2008 Jaguar XKR
| The Good: – Enchanting design – Tight handling – Cool luxury gadgetry |
The Bad: – Docile new face – Not as fast as its looks – Seating position too low |
| The Good: – Enchanting design – Tight handling – Cool luxury gadgetry |
The Bad: – Docile new face – Not as fast as its looks – Seating position too low |
| The Good: – Sleek swoopy styling – Excellent cabin materials – Good all-round performance |
The Bad: – Cramped rear legroom – Car posing as a 4WD – Compact cargo area |
| The Good: – Stand-out presence – Good off-road ability – Good rear legroom |
The Bad: – Too big for the streets – Full-size fuel economy – Poor cargo-area management |
| The Good: – Super handling – Classy cabin design – Quiet comfortable ride |
The Bad: – Engine lacks low-end grunt – Pedestrian exterior styling – Complicated computer issues |
The 2008 Chicago Auto Show played host to the American-market 2009 Acura RL, which is sold as the Honda Legend in the rest of the world. The anonymous-looking current Legend was released late in the GCC, and it looks like it will soon be replaced by this one.
The existing Mitsubishi Eclipse, sold only in North America, gets a facelift for the 2009 model year to make it look like the new Lancer Evolution. Except that the Evo remains the true sports car of the range.
I believe the borrowed car I am driving right now is the only new XKR I’ve ever seen on local roads. This was our ride to the Supercar Show in Abu Dhabi, although we went on the last day of the show simply because Jaguar postponed our date with the car. It’s interesting how this car made us feel invincible. Power to excite. Handling to break backs. And looks that make pedestrians stare at us like we are celebrities.
The 2009 Hyundai Sonata will debut at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, with a new front end, a small bump up in power, and a totally revised interior.
The late-entry V6 Galant may have just been released here, but the American market is already readying a facelifted replacement for the sleepy Mitsubishi midsizer, to be shown at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show next week. The front gets a minor facelift, but the rear is completely changed.