Originally posted by monochrome For a long time I didn't get KIA. I still don't get the KIA Soul (for G*& sake, hamsters?) but they sell 1,000,000 KIA's +/- in the USA now and nearly 300,000 Souls, the best-selling sub-compact car in America. It had a snappy design, great features for a young generation, kitschy marketing; but the low-powered engine, rough transmission and terrible ride were universally PANNED by the automotive press.
Yhey sell nearly as many Souls as Subaru sells CARS here.
The refresh has made the 'faults' a bit better, but the price is also a bit higher. Under 30 women just love the damned thing.
Scion is basically the same thing with the same faults. Which is why I, as a Gen-X'r, ended up with a Honda Fit. Black, just like my camera
It's interesting that the Japanese and Koreans entered the US car market in pretty much opposite directions. The Japanese entered the market with ugly but reliable cars. The Koreans entered the market with stylish (they hired Germans to do the styling) but unreliable cars. The Japanese eventually figured the styling part out, the Koreans are still producing garbage.