THE Range Rover Velar is probably the most stylish luxury SUV on the market and it boasts impressive levels of comfort and refinement as well as ability.

Don't let its good looks fool you into thinking its a softy - the Velar is just as capable off-road as the Discovery.

The Velar is the most aerodynamic Land Rover ever made and its handsome lines make it a stand out on the road. In fact it's just been voted the most beautifully designed car on the planet in the World Car of the Year Awards for 2018.

A sloping grille, rakish roof line and flush door handles combine with slim LED head and rear lights that wrap round the body to give the Velar its modern subtle look.

Inside things get even better. The interior is stunning and ultra-modern with a dash and instrument panel that is a work of art.

The traditional dash is intersected by a central section that runs from the centre consoleup to the all-new Touch Pro Duo infotainment system with twin 10-inch touchscreens. The flush black panels burst into life when the car is switched on and the top unit tilts forward to make it easy to read.

The upper screen looks after navigation, telephone and audio, while the bottom one controls the heating and ventilation as well as the Terrain Response system. There is in-car WiFiand it is very easy to connect your smartphone.

Driver and passengers can travel in luxury with the spacious cabin offering all the creature comforts you would expect from a car of this class.

Prices for the Velar line up start from £44,830 and there are more than 30 to choose from going all the way up to £72,630 for the 3.0-litre petrol supercharged V6 in the top R-Dynamic HSEtrim.

I have been sampling the 2.0-litre twin turbo diesel model in HSEtrim which costs 364,160. The engine is mated to a slick eight-speed automatic gearbox and is good for 135mph and takes 6.8 seconds to reach 60mph. Not bad for a big car that weighs almost two tonnes.

Thanks to stop/start technology and its use of aluminium the claimed combined fuel consumption figure is 48.7mpg with emissions of 154g/km.

It may be a large car but the Velar is surprisingly nimble to drive and you can select various driving modes including dynamic, ecoand comfort or personalise it to suit your own style.

As it fitted with Land Rover's latest Terrain Response 2 computerised off road drive system and All Terrain Progress Control technology, the Velar is absolutely capable whatever the conditions.

The Velar will probably never be asked to tackle any serious off-roadingbut it is more than capable as it has air suspension, good all-round ground clearance and approach angles as well as the ability to wade through more than two feet of water.

And at night to help stop you stepping out into water the Velar projects a silhouette of itself onto the ground.

This car has so much standard equipment that it is impossible to list it all but a highlight is the 825W Meridian sound system with 16 speakers and a subwoofer.

The instrument panel is a TFTdisplay which can be configured in a variety of ways but if you want a head up display you will have to stump-up another £930. The extras fitted to the press car included privacy glass at £390, a fixed panoramic roof at £1,115 and a black contrast roof at £570.

The Velar offers all the latest technology including features like360 degree cameras, a lane departure warning system, automatic parking and the ability to keep in touch via cyberspace while on the move.

The boot is a substantial 558 litres and can be extended to 1,731 litres if required by folding the rear seats.

As you would expect in a car of this class the tailgate is power operated but the release button is not too easy to find and also sits too close to the electronic parking brake which is to the right of the steering wheel and out of sight. That is probably my only gripe with the Velar.