2020 Kia Telluride

The 2020 Kia Telluride SUV has arrived, two years after the concept.  It's pretty disappointing all around.  Where the concept had a more muscular look, the production model is watered down and rather timid looking.  It will be available in multiple trim levels, so I'm guessing this one, in "Corpse Gray" will be very popular amongst mall goers.

When comparing the two, it's apparent that the lighting on the front end was turned 90 degrees from pleasing horizontal elements to unflattering vertical ones.  This is a mistake, because vertical lighting can be a real challenge to pull off.  The recessed grille on the concept was a much better look.

The rear on the concept was pretty ugly to begin with, with those "walking stick" tail lights, but the production model's remind me of Egyptian hieroglyphics and I can't unsee it.

If "clothes make the man," then "wheels make the car".  The wheels on this model are so generic, they look to be made of construction paper.  It's only after zooming in that you see they aren't completely flat, but they might as well be. 

On a sedan these would be boring enough.  On a tepid SUV, it's tragic.  

Automakers, please note:  If your wheels look like cardboard, then you've done it wrong.

Luckily the gray  model is not the only trim option available.  Below is a sportier variant that will probably be priced too high for most people.  I really love the combination of the green paint and black wheels on this model.  If I had my way, this would be the only option available.  Death to boring cars!

2020 Volkswagen Passat

Volkswagen's styling has been so boring for a while now.  It's amazing how you can design a car that looks both busy and boring at the same time.

The rear end isn't as bad as the front, but it's very forgettable and generic.

One of my pet peeves is ugly wheels.  The Passat's wheels have been painted in a way to make them look thinner and, I suppose more sporty and exotic, but to me, they just look flimsy and weak.  It's  It's a crappy trend that needs to die.

  

2020 BMW 7 Series

I was all set to hate the controversial new grille on the 2020 BMW 7 Series.  People are frothing at the mouth in some areas of the internet, but I have to say, I'm kind of used to it already.

In my opinion (your experience may vary), they did a pretty good job incorporating it into the front fascia.  It curves up over the leading edge of the hood and doesn't jut out in weird way or look like the gates on a McMansion the way it does on the X7.

However, that weird, vertical strip behind the front wheel makes no sense at all and just clashes with the rest of the car.  It's like one of those fake stick-on fender vents from Pep Boys.

Maybe I was ready for this because I grew up in the 80s, a time when luxury cars were required by law to have massive chrome grilles.  The flashier, the better.

Who knows, maybe BMW will put a padded roof option on it.  That would be totally awesome, dude.

2020 Toyota Supra

The 2020 Toyota Supra has finally seen the light of day. It's so late, that the redesigned model comes out next week.

I kid, I kid, but it's been so long and there have been so many leaks that the element of surprise was completely lost.  The only way they could have impressed the press at the Detroit Auto Show would have been to introduce it as a crossover.

As far as the styling goes, it seems very 90s to me, with a ton of curves, rounded off bulges and swoopy lines.  It's not ugly, but it seems dated.  Nevertheless, I'm sure they will sell a lot of them.

There's something about the shape of the roof and that tail that reminds me of something.  What do you think?

Don't Call the Cadillac CT6 Out Just Yet

I can't tell you how depressed I have been following the news that the CT6 would soon be discontinued.  I have followed this car since it was a wee development mule and thought it was a really impressive car in the flesh, with its low, long body and big wheels.

Today's news makes everything so much better! As it turns out, GM isn't killing the handsome full-sized sedan off, they are simply looking for another place to build it.  

I never thought it made sense to discontinue this car, when they have two other sedans in the works.

Source

2020 Ford Explorer

The 2020 Ford Explorer should be a hot seller for them. It's a beefy looking vehicle with an imposing new face that isn't overdone. Not a huge fan of the way the grille seeps under the headlights, though. It just makes them look like they are falling off.

The side has a nice aggressive character line that gives it added presence and I like the way the greenhouse seems to taper at the rear, which reminds me of the Range Rover Velar.

Now onto the interior.  It's been a few years since automakers started putting touch screens in their interiors, so I am baffled at how this came to be.

Come on, Ford.  What is that?  Is it removable?  It reminds me of the tablets they have at the airport so you can order food while you wait for your delayed flight to depart.

Whenever I see one of these, I remember who did it best, believe it or not:  Cadillac

This is the interior of the 2011 Cadillac CTS.  As you can see, when not in use, the screen lowers, showing a minimal amount of information.  When needed, it would rise out of the dashboard.  

To me, this is a simple and elegant way to have the best of both worlds, but these days, those screens control pretty much everything from radio volume to HVAC controls, eliminating as many buttons as possible.

Call me old fashioned, but I don't mind a physical button to adjust HVAC or the radio while I am driving.  

The weird thing is that, despite the massive screen, there are still a lot of buttons, so why is it so big?  I can't imagine it wouldn't be a massive distraction while driving at night. 

2020 Cadillac XT6

I have to say I am pretty disappointed in this one.  Sure, the CUV market is incredibly competitive, but they could have done something, anything, to make it stand out.  It looks really derivative and rushed.  The side profile has nothing unique about it - no interesting lines, sculpting or creative touches.

By comparison, the Buick Enclave seems much more interesting to me.  At least there's a design language at work there, and they are the only ones to have successfully pulled off the "flying roof" trend at the rear.

Perhaps the most disappointing part of this roll out is that they differentiate the two trim levels by their tail lights - the Sport model has dark trim, clear taillight lenses and a mesh grille.

That's it?  Do they think that's what shoppers are looking for?  I don't know, maybe that is what shopper are looking for.

If you compare the two models, its only apparent if you know what you're looking for.  XT6 Luxury model is below.

And here is the XT6 Sport, with dark trim instead of chrome.  I miss the good old days when trim models would have more obvious differences, like bumpers, ground effects or distinctive wheels.  

Getting a little tired of the poor Escala concept car (below) being whored out to make boring CUVs.  You can't shoe horn the sexy, curvy sedan styling onto a boxy vehicle like this and brag about it.  Anyone with eyes can see the only thing that is remotely close is the grill design.

Besides, there's so much vertical space on the front of an SUV that they have to wildly exaggerate the bumper to diminish it. All it does here is distract, with the weird way the bottom flares out. Maybe they can call it the Bell Bottom trim.

Let's hope the upcoming CT5 and CT4 sedans will be a little more faithful, but if GM is going back to the old days of cost cutting and bean counting, they're screwed.

The demise of the dramatic CT6 sedan (even with its flaws) just makes this hurt even more.