Failure from Dodge to SsangYong: losers on wheels

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All the misery of the British automobile industry in one model: British Leyland (nickname: “British misery”) was an attempt to unite previously rival brands within the group. Some brands went bankrupt, and Allegro heralded Austin’s decline. Despite the hatchback having no tailgate and no quality whatsoever, it is modern but ugly in its own right: if you put the jack in the wrong place, the rear window fell out – and garage owners had to drill the rainwater drainage holes themselves.

The Golf rival was supposed to make a splash in Dodge’s European launch, but that did neither Dodge nor its buyers any favors. Initially, things went well thanks to the cool design (the Cowboy in the Golf class) and the affordable price, but customers soon had to deal with lethargic gasoline engines, noisy pumped diesels from the VW rack, and foul fumes emitting from the vehicle. terrible deburred plastic (you even cut off the fingers) enough: it was finished in the sixth year.

The Pope received the thesis as a gift, which significantly increased sales. However, the Pope preferred to drive Mercedes; This says a lot about the thesis. This latest attempt to bring luxury back to Lancia proved hopeless after Fiat’s abuse of the brand over many years. You may like thesis for design. But now he was making his upper-class customers laugh rather than buy: too rugged to enjoy, too rocky to turn, and some warning lights are always on.

Somewhere, a very important joint was smoked too much: first the Vaneo that crashed, and then the R-Class. Absurd concept: Six executives set off on an adventure in the luxurious individual seats of a bright-eyed minibus. In America, the stunner sold quite well at first and some families swear by the used cars for Rs. But even with the makeover, poor sales couldn’t be saved: it ended in this country in 2013 (and in China it didn’t end until 2017).

You can’t say it better than “TopGear”: “Broken like in a bar fight and put back together by a blind man.” Like our taste buds, the South Korean brand has barely escaped the ridiculous idea of ​​relying on ugly design over sobriety. The first Rodius itself was still fair: it handled like a stick stick, but there was plenty of room for seven and a 4×4 at an affordable price. Its successor is not so visually noticeable anymore.

The design still takes our breath away today: Art on wheels! We thought the Avantime, created by current DS design boss Thierry Métroz, was gorgeous; until we drive it, because that’s where the van coupe failed. Long like Espace but without gaps. XXL doors with squeaky hinges. Utility value? None. After just a year and a half, then just 8,500 units built, it was over – and with it, so was contract manufacturer Matra and Renault’s sense of bravado. It’s a shame actually. What should we do? Buy it and put it in the garden as a statue.

Source: Blick