Kia got Style?

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by turboman808

Wow your about 15 years to late with that remark. Won JD Powers award over honda and toyota last year. Try again

Good thing they've done such a great job rebuilding their reputation. They waved the last shreds of respectability tata a long time ago.

 

[Roikins]

Originally Posted by turboman808

I think this is great. Causes the other manufacturers to really up the game level. Porsche still has leather as an option and sells the base models with plastic. I find that unacceptable. Jaguar on the other hand does not let a car leave the factory with anything other then leather and suede.


I don't think I'd want heavy leather standard in my GT3.

 

[dizzhizz]

it was a huge step for kia/hmc to acquire this man since korean autos were really lacking in terms of aesthetics. overall sales and market share for the hmc group has gone up tremendously since last month along with their stock price. i definitely see this auto group getting better in the future.

 

[Southern-Nupe]

Originally Posted by Douglas

They also do not let a car leave the factory without engine failures.
...I'm a big fan of the Jaguars, but this was a pretty nice quip.

 

[username79]

Originally Posted by Douglas

They also do not let a car leave the factory without engine failures.

You consistently sound stupid when you comment on cars.

 

[Brian SD]

Originally Posted by dizzhizz

it was a huge step for kia/hmc to acquire this man since korean autos were really lacking in terms of aesthetics. overall sales and market share for the hmc group has gone up tremendously since last month along with their stock price. i definitely see this auto group getting better in the future.

Don't be so nationalistic you silly Korean.

I kid, I kid. To my eyes this is the best looking economy compact out there.

 

[dizzhizz]

Originally Posted by Brian SD

Don't be so nationalistic you silly Korean.

I kid, I kid. To my eyes this is the best looking economy compact out there.

lol. bastard. even the rocal koreans would buy a beemer or a benz over a hyundai or kia anyday.

 

[Douglas]

Originally Posted by username79

You consistently sound stupid when you comment on cars.

why is that? you are a big jaguar fan?

Look, Jaguar is a storied name but they deserve a lot of the derision flying their way now. I grew up in my mom's 1976 XJ6, which was absolutely a gorgeous car with pretty damned nice performance but the thing was perpetually breaking down. It stranded us at least a dozen times.

We're talking about a company that was owned by Ford and then dumped to Tata. It is a shell of what it once was, and though it appears their cars are getting better, they're not an elite company by any stretch, and they're going to draw some negative quips. That's all there is to it.

Now please tell me what other stupid things I've said about cars.

 

[JAPAN]

Well, I am driving kia for now because I want to customize it. The price is quite cheap and I could just pimp my own car LOL

 

[impolyt_one]

I see the new Kias all day and have always seen a lot of Audi in them (along with a little Honda) so it's not as surprising for me to hear they've got Audi's old guy pushing pencils for them now, but still a good surprise nonetheless.

The midsize sedan above the Forte (don't know what they call it overseas and don't know if they offer it overseas, the one I'm talking about; it's the Lotze in Korea and there's an old model and a new model that they offer side by side as aesthetic choices... it's got a lot of JDM Honda Accord/TSX and Audi B7 A4 in it.
The Forte, it's like an Audi-ized Honda Civic. The new Koup that is out here (and to be out in the US soon I think) has an Audi A5 c-pillar, it's actually rather striking for a small car like that.

I think Hyundai Motor Group has come forward light years in design by hiring the white guys, in just a couple years, but they still need just a little more...

 

[dizzhizz]

i was seeing ads on the subway for the new coupe...17 inch rims and frameless windows.

market share in canada has also gone up too for both hyundai and kia. doing big things.

 

[SoulPatcher]

Originally Posted by impolyt_one

The Forte, it's like an Audi-ized Honda Civic. The new Koup that is out here (and to be out in the US soon I think) has an Audi A5 c-pillar, it's actually rather striking for a small car like that.

I think Hyundai Motor Group has come forward light years in design by hiring the white guys, in just a couple years, but they still need just a little more...

I completely see what you are saying. And of course he has a clear vision of both what he likes and what he wants for the company. One question would be the cause and effect. Does the car look this way because of his past, or does the car of the past look this way because of him. Eitherway, I would say its a good result design wise for Kia

Good rear 3 quarter shot

 

[impolyt_one]

At a low street-level view, that C-pillar is very dramatic and kind of skews your perception for a bit, until you realize how small the car is.

He's a good match for Kia. He has success in designing FWD-based cars (Audis are FWD-based, at least the A3, A4, A5, and TT) and Koreans abosutely love Audis, they're pretty much near BMW status here in Korea.

There are a lot of Audi tricks in the new Kia design language, two-tier trunk panels and liftgates with lights in the top tier shadowing over a license plate recess; the slim tapered head and tailights (though some of the cars take cues from JDM Hondas as well) etc. I'd say Kia is doing a better job with designs than Hyundai, the parent, is.

Their logo and branding on the other hand....

 

[Gus]

I rented a car on a recent trip in Minneapolis and was surprised when I was given a Kia. But as I drove it, I became impressed. It handled well, had good power and was comfortable.

Now, if they can started adding style consistently across the entire line on all models, they will become an awesome company.

 

[impolyt_one]

Originally Posted by Brian SD

Don't be so nationalistic you silly Korean.

I kid, I kid. To my eyes this is the best looking economy compact out there.

Styling-wise, in the same class here, the new Daewoo Lacetti, whatever it is, looks nice(r) IMO. It's not out in the USA yet I think, but it will be the new Chevy Cavalier/Cobalt replacement. Whereas the Kia has some Honda proportions, a couple Audi ideas, you can tell someone at the drawing board said they were gonna differentiate the Kia design by doing some bold lines that just seem kind of out of place to me. The ducktail trunk, while looking ok, and the small greenhouse don't help the Kia bely it's size.

The new Daewoo/Chevy, on the other hand, constantly fools me into believing it's a bigger car than it is, it's got a long greenhouse and more subtle edges that blend into one another and make more sense. When optioned out on bigger stock wheels to fill out the arches, it has a European look to it and at night with the headlight clusters on, I sometimes mistake it for the current 3-series, it's got that kind of look to it. The only thing I don't like about it and I know it will bug me everytime I see this car until eternity, is this huge black plastic cap they added under the C pillar to make the greenhouse a perfect arch, without a kink. It looks really cheap, compared to the rest of the car, which is pretty nice, at least design-wise.

I can't believe I'm saying these things about a Daewoo or a Chevy Cavalier. Anyway, it's soon to be out in the US and some other places I think.

Daewoos have actually been styled a bit nicer than Hyundais or Kia traditionally though; before the huge bankruptcy/GM takeover, and when they were preparing their line to be sold in America, all of the models were styled by Italdesign. They look a little ****** now, as 1-2 decade old Italian economy cars can tend to look, but they did have a certain design flair to them at the time when Hyundais were coming out looking they were pre-dented and disfigured for you.