Kia Motors has a cadenza

It is riddled with oddities and inconsistencies wherever you look but that hasn’t stopped it from becoming the pre-eminent global lingo and the default language of aviation.
I mean, just look at these examples. We have a cough and a bough. The former is pronounced “koff” and the latter, “bow” but the composition of the words is identical aside from the lead consonant. And then we have the plural of hoof which is “hooves” yet the plural of roof is “roofs” And even more strange is that you describe more than one house as “houses” but more than one mouse morphs into “mice”. You can well imagine a non-English speaker asking an estate agent if it would be possible to visit some hice today whereupon, the agent would probably have a cadenza!
Cadenza is such an expressive word and to me has always been another way of referring to “having a valve bounce” or “blowing a gasket”, both expressions of the utmost relevance in a car column.  In fact, a cadenza is related to music and originally referred to a vocal flourish in a song or, oddly, to the period when an orchestra stops playing in a concerto and gives stage to a soloist. Seems contradictory to me but that’s the very issue I’m on about here, especially as Kia Motors has just launched a new model bearing the name Cadenza.
 One hopes that the new owners of this vehicle will not have cause to have any cadenzas of their own but you have to ask yourself if the proprietors of this increasingly competitive South Korean firm did any homework before they slapped badges on the finished product. The plot thickens because on the home market, the car will be known as the K7 which to me sounds like a peak in the Himalayas.  Whatever, the Cadenza is a large luxury saloon powered by a 3,5 litre V6 petrol motor and it’s slated to enter the African market in 2010.
High fives
I am advised that Enid Blyton was neither a BMW fan nor a clairvoyant. I mention this because she was a prolific author with a propensity for numbers which are now associated with BMW. In my younger days, I progressed from reading about The Secret Seven to The Famous Five. It never entered my mind in those far off days that Ms Blyton may have had advance information on a large luxury saloon undergoing development in Munich or that she foresaw that the launch 5-Series model in the early 70s was to be the progenitor of a long line of sporting expresses whose genes were clearly sourced in this famous model.
 The current 5-Series never really attracted the number of buyers its technical prowess deserved, probably because the styling,  which owed nearly everything to the controversial and much-discussed Mr Bangle, was not everyone’s cup of tea.
As of last week, its currency is on borrowed time as a new model has been unveiled in Germany and as you will note from the picture which hopefully accompanies this screed, the controversial styling elements have been consigned to the dustbin.
 Reportedly available in Europe from March 2010, the new 5 derives much of its styling from the relatively new 7-Series which means it’s elegant in a rather conservative way.   Hopefully it won’t date too quickly but its initial showroom appeal should be strong. Very evident is the long wheelbase which outstretches the new E-Class and the Audi A6.  This should ensure very good rear leg room and suggests that the ride will be up with the best.
Initially, the engine range will encompass one V8 and three 6 cylinder petrol derivatives together with two 6 cylinder diesels and a 4 cylinder diesel with aluminium crankcase.    Unlike the V configuration adopted by its main rivals, the 530D and 525D remain faithful to BMW’s tried and trusted straight six layout. All versions will be made available with an 8-speed auto transmission, but again unlike its rivals, manual boxes will be available on every model except the 550i.
Electronic aids of every imaginable type will be a feature of the new models which also come with the latest version of BMW’s iDrive controller. Hopefully, this is simpler to operate than the original iDrive system which had a habit of making mountains out of molehills.
Cruising in
Just two days ago, yet another “new” Toyota Land Cruiser went on sale in the UK.  It’s hard to believe that Toyota’s 4X4 has been cruising around for 60 years but it’s not hard to appreciate that this tough off-roader has made Africa its own in that time. Frankly, I’ve found the blurring of Prado and Cruiser models to be somewhat confusing and I suspect customers feel the same way.
Apparently, the new model in the UK does not replace the big V8 Cruiser but it does replace the former Prado models yet carries with it Land Cruiser nomenclature,  Are you still with me? The manufacturer claims this is the most advanced model ever offered and to back up the claim, it points to an advanced new Multi-terrain Assist system which allows the driver to dial in the nature of the terrain to be tackled so as to allow electronics to optimise traction and power delivery. Further assistance is provided by four onboard cameras which will leave no excuse for your wife to drive into hidden walls and tree stumps.
This all sounds remarkably like the All-Terrain system successfully utilised by Land Rover and having had some hands-on experience of how effectively this works, I suspect that Toyota simply had to raise its game to stay competitive. While I have little doubt that Land Cruisers will tackle the rough stuff just about as well as any competitor, there’s no doubt that in many difficult situations, the driver is the weak link and electronics can make the difference between clearing an obstacle or allowing it to defeat your progress.
Prepare also for a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS) that adjusts the front and rear anti-roll bars to the benefit off-road progress together with self-levelling and height adjustable rear suspension that is supported by air rather than steel. Again, Land-Rover appears to be “the  car in front”.
Motive power of the UK model at least is provided by the familiar D4-D 3,0 litre turbo diesel unit in conjunction with a 5-speed auto transmission. It seems that seating layout may vary by market but you can be sure that the interior will feature a lot more toys including niceties such as USB ports, a very fancy sound system and a comprehensive information system.
Inconsistencies
More rumours continue to surface about the introduction of the traffic offence demerit system in RSA with some web sites claiming it’s now in use in some parts. Who knows, but if you can believe the list of penalties, you can be sure that there will be lots of aggrieved motorists around. As ever, so-called speeding attracts the most draconian penalties. By travelling at 91 km/h in a 60 km/h zone, many of which are found on billiard-smooth three lane highways, you will lose four points (a third of your allowance) but if your car has defective brakes, only one point will be deducted. It’s a bad joke.
Still on speed, the application of stupidly low limits creates its own set of dangers. Cars, trucks, bakkies, buses, bikes and all other wheeled objects tend to bunch up, thus compounding potential dangers.
In the UK, the 70 mph motorway limit is fair enough at peak traffic times, but for the most part, it’s lower than most motorists feel comfortable travelling at.  The more enlightened police forces mostly turn a blind eye  if speeds of up to 90 mph are maintained for the simple reason that the 20 mph cushion tends to reduce bunching and tailgating.