On oversized car boots

Seriously, when do car-makers plan to realize that extra-large boots utterly ruin a car's looks? I've just seen a few of the ghastly new Indigo Manzas on the road, and, as if those weird headlamps aren't enough, the car has a massive boot that's almost as long as a Nano (hyperbole alert!). Needless to say, with its short hood, the car's proportions are all wrong. And, from the rear, the spindly wheels make it look ridiculous.

Some more examples of this short-hood, long-boot recipe for disaster include the old Indigo, the previous Honda City and the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. Just about everyone knows that the best-looking cars have long hoods and short rear-ends, like the Aston Martin DB7, and the Lamborgini Miura. Even mass-market cars like the current Honda Civic have this taken care of.

This is probably due to the current fad of tacking a boot onto a successful hatchback. This has already resulted in the Swift DZire. Tata should have learnt its lesson from the old Indigo. And couldn't they have asked the folks at Jaguar to have a quick look at it? Volkswagen has been in this for years with the Golf and the Jetta, which though not beautiful, is hardly an eyesore. Even Ford made a decent booted version of the old Focus.

Another reason to buy a hatchback then...

Happy New Year

Here's wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2010. And the same goes for the 2010s, whatever we wind up calling them.