I couldn"t help drawing...
I couldn"t help drawing some comparisons with MG Rover when I attended a bullish Kia press conference at Hwasung, South Korea, earlier this month. This is a hungry firm which is keener on world domination than any other company I know now or have encountered in the past. Kia"s sales and financial figures, ambitions and sheer audacity are inspiring if you"re already one of the firm"s insiders, hugely exciting if you"re able to jump on the bandwagon (former MG Rover employees and dealers take note), intriguing for the competition and almost amusing to a neutral onlooker such as me.
Is this a contender...
Is this a contender for the ugliest car ever made? It"s the new SsangYong Rodius. The enormous MPV is a sight to behold with plastic body-mouldings, a reverse angle C-pillar and a towering ride height. Climb inside and the reason behind the design is clear - it seats 11! Under UK law that would make it a minibus, but in Korea the number of seats means buyers pay less tax. Powered by a 2.7-litre, 168bhp common-rail diesel engine, the vehicle"s bulk means it only manages 27mpg. SsangYong expects to sell 4,000 a month in its native market, but the UK importer told us there are no plans to bring it here. Perhaps that"s for the best...