Land Rover recently revealed a new video on YouTube, ‘45 years of Range Rover: Gerry McGovern discusses his design inspirations’. It is a short interview with Gerry McGovern, who designed the new Range Rover.
The new Range Rover is not good looking car. If I said it is ugly, it would be a bit unfair, but there is no hint of the Range Rover in this generation. In particular, the fake air vents and the departure from the ‘form equals function’ design philosophy. When I say form equals function, you may remember Frank Stephenson, as he is the designer who designed the previous generation of Range Rover, which I still love.
If you know me personally, you would be saying, ‘Frank is your friend and that’s why you love that Range Rover’. Absolutely not! The main reason for my emotional attachment to the previous generation is the clean design. Every design item on that previous generation of Range Rover had a role. The design wasn’t there to impress someone at Mayfair, London. It was there do a job.
However, Gerry McGovern moved away from this design philosophy and created fake air vents on both sides of the new Range Rover and moved away from the simple design to a poser design. Honestly, I would never associate the new Range Rover with an off-road experience; I would associate it with Prada sunglasses or a Fendi handbag. The Range Rover’s off-road DNA is gone, and with a 22-inch wheel, you can’t do off-road. It is that simple.
During the interview, Gerry McGovern mentioned that he loves the Patek Philippe Calatrava wristwatch for its simple and clean design, as every detail is simple and does a job. So, what was the role of the fake vents on the new Range Rover?
I know, I am focused on the air vents and have become very negative about the new Range Rover, but details make the difference, and I would really love to see a Range Rover that offers state-of-the-art technology and a design that reflects the DNA.
I know that many people from Jaguar Land Rover read my blog; however, that’s my personal view.
Photo Credit | Land Rover