It was one of those rare times when I actually looked forward to those long usually-boring press driving events. General Motors Middle East imported ten new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro models to Dubai for the UAE and GCC press launch, and we were among the second bunch of people to drive them, after the “big” magazine people had their fill the day before, but as I saw later, the cars still generated lots of interest on the roads.
BMW’s Dubai dealerships are now offering the all-new GCC-spec 2009 BMW Z4. The new model comes with three engine choices and a standard folding hard-top convertible roof, while also moving up a class in the roadster market.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. In this case, it is for the benefit of car enthusiasts. The Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, a car that originally retailed for more than Dhs 180,000 in the UAE, has gone through two discounts to come down to Dhs 150,000 now. And now the dealer is offering the choice of a further Dhs 5,000 discount or, interestingly enough, a 330 hp engine power upgrade.
While the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X is only available in a limited number of variants here in the UAE and other GCC countries, the UK market is the only one to get as many as three different versions. Beyond the standard FQ-300 and the upgraded FQ-330, the new Evo X flagship model in Britain is the FQ-400, complete with a factory-tuned 403 hp turbocharged engine.
The 2009 Infiniti G37 sedan is finally on sale in the UAE and other GCC countries. While it looks exactly the same as the outgoing G35, it receives a new engine and auto gearbox this year.
Al-Futtaim Motors, the exclusive distributor for Toyota and Lexus across the UAE, has announced Toyota’s largest SUV, the new Sequoia has been awarded ‘limousine status’ by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai.
Nicholas Guiochet, General Manager-Marketing, Renault GCC, handed over the keys to a brand new Renault Koleos to Nabila Abdulla. The Bahraini national was the lucky winner of a special promotion held by Renault during last month’s repetitive F1 Roadshow, which was held at The Dubai Mall in the UAE.
While the GCC is left to fawn over the ugly 2010 E-Class sedan, the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe just went on sale in Europe and Brabus already has an extensive tuning program in place for the new two-door CLK replacement. The pinnacle of the performance tuning options is the BRABUS 6.1 engine.
BMW is once again forcefully defining a brand-new segment in the car market, with the all-new BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo. Finally launched in production form after teasing and horrifying the public with a similar concept a few months ago, the 5-Series GT aims to be combine the features of a “prestige saloon, a highly-versatile Sports Activity Vehicle, and a classic Gran Turismo in brand-new, unprecedented style.” Only, in this case, their idea of “unprecedented style” is a hatchback with a tall roof.
Volkswagen is recalling about 25,000 Jetta models in the United States, built between 2006 and 2009, but only those equipped with the 2.0-litre turbo engine. The Mexican-built compact VW sedan, also sold in the GCC, apparently has a defect that could lead to a crash.