A sneak peek at the 2012 Hyundai Azera

The Azera, known in Korea as the Grandeur, is the more luxurious version of the Sonata (or the more economical version of the Genesis, if you prefer). It, too, has finally gotten the design overhaul we've seen with the Sonata and the Elantra, bringing them visually in line with the widely praised Genesis.

I must say, I like it. It definitely does look like a cousin to the Genesis, a car whose appearance I find very appealing.

Anyway, I ran across this picture while researching the Fiat 500 (Cinquecento), a small and once wildly popular Italian vehicle that is riding a wave of retro-favoring nostalgia into the driveways of a new generation of car owners looking for something fun, economical, and cute, à la the Mini Cooper.

I must say, I'm a sucker for small European automobiles, and I would buy one if I were tooling around the streets of San Francisco on a regular basis. The potholes in Honolulu, however, could swallow that thing whole.

Anyway, after seeing this, however, I'm not so sure I want a Cinquecento. Nor am I sure I want giant Ford and Chrysler vehicles on the streets of Seoul.