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This week’s test car is rather special to me for number of reasons, chief among which is the fact that the first ever official launch I attended was for the then-new Soul. It’s not the most amazing car on the planet yet I adore its individuality and cheeky, boxy shape.
Despite fluctuating sales the motoring industry has never offered more diversity and consumers are absolutely spoilt rotten for choice when it comes to selecting their next set of wheels. We at NamWheels have compiled a wee list of cars which we believe to be hidden gems.
Oor die jare heen was KIA nog altyd vir my half en half ‘n misterie, veral nadat ek meer as tien jaar gelede in Duitsland gesien het dat die KIA handelsmerk een van die mees bekendes daar was. Soveel so dat een van die handelaars daar ook Volkswagens verkoop het! Dit terwyl Hyundai by ons die groot Koreaanse verkoper was en KIA’s tweede viool gespeel het.
Last week saw the introduction of the Hyundai i30, a compact hatchback competing in the C-segment against favourites like the VW Golf, Opel Astra and Ford Focus. The Korean is all-new and armed with a few goodies to create some European headaches.
Met die bekendstelling van die derde generasie Optima het die hoof in beheer van die ontwerp van – produkte, Peter Schreyer, en sy span in die ateljees in Frankfurt en Kalifornië dit onomwonde gestel dat met die Optima dit die doel was om aan die publiek ‘n motor bekend te stel wat hulle nie van sou verwag het nie.
“That looks fantastic!” I thought as I first set eyes on our KIA Rio test car, coated in launch red and hiding behind a picturesque old building. Its most striking features are those huge chrome wheels, the angry tiger nose and some very cool-looking headlights.
Many car manufacturers like to make a big noise about their latest product and urge you to buy the best thing since sliced biltong. Most of their marketing efforts are just steam-powered self-promotion but occasionally a grain of truth slips through…
The boomerang puppy
Nissans usually make a good impression on yours truly. Even models with just one exhaust pipe and no wings are usually well packaged and good to drive. The Micra was the exception, chiefly because I never tested the previous version and partly because I didn’t like its looks.
Certain cars raise the eyelids and saliva levels of petrol heads and guarantee their owners, even temporary ones, a crowd of inquisitive onlookers. The escalating-pitch one-word “And?” is a favourite question you’ll have to endure when you hold the key to a Chevrolet Lumina SS.