Feature Stories

First drive: 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Audi R8 V10 Plus in the UAE

When the first generation Audi R8 was launched in 2007, it caused quite a stir with its supercar looks, while combining it with daily drivability and good performance. For Audi, it likely wasn’t easy coming up with a new one. After almost a decade, the German luxury automaker has launched the new-generation R8. Still keeping the somewhat-similar exterior look with more edgier styling, the latest R8 is actually all-new from the ground up. Sadly, the V8 engine is gone, which we rather enjoyed in the previous model. However, the brilliant V10 is still there, which we had a go with on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

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First drive: 2016 Audi A4 in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Audi A4 in the UAE

Audi recently launched the all-new 2016 A4, the ninth generation of the German luxury brand’s top-selling sedan. It was their best seller in their entire line-up worldwide till 2012, when it was overtaken by the Q5 crossover. Audi went with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach for the looks, while adding their latest tech underneath the skin.

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First drive: 2016 Honda Civic 2.0 in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Honda Civic 2.0 in the UAE

The Honda Civic has been struggling to retain its relevance in recent years, what with strong competition from rivals that offer better overall value. Everyone would agree that the last truly-innovative Civic was the one that debuted in 2006, so a decade later, Honda has pulled out all the stops in an attempt to become the benchmark of the compact segment again, as can be seen by the daringly-designed exterior.

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First drive: 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan in Germany

First drive: 2017 Volkswagen Tiguan in Germany

Volkswagen has done well with the Tiguan -– sales of more than 2.8 million examples globally since its 2007 launch is reflective of that –- but there’s no denying it was getting long in the tooth against a horde of fresher rivals. Consider this: there are now three times as many contenders in the compact crossover segment as there were when the first Tiguan debuted. It was clearly time for a change, and the second-gen Tiguan, which goes on sale in our market from September onwards, represents exactly that. It genuinely is an ‘all-new’ vehicle, using as its basis the hugely-flexible MQB architecture that underpins everything from the latest VW Golf to the third-gen Audi TT.

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First drive: 2016 Toyota Fortuner in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Toyota Fortuner in the UAE

Al Futtaim Motors recently launched the all-new 2016 Toyota Fortuner in the UAE. Featuring completely new exterior and interior designs, the second generation Fortuner was destined to be a hit before it even arrived on our shores. We had a chance to drive the new Fortuner in both road and off-road conditions during the UAE’s mega-storm earlier this month.

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First drive: 2016 Ford Figo Hatchback in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Ford Figo Hatchback in the UAE

Ford is one of the few carmakers that generally treats us with a bit of respect. It’s something that’s hard to come by in this industry when you’re too honest for your own good. So when they asked us to run this 2016 Ford Figo Hatchback, we begrudgingly accepted. We can’t be fooling around in Mustangs every week. Our reluctance may have been so obvious that even the Ford spokesperson who delivered the car to us may have noticed. When we sat in the car, the first things that hit us were the hard plastics and the cheap headliner,

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First drive: 2016 Lincoln MKX in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Lincoln MKX in the UAE

Lincoln is not a brand that registers in anyone’s minds when shopping for a luxury car. Generally regarded as just better-trimmed versions of Fords, a proper effort has been made on the newer models to actually differentiate them from their Ford platform-mates. Take this 2016 Lincoln MKX for instance. It’s pretty darn good.

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First drive: 2016 Ford Ranger WildTrak in the UAE

First drive: 2016 Ford Ranger WildTrak in the UAE

The Ford Ranger WildTrak has been around for a while, although it has gone under the radar largely due to the fact that it only came with a diesel engine. Despite the visual modifications, its strong resemblance to the commercial variant never helped either. Just as diesel prices dropped significantly, Ford decided to update the Ranger WildTrak for 2016, trying to make it more appealing to people who desire a pickup truck that is too big to fit in the average parking space.

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First drive: 2015 Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupe and Convertible

First drive: 2015 Bentley Continental GT Speed Coupe and Convertible

The other day we were reminiscing about the first time we drove the Bentley Continental GT. It was the Speed variant, and the year was 2008. The GT had already been around for four years at that point, and the Speed was recently launched as a flagship model to keep the line fresh. We took it straight to Jebel Hafeet for our first ever run on that mountain, close to midnight, and it proved to be an amazing car.

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