2018 World Car Awards: Range Rover Velar - 2018 World Car Design of the Year

NEW YORK, March 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Road to World Car journey concluded today at the New York International Auto Show with the declaration of the RANGE ROVER VELAR as the  2018 World Car Design of the Year.

Prof. Dr Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, said: "The Range Rover Velar is an outstanding, superior SUV. Compelling modernity, eye-catching design, innovative Touch Pro Duo infotainment technology and a clear focus on sustainability - what a combination. This product speaks for itself.

"Receiving the World Car of the Year award means a lot to us. I feel very honored and I want to thank all jury members for their trust and support in encouraging the Land Rover team to continue on their unique path.

"I also want to thank our Velar team for their passion and commitment, for going the extra mile to move boundaries for extraordinary solutions."

Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer, Land Rover, said:  "The continued evolution of our design philosophy is driven by a relentless focus on creating highly desirable vehicles our customers will love for life. The Range Rover Velar brings a new dimension of modernity to the Range Rover family with an abundance of innovative technologies, all making this vehicle a joy to drive and be driven in. We're honored that the jury recognized the tireless endeavors of our designers and engineers in delivering a vehicle with compelling design, tailored technology and relevant innovation which come together to create a vehicle of instant desirability."

The World Car Design of the Year category, and the corresponding award, are meant to highlight new vehicles with innovation and style that push established boundaries.  This year, the cars eligible for the 2018 World Car Design of the Year award encompassed all the contenders competing in the other five award categories. 

A design panel consisting of seven highly respected world design experts was asked to first review each candidate, and then establish a short-list of recommendations for the jurors.  The design experts are in alpha order:  Anne Asensio (France - Vice-President, Design - Dassault Systemes), Gernot Bracht (Germany - Pforzheim Design School),  Patrick le Quément (France - Designer and President of the Strategy Committee - The Sustainable Design School), Sam Livingstone (U.K.  - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art), Tom Matano (USA - School of Industrial Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco), Gordon Murray (U.K. - Gordon Murray Design) and  Shiro Nakamura (Japan - CEO, Shiro Nakamura Design Associates Inc.).

As announced in Geneva earlier this month, the 82 jurors voted the Lexus LC 500, the Range Rover Velar and the Volvo XC60 as the "Top Three in The World" finalists for this category.

"The Velar delivers a new level of svelte sophistication for Range Rover: both outside and inside, the car eschews chunky forms and details whilst cleverly maintaining true Range Rover DNA. It also leads with its harmoniously integrated human-machine-interface design, and with color and material design featuring (amongst other innovations) a vegan option," said design expert Sam Livingstone (U.K.  - Car Design Research and Royal College of Art).

The Road to the World Car began in Frankfurt on September 19, 2017 and was followed by our first-ever Tokyo Test Drive conducted at the BMW Tokyo Bay facility in October giving jurors yet another opportunity to evaluate contenders that might not be available in their home markets. Then, the fourth annual "L.A. Test Drives" took place across a six day period in November with a record number of 35 jurors participating. The "Top Three In The World" finalists were announced earlier this month at the Geneva motor show.  The Road to World Car journey ended today at the New York International Auto Show with the declaration of the winners in all categories.

2018 marks the 12th year of World Car's partnership with the New York show, and the fifth consecutive year that the World Car Awards have retained their ranking as the No.1 automotive awards program in the world in terms of media reach. "The New York International Auto Show is proud of the tradition it has built with the World Car Awards to recognize the 'best of the best' in the auto industry," said John LaSorsa, chairman of the New York International Auto Show.  "Over the past 12 years this awards program has grown to become one of the most coveted honors for the world's automakers."

The Global Trends Report, co-presented annually by Prime Research and Autoneum, will also be announced during the New York show press conference and media breakfast. The report is the culmination of research and insights across the past six months. Autoneum CEO Martin Hirzel said, "Trends such as electromobility or autonomous driving shape the automobile future and offer great opportunities for Autoneum. As global market and technology leader in acoustic and thermal management, Autoneum is developing and manufacturing innovative products and technologies for the mobility of tomorrow. For example, our multifunctional, lightweight components are particularly suited for use in electric vehicles, as they help to reduce the vehicle's weight which is significantly increased by the battery. Thanks to our innovation leadership and advanced production processes, Autoneum is well-prepared for the automobile future."

2018 marks the 10th anniversary of World Car's relationship with Bridgestone. "At Bridgestone, we are focused on delivering sustainable mobility through innovative tire technologies and solutions that address global trends in transportation," said Shannon Quinn, president, original equipment tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. "We are proud to join the World Car of the Year organization again this year in celebrating the very best in automotive excellence."

As electrification, autonomous driving, connectivity and A.I. continue to enhance the industry, World Car is proud to be a part of this amazing journey along with the New York International Auto Show, Prime Research, Bridgestone, Autoneum, KPMG and Newspress – our official media partner.

THE ROAD TO WORLD CAR BEGAN IN FRANKFURT SEPT. 12, 2017.  ENDED TODAY IN NEW YORK MARCH 28, 2018.

FOLLOW OUR 80+ INTERNATIONAL JURORS :  wcoty.com #wcoty

Media release distributed by NEWSPRESS
World Car's Official Media Partner

BACKGROUND

World Car Awards

Now entering their 14th year, the annual World Car Awards are the number one awards program in the world for the fifth consecutive year based on Prime Research's 2017 media report. The awards were inaugurated in 2003, and officially launched in January 2004, to reflect the reality of the global marketplace, as well as to recognize and reward automotive excellence on an international scale. The awards are intended to complement, not compete, with existing national and regional Car of the Year programs.

The awards are administered by a not-for-profit association, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of pre-eminent automotive journalists from Asia, Europe, and North America. Peter Lyon (chair – Japan), Jens Meiners (vice-chair – Germany), Mike Rutherford (vice-chair – UK), Tim Stevens (director – USA), Siddarth Patankar (director – India) and Gerry Malloy (director – Canada and president, WCOTY Association).

New York International Auto Show

Owned and operated by the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association, the New York Auto Show is an awesome combination of new ideas, technological innovation, exceptional concept cars and nearly 1,000 of the latest new cars and trucks.  Over one million visitors are expected to visit the show this year to see what is truly possible from the automotive industry.

Important 2018 Auto Show Dates 
Automotive Forum: March 27
Press Preview:  March 28 & 29 (credentials required)
Public Sneak Preview, Friday, March 30
Public Show Dates, Friday, March 30 – Sunday, April 8

SOURCE New York International Auto Show