Auto News 5

Prior to moving to the UK, I had almost zero exposure to the Kia brand which, 20 years ago, was mostly recycled Mazdas. And something called a Festiva which was a Mazda 121 built on an OEM basis for Ford Asia Pacific. If someone had told me the brand - under different ownership - would one day come at least within nose-punching distance of Lexus and those European 'premium' brands, I'd have laughed. But the day, it appears, has arrived.