Steering You Right with Sharon Peters: Too Aggressive
Q: I’ve noticed beginning in the last couple of years that stories and reviews keep referring to “a more aggressive” look when cars are redesigned. Am I to suppose all writers and reviewers have a common notion of what “aggressive” means in car design? Or is this a word of the moment that they’re parroting from manufacturers?
A: I can’t address the thinking/vocabulary of all journalists and reviewers. I can tell you carmakers are quite enchanted with the word “aggressive” (though I don’t always agree that the design tweaks and features they refer to as aggressive are actually that).
A quick review I did of press releases and publicity materials generated by a handful of carmakers about the 2018 models shows it’s definitely a hot and happening word among them.
What Acura writes about its RLX: “Acura has made the (front fascia) more aggressive than the previous model,” and about the TLX: “The TLX boasts a more aggressive and sporty look …”
Buick writes in its material that the “Buick Regal GS five door debuted with … more aggressive styling than the model it replaces.”
A press release about the Honda Fit touts the 2018’s “more aggressive design.”
I could go on and on.
And as you have noticed, it appears that maybe some of the writers and reviewers have been unable to find their own words to describe the design changes.
Q: I think I must have missed something huge. I read a recent story about a new Volvo model and the story said Volvo is Chinese owned. Can that possibly be true?
A: Volvo’s car manufacturing operation is owned by Chinese carmaker Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which is usually referred to as Geely.
That’s been the case since 2010, when Geely acquired it from Ford Motor Company, which had acquired it in 1999.
The headquarters is still Gothenburg, Sweden, which is where the company was founded in the 1920s. Swedish AB Volvo still owns the truck and construction equipment piece of the company. A few months back Volvo announced it would be introducing its first electric or hybrid electric vehicles by sometime in 2019.
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What’s your question? Sharon Peters would like to hear about what’s on your mind when it comes to caring for, driving and repairing your vehicle. Email Sharon@ctwfeatures.com.