Archive for the ‘Featured’ Category
When I first clapped eyes on the all new Kia Forte in the dark multi storey car park, I must admit that I was taken aback, for this really did not look like any other Korean sedan that I had ever seen. The entire design and look had a very European feel to it. From the front you have the aggressively styled lights and a lovely honeycomb grille and the rear end is pert and has a sporty look to it. As an overall design package it is a complete success, I defy you to find one angle at which this new Kia Forte looks bad. Well maybe only if you look at it from under the car… but from any other angle, it is really very easy on the eyes.
The European feel and looks don’t just end at the exterior, the interior is equally as impressive. The dashboard has soft feel plastics where it matters and the instrument binnacle obviously derived its inspiration from Alfa, which is a very very good thing. The meters look great. All major controls and meters are clear and easy to read, and they have a good weight to them which is quite rare for a Korean car, or even Japanese for that matter. +Continue Reading
Japan’s executive triumvirate of Honda Accord, Toyota Camry and Nissan Cefiro/Teana have been at loggerheads for the longest time. But each of them has followed its own development path, resulting in three very different cars today, even though they still target more or less the same customers. And how their evolutionary paths have diverged.
In its pursuit of maximum comfort and minimum effort, the Camry has dialled out any semblance of character, that intangible automotive asset which can spell the difference between an ordinary commute and a joyful journey. This Toyota is fuss-free and also fun free. The Teana, previously known as the Cefiro, has thankfully stopped copying the Camry and started innovating. The end result is a modern Japanese Lancia in all but name; a handsome saloon almost artistic in its design and quietly luxurious to boot. The Accord, meanwhile, has neither the elegance of the Teana nor the pillow-smooth ride of the Camry. Instead, the big Honda is big on handling and “feeling”. Yet it is also roomy and comfy, in line with Camry-class requirements. +Continue Reading
Every time a new E-Class comes to town; the birds stop chirping and the car jungle notices. Few cars can match its influence and reputation. The last time that happened was more than half a decade ago, when the W211 generation car came along. Between its quad oval headlamps and the flowing silhouette, Mercedes created a beauty.
Seven years on, Mercedes comes out with this. Known internally as the W212, it’s a sedan that looks like it was drawn with an Etch A Sketch. Instead of subtly evolving the Wall’s design, Mercedes went off tangent. The old car’s smooth lines have been hacked into hard angles, the pretty oval headlamps have been chiselled into a rhombus shape. The E-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s biggest seller, sold to the most conservative of buyers. It is its golden goose. The risks of breaking from the mould are enormous, arguably greater than the time BMW roiled out its Bangled 7 Series.
Obviously, signing off the W212 this way was by no means a casual decision. To get an idea of where it is going, we must consider the car alongside its predecessor. Cue the W211. The irony is that it’s the delicate and pretty W211 that’s the oddball in the brand’s tradition. Merc 4-doors were always known for their image of vault-like solidity and chunky design. +Continue Reading
Despite being the biggest sports utility vehicle in our roads, the Audi Q7 hasn’t been noticed and has generally been flying under the radar in the three years it’s been around. To address this, it’s just been given a visual fillip. The facelift is a subtle one, with the addition of Audi’s now-customary look-at-me daytime running lights in the headlamps. The indicator lamps and some bits of the tail lamps now feature LED.
Perhaps more significantly, equipment level is up and all Q7s come with gigantic 20-inch wheels, along with an S-Line body kit, all to sharpen the Q7′s looks and reduce its hulking mien, although it’s still not svelte by any means. There aren’t any major changes inside either – just the judicious addition of some chrome bits and improved MMI graphics. Otherwise, the cabin ambience and layout remain as before: unadventurously styled but cohesive. The Q7 remains the big, comfy all-purpose luxury liner that it has always been. It’s considerably bigger than the SUV norm (it’s up there in A8 territory length-wise). +Continue Reading
By now, many have, rightly or otherwise, decided that the new E-Class Coupe is better looking creature than its sedan siblings. But there’s is something more significant about the 2-door E-Class than just being easy on the eyes; Mercedes has built it to last a long, long time. It’s not just about the car ability to hold up but how it has been conceived to mature gracefully with the owner.
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The latest 2010 edition of the Range Rover Sport, with its significant improvements, aims to replicate the success of its predecessor, and not just within the ball-kicking ranks of the English Premier League elite. Range Rover Sport, the fastest and in many ways the most fun car in the Land Rover line-up today. Vivid orange paintwork is no longer available, but the palette of 12 different colours, including regal Buckingham Blue, ought to satisfy even the fussiest buyer. There is also more paint per se, with the side mirror housing now colour-coded.
The rest of the exterior, like that of the regular Range Rover and Discovery 4, has been given an upmarket update. The xenon headlamps, now with LED “high-lights”, and more attractive and also more effective than before. The “cheese grater” grille has been tastefully redesigned, along with the bumper (sleeker), air dam (larger) and fog lamps (better intergrated). Frontal aerodynamics must have had an influence on the revised aesthetics. On the flanks, the functional vents with their slightly tacky twin strakes have been refreshed, while the generous fenders arch over handsome alloy wheels available with a choice of designs; two 19-inch and five 20-inch options. At the back of the vehicle, you get more LED lighting, a rear bumper that mirrors the front bumper (but “upside down”), and a pair of exhaust pipes poking out purposely. +Continue Reading
When I first clapped eyes on the all new Kia Forte in the dark multi storey car park, I must admit that I was taken aback, for this really did not look like any other Korean sedan that I had ever seen. The entire design and look had a very European feel to it. From the front you have the aggressively styled lights and a lovely honeycomb grille and the rear end is pert and has a sporty look to it. As an overall design package it is a complete success, I defy you to find one angle at which this new Kia Forte looks bad. Well maybe only if you look at it from under the car… but from any other angle, it is really very easy on the eyes.
