Brands nowadays are diluted, anyway, so it doesn’t matter
Brand loyalty is still a thing in the automotive world, although it is frankly a bit passé given that outsourcing and sharing of parts are so big right now. I think it’s a bit ridiculous to root for a specific brand any more these days, and you’d best be on the lookout for great cars no matter the badge they bear.
For the purpose of trying to demonstrate how ridiculous I think brand loyalty is in the current context, I’ve swapped around the front fascias of some luxurious SUVs. There is no point behind the exercise other than just to perhaps make you agree with me on all of the above.
Nothing is either sacred or or sacrilegious any more, I think – like some purist types, for instance, will be horribly offended by a car with an engine swap from a different brand. But I don’t think that’s important and all that matters is the quality of the finished result (much more so than its background story).
Manufacturers swap everything among themselves these days, from platforms, to technology, engines, braking systems and so on, up to a point where you begin to wonder just what it all means. One thing is clear, though, and highlighted in my case by the recent test drive of the Kia Stinger which is an awesome car from a manufacturer with little experience in that segment – I think it is currently more desirable and head-turning than some more expensive established rivals.
But I could go on ranting about this literally for days, so for the purpose of you seeing some face-swapped SUV statements I will now stop typing.