LINGO: Sunroof vs. Moonroof
I really didn't know the difference between a sunroof and a moonroof - I only worked it out yesterday. So I thought I'd share it with you. I had always imagined that a sunroof and a moonroof were exactly the same thing, but now know the rather significant difference.
A sunroof is essentially a large glass panel in the roof of a car, which is almost always heavily tinted (so all the UV rays don't come into the car and sizzle the top of your head). The idea is that you can see through the glass and up to the wonders of blue skies. Sometimes however, it is simply too hot or too sunny for that kind of thing, so you can usually cover the sunroof from the inside with a retractable sheet of plastic or fabric which shields you from the light. Alternatively, if you're diggin' the sunshine, you can (usually electrically) make the sunroof glass slide up over the top of your roof, and let the golden rays of sun in. Hence, this is why it is called a "sunroof."
A moonroof is very similar, except for one important missing feature. With a moonroof, you can't allow the glass panel to slide away and let the sunshine in - it's a fixed panel. I suppose that's why it's called a "moonroof" - you can't let the golden rays of moonshine in, no matter how hard you try.
All this is illustrated with this picture below. On the left of the picture is a sunroof for the front passengers - it's letting the sun in. You can also see a plastic grab handle in the middle of the roof which allows you to cover over the glass (you might need to click the picture so you can see it in a larger format). To the right of the picture is a moonroof for the rear passengers, which has all the features of the sunroof, without the ability to let the sun completely "in", if you know what I mean.
Another cool feature you might hear of is a "panoramic sunroof". I've included this picture of one in a Citroen C4. The thing that makes it "panoramic" is that unlike the sunroof and moonroof in the previous picture, a panoramic sunroof spans the entire roof length of the car. It's like one giant sunroof. Except for the fact that it really should be called a panoramic moonroof, because it's one huge big fixed glass panel, and cannot allow sunlight properly "in" - unhindered by tinted glass.
Okay, there really isn't a huge difference between these things, but if you're going to splash out such a huge amount of money on a sunroof/moonroof (usually about $2000), I think you might want to make sure it has all the features you want.
NEWS: 2009 Kia Cerato is an Interesting Mish-Mash...
You may have seen it advertised on the Tennis, but now you get to see what it really looks like. It's the new Kia Cerato, and despite the fact that only cheapos will buy them, I thought I'd let you know what it's all about. Kia will tell you about how cutting edge their new car is, but it's only really a Hyundai Elantra - which arrived here for sale a whole two years ago. Nevertheless, it is here to persuade you that Kia definitely mean business. I'm not too sure it works, but on the other hand, I am sure that someone out there will really like this new Cerato.
The styling is somewhat of a departure from the looks of current Kias, and debuts what will become the new corporate face of Kia. The reason for the new design is that Kia have a new head designer, Peter Schreyer, who came to Kia from Volkswagen. The Cerato is an example of the apparently distinctive new "Schreyer Line" grille - which is as unremarkable as any other grille, just that it has two extra slithers of chrome near the Kia badge.
So anyway, the way it looks. The main influence here is clearly Honda, from the shape of headlights (which look interchangeable with the new Accord Euro) to the V-shaped face design, to the shape of the rear lights and boot (which screams "Civic" to me). But I still can't shake a little sense of Ford BF Falcon in the bonnet and the side profile, even though I very well know that Kia wouldn't be influenced by a large Australian sedan that is not sold anywhere else in the world.
So yes, I do believe it is be very derivative, but rather boring and safe nonetheless. Although having said that, the new Cerato is infinitely classier than the Elantra it is based upon, and although that doesn't say much, surely this can only help Kia in their quest to be perceived as a high quality car maker.
Less helpful is the design of the interior, which here is pictured in top spec SLi form (note the little bits of piano black finish, which is becoming more and more popular everywhere, it seems). While the centre console is rather nice, the overall impression of the interior is that it is very cheap. The fake metal finish just looks like silver plastic, and while the dark overall colour of the interior is meant to give the Cerato a European ambience, the overwhelming use of what I like to call "orange peel" plastics (you know, that rough dimply stuff that tells you it's a cheap car) spoils it. It also has probably the ugliest steering wheel design I've seen for quite a while.
But the Cerato will stay cheap, with a starting price of $18,990 - which becomes even more attractive with an optional $1,000 package that includes Stability Control, Traction Control, Cruise Control, and Audio Controls on the steering wheel. I call it... the control pack. Equally impressive is the new engine, still a 2.0 Litre, but with 115kW (making it the most powerful naturally aspirated 2.0 Litre in its class), and a tidy economy figure of 7.9L/100km. And with all six airbags as standard issue, the new Cerato suddenly sounds quite attractive.
In fact, Kia reckons that only prejudice will stop them selling a heap of Ceratos this year. They've set the target of 3,000 - but regardless, I'm starting to thing it might be worth a look for people who want conservative looks and a high level of features, without having to pay a high price.
NEWS: Hyundai i20 to replace Getz
It won't be long before the Hyundai Getz, well... getz the flick. The all new i20 is set to follow in it's bigger brother's footsteps (the i30), and offer a real alternative to the Mazda2 and Honda Jazz - and, knowing what the Koreans are like, it will be cheaper than just about all its rivals. Except maybe Kia.
The i20, despite what what Hyundai will protest, doesn't look remotely European - neither did the i30, and they reckoned that looked European too (it had chrome accents in the wheels, for Pete's sake! Bleugh!). Not to say that the i20 looks yuck, because it's more successful than the i30 at looking funky, modern and appealing. There's something of a Smart ForFour about it in my eyes, but with an asian-flavoured tilt. It could be another sign that Hyundai is becoming a whole lot more competitive. Not that I'd want one - it's a Hyundai, after all. How could I possibly put up with the shame?
