For the past 20 seconds, you must've been looking at the Range Rover Velar.
That's what I think, because everywhere I go with that car,
people stick their thumbs up, people turn their heads...
In short, it really is a showpiece. It attracts attention in a way I've never seen before with a SUV.
The design really makes an impact.
But this Mercedes GLC was also there, and even though it isn't as fascinating to look at,
but that doesn't make it a worse car. On the contrary, it's a very impressive car to drive.
It wins every comparison test, and by quite a distance at well.
That's because it's incredibly good on a few aspects.
Take the chassis for example. If you've got €2300 to spend,
please order the adaptive air suspension. It really makes this a wonderfully driving SUV.
In "Comfort"-mode, it's almost like you're driving a waterbed.
The spring rates are big, almost no damping,
it heaves in corners, and you almost don't feel imperfections in the road.
It's really an enjoyable, big comfortable car.
If you put it in "Sport"-mode, the air suspension drops a little,
the dampers become stiffer, the steering becomes heavier,
and that's when this car becomes a neatly driving car, as far as that's possible with a SUV.
It's still a big, heavy car. Still, you can easily corner with it.
So the spread of its capabilities is incredibly big.
Another advantage is the drivetrain.
Almost every GLC gets the 9 G-Tronic as standard, which is a 9-speed automatic gearbox,
which shifts incredibly smooth. You just won't know which gear you're in,
except for the fact that you know it's the right gear, because there's always enough power available.
That's being produced by the 3.0-litre V6 diesel in the front.
258 horsepower and 620 Nm to be exact.
And even though this is a big car of 1800 kg, you just have to touch the throttle with your toes and you'll see the speedometer climb.
The engine itself is very quiet, very nicely insulated,
and that goes with the next advantage: the finishing and the interior.
Everything has been thought through, to the smallest details.
Very good materials. The wood is real, the aluminium is real,
the insulation is good as well, like I've just said...
Everything works, and that's very nice.
The Command-system has been improved as well, it now works with shortcuts.
It's very logical, and it's handy to have a physical button for when you're driving.
That way you can always select the right option, instead of constantly watching the screen.
The autonomous technology in this car is amazing as well, it's a precursor really.
It's one of the few cars I'm at ease in when I'm stuck in traffic.
Unfortunately, it doesn't account for motorcycle drivers which slide through the jam, but otherwise you could just read the paper.
It stays neatly between the lines, it makes sure it keeps enough distance,
if it has to brake, it will do it gradually so it'll use the available room.
Technologically speaking, this car really is of a higher level.
Also, it's a very good proportioned car. It's big enough to offer lots of space,
on the rear seat and in the boot as well. But it's not big enough to be problematic in a parking garage,
so everything put together; A very convincing total package.
If it's space you want though, this Range Rover Velar is the winner.
I mean 550 litres in the Mercedes is a lot, but this goes a step further with 673 litres.
And despite the sloping roof, you've got even more room on the backseat than in the GLC.
Also, the finishing of this interior isn't something to complain either.
It's a lot more interesting to look at though.
Screens everywhere, very high resolution, very high speeds.
The dials in front of you are fully digital as well. It's almost not distinguishable from analogue dials when it comes to speed.
It's so incredibly well done.
You've got a touchscreen here, and a sort of tablet over there which controls lots of things...
It all looks great. Leather everywhere,
it's just a very special car to be in. Much more than the Mercedes.
But... Ergonomically and technically...
It could've been better. For example, the tablet here controls lots of things.
The seats, the climate control, the car settings,
and there are two turning knobs which control the temperature. But if you're in the Terrain Response System,
those knobs control the TRS-settings. That seems logical at first,
but it's over here. So if you want to adjust it,
you have to take your eyes of the road for too long.
Also, I've just been playing with that Terrain Response, and when I was done playing, I put it back in "Auto"-mode.
So here it says it's in "Auto", but in front of me it says it's still in "Sand"-mode.
That means the system has crashed.
Also, if I want to go into the menu's, I have to press the screen three times before my command is put through.
Technologically, it's the same story. It comes with the same autonomous features,
like keeping distance neatly, and lane keeping control,
but it isn't as refined as the GLC. That will keep the car neatly in the middle with subtle steering.
In this, you'll first get very close to the line,
then it'll tug at the steering wheel, and then you'll get back in your lane.
Those things... I mean they're not unforgivable,
it's not like you can't get past it, but the GLC just does it a lot better.
Also, there's a reason this car is a lot more spacious. That's because it's bigger.
That's kind of a strange story, because when the Velar was first presented,
they said it would fill the gap between the Range Rover Sport, - which is a GLE-rival -
and the Evoque, which has a transversely mounted engine in the front.
Just like the Mercedes GLA. So you might think;
inbetween the GLE and the GLA, is the GLC.
The wheelbase and height are similar between the GLC and Velar, but this Brit is a lot longer and wider.
So it's nice that's it wider and all, but it's also something you feel when you're driving.
It's weighs 170 kg more, and that's something you feel.
The V6 diesel comes with air suspension as standard, so that's nice,
but you'll quickly notice that when you start driving more assertively, it's still a lumbering and heavy car.
The steering isn't as direct either, so the dynamic capabilities won't be as good as the GLC.
But is that a bad thing? Not at all, because it means it's more comfortable.
Also, this Velar is a lot better off road. The angles, the ground clearance,
everything on this car is better prepared for terrain driving. It might be one of the least terrain-worthy cars Range Rover builds,
but that says more about the capabilities of the real Range Rover, than that it does about the lack of those capabilities in this.
That said, it's heavier, but the 3.0-litre V6 diesel produces more power as well.
300 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque. That means that even though there's this much car around me,
it's still a very fast car. It's remarkably quick.
You can hear it working a little harder though, the Mercedes is a little more refined when it comes to that.
It's got better insulation, the automatic gearbox is a tad quicker...
So everything put together... It's starting to seem that the Mercedes is the better car.
It's kind of hard to place this Range Rover Velar, because on paper it looks like a very good rival to the Mercedes GLC.
In reality though, it just feels and mostly is a lot bigger.
But harder to place or not, it knows how to impress.
And it has to, because it's more than €120.000 as it stands here.
That's a lot more than the Mercedes GLC, because that's only €106.000,
and that doesn't have a lesser trim.
So if you'd ask me which I'd recommend for the money, I think I could form a pretty good opinion.
But if you ask me which one I'd rather have in front of my house, I could definitely tell you which one it'd be.