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Sometimes my friends and acquaintances can be cruel. Downright rude, even. If I had a Rand for every time I heard “Meh, is that your car for this week?” or “When are you testing a Ferrari?” I’d have, oh, about N$28 now. What most of them refuse to believe is that I enjoy testing small budget cars – like this Kia Picanto.
What you need to know: Now in its second generation, the Kia Soul is a strange-looking box of a car which is actually quite versatile and good to drive. With LED’s here, more space there and fresh drive trains, gen two retains the proportions of its ancestor (2009-2014) while upping specification levels.
Lesers gaan dink dat dit is godslasterlik om ‘n motor en ‘n siel in dieselfe asem te noem, motors kan immers nie siele hê nie. Maar daar is egter wel so-iets soos ‘n emosie wat ‘n mens kan ervaar, iets soos welsaligheid wat gepaard gaan met positiewe ervarings. Volgens ons roep die KIA Soul van hierdie emosies en gevoelens op! En dan die ander lewensles; moet nooit iemand op sy baadjie takseer nie!
Die Citroëns van die ou dae het ‘n reputasie gehad van ‘n bietjie anders wees maar die laaste paar jaar was hulle maar nog net deel van die hoofstroom Europese motors. Nou het Citroën met die nuwe C4 Cactus weer ‘n model wat jy op ‘n afstand kan uitken tussen die ander. Party mense sal dink hy is pragtig, terwyl ander weer glad nie van sy voorkoms sal hou nie. In Suid-Afrika vervang die Cactus die C4 reeks.
Met die bekendstelling van Kia se Koup 1.6 T-GDi is die driemanskap met die Cerato sedan en die vyf-deur luikrugmodel voltooi en het Kia dan ook ‘n belangrike leemte in hierdie modelreeks gevul. Die Kia motormaatskappy het, veral oor die laaste dekade, sy teenwoordigheid in Europa, die VSA en ook hier te lande in min of meer al die motorsegmente deeglik laat geld.
I’m a big coupé fan. Most of my own cars had two doors, their sleeker and sportier disposition always appeals to me. Without the need for regular rear seat access, tall drivers like yours truly can recline for extra comfort and bask in the decadence of using just the front seats.
I’m really struggling to find an angle for this review of Kia’s new Cerato hatchback, come up with something I haven’t voiced before. Much improved quality, vastly better designs, great specs, blah blah fishpaste. So perhaps I’ll just string together some impressions from our test.
Today’s rant is being flung in your general direction from the dizzy height of my high horse where I aim to slay many motorised misconceptions thought up by automotive ignoramuses. Feel free to validate any of these claims with your local petrol head or grease monkey.
A few years ago I tested a big Korean SUV and while I couldn’t fault it in any meaningful way, I was overcome by a sense of pity. The preferred flashy 4×4 is German and great value for money even counts against its snob appeal. Does the same apply to Kia’s Optima luxury sedan?
KIA se uiters gewilde en suksesvolle Sorento spog nou met etlike verdere verbeterings wat veral die bakontwerp, aandrywing, brandstofverbruik, beter hantering, meer rygerief en uitstekende veiligheidskenmerke betref.