Remember the Golf GTi in the late 70′s, the Opel Astra GSi and Honda CRX in the late 80′s? This Kia Forte Koupe has all the potential to be just like that now: A really fun an sporty car that has a practical side as well. As you can tell, we really enjoyed experiencing this Kia. It is nimble on the throttle, has a smooth and sporty gearbox, excellent road holding even on curvy mountain roads, enough interior space and flexibility, and.., it just looks the part. Continue Reading…
We were at the introduction of the Infiniti EX35 back at Pebble Beach in 2007, and were interested to see how it had faired through the times passed. It is surprisingly up-to-date still, despite the 4 years of aging it has endured, and still is a harmonious and timeless design, proving that there is something to be set for balance, and the art of leaving out. Continue Reading…
The new Mazda Mazda5 is the latest of the Mazda range with the already “old” wave” design theme prominently featured all over it. This includes the overal wavy design as well as the specific waves decorating the sides of the car. In itself it does make the Mazda5 stand out from the crowd with that, it is well executed and harmoniously integrated in the overall; design of the car. If it can stand the test of time, or if it will fade to dated really quickly only time will tell, and is also dependent on Mazda’s next design language theme, and how much that breaks with what was built up in this Wave language. Continue Reading…
The Chevrolet Equinox survived the GM bankruptcy and was deemed a “current” enough vehicle in the old GM line up to remain. Clearly, the current sales numbers must prove GM right in their decision, and we do see plenty of these driving around. The Equinox appears a lot in school parking lots where it is one of the current “mom’s” SUV’s used to transport the kids to and from school. Continue Reading…
Of course I could go into the details of the controversial politics in this country, but I won’t. That is not what this is about.
As many of you know, I am not an American, but moved here a mere 12 years ago from Europe. Being European born and raised, one tends to get used to the expectation of how “the law” works, that you are innocent until proven guilty, and that there is this need for evidence in any accusation of a crime, no matter how unimportant this might be. For instance, if I am being accused of speeding in Europe, the police has to obligation to provide me with photo evidence that either I or my vehicle was actually speeding at the location and time of the accusation. In Germany there is even the extra obligation that my face should be recognizable in that evidentiary picture, with a time, date and place stamp.
It is always a true pleasure to drive around in a new Jaguar. It does turn heads, it does leave you with the feeling that you are driving something truly British, true quality, sumptuous luxury. It was no different with the new 2011 Jaguar XJ L, a 4-door fastback sedan in line with the direction Ian Callum is daring Jaguar to go into the future.
If the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee is anything to go by, things are looking up at the Chrysler Group; The new Grand Cherokee has surprised us very positively with a very well developed, homogenous design outside and in, without having had to rely on styling gimmicks at all. The surface treatment was well developed in all areas, and even surprised us when seen in real life compared to the photos. It truly had hidden treasures that were not visible in the photographs.
Similarly we found that the interior too had been very nicely designed, with good quality fit and finish and very up-scale elements, setting the car apart from others in this segment. The fit and finish on both exterior and interior was just really good. The Mercedes origin as well as some carry over parts from the M-Class were clearly visible, but were well integrated in the design so that they did not look out of place, but rather enhanced the sense of higher level quality that was perceived.
As you may have noticed, I have clearly frowned upon new cars coming out with a distinctly bland and boring design in recent articles. Why? Because there is proof that it does not have to be that way. No, I don’t mean going to flamboyant extremes with over-styled surfacing or just plain weird graphics and detailing. It is possible to make a relatively conservative sedan design and still make it an interesting design statement. Enter the Kia Optima!
The VW Jetta has been the bread and butter vehicle for VW on the American market the last few years, so getting “it” right with the next generation was of very high importance. Getting “it” right obviously means a lot of market research into the the likes and dislikes of the American people, and in that respect, getting objective groups of representative target audiences together is already a huge task, getting them to help you about products 3-5 years into the future seems to be out of their league.
The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze makes an initial impression of being designed with a tremendous sense of conservatism sprinkled with the headlights of the previous Ford Focus. Admittedly, it is coming in the guise of w “world car” which yet again seems to be used as an excuse for making something bland and boring. Is it truly the case that a car that is targeted to be sold all over the globe has to please so many people that it can only be made to look bland..? Really..? Could it not also mean that all over the world people recognize it as a bland looking car, and therefore choose to go for something else?
By Cor Steenstra
