i Bet 30 Somethings Won't By This Hyundai

So it's happened again!! A car manufacturer has launched a new motor car to the world's press and yet again it looks nothing like the concept that had us drooling.

The car in question this time is the all new Hyundai i30 a car that the Korean firm claim is "the most important car Hyundai has ever launched in the UK".

Forget all the corporate bull for a moment and take a look at the two cars in this picture. The one on the top was what we thought we were getting, the one on the bottom is what we got. Ok, it's not the ugliest car on the planet and it is a big improvement on the Hyundai hatchbacks of the past, but come on it's about as exciting as wood.

While Tony Whitehorn, Managing Director of Hyundai UK, was wooing the world's press with quotes like: "it heralds a dramatic shift in image and attitude that will drive change in people’s perception of the whole Hyundai brand", Fiat were giving us what we really want in their all new Fiat Bravo hatchback.

Now that's a car that will excite car buyers and give the big boys like Ford, VW and Vauxhall a run for their money. Sure the Fiat will probably fall to bits around you and breakdown at the first sign of rain, but you'll have a lot of fun along the way.

Sure the just like all Hyundai's, the i30 will be reliable, well built and never let you down when it counts. But it's hard to believe that this is a car design from the same company that brought us the superb Hyundai Coupe and the new shape Santa Fe. Both of these models breath new life into Hyundai and attract buyers of all ages, which is what you need to do if you have ambitions to be the biggest car maker on the planet.

As Mr Whitehorn finished his keynote speech with: "Similarly to other alpha-numerically named line-ups, it should become obvious that with a range of cars from i10 to i70 (and more perhaps, in time) – with special suffixes for estates, SUVs and sports coupe models – it will be easy to identify that Hyundai has a progressive range of cars."

Well in that case you should have called this the i70, as i doubt many customer's below the age of 30 will be driving this.

Will The 6 MPS Survive?

I was thinking the other day about this new Mazda 6 that's due to be unveiled at Frankfurt 2007.

Whilst reading the blogs and looking at spyshots, it's clear that Mazda's embargo on its dealer network and the press is working, as very little information is doing the rounds with only the odd quote of "it looks like a Lexus" coming from the privileged few that have clocked eyes on it.

This really is an important launch, you can tell. I mean we knew two years ago about the Mazda Crossport which eventually became the Mazda CX7 and we've been teased for a year and half with the impending all new Mazda 2.

The competition in this segment is fierce and has grown since Mazda launched the 6 in the UK back in March 2002, where it simply trashed the opposition. Since it's launch, a recent Mazda 6 Review reveals the car has won no less than 100 awards globally, 59 of which were won on the battle grounds of Europe.

So get this wrong Mazda and your going to go backwards and i think they know it. Let's hope this silence is golden.

So where will the current Mazda 6 MPS fit into all of this. From all accounts the car has not really captured the imagination of the petrol heads, drawing them away from their high powered Beamers or Impreza's. Although it's a super quick car, handles like on rails and has the build quality of a Rhino, Mazda know that subtle and serenity will never beat brash and bold in the world of high powered sports saloons. And they should know, hell, they are the masters at it.

Unlike its sibling the 3 MPS, which is selling like hotcakes, the 6 MPS will be left between a rock and a very hard place when the all new 6 hits the showrooms. Rumours of a much larger car with more powerful engines, although you can rule the V6 out for the UK thanks to Gordon, are going to leave the 6 MPS with even less identity than it has now.

So here's my prediction. Mazda will drop the current 6 MPS and relaunch it in the all new Mazda 6 design where it will finally earn some Kudos. That said, whether it will ever join the hall of famers like the MX5, RX7 and RX8 remains to be seen.

TV Still The Way Forward For Kia

After one rather weird and annoying TV ad, Kia are still determined to flaunt themselves on TV and ram the message home that the Korean giant means business.

As for that annoying TV ad, thank god we didn't get a sequel!

Instead, Kia went for a more subtle approach featuring a couple who meet for the first time and after a quick wizz around the block in a Kia Ceed, the guy turns to the lady and proposes marriage, children, a house, a dog and a lifetime of happiness. Naturally she says yes and so the story ends.

The notion being that everybody makes a commitment. The guy commits to buying a Kia for the first time, Kia commit themselves to a 7 year warranty, a first in Europe and the UK, and...you get the general idea. Lets hope the car and the marriage doesn't break down before 7 years. I digress

This latest TV deal only involves 1 years commitment where Kia Sponsors Channel Five and popular US crime shows including CSI series, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Law and Order, The Shield, NCIS and Criminal Minds.

Creating only 55 seconds of brand exposure within an hour of programming, Kia clearly feel this is money well spent. Idents will start with the Ceed and the Sportage, followed by the remainder of the range at a later date.

The programme starts tonight with CSI at 9pm.

Design Your Kia Ceed

Kia announced a new design tool that allows Ceed owners to mix and match exact specifications, with all the right equipment and in the colour of their choice.

‘Design My Kia’ is a new and convenient way to choose Kia Ceed accessories on-line, enabling customers to see their Kia just the way they want it. It eliminates any hassle and gives customers the chance to visualise the accessories actually on the car and in their preferred body colour, making the buying experience easier than ever.

The downside of course is you can't buy directly, as the manufacturer is leaving that to the dealer network, most of which have not got their acts together and don't offer online accessory sales. Why not it's 2007 for gods sake!!

Customers can select a model and take the opportunity to ‘design it’ the way they’d like it. The section also features a ‘shopping cart’, which adds (based on the RRP), the accessory choices, excluding VAT, fitting and paint (if required) to give a guide price.

The image can be saved to ponder on later, sent to family or friends for their opinion, or emailed to the local Kia dealer to request a quote.

“The new system is very much focussed on the customer,” says Emma Horne, Kia’s Aftersales Marketing Manager.

“After they choose the accessories they want, the website asks for the customer’s postcode – this generates three local dealers the customer can choose from to ask for a fully inclusive quote.”

‘Design my Kia’ went live in March, and doesn't just feature the Kia Ceed accessory range but the vast majority of Kia Accessories including Sorento, Sedona, Rio, Picanto, Magentis and Sportage, with Carens coming on stream later in the spring. There is also a used car section featuring the previous Sorento and Sedona models.

Mazda CX7 Retuned For UK Roads

Mazda revealed that over 30% of the all new Mazda CX7's driving set up has been changed to meet the demands of the UK & European driver.

Extensive testing and tuning were carried out at Mazda's European R&D Center near Frankfurt in Germany, where the Mazda CX7 was put through its paces on the German Autobahns, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, mountain roads as well as extension Winter testing in Northern Europe.

It's clear that Mazda want to bring this car to market place as a new type of Sports SUV maintaining their reputation as an affordable Sports car manufacturer. What baffles me though is why didn't they take advantage of the MPS brand.

Carrying the same Mazda Performance Series engine (MPS) as the top of the range 3 and 6 MPS, the Mazda CX7 could quite easily have taken the badge judging by the performance figures and acceleration. It would have made marketing the car an awful lot easier as well, with customers already familiar with the MPS branding.

Powered by a 2.3 DISI Turbo charged engine, Mazda engineers have managed to squeeze 260 PS and 380 Nm of torque out of the UK variant (the US version has 244 HP), meaning the Mazda CX7 can reach a top speed of 130 mph and achieve a 0-62 mph time of 8.0 secs, pretty impressive from a car of its weight and overall size.

On top of engine performance, there were tweaks to suspension, ABS, ESP, steering, brakes and road/wind noise.

With these enhancements, combined with SUV roominess and flexibility, the Mazda CX7 is poised to set a new standard in its segment in Europe. Demanding, sporty and different, it gives European customers everything they could ever want to support a multi-activity lifestyle with high levels of driving enjoyment.

The Mazda CX7 won't be in the showrooms until September and even then there will only be a limited number built for the UK in 2007. For those of you who want to avoid disappointment, Mazda have launched a pre-order site at www.cx-7order.co.uk.

Mazda 6 Kumano A Car To Seek Sanctuary

As the Frankfurt Motor Show draws nearer and the impending launch of the all new Mazda 6, a plethora of limited edition Mazda 6's will be finding their way into UK showrooms over the coming weeks.

The limited edition Mazda 6 Kumano, the final swan song to a car that kick started the Mazda revival and returned them to where they rightly belong as a car manufacturer that makes seriously good motor cars.

Kumano, is a general name given to the southern part of the Kii Peninsula and is one of the most prominent religious sanctuaries for the people of Japan. And with a BOSE Premium audio system with 6 CD autochanger and seven speakers, steering wheel audio controls, electric windows and sunroof, electric heated door mirrors, climate control air conditioning, cruise control, leather wrapped steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake lever, the 6 Kumano will feel heaven.

Based on the popular and highly specified five-door hatchback TS 2 model, the Mazda 6 Kumano sports additional exterior and interior equipment. Inside, there is blue/black seat trim and a piano black centre console.

On-the-road, the Mazda 6 2.0 Kumano costs £17,550 and the Mazda 6 2.0 D Kumano is priced at £18,650. While the Kumano package has a total value of £925, the price of the petrol model is increased by just £370 and the diesel by £380 – compared to the TS 2 derivative – representing a customer saving of £555 and £545 respectively.

Outside, the Kumano boasts powerful Xenon headlights, with auto headlamp and auto windscreen wiper operation, plus special ‘dark brushed finish’ 16-inch alloy wheels, unique Kumano badging and metallic or mica paint – free of charge.

Both the 147ps petrol-engined Mazda 6 2.0 Kumano and the 143ps diesel powered Mazda 6 2.0 D Kumano come in a choice of two colours – Titanium Grey Metallic or Stormy Blue Mica paint.