Guess what? We’re special. Special enough that Chrysler is offering a car here that is not offered in North America. The 2016 Chrysler 300 SRT is still built there, but will only go on sale in a handful of overseas markets such as South Africa, Australia and Japan as well as all the GCC countries. And we got our hands on a fresh example.
There are several fast 4x4s nowadays. And Range Rovers have been plenty fast ever since they started sticking superchargers on their V8s about a decade ago. However, someone gave Land Rover the bright idea that they should start their own “performance” badge, like BMW’s M and Mercedes’ AMG. Frankly, we’re wondering why they didn’t think of it sooner.
The Kia Sorento was never a serious contender in the crossover stakes, largely because it was one of the last holdovers from the “old” generation of Kia before ex-Audi designer Peter Schreyer took over and transformed the model line with more desirable styling. The all-new 2015 Kia Sorento finally gets that upgrade.
It’s a natural progression. The Evoque defined Range Rover’s new styling direction. Now all Range Rovers share the same styling crossover-like cues. Land Rover wanted to share the love, so now the Discovery Sport, a replacement for the LR2, drives onto the scene, looking very much like a part of the Range Rover family. After driving it in icy Iceland, we finally take a look at it on our dry local roads.
The Audi A6 has been facelifted. What, you don’t believe us? Look closer. It’s got new headlights and things. Truth is, the facelift really is limited to headlights and things, but it’s enough to make this midsize sedan look stunning with the “S-Line” package. Just look at those wheels.
If the regular GMC Acadia is not nearly enough in terms of equipment, there is the GMC Acadia Denali to up the bling factor. We kept one for a few days to use as family transportation, during Dubai’s worst sandstorm ever, three weeks ago.
The Flying Spur is Bentley’s idea of a sporting sedan — big, elegant, powerful and able to outhandle all sorts of smaller cars. And this here is the V8 version, slotting in below the W12 models.
We’ve driven several cookie-cutter BMWs. We’ve tested many Bentleys. But we never brought home a Rolls-Royce. We were saving it for a very special occasion, whatever it might be. However, that special occasion never quite seemed to require actually borrowing a Rolls. So when they themselves called us up and offered us a second-gen Ghost, we simply took it. At least mini-Mash would get to ride in one, even if he won’t remember it when he grows up.
In 2014, the new Ford Fusion was a long-awaited entry into the rather stagnant midsize sedan market that’s dominated by the Japanese. If you remember, we ran a set of articles about the Ford Fusion comparing the midsizer to its rivals in various aspects (and for the record, they were clearly labelled as sponsored by the carmaker, unlike the unmarked paid “reviews” that most other publications run for various brands). We were proud of those stories, largely because we brought some truth to advertising as we had complete control on what to write about, rather than just calling it the best car ever built,
It took long enough, but we finally got a Range Rover Sport Supercharged for an extended round. And it did not disappoint.