News

I always try to be impartial about brands, but I actually have a soft spot for my Jeep Grand Cherokee. So I can’t help but feel slightly excited about the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee that made its debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show. Because in terms of features, it raises the bar yet again when it comes to combining affordability, offroad ability, crossover SUV looks, V8 performance, soft-touch cabin trim and some semblance of on-road handling. Do not take this as my endorsement for the dying Chrysler brand or Jeep in particular. The rest of Jeep’s range continue to be embarrassing.

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The 370Z Coupe is due in the GCC sometime in August, but the 370Z Roadster, with a convertible soft-top roof, is all set to debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show.

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Nearly a year after its worldwide debut, Nissan has finally launched the all-new GCC-spec 2009 Nissan Murano in the UAE at a launch ceremony in Dubai.

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Brawn GP’s Jenson Button made it two wins in a row after he won the rain-shortened 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix. A rain storm caused the race to be red-flagged, and then there was not enough daylight left to allow it to continue. Button found out he was the winner while sitting in the car on the grid for a restart that never came. But the top eight finishers only received half points.

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General Motors released a small softroader for the GCC market last year, called the GMC Terrain, a Korean-built model that shares its styling with the badge-engineered Opel Antara. Now America is getting its own version of the Terrain, based on the same platform, but with completely different styling. The all-new 2010 Terrain makes its world debut at the 2009 New York Auto Show, and we just found out it will come to the UAE, to replace the Korean one. However, if you don’t like its goofy styling, you will not miss much. This Canadian-built iteration of the Terrain is just one of a number of GM vehicles that is utilising this platform.

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There was a time when BMW refused to develop M versions of the X5 or the 7-Series, because they considered them to be too big to be truly sporty. Of course, things have changed over the years, and the profit-chasing company is now revealing the BMW X5 M and the BMW X6 M in time for the 2009 New York Auto Show. It has to be said that BMW started developing these pointlessly-fast SUVs before the recession, although the Z4 M has been cancelled due to the recession itself.

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The all-new 2010 Kia sorento was unveiled for its Korean home market, at the 2009 Seoul Auto Show. The existing 2009 Sorento is a truck-based offroad-capable midsize SUV that never sold well in major markets, including in the GCC. So Kia decided to turn it into a car-based “crossover” SUV instead.

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Rolls-Royce was voted the second most powerful superbrand according to a survey by The Centre for Brand Analysis, climbing up the rankings as the BBC and British Airways fell off the top-ten list. The UK-based company, who compiled the survey through a panel of experts and 1500 businessmen, say Rolls-Royce slid into second spot, only beaten to the top spot by Google. Note that the survey was conducted only in the United Kingdom.

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Mercedes-Benz has revealed the AMG version of the off-putting new 2010 E-Class, with an upgraded version of the AMG-specific 6.2-litre V8. Dubbed as the E63 AMG, it also sports a number of improvements, while looking better than its more pedestrian non-AMG siblings.

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The Subaru Legacy, an attractive and sporty Japanese midsize sedan that had everything going for it, is a massive flop in the UAE and certainly in most countries of the GCC. It looks like Subaru will take another shot at increasing their numbers on the streets of Dubai, and indeed the rest of the world, by unveiling a new iteration of the Legacy. Dubbed the “roomiest Legacy sedan ever with new levels of comfort and refinement,” it seems to have given up its handsome looks to gain a practical image.

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