January 29: Moving on up

I've said this before........who would ever have figured from its so, so humble and trouble plagued beginnings, way back in 1985, that Hyundai would rise to the much respected level it is these days? Your Pony was falling apart back in the day and some bright soul says just wait, one day, a Hyundai will be North American Car of the Year. It is to laugh, bucko. It just ain't happening. Oh to be a fortune teller, since Hyundai, through their upscale Genesis brand has just won that prestigious award with their BMW 3 Series competitor, the G70 sedan.

Initially wanting to be known for more than a cheap entry level hatchback, Hyundai first tried moving up with the not so Stellar.....

Like the Pony, it had lots of issues, just in a bigger size. But at least they were trying. Doesn't everyone strive for greatness?

In Korea they even had a very luxurious model, the Equus (that name sound familiar?). The pride of South Korea, available in regular and extra long, limousine size......

Eventually, they bought the Equus name to North America. Gutsy, in that who would spend that much money in a Hyundai dealership? Ever seen this car, shown here in its non North American limo version.........

In my hometown of Toronto, I think I have seen more Lambo Urus's in the past couple of weeks, than I ever saw an Equus in the five or six years it was with us. But these guys learn quickly and they realized that if Hyundai was to sell really upscale models, then they better figure out a better way, than to place a high end sedan next to an economical Elantra and expect it to sell. An interesting aside......the Equus didn't come with a typical owner's manual, but with a tablet. And still it sat.

Moving right along, it finally dawned on the head honchos, that Genesis should be a separate brand, like Lexus or Infiniti. Hard to kick start a new high end brand, but after only a couple of years, they garnered the Car of the Year award. Impressive stuff.

Apart from winning that award at the recent Detroit show, they also unveiled the revised top of the line G90 (imaginative name).......

If you remember seeing the last one (you saw one? amazing!), you can see that no longer does it look like a Bentley or Mercedes clone, now it has its own unique design cues. Beautiful car, but one has to be very confident to pay $90k large for a Genesis (read Hyundai), when for a few bucks more you can put yourself into a brand with cache', like Mercedes or Lexus. Now, to its credit, the G90 has reviewers considering it to be one of, if not the best, big luxury sedan on the market.

Picture yourself in this G90 interior..........

Look like any Elantra you've ever seen? No, nothing like a typical Hyundai, more like an atypical Hyundai.

Did you count Hyundai out back in the day? Silly you. Now thirty plus years later, you shouldn't count them out either in their march to establish Genesis as a bona fide choice in the luxury car field. Give them time folks and you'll see those S Class and 7 Series buyers dropping into a Genesis showroom at the end of their current leases. And that you can take to the bank.

Until next time......

January 25: What will small look like?

Did you hear the announcement this past week that Ford is planning a new small pick-up to slot below the upcoming midsized Ranger? This strikes me as funny, since only a short while ago, most of the manufacturers backed away from the compact(?) pick-ups and only recently have they jumped back on board with new introductions. Is the market so strong for these trucks, that they will go the way of the suv, with a size for every wallet and use? As always time will tell.

How small? Like this?

Or more like this?

Or maybe somewhere in between or different all together. Ford plans to introduce their new junior trucklette within two or three years, so let the forecasting begin. May I go first?

In South America Ford has the small car based Courier........

Can't see this working up north, but a car based pup could be what Ford is considering. So, if they updated it to the current Focus and made it sort of like the original Honda Ridgeline, it might look like this......

Does anyone remember the Subaru Baja? I'm sure Ford does, so they might want to tread lightly on this design direction.

If the idea of a really junior pick-up takes hold, who else might join the party? Again, let's look at South America and see what Chevy sells in Brazil as the Montana (you can't keep a good name down).....

I've seen these in Mexico, so if needed and with a little help, they might make it over President Chump's ludicrous wall.

Haven't heard that Ram plans a midsized version, but the way things are going, how can they avoid it? If the even smaller pups take hold, they'll have to follow suit. Fiat has a pick-up in Italy called the Toro, that Ram is renaming the Ram 1000 with plans to sell it in Columbia.......

Why just Columbia? Who knows, but this Ridgeline type could easily be made to fit into Ram's North American product line.

And that perennial favour of North Americans, VW, has a pick-up in Europe, the Amarok, that I bet our dealers are just begging for, but so far to no avail. That model is a compact, but VW also has a junior model, the Saveiro, that could be sold here.......

Note that all of these little guys are or seem to be car based, with some sort of tough looking black mouldings around the bed. I guess they add a touch of macho flare to these offering. They must, since I can't see what other function they might serve.

Who can see into the future? Not I, but by looking at other offerings in other markets, maybe I might have hit on something that is headed our way. After all the new Ford Ranger was sold everywhere else in the world for a couple of years before it made its appearance in our marketplace for 2019. Mark this date on your calendar, as what Barry saw. Let's touch base again in 2022.

Until next time........

January 22: Outstanding or simply standing out?

What's going on here? Is this 1959 Dodge trying to scare young children or did the designer simply have a (very) bad day? My point here is that back many years ago all the cars, trucks or whatever had very distinctive front ends, so people knew they were about to get run over by a Dodge or a Chev or a Ford. Obviously there was no shortage of design ideas to make a vehicle stand out.

Flash forward to 2019 and check out a few of the distinctive(?) front ends currently on our roads.........

 See a certain similarity? Of course, there are nuances in the shape, in some cases, but overall they all have that in your face, stand up front end. Let me brag a bit, I have no problem identifying each of these vehicles, but let's face it, this is my business, I love cars and I'm anal. 'Nuff said.

Are all these designers suffering from the Bentley syndrome? Where is their creativity? Are there so few ideas floating around that everyone has to crib from the guy next door? I wonder.

There are a few outliers, who have gone their own way, some by tradition, others by design (or lack of it). The traditionalists.......

No question who is behind these standout front ends and have been for years and years. Identity identifiers, that these brands have ingrained in our minds since forever.

Is it so tough to come up with a corporate front end like these brands, that they will stay with until, like these three, they become the actual corporate face?

Or will they be like Lincoln above (no points for picking the right one) and keep changing to something new and loosing their identity in the process?

Sure there are a couple these days that are following their own path, whether you like them or not. The scary Toyota look, bad enough to make Stevie Wonder wince........

.....and newcomer Tesla's plain Jane, but standout face.......

Rant, rant, rant and where does it get me?  Nowhere but wondering if creatively in new vehicle design is a thing of the past except for the odd case. Is every company so afraid of standing out? Instead, they strive to be outstanding in their field, but look like everyone else.

On the other hand, maybe we should be grateful.......

Until next time........

January: Well hello, Big Boy

How often do we get a family photo with everyone lined up so perfectly straight? Usually impossible to do, but from the above we can see that Ford Explorers are very obedient. But what we can also see from this picture is the progression of the Explorer over its six generations from 1991 to the recently unveiled 2020 model. And yes, that little guy on the left is an Explorer. The first one. A ground breaker.

Up until 1990 there wasn't any mainstream (niche market Jeep Cherokee doesn't count) compact four door suv to tempt families, who didn't really want a minivan and loved the sound of the term sport ultility, although there was (and still is) nothing really sporty about them. Just a very useful and practical vehicle with good sight lines, since they are a little bit higher.

Ah, but what in life doesn't grow with age? Our waste lines? Our investments (hopefully)? And so it was with the Explorer like so many other vehicles. As it aged, it grew, adding length, width, price and luxury. So, what began as a very well equipped for its day compact suv.........

......grew into a much larger vehicle with an interior and a price befitting a luxury car (insert your favorite make here)........

Can you see the difference, boys and girls? I thought you could.

Over the years as the Explorer grew, Ford filled in the gap it left with a variety of smaller suvs, which just might retain their original sizes. Still not considered a full size suv (in whose eyes?), the recent Explorers would suit the needs of most families........

And as it grew and as the sedan market shrunk and in some cases disappeared, there is another market that has opened up to the rapidly expanding Explorer.........

Way back in 1991, who would ever have believed the Explorer would, among other things, eventually become the fastest all around police vehicle in North America?

Well hello, Big Boy. My how you've grown.

Until next time.........

January 15: All hail the mighty Supra

From such humble beginnings arose one of the most talked about and anticipated unveilings of the past couple of years. The hot new Toyota Supra.........

And so typical of Toyota design these days, there is not a styling cliche left off of this new rocket from Japan. There won't be a car wash anywhere that will love this car. Relax, today's is not a design critique blog, since I like surface interest or else I wouldn't be driving a new Maxima. But since you asked, I hate the front end, as it resembles the very first and rather ugly BMW Z3, but more about that later.

Humble beginnings, you say? Absolutely, as the original was nothing more than a Celica with a lengthened front end to accommodate a six cylinder motor........

Next up was a much better looking transformation of the next generation Celica.......

The Supra started to get some respect and so it went with the next generation, which bore no relationship to the smaller sport coupe Celica........

.......but the ultimate Supra was the last generation, which was a fire breather and got more respect than one could ever have imagined by being a hero ride in the mindless and mind numbing The Fast and the Furious movies.........

Yeah, this is the one that stole people's hearts and the one folks remembered, when they wished that the mighty Supra would make a reappearance, since it was consigned to the auto boneyard in 2002.

Patience pays off, since a very long seventeen years later, Toyota has wrought a new version. Maybe this decision to re-intro was driven by Toyota's mission to re-imagine themselves into a company, whose cars are capable handlers and even sporty. Think back to my blog about the new sport version of the Avalon whale car from a couple of months ago.

Well folks, the Supra has arrived and it comes with a first cousin from Germany, the new BMW Z4........

Argue all you want about which is the best hammer or the best looking one, but under those completely different approaches to styling, is the same BMW performance tuned power plant. Really? Yes, really. These days (years) even the mightiest companies need to have joint ventures to bring to market niche vehicles.

Did I mention that this new Supra will be built in Austria by that great Canadian company Magna? Also, there will be a four cylinder version, which should do wonders for this "wild" ride's street cred. Have the mighty fallen or been reborn?

You decide, would you prefer going to your local BMW dealer for service, or line up with the Corollas and Camrys at your local and more user friendly Toyota store? Choose a design that scares young children or the alternative? Nice to live in a world of choices, but breathe easier now that Toyota has brought back the once mighty Supra.

Until next time......

January 11: Time for a change?

That old Accord getting you down, Bunky? While great in its day, the style is now passe' and long past its prime. Of course, the same could be said about you as well, but never too late to look in the mirror and see something that isn't. And that beautiful person, the one especially meant for you, the one you choose to spend your life with, has moved on to greener pastures and taken the cat. Alone with that old Accord. This could be a sad scenario, but thanks to Executive Modcar Trendz (EMT) in Mumbai, there is hope for you yet.

Picture that old Accord transformed into the car of your dreams. One that will move you along on your life's journey. Picture it transformed into this golden chariot courtesy of EMT.......

While called the Nemesis, it sure won't be yours. This car will increase your stature immensely, as you are stuck in the horrific traffic jams of Mumbai. And, it will do so for relatively cheap coin, but let's not talk about something as mundane as money. A car like the Nemesis transcends those crass thoughts. No one will know from whence this car came (its origins for those of you not into word play). But with the spouse departing for parts unknown, maybe you aspire to even more single life greatness. No family, so those four doors are a waste. Time to check out the EMT catalogue, while still using that trusty, but rusty old Honda.......

Yes, EMT has your number, as it can cut and chop your old hoss into this orange dream ride with their Lambo look alike kit. Who's to know that your ride isn't actually from that famous Italian stable of outrageous exotics?

By now you are realizing that there is a company on the other side of our planet with a very unusual imagination. One that will allow us cash poor unfortunates to experience what only the very rich have been able to do so far. Not a maharaja?  No problem. Take your tired old Accord and have it transformed into a rich man's fantasy.

Ferrari more to your taste? Those rascals at Executive Modecar Trendz understand and have the answer to your unasked question........

Squint and even a bonafide car person would have to look three times to see that this is not quite the Italian stallion it seems. But who cares, as that giddy new love interest of yours sees a Ferrari or a Lambo or even that Nemesis and knows she's hooked up with greatness.

Yes, EMT plays in an interesting field. But not everyone wants or needs these wild offerings, so they also transform RV's into palaces on wheels or even take your extremely luxurious suv up a few notches. ......

We all know that India is emerging onto the world stage as an economic power powerhouse, so who better to serve those budding tastes than EMT. A little out of the way, a lot out of the ordinary, to steal a phrase.

But what a catalogue this varied custom house has. Think those Honda transformations are the stuff of dreams? You have superhero fantasies? Then EMT has just the model for you and this is no joke, even though it is.........

You got it. Your very own Batmobile, street legal and ready to rush to the aid of a love interest in distress. Who would have thought it? Who could imagine it? Who would want it? Whatever, EMT will build it for you with their ready to roll Batmobile kit.

For all of you who felt that if it wasn't European, American or Japanese, it wasn't worth considering, open your eyes and your wallet. Let Executive Modcar Trendz (www.executivemodcartrendz.net) tune up your personal heap and make you the envy of the subcontinent.

Until next time......