Maloo

Maloo. In some aboriginal dialects it means "thunder." In others it means "Kangaroo." Dispute over meaning aside, though, Maloo is now a name that's familiar to countless millions of Australians, and quite a few Americans too, as it turns out.

So what is a Maloo? The best way to describe this vehicle to people who aren't familiar is to call it a cross between an El Camino and a Corvette. Built by a branch off of Holden, known as Holden Special Vehicles (HSV), the Maloo is technically classified as a "ute," short for utility. Utes are basically another trim level, in addition to coupe, sedan, and wagon versions of the same car. In summary then, the Maloo is a low-slung pickup with more coupe styling cues than pickup ones.

What makes the Maloo and all of the other utes so special though is that they are uniquely Australian. Sure, they sell these utes to people in Europe; sure these vehicles use many USDM parts from General Motors, but the point is that the design -the idea of making a true high-performance car into a pickup truck- is something that only the Australians have dared to do.

The Maloo is not practical; not even in the least bit, and that's what makes it strike a chord with car people. The idea and implementation of a ute is what is so exciting; the fact that something like this actually exists. You can imagine, then, what it was like for me to see one in the flesh.

This early-2000s HSV Maloo was parked outside of a Porsche dealership north of Atlanta, and I'm sure many people there were wondering why I was taking so many pictures. I guess that's something that the car can explain best, though.

Georgia's New Favorite SUV (from Korea)

Look around you nowadays and you are bound to notice the influx of Korean visitors. No, I'm not talking about tourists. I'm talking about the newest offerings from Kia and Hyundai, two manufacturers who have taken the United States by storm in recent years following massive redesign efforts.

At the forefront of this is the Kia Sorento. The midsized SUV market has been flooded in recent years, but that hasn't stopped this vehicle -manufactured at the West Point factory in this very state- from selling like mad. Sure, the Sorento has been around since 2002, but it wasn't until Kia's entire model lineup was revamped in 2009 that it became what the people wanted. The Sorento was transformed from a truck-like SUV with lazy and, dare I say, boring interior and exterior appointments, into something that has truly captured the market's attention.

We picked out the EX model, which is the Sorento's "middle of the road" trim level. Our EX has the optional 3.5l V6, which is good for 276hp; a big step up from the puny four cylinder configuration offered in the LX, which churns out 100hp less. This enthusiastic engine is mated to a smooth-shifting six speed automatic transmission, and this combination is good for an impressive 20mpg city and 26mpg on the highway. The EX never feels short on power, however the FWD configuration does lend itself to torque steer issues under spirited acceleration, but these issues can be remedied if you go for the AWD model.

More positive news comes when you take the Sorento out for a drive around town. Following the trend of other modern SUVs, Kia has ditched  body-on-frame construction and live axle suspension found in the first generation in favor of a more car-like unibody construction with fully independent suspension. What this translates to is an all-around better ride which is both comfortable and reasonably agile.

Clever design carries over into the cabin, which can be configured to seat seven with the rear seats up, or carry up to 73 cubic feet of cargo with all of the rear seats folded down. Materials in the cabin are of class-standard quality, but the design and use of materials -especially on the dash- is very attractive. Knobs and buttons for the climate controls and radio are intelligently laid out and easy to understand, with radio controls duplicated on the steering wheel. Sound quality from the stereo is acceptable, and the standard system comes with Bluetooth accessibility, along with an auxiliary jack and USB connectivity. The Sorento's driving position is excellent, however the seats are somewhat stiff and offer little support on the bottom, making longer trips arduous. Driver visibility is also slightly compromised by thick A-pillars and rear visibility can be poor as well, although comparable to many cars in its class.

Overall, the Sorento puts on a good showing for the new Kia Motors. With more refinement, comfort, quality, and overall performance than the outgoing model, this Sorento is an entirely new car. These visitors sure seem ready to establish a permanent residence, and we are quite alright with that.