News

Ford chose Dubai’s GITEX 2008 tech-trade show as the venue to launch their 2009 Ford Flex crossover, equipped with their much-hyped Sync entertainment system.

Read More …

Chrysler knew that their Jeep Grand Cherokee was a cash cow, and went all-out on its 1999 redesign. A lot of work went into this one, including frame engineering inputs from none other than Porsche. The result was a true off-roader with solid-axle front and rear suspension, with acceleration and handling performance that was surprising for such a “simple” setup. Indeed, barring the Wrangler, it was the last of the real Jeeps. Quality problems made it a headache to own, right up till 2002, when most reliability issues were sorted out. But the stigma of “unreliable American cars” forever haunts the Jeep brand,

Read More …

Porsche held multiple events over the weekend to launch the refreshed 2009 911 range in various GCC countries. Attending the Dubai press event, I saw the new version, and had a hard time picking out differences from the older version. However, most of the changes were under the skin.

Read More …

Our buddies at AutoMiddleEast report that the 2009 Mitsubishi Eclipse will hit the streets of Dubai soon. In fact, their editor has gone on a press trip to Japan for a drive on a track, as Mitsubishi secretly starts promoting the Eclipse as well as the Lancer Ralliart before their imminent GCC launch.

Read More …

The soft-top Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport was launched at a press event today in Dubai. I already reported on it before, so look it up for details. But I learned a few new things.

Read More …

At a recent press conference, Nissan and Al Dahana have announced the establishment of a joint venture company called Nissan Gulf FZCO (NGF), to “enhance Nissan’s marketing and sales strategy in key GCC markets and introduce a fully fledged financial services platform through all Middle East and North African countries.” Nissan Gulf plans to sell 160,000 vehicles a year by 2012, in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait and Bahrain. These four markets will represent more than 40 percent of Nissan sales in the region by 2012.

Read More …

Just when you thought that nothing can defeat Godzilla, problems start to arise from within itself. The insanely-capable Nissan GT-R, already on sale in the United States officially, is being undone by transmission failures, according to the American Nissan GT-R Owners Club. A member of the club says his GT-R suffered from odd noises, and took it in for servicing. Nissan USA told him it needs a new automanual gearbox for US$ 20,000, and it won’t be covered under warranty.

Read More …

Land Rover has been enrolling its customers in Britain to pay a certain amount to offset the pollution that their thirsty vehicles are going to cause up to 72,000 km. The monetary amount, calculated according to the amount of carbon dioxide released, is used by an organisation called ClimateCare in charitable activities around the world, aimed at reducing overall worldwide pollution. Land Rover has now decided to offer the programme to Middle East customers, except that it is included in the price of the vehicle as standard.

Read More …

The 2010 Mazda 3 is due to be unveiled on November 19 at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. However, the internet beats all else again, and first images of the new car are out in the open.

Read More …

I’ve been thinking of adding long-term car ownership reports ever since I started this website. However, back in 2004, I only owned one (old!) car, and the car companies totally rejected the idea, especially since I was a nobody then (and I still am a nobody, but slightly less so). However, it seems local rags CAR ME and Wheels have convinced some agencies to hand them free cars for months on end. Their rosy updates and choice of cars are different from what I had in mind, so I am now trying again to secure a car for a long-term test,

Read More …