First Drive

Bentley has made the decision to retire the legendary W12 engine, and the 2024 Bentley Flying Spur is the last of their cars to get it, as the 2025 model has already been revealed with a hybrid V8, just like every other Bentley in their latest range. While the new hybrid motors boast more power, anyone who has driven a 12-cylinder car (and most, unfortunately, have not had the pleasure) can attest to how scintillating the entire experience is.

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The German luxury carmakers had a good thing going. They all had settled on a sensible naming system for their respective brands by the late 1990s, cleanly designating the size of the model as well as the engine. Cracks started appearing when they had to come up with names for their new-fangled turbo engines. And now with the advent of electric models, all logic has been thrown out the window. While BMW and Mercedes-Benz have especially struggled, at least we know that anything with “e-tron” in the name of an Audi means it’s electric. The “RS” and “GT” badges have been randomly thrown in for good measure,

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The Kia EV9 is the brand’s entry into the three-row electric SUV segment. Its boxy yet futuristic design turns heads, and its electric motors provide decent range and performance. Like the Kia EV6 we tested, the EV9 also spills into the premium category with its features and power.

Kia has pushed the boundaries of SUV design with an angular, almost concept car-like appearance. The front end is dominated by a sleek, pixelated LED light bar, replacing the traditional grille, while the bumper features sharply contoured air intakes.

Its boxy shape and Kia’s “Digital Tiger Face” design language give it an unmistakable identity.

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The first generation BMW 1-Series hatchback debuted back in 2004, providing a new – less expensive – entry point for would-be BeeEm owners who fancied having a car with the blue-and-white roundel on the bonnet, but couldn’t quite stretch to a 3-Series.

The first two generations of BMW 1-Series were unique in the compact hatchback arena as they were the only offerings with a driver-focused rear-wheel-drive layout. Every other competitor – Audi A3, Mercedes A-Class, Volkswagen Golf etc – featured the usual front-wheel-drive architecture.

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Kia has been stepping up its electric offerings in the Middle East. The EV6 and EV9 has already gone on sale, and the Kia EV5 is now the latest model to join the lineup. What makes the EV5 interesting is its interior space compared to similarly-sized vehicles.

Looking at the exterior dimension numbers, the EV5 falls into the compact SUV category. However, inside, the rear legroom is comparable to most midsize SUVs.

It measures about 4.61 m long, which is about 10 cm longer than the Sportage.

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Since its launch at the beginning of the year, the Jetour T2 has continued generating tremendous interest in this region. Even before that, the T2 got worldwide attention when it was officially revealed last year due to its exterior design, which combines retro and modern elements.

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It’s an open secret that the Nissan Patrol, in its current “Y62” form, is on its final run. It is most likely going to be the last time you can get a Patrol with a V8, and while it’s been around largely unchanged since 2010, Nissan has done well to keep the big guy updated with the latest tech over the years.

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Seres entered the UAE market last year. Seres means the “Country of Silk,” a reference to the ancient Silk Road. Recently, they introduced the Seres 7, their midsize SUV offering. What makes the Seres 7 different from other offerings? It gets the Intelligent Range-Extender System technology they created, which helps extend the range and eliminate range anxiety.

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Zeekr, part of the Geely group, officially launched in the UAE under the Al Rostomani Group. We recently had a chance to test drive the Zeekr X, one of the latest electric cars to hit the Middle East.

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The Cadillac XT4 gets a refresh for 2024. This generation has been around since 2018 and has received very minor changes over the years, but this time around, the XT4 has updated its looks and received a significant upgrade to the interior technology.

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