While going to my car I noticed that a Kia Amanti was parked next to it. There seemed to be an eerie similarity in overall configuration, that is, four headlights and a somewhat oblong grill. However, the execution of the design was markedly different. Where the S-Type had a graceful flow in its line, the Kia appeared to be entirely awkward angles. It seemed as though someone in Kia Corporate told the styling department to copy the S-Type, but nobody in styling appeared to know how to draw a curved line. At best, it looked like the Kia was a cheap knockoff of the rather more elegant and shapely Jaguar.

Mike

 

unfortunately there are alot of these around me. There is no mistaking it though. Your assesment is dead on though, poor failure at copying it. Funnier even is the taillight setup in some Hyundai's.....almost identical to the s-type in the rear

 

Kia does build some decent cars.

But whenever I see an Amanti, the grill makes me think: Studebaker.

 

Thankfully that Kia is not for sale in the UK. But you can get one of these........



....the Mitsuoka Viewt on personal import from Japan.

 

I can hear it now. I had a Viewt...but I got better

Mike

 

Yeah, my buddies rip on me all the time calling my white cat a Hyundai. The Kia's front end is hideous, while it is a little similar it looks just got awful, like a 1st grader designed it.

I remember when I lived in Upstate NY (where everybody owns Huyndai) there was a commercial where the owner of the dealership called them mini Jaguar's for half the price and double the warranty. Too bad they are 1/100th of the car. I love my S-type.

 

That may be a nice ride if it was RWD.