The all-new 2013 Ford Fusion midsize sedan has debuted at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, touting styling that seems to meld an Aston Martin front end with the rear of a Ford Mondeo. Interestingly, the same car will also be launched in Europe as the Ford Mondeo, so it remains to be seen what it will be called in GCC markets.
The all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS joins the General’s luxury line-up, a compact rear-wheel-drive sedan hoping to go up against the BMW 3-Series and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
This is the Dodge Dart, a new compact car based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Chrysler’s buyout by Fiat are finally paying dividends.
Our Jeep went for its last service back in November. While it has been a great car, decently reliable despite misgivings about Chrysler quality, we were fine with the cost of regular servicing because we could afford it. But then we realised that the dealer service charges were only slightly less than that for Mercedes-Benz. That got us a bit peeved, and we decided that we might as well get a better car to pour money into.
The 5th DriveArabia Meet was held on Saturday, the 24th of December, at the tail-end of 2011. We kept it a low-key event at Dubai Festival City, sending direct invites to a few regulars at the last minute, while announcing the event only a couple of times publicly. Those who showed up were in for a treat, as the chief guest of this meet was the 2012 Nissan GT-R, the latest fresh-out-of-the-factory iteration of the Japanese supercar. Ironically, the largest number of people ever had showed up for our so-called low-key gathering, and we even decided to let everyone have a spin in the GT-R,
The fact that the Volkswagen CC is just a chopped-top version of the regular Passat would mean that space would be compromised. But that’s hardly the case.
| The Good: – Attractive exterior styling – Upscale cabin ambience – Solid engine performance |
The Bad: – Average handling dynamics – Faux CVT sport mode – Steering feel of a camel |
| The Good: – Spacious cabin – Good handling – Superb fuel economy |
The Bad: – Hard plastic cabin panels – Ordinary engine sound – Unsporting brakes |
| The Good: – Premium cabin feel – Excellent off-roader – Economical engine |
The Bad: – Cramped third row – On-road handling limits – Pricey with options |
| The Good: – Tough looks – Cabin space and features – King of the offroad |
The Bad: – Very wide – Even wider turning circle – Spongy brakes |