QOROS sounds like a particularly poncey type of men's aftershave - the sort of "fragrance" for blokes who don't have to try... too hard.
Fear not Lynx-users, you won't have to switch brands, because Qoros is a car company.
A new manufacturer from China, Qoros says it's here to change perceptions of cars from the People's Republic as cheap and not always cheerful.
It has big ambitions, too, but will it end up emulating Kia... or Daewoo?

Why is Qoros different? Well, its cars look as though they were actually styled by someone who knew the sharp end of a pencil from the bit with a rubber on. The '3' - its first entrant to the European market - has hints of the Volvo S60 around its hind quarters and the imposing grille owes a debt to the Kia Optima, but it's smart and contemporary rather than a cheap rip-off.

Will it be cheap? No. In Europe it sells for similar cash to an Opel (Vauxhall) Insignia.

Does it drive well? Better than you'd think. Quoros poached its chassis guru from BMW's M-Power division but, as BMWs are all rear wheel drive and the 3 is strictly front wheel drive, I'm not sure how important that may be.

What about the kit? Qoros hopes to deliver a winning blow in the showroom by laying on oodles of kit - cruise control, air con, keyless go and an 8-inch touchscreen (Qoros has also poached the former head of sat nav specialist Tom, Tom) are all part of the basic spec. You'd pay a lot more than 17 big ones for a similar spec Insignia.

Drawbacks? Err, would you buy an expensive Chinese car when there are so many great models from established European manufacturers? Me neither.

What about the future? The next Qoros will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Qoros says the new model (likely to be a crossover) is aimed at "the young, modern always-connected metropolitan customer"... whoever that is. Qoros reckons it has plans to launch a new model every six months so always-connected metropolitan types will have plenty of choice.

When can I guy one? That's the problem - Qoros is launching in Europe, but not the UK. If it succeeds one day you can expect them to arrive here but, for now, this is strictly a European experiment.

Why it's great:
Looks good for a Chinese car.

Why it ain't:
Costs a lot for a Chinese car, no diesels, likely to be a depreciation disaster

VERDICT:
While I admire its audacity, I just can't see Qoros conquering Europe with expensive cars.