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It all started with the Ford Model T and the domination of American Auto brands, then came the Europeans and the Japanese. Things were steady until the Koreans made their mark with cars with less-than-desirable quality and features. I guess the advent of Korean Autos on the world stage had been in the early to mid 90s. No one used to take them seriously as LG and Samsung were also considered second-tier brands.
And then the game changed and Korean cars started to make a mark in the international arena.
I am not an Auto critic but wanted to share my own experience of first time owning a Korean car. We bought the KIA RIO in 2015 and before it touches the 200,000 KM milestone I thought of running a quick review of my decision.
Seven and a half years, three AC compressors (Appreciate Dubai Temperatures), Mild Engine Vibration, Rear Doors Gasket Damage later, the car has performed quite well. We had a choice between this car, a Toyota Yaris and Suzuki Swift, both at least 25% more expensive but went with KIA.
The car was also bashed on the right side and rear-ended once but the sturdy finish had been quite remarkable.
The final test for its maturity had been last week when we drove it with full capacity to Jabal Jais (I,934M) in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. I had a feeling that it’s going to…
