Against the grain
WHAT DOES IT mean to be an individual? Apologies if that sounds like the opening line to a fragrance commercial, but it’s a question worth pondering. Cars, like clothes, are often an extension of our own personalities, so what kind of whip does one buy if they prefer to stray outside the norm?
Maybe it’d be helpful if we define what “normal” is, perhaps. These days, it’s either something with a tall ride height and all-wheel drive; or a small hatchback. The odds are also pretty high that it comes from Japan, South Korea or Thailand.
But that’s just from spreadsheet analysis of sales data. While it’d be an easy thing to say “Asian SUVs are all the same”, that would be a gross generalisation, and a fairly inaccurate one too. Ever seen a Nissan Juke?
It’s subjective, but for me, the cars that I’d define as ‘unique’ are the ones that put character and emotion first, regardless of bodystyle. The best ones are those that don’t ignore every other criteria either; those things like driveability, comfort, performance and usability – the kinds of things that make you actually want to own a car, rather than simply admire it.
Two cars that should sit in the middle of that particular Venn diagram are the ones you see here: Peugeot’s 508 GT, and Skoda’s Octavia RS. Both are European, both are attractive mid-sizers with appealing design,
