Last year, when we actually had some contact with Ford, we were told that the Ford F-150 Raptor would come to the GCC eventually, but only in four-door form fitted with a larger 6.2-litre V8, instead of the two-door version with the 5.4-litre V8 that debuted in 2009. The four-door version has finally come to fruition, dubbed the 2011 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor SuperCrew.
The hottest news of the week in the UAE is that Toyota is having a fire-sale of 2010 models for 4 days, starting today. While this may seem overly generous to some, the truth is the showrooms are making way for the arrival of 2011 models. And the first of those will be the facelifted 2011 Toyota Corolla, which is already available in Oman. Interestingly, it is quietly available in the UAE too.
The new Chevrolet Cruze sedan is selling well in many parts of Europe, South America, China and India. The car was just introduced in the United States too, and the car is already on sale in South Korea and Australia under Daewoo and Holden badges respectively, making it a true “world” car. Sales in the Middle East have yet to pick up, but we actually have one in our fleet right now to investigate further why it is so popular elsewhere. General Motors is hard at work to extend their market share however. Europeans love hatchbacks more than sedans for some reason,
The U.S. market has just received a new SX trim level for the 2011 Kia Sorento. The Sorento SX comes with a unique new front bumper, LED tail lights, 18-inch wheels, chrome trim and, most importantly, new “Dual Flow Damper” shock absorbers that make the ride more comfortable while retaining car-like handling. Interestingly, there were so many complaints about the regular Sorento’s harsh ride quality over bumps that Kia has decided to make the “DFD” shocks standard on all U.S. Sorento models for the 2011 model year.
The U.S. NHTSA safety agency has announced a recall on the 2010 Kia Soul and the 2011 Kia Sorento, apparently to replace interior lighting wiring harnesses.
The Dodge Durango, once a full-size 4×4 joke that was so bad, that production ended in 2008 but you could still buy a brand new one in 2010, has been completely revamped for 2011, now that it is based on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee platform.
Ford has revealed its newest “pursuit-rated” vehicle, namely the 2012 Explorer Police Interceptor Utility, for police department units that need to haul more cargo or have a need for at least some offroad capability.
The grey 2010 Chevrolet Cruze is back with us again! It almost feels like I own this car, having driven it twice before, once for the initial review and once as a courtesy car from GM when they took away our Malibu long-termer for a week. This time, we’re getting to keep this car for an entire month, during which time we’ll settle down and play with its features further and explore its fuel economy capabilities. And just in time for Eid too.
While browsing our own website, we came across Google Adsense text ads by Mercedes-Benz that links to a survey. The online form seems to be gauging interest for the possible launch of the Smart ForTwo micro-car in the UAE.
Suppose you are a wannabe “American” and have fulfilled your lifelong dream of buying a pickup truck for the sole purpose of commuting to your office desk-job and back. However, you suddenly realise that your fuel costs are through the roof and the sheen of acting all “cowboy” is quickly wearing off. The following entertaining video explores several known methods of improving the fuel economy of your pickup truck.