Indian conglomerate Tata, makers of the controversial Nano and owners of two British marques, has introduced an all-electric version of their Indian-market Indica V2 hatchback. The kicker is that this Indica EV will be ready for production by 2009. Read more… »

The Hyundai Genesis Coupe won’t be out till early next year, but tuners HKS have been handed an example of the unreleased car to modify and display at the upcoming SEMA tuner show in Las Vegas. Read more… »

We got handed this car two months after every frigging magazine in the country has already published their review on it. So there isn’t any real urgency on my part to review this rocketship quickly, and it goes to the back of the line among my pending reviews. Read more… »

South Koreans KIA showed off a funky concept earlier in the year called the Soul. The production-ready 2009 Kia Soul is now set for debut at the 2008 Paris Auto Show in October. Read more… »

If you keep track of the American car market, you’ll know that the four-door Toyota Prius is a seriously popular car there, since its launch a decade ago. Being a hybrid, it runs on a petrol engine which shuts off to use electric power as much as possible, and it generates this electric power simply from energy released during braking. Honda also had its own hybrid car a decade ago, called the Insight, which was cancelled by 2006 since it was a two-door hatchback and wasn’t as popular. Now Honda has revived the Insight nameplate for their latest hybrid, and this time, it comes with four doors. Read more… »

The current Mazda MX-5 roadster has been out in non-GCC markets for years now, even though it just hit Dubai roads less than a year ago, and still remains largely unseen. But the 2009 version is getting a facelift. Read more… »

The Spanish car website km77.com acquired official photos of the upcoming 2009 Renault Megane, probably by illegal means. Read more… »

This website’s financial situation is just ridiculous. Running solely out of my pocket, I am now proud to point out that we now have the largest English automotive website in the GCC (according to semi-accurate alexa.com), and yet, we hardly get call-backs from advertisers that we got in touch with. All those other corporation-owned car sites seem to be overflowing with ads and here we are, trying to prove that we even exist. I guess bullshit works in the sales business, as each of those other sites claim to be the “leading” one in the region, with no numbers to back it up. Perhaps I have to eventually follow the magazine people’s corporate model, of having more sales people than editorial staff, while making sure we don’t lose our credibility in the process of chasing money. But I’m not bankrupt yet, and I’ve just invested in Dhs 3000 worth of crap-grade video equipment to have some fun attempting video reviews. Should I even bother? On to the letters. Read more… »

Following the all-new i30 and the Indian-built i10, South Korean manufacturer Hyundai is getting ready to replace their aging Getz sub-compact with a brand new model called the i20. Read more… »

If you haven’t figured out yet, I work on this website randomly throughout all my waking hours, rather than from just 9 to 5. And on this late Ramadan night, I stumbled upon the European launch of a new model that will be similar to the GCC-spec version. I bring you the 2009 Honda Legend. Read more… »

The car known as the Chevrolet CSV CR8 in the GCC is actually an Australian model by GM-owned Holden called the HSV Clubsport R8. The Ozzies now get a wagon version of the monster car, called the HSV Clubsport R8 Tourer. Read more… »

These images of a prototype body kit for the Nissan GT-R were released by tuner company Wald. Read more… »

The 2009 Hummer H3T, which was revealed in the United States ages ago, has finally been given the go-ahead for a GCC launch in November this year, after months of testing in Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Read more… »

Volkswagen Middle East has recently introduced their Jetta GLI in this region, years after it originally debuted in America. The Jetta GLI is essentially a sedan version of the Golf GTI, except that it looks awful and is built in Mexico. Read more… »

While the new face of the 2009 Seat Ibiza still isn’t seen in the GCC, the Spanish company has revealed the Seat Ibiza Cupra in Europe. The car will officially be shown at the 2008 Paris Auto Show in October. Read more… »

While it was all but ignored at the 2007 Dubai Motor Show, the Chevrolet Volt has been doing rounds of international auto shows in concept form, and is set for release in 2010. As brash as the deadline is, the Volt is a game-changing car, designed to run purely on electricity from on-board lithium-ion batteries for up to 64 km, enough for commuting to work, while charging the batteries overnight every day. Also, with the use of a small petrol engine driving a generator to resupply the batteries, the Volt’s range is potentially increased to 580 km on the highway. GM has been promoting this car a lot, and it has become a byword for the future of cars in the United States. As America suffers from high oil prices and General Motors is under the threat of bankruptcy, the Volt is seen as a saviour for both. It has finally been fully exposed on the sets of the upcoming Transformers 2 movie. Read more… »

The 2009 Dodge Viper ACR is a lightweight track-ready version of the standard Dodge Viper, complete with adjustable suspension and a slew of aerodynamic add-ons. It is also street-legal, which makes it a fair enough competitor against the Nissan GT-R and the Corvette ZR-1 when it comes to track times at the famed Nurburgring. And the Viper ACR has beaten both of them with a time of 7 minutes 22 seconds. Read more… »

The 2009 Ford Fusion debuts in the Middle East this September. The Fusion, based on the older stretched Mazda 6 platform and designed for America, is a bit of an odd choice to bring to the GCC, especially when the Euro-market Mondeo is already sold here. Read more… »

Renault has unveiled a hot new version of their Twingo supermini. Powered by a 133 hp 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine, the Renault Twingo Renault-Sport may have a stupid name, but it is big on heart. Read more… »

A lot can be said about the epic Hummer H2 on the rocks and in the desert. But what about inside the city? How the heck can those tiny men and big women owning these things manage on a daily basis? We finally found out, thanks to GM lending us their tank for four days. Read more… »