of space in the boot – ideal for a longer journey with lots of luggage.

Performance, dynamics & driving

We drove the 3.0 litre V6, which produces 300 hp and 700 Nm of torque. Impressive figures, considering that the Velar is supported by 2 turbochargers.

An intelligent and efficient torque on-demand system automatically and immediately adjusts the torque distribution to the conditions. The torque and power are thus distributed perfectly to the wheels. Whether country roads, motorways, snow, mud or sand – this SUV masters absolutely every situation.

Particularly worth mentioning are the ingenious full-LED headlights that illuminate the entire road at night and adapt adaptively.

Conclusion: The new SUV from Land Rover is without doubt an absolute masterpiece in its class. 

Range Rover Velar Specifications

  • Price
  • Seats
  • Consumption
  • 0 – 100 Km/h
  • Gearbox
  • Power
  • Weight
  • From CHF 74’700.-
  • 5
  • From 6.6 litres
  • 6.6 Seconds
  • Automatic
  • 300 bhp / 700 Nm torque
  • 2029 Kg

Bergland Hotel Sölden

Bergland Hotel Sölden

On a sunny Friday morning, we packed our stuff into the Range Rover Sport and drove up to Sölden. The Bergland Hotel is nestled directly in the town of Sölden. You can park your car in front of the building, whilst the staff arranges your luggage and shows you the beautiful room.

Since the movie ‚Spectre‘ was filmed in Sölden, the town is pretty proud to be part of the whole Bond-Mania. Of course, the Bergland Hotel has also quite a lot of Bond posters which gives it a nice ambiance. After a busy day, you enjoy relaxing at the spa or having a wonderful and delicious dinner in their restaurant. The rooms are comfortable, yet roomy and really cosy.

Sölden is located close to the Italian border in the beautiful 65km long Öztal valley, in Tyrol, Austria.  Beautiful Sölden and its magnificent scenery make the perfect hideaway to let your body, mind and soul relax. Besides relaxing, Öztal offers a broad choice of summer as well as winter activities you can perform, such as hiking, climbing, biking, skiing, glacier skiing, and much more.

bergland-hotel-soelden-night

UNDATIERTES HANDOUT - Bergland Hotel Soelden. Im Bild: Suite Bergland (PHOTOPRESS/Bergland Hotel Soelden/Anton Klocker)

UNDATIERTES HANDOUT - Bergland Hotel Soelden. Im Bild: Badezimmer (PHOTOPRESS/Bergland Hotel Soelden/Anton Klocker)

Bergland Hotel Spa

As Spa lovers we highly appreciated the outright and diverse spa area with its finnish sauna overlooking the Öztal valley. Once a day you get to enjoy a slackening scented sauna infusion by the experienced sauna master including peeling and useful advice on ‘how to sauna’. 

We felt in very close touch with nature lying on the comfortable hay beds, looking over the beautiful valley and scenting the freshly cut hay that fulfills the spacious and private relaxation chambre. Pure bliss unlike anywhere compareable!

spa-bergland-hotel-soelden

ICE Q Sölden

The world famous ICE Q Restaurant is located 3,048 metres above sea level. Surrounded by over 250 superb three-thousand metre mountains. A masterpiece of architecture, where freedom reaches for the stars. It is not less than the breath-taking shooting location for the James Bond Spectre movie. Where innovative architecture meets futuristic design, is the place where sophisticated gourmet delights combine with fine wines and dreamy panoramic views to create one exceptional symbiosis. The ICE Q contains a panorama terrace where you get to experience what is unique.

ice-q-soelden

ice-q-restaurant

Range Rover Sport – By SIXT

No doubt, the Range Rover Sport is the ideal car to drive up to the mountains. It’s roomy, powerful and looks very sexy. SIXT car rental services are available all over the world. You can easily rent your beloved car, by requesting it on the SIXT page.

The sun was out on an amazing Autumn day, which was an ideal chance to drive up to the glacier.

sixt-logo
range-rover-sport
Glacier Road, 1377 – 2800 meters over sea level

Öztal Glacier Road with its 15km length is one of the highest roads in the Eastern Alps. The road connects Sölden at 1377 meters over sea level with the glaciers Rettenbach and Tiefenbach over 2800 meters. 

Plenty of breathtaking views, the unique glaciers and the moonlike scenery on top of the mountains make the summer jurney with the powerful Range Rover Sport up the glacier road incomparable.

sixt-range-rover
sixt-range-rover-sport

Range Rover Sport – Highclass Road Trippin’

Range Rover Sport

On the scout of the ideal high-class SUV, you cannot miss the Range Rover Sport. After a diet it’s 400 Kg lighter than its predecessor, the HSE SDV6 is built on a strong, stiff structure. Using Land Rover’s aluminium body technology and lightweight architecture the driving experience feels less bulky and more agile now. On top of that the Range Rover Sport turned into a superb sporting seven-seater. 
range-rover-sport
range-rover-backlight
range-rover-bonnet
Living in Zürich makes you feel like you get them out of the Kellogg’s Pack – they’re literally everywhere. Of course I was curious why, so I did a road trip through the city as well as testing it on all sorts of terrains – of which some were rather difficult. The aim was to really put it to the acid test.
Driving amongst the Swiss roads was a unique experience. Our country with its diversity is the ideal place to try new extremes. Though predictably ballistic on road, the Sport can do the business off tarmac as well: it’ll wade through 85cm of water, gravel, mud and snow.


range-rover-sport-rear

Range Rover – The Drive

Considering you’re driving a 2 tons vehicle the Range Rover is surprisingly agile, yet sharp to drive. Due to the powerful 3 litre Turbo Diesel the car produces 306 brake horsepower and loads of talk to manage every type of ground. Another advantage is that the Sport proves to be a fabulous long-distance vehicle, quiet and refined even at autobahn speeds.

range-rover

Range Rover HSE – My Impression

Driving this superb car, you’re starting to understand why everyone owns one in Switzerland. The four wheel drive brings you up to every ski resort. Containing 5 seats and a huge boot, you can easily go on holiday with your wife and kids. A never ending list of options throws you into a lounge room feeling. One of the fancy options is the seat cooling, available for all seats! 

range-rover-interior
range-rover-seats

Proceeding my road trip, I reached beautiful hills and mountains all over Switzerland. Not for a second I’ve missed anything in this car. Took the Range Rover Sport to some terrific sunsets, foggy dusks & roads covered with colourful leaves. 

Range Rover Sport HSE SDV6 Rating

Daily Use
Super practical car, ideal for everyday use in all sorts of terrain.
✭✭✭✭✭
Costs
Not a cheap car. Especially the maintenance is rather expensive. Still, I think it makes sense for what you get.
✭✭✭✭✩
Appeal & Design
The Sport is pretty sexy for an SUV. I love the air ducts on the bonnet. I’d like to see a bit more masculine exhausts for the next model.
✭✭✭✭✩
Fun
It’s a very luxury car, not really a race car. Pretty sharp to drive and solid power.
✭✭✭✩✩
Eco-Friendliness
Well it contains a pretty big diesel engine. Consumption between 7 – 10 litres in my case.
✭✭✭✩✩
Overall
Awesome car, you should go for it!
✭✭✭✭✩

The Range Rover Evoque Autobiography

For the first time I was sitting in a Land Rover. I had the honor to test the Evoque during one week and I enjoyed it to the fullest. After this experience, I can truly admit to the fact that the cars they’re producing are simply brilliant. In fact brilliant in each dimension: technique, workmanship, performance, and price/performance ratio. As soon as you’re opening the car door, you can see and feel the passion they put in every detail.
 
range rover schweiz
 
What does The Evoque stand for? The Evoque is sort of a narrowed SUV, kind of the little brother of the Range Rover. Honestly, the Evoque convinces in every detail and I’d say he gets rid of this ‘little brother’ image in a formidable way.
 
It is a simply fantastic car. Certainly it is a bit smaller and the engine is not as powerful as the Range Rover Sport for example. But with its charm, wonderful interior design and the plenty options it comes up with, it is a really good car by with you can enjoy your rides entirely.

Photos by Diana Kottmann

Evoque Autobiography

Its front is vast, and with its headlights it looks like a huge mad cat in the dark.

Under the bonnet, there’s a hidden a 2 Liter Turbo Diesel, which is producing assertive power for every situation. With 420NM & 190HP it is the most powerful model, which is currently available on the market.
 
The engineers have sharpened up the steering and upgraded the suspension. The nine-speed automatic gearbox is working really well. Another really magnificent fact is that it’s only consuming 7,2 Liters per 100km, even if you like to drive a bit racy.
Land Rover Evoque

The rear is definitely smaller than the Range Rover, and the trunk doesn’t allow that much space. Still this is the ideal car if you like high standards and living in a city like Zürich.

Let’s talk about the interior and the infinite options of this car. Honestly, I’ve never had that many options before. The Evoque contains features like seat cooling, it shows you exactly how fast you’re allowed to drive, and there’s a seat heater in the back. Additionally, the GPS is outstanding and works very exact. You can enter the Evoque, and start the engine easily. Compared to older Land Rovers, the handling is simple and effective. 
Evoque Interior

The following pictures are impressively showing the love for the detail they definitely have. It combines dark chocolate brown leather with the white double seam, which looks and feels really high-class!

Range Rover Material

Seats Double Seam

Last but not least, there’s another thing that was really fabulous. The panoramic roof brings all the light of this beautiful world into this wonderful car. And that feels just divine. 
Range Rover Panoramic Roof

All in all, I’m convinced of the car and its performance. I’d suggest it to every one of you, if you count on high standards and the design it shows. Honestly, it was a big challenge to give this lovely car back to the seller. I’m already looking forward to the next adventure.