GCC

VW-owned Czech carmaker Skoda has launched the sporty RS versions of the their facelifted 2009 Octavia.

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The Ford F-150 is the top-selling light truck in the United States. The latest redesigned 2009 version is available in hundreds of variants in America, even while GCC dealers are still trying to offload leftovers of the previous version here. Expanding the American line-up is the all-new 2010 F-150 SVT Raptor, a purpose-built high-performance off-road truck built by Ford’s SVT performance division. As Ford teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, it is a last hurrah for SVT before quietly winding down operations.

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Volkswagen has just released a more aggressive-looking Tiguan model in Europe called the Volkswagen Tiguan R Line. It does not get any engine upgrades but it does add some flavour to the dull design.

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GM’s Opel division, all but forgotten in the GCC, has released a power-packed midsize sedan in Europe, called the Opel Insignia OPC. Good looks, 300+ hp turbocharged engine, 4×4 technology, below 6 seconds 0-100 kph and tested extensively in the famous Nurbrgring circuit, everything sounds like a winner, except maybe the name.

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The BMW dealer in Abu Dhabi is offering AC Schnitzer body kits for the BMW X5 and the BMW X6, calling it The Falcon. Incidentally, BMW’s GCC office recently reported that the 7-Series is their top-selling model in this region, followed by the BMW X6 and then the BMW X5. Considering the abundance of BMW’s soft-roading clientele, they should have no problem selling these kits.

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You have to wonder what the marketing people at Land Rover are getting paid for, when they thought it appropriate to rename the LR3 just because it received a new grille and a new engine for the 2010 model year.

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The Audi Q7 has received a facelift for the 2010 model year. The only problem is no one will ever notice it. Even the engine range will be carried over. Audi has, however, released a long list of changes to point them out.

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The 2009 Renault Koleos was released in the UAE on the fake slopes of Ski Dubai in the Mall of the Emirates to show off its off-roading capabilities. It is Renault’s first crossover powered with a 2.5-litre 170 hp engine.

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A different take on the Outlander crossover SUV was shown by Mitsubishi at the 2009 New York Auto Show. The first thing you notice on this Mitsubishi Outlander ‘prototype’ is the front which distinctly looks the same as that of a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X. Also the rest of the car has been changed, along with the interior, trying to give it a more upscale feel to it.

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We first got wind of the 2010 Lexus RX’s imminent launch when I and my PR buddy did the rounds of ad agencies a few months ago, trying to get advertisements for this website. At the time, Toyota UAE’s ad agency said they will not give us their upcoming Lexus RX ads because they only wanted to target women, and apparently we don’t have enough women visiting this site. A month later, we see ads for the RX all over MBC Action, AutoMiddleEast, Car ME and every other possible men’s media. While we were flat-out rejected for the ad campaign for flimsy reasons,

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