In another one of those pre-debut internet “leaks”, photos of the 2014 BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo are out in the open, well before its actual debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show soon. However, BMW has quickly released full details on the car now.
Ford Middle East, in partnership with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Road & Transport Authority, is conducting the Ford Driving Skills for Life programme in the UAE. It is the first time that it is being held in the GCC.
We snagged an invite to the 2013 edition of Jeep Jamboree Dubai in early January, a dealer-organised event open to all Jeep owners in the country. We went to the Jamboree a year go as well, all of it a desert drive with a dealer-provided five-door Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, so we figured this year would be the same. But they threw a few surprises at us in the form of a mixed wadi-desert combination, that too with a smaller three-door Jeep Wrangler.
| The Good: – Superb ride comfort – Cabin space and trim – Build quality |
The Bad: – Very pricey with options – Handling could be tighter – Unfriendly gadgetry |
Four different General Motors models are being recalled over a potential airbag issue in the United States. The affected cars, all 2012 models only, include the Chevrolet Camaro.
| The Good: – Superb fuel economy – Cabin space and features – Fairly comfortable ride |
The Bad: – Droning engine at full throttle – Steering too light – Some hard cabin plastics |
The all-new 2014 Volkswagen Golf GTI is on display at the 2013 Qatar Motor Show, if only as a “concept” that was first shown at other auto shows a few months ago.
Some people think Alfa Romeo isn’t sold in the GCC. But it is, and has been for decades now. They just seem to keep a low profile, even lower than Saab or Opel. But all that is set to change, as the global game of musical-chairs means that Fiat now owns Chrysler, and since Fiat already owns Alfa Romeo, Chrysler’s Middle East office will help support Alfa Romeo in our region. Which brings us to the day-long media event for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Alfa Romeo MiTo that we took for a drive across the UAE, flanked by Chrysler,
A new Honda model release is always a cause for anticipation. The brand may have fallen from its peak in terms of regional market-share for a while now, but it is one of the few carmakers that has genuine respect from family men and brand fanboys alike. And with the previous-generation Honda Accord being among the best offerings in its segment, we were keen on trying out the new 2013 model, which builds on the outgoing version rather than completely redoing it.
I drove five new cars in the last two weeks. One of them is the all-new Nissan Sentra, handed to us before it’s even gone on sale in the UAE. It is always exciting to be among the first to test any new model, but this is simply an indirect replacement for the lowly Tiida sedan, so we had the lowest expectations from this one. We don’t like economy cars much. And we especially didn’t feel like driving anything built in Thailand. But the Sentra turned out to be the biggest surprise of this month, and quite possibly, the best car in its segment for the price.