The Seoul Motor Show 2009's press day was today, and both Chun Go-eun and I were there to take the photos and get the hard-hitting stories about new cars. Overall the event seemed to be just the same as previous events, since there was just as large a swarm of reporters as there always is, and the auto companies seemed to spare no expense to try to impress, as they have in the past. Judging from the show, there is no economic crisis. However, there was one big theme in that every company was talking about hybrids, green cars, and alternative fuels.
When one thinks of alternative cars, green fuels, and saving the environment, one also tends to think of little tiny girlyman cars. However, Ssangyong showed us that it is not necessarily so that you have to drive a tiny pocket-sized car to save the world. You can also do it in a stylishly green-colored SUV.
Also, Ssangyong is maintaining their undisputed Korean SUV market with the new Rexton, same as the old Rexton. There wasn't anything revolutionary here, unless you count the model's pants.
In looking forward to this year's motor show, I was hoping that companies could show a change in direction, brought on by the global economic crisis and a new desire to be more fuel efficient. However, GM Daewoo seemed to show no signs of change. They did, however, show signs of marketing genius.
Girls' Generation is fast growing in popularity, and may soon eclipse the other girl band in Korea, which is... hrm... I can't remember. I guess they already have! They were hired to promote this little green number.
This was an entertaining and excellent move by GM Daewoo, matched only partially by Ford later on in the day. However, I was disappointed that GM Daewoo did not emphasize an alternative fuel vehicle.
Hyundai was all about the change. They showed off a hybrid version of an existing model, the Avante. While it is impressive to put a hybrid engine in an existing line, the futuristicality is just simply missing.
But futuristicality, that elusive pseudoword that one looks for at a motor show, was definitely present at the Renault Samsung booth, of all places. Samsung is a company more widely known for its cell phones and memory chips than it is for its futuristic concept cars, but nevertheless Renault Samsung unveiled their emx concept car, a sleek design that ended up looking much different from its sketches leaked a few weeks ago.
Personally, I love these kinds of cars, and I wish companies would stop making them and then showing them off at a motor show and letting them fade into nothingness. This is the kind of car I want to drive, today. Next year is 2010 for pete's sake, we have needed futuristic cars for about 11 years now!
