[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > We rented a Hyundai Atos in Crete last November. Never heard of it > before; it may a Greek (not Grey) market car. ;) Had a 5 speed > transmission that took us around the island without much fanfare and > reasonable power. I wouldn't want to own one, however...
Actually the north american market gets very bland automobiles, on the whole. Nissan, for example, makes models specifically for the european market at a plant in the U.K. The Honda Accord is a quite different car altogether in Europe. The styling of many of the cars you see in Europe, like the Alfas and Peugeots, is miles ahead of most cars on sale in North America. Think Nissan Mureno (which was styled by Peugeot, I believe). All the German marques are prime offenders, shipping all of their cars high-spec only. In Europe you can buy an E-Class with a smaller engine and a stick. Or an Audi A4 in low spec for about the same as a mid-range Golf (which itself comes in about 25 models in Europe, from painful 1.2 liter city crawler to monster spec). OTOH, the U.S. already has the Toyota minicar line, I forget the name, but none yet for Canada (though maybe soon, as there are some running around on U.S. plates around here, which I assume to be corporate demo cars). Mac Aylmer, Quebec '60 Mercedes 220s / '85 Mercedes 300sd '75 Volvo 164e / '88 Volvo 245
