Kia Amanti is a Foxy Grandpa

"Wobbles the Mind" (wobblesthemind) 07/04/2017 at 10:05 • Filed to: Korean Cars

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Carmax had a K900 on the lot yesterday so I sat in it! Hyundai dealer had a G90 behind the lot today so I walked up to it! But returning to my Amanti I swooned over it! Foxy Grandpa can hold his own just fine against the kiddos. Without checking, guess how much a Kia Amanti flagship sedan was brand new 10 years ago.

Nibby > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:07

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sick bentley bro

Wobbles the Mind > Nibby 07/04/2017 at 10:16

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So sick it’s terminal, mmph!

Nibby > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:17

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$35k msrp iirc

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:19

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The issue I have with the Amanti is that to me it looks like they took the front end of a 1995 Mercedes E-class and the back half of a 1998 Lincoln Town Car mixed it together and sold it as a new car in 2003. It’s kinda like a GTA version of a n upper middle-class sedan

Wobbles the Mind > Nibby 07/04/2017 at 10:20

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Too high, even fully loaded.

PS9 > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:20

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Comparing a 90s-00s era Kia and a ~15s and up era Kia is unreal. Without the badging you wouldn’t know those cars came from the same company.

Nibby > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:30

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tree fiddy

Wobbles the Mind > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/04/2017 at 10:35

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They did! Until around 2011 when South Korea allowed free trade you had to be seriously rich to have an imported luxury car in the country. Since Lincolns, Mercedes, Jaguars, and Bentleys were no where in the regular consumer market Hyundai built cars using the cues that worked.

China was the same way. Since it was nearly impossible to own a Range Rover or Prada bags in China you end up with people building something like the Land Wind and other knockoffs. You build for your market. But now that everything has opened up you’ll see the copies begin to disappear.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 10:43

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True, but this was a car that was already exported, so that part confused me a bit.
I never understood the need to imitate a working design anyway.
That’s what I think of kit-car manufacturers, too, why building imitations of rare cars that will be seen as such when they could produce their own awesome design?
And on top of that, why did people in western countries buy them, since they looked like rip-offs?

Wobbles the Mind > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/04/2017 at 11:00

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Building a car is hard! You end up with something like the Fisker Karma if you go for unique design first. A look like none other but after people spend some time with it no one wants to deal with the ergonomics and panels that are a millimeter off from fitting correctly so you get a squeak or rattle depending on vibrations and temperature. Have you really thought about what your standards are for quality and usability at even the lowest level of car making? You’re better off using all the measurements and designs already established to replicate the build of a car everyone knows is great and then improve on that than going ham the second you enter the market and losing the customers you gained at first once that design excitement wears off due to the fuel door getting stuck closed when the car is cold.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 11:13

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True, but I wonder if they took the actual measurements from the cars they were copying or if they just took obvious design cues.

due to the fuel door getting stuck closed when the car is cold

That’s oddly specific

Wobbles the Mind > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/04/2017 at 11:47

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Just for effect to give you an idea of the level of detail needed that can make or break whether people will continue to praise and buy your car. Only takes one mess up like that to be labeled a crappy carmaker and people to say, “I’m never buying whatever brand again!”

syaieya > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 12:00

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My girlfriend’s dad drives a Kia Amanti, he’s rather fond of the styling.

I drive a 99 E class. And even still that front end is my second least favorite part of the car next to it’s 12 spark plugs.

Mercedes are too known in my family not to keep going with them, but I honestly hope i can afford to skip the 211's all together.

Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction > Wobbles the Mind 07/04/2017 at 12:02

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And yet, people still buy Renault :)

fintail > Rustholes-Are-Weight-Reduction 07/04/2017 at 12:27

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I suspect they didn’t sell too well in western countries, even in the US, they are relatively uncommon, and their ranks are only shrinking. I think I have seen exactly one in Europe. Most people didn’t fall for it.

This is old style KDM flair, the same minds who put the ridiculous hood ornament on local market Equus. Fortunately, it is becoming a thing of the past.

B/Xmrrmvr > Nibby 07/05/2017 at 10:05

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sick bentley bro

Oh come on, at least get the car right.

Nibby > B/Xmrrmvr 07/05/2017 at 10:05

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no way dude that’s a fucking kia ripoff

B/Xmrrmvr > Wobbles the Mind 07/05/2017 at 10:08

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I used to think the Kia Amanti was the ugliest car at one point (S-Type knock off but worse), but then I learned about Lancia models besides the Stratos.