Wd Express 930 06010 001 Interior Door Handle on 2040-parts.com

Subaru seeks to dump 'quirky,' broaden appeal

When Subaru arrived in the United States in the 1960s, ads used the unflattering slogan "cheap and ugly." The brand has come a long way. But to critics, the concept of "Subaru styling" is still an oxymoron. Even loyalists describe it as "quirky"; the less charitable choose "bland" and "boxy." Subaru is one of the few brands that have been unscathed, even growing stronger, during the U.S.

Daihatsu's funky Cube rival on the way

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 29 September 2006 08:01 Daihatsu is on the verge of giving its boxy Materia supermini – which made its European debut in Paris - the green light for UK imports. If given the green light the spacious five-seater, which is already on sale in Japan, would arrive here next spring as a stand-alone topend model. The Materia is very similar to Nissan's does-it-exactly-what-it-says-on-the-tin Cube, which has been super popular with Japanese kids.

Facelift Jaguar XK spotted

We’ve seen a few shots of the facelift for the Jaguar XK recently, but this is the first un-disguised car we’ve come across. The obvious at first view are the new vents in the front, but it’s a bit more extensive than that. The whole car has been tweaked to give a more current style, and there are LED lights at the back and indicators in the door mirrors.