Seoul Searching

The Koreans are winning the War it seems.

Just over a decade or so ago, they were the clowns of the motoring industry with their cheap and laughable products.

Well, clearly, the game has moved on and they are surely the forerunner for the 'Best Improved' award.

These days, they make spanking good cars with great design, fine quality and sound engineering.

Check these new boys on the block and you know the Koreans have had a lot of Beef.

Let's get real here.

The Chevrolet Cruze is a winning recipe and a big part of the ingredient is kimchi

The Kia Cerato Forte is undeniably hot. The Koup, is molten!

The all new Hyundai Tucson surely blew its own designers away. Let alone the competition.

Check out this link for greater photos of the sexy new Tucson!

http://www.oneshift.com/articles/viewarticlephoto.php?artid=614#3


Q ...Even the perennial favourite, the Kia Picanto is quite the hot pepper that paved ( and continues to do so) for cheap-but-oh-so-good urban runabouts.

And you smell over-priced products everywhere else.

One more for the Club

Introducing the Mini One Clubman

I always loved to lay my hands on a Mini Clubman. ^^

Despite what the general perception of it being a total blaspheme to the old British motoring traditions (but look where it landed almost all of them carmakers), I do see the appeal of the new-fangled Clubman with its unique perspective to the winning formula that is the Mini. With more space, more doors and more tongues wagging (and probably more middle-finger pointing as well) .

But the standard Clubman is too expensive.

And needless to say , the turbo S-version is beyond the GDP of a small third world Nation.

So when I heard recently , that the entry level One version is about to be launched anytime now,

albeit , I 'm sure , an even larger legion of angry protesters, I see it as a possible route to Sensible Mini Clubman ownership.

Q ...

KA-ricature

Not showing it's age even after 12 long years.

The old model was an international best seller having sold over 1.4 million units.

So successful and ahead of its time that the car needed little upgrades in its astounding 12 year model run .

Edgy and go-kart like, was a formula that redefined what a life-style super compact ought to be. Stylish city-chic.

In your dreams will you ever have a four-door fudly dudly 'family hatch'. Hell no!

So outstanding it was this masterpiece that, even today, has few peers anywhere in the entire industry.

Being one of the very rare few dedicated style-doyens in what is essentially a mass-market driven segment.

Well, if its a formula that ain't broke, why fix it?

Indeed. The current one could still be shouldering on and still be right up ahead of the pack.

But, anything good is worth getting even better.

So here it is. The ALL -NEW

Ford Ka.

Quite a monumental moment in car history for the original captured the attention of so many growing up.

Mine included.

So arguably , though percievably not as ahead of its competition like its predecessor was, but still the elements that made it so appealling remains, very compact , stylish, edgy and fun.

There. Or be prepared to pay nearly 3 times as much for the Fiat 500 or Mini.

Q