Lexus has just released the first photos and details about their 2014 GX 460 midsize 4×4. Based on the Toyota Prado, all mechanical bits seem to be carried over unchanged, but it now benefits from more unique new face to replace the older model’s boring front end.
A 2013 Nissan Patrol was used to pull a “RUS Aviation” Ilyushin IL-76 cargo plane to set a new Guinness world record right here in the UAE.
At the 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee launch a couple of months ago in Dubai, we came across the Jeep Wrangler Renegade and the Jeep Wrangler Pickup models offered by the UAE dealer. The two unique models, modified by the dealer using original Mopar parts, have been on sale since the beginning of this year, if not longer, but this is the first time we got an up-close look at them.
| The Good: – Great fuel economy – Cabin space and features – Ride and handling |
The Bad: – Could be quicker – Fiddly multimedia system – No all-wheel-drive option |
Our fleet swap-over for this year is finally complete with the sale of our 2009 Renault Safrane V6 to a friend. My father had left it behind when he retired earlier this year and got shipped back to the homeland, and so the car wasn’t really getting driven much any more, once we bought more interesting machinery. Still, it’s a fine car that we’ll recommend to anybody looking for cheap transportation. We’d even go as far as to say that it’s a more “honest” car than the new Safrane that replaced it, and an even better deal now that it’s out of warranty and you could get it maintained elsewhere instead the dealer.
| The Good: – Contemporary styling – Cabin space and features – Great ride and handling |
The Bad: – Average fuel economy – Limited offroad ability – Some hard cabin plastics |
The 2.5-litre version of the Mazda CX-5 was launched elsewhere a few months ago, and we had assumed that it’d take ages to reach the GCC. However, word is Mazda’s UAE dealer has been quietly offering the bigger-engined version for at least a month now.
If you remember, our recently-purchased Jaguar XK went to the dealership straight after we were handed the keys by the previous owner, because it was throwing up “overheating” warnings. Thankfully it turned out to be just a thermostat. As soon as we picked it up from the service centre though, there was an intermittent whining noise coming from who-knows-where. Over a week, the noise became more and more common, to the point where it was even giving out the occasional whine while revved at standstill. We were expecting the worst. After all, Jaguar’s reputation precedes them.
| The Good: – Least expensive Range Rover – Cabin space and features – Smooth-enough ride |
The Bad: – Most expensive crossover – Rear access and boot space – Some hard cabin plastics |
Four people were killed when their car rammed into a 4×4 parked in the middle of the road on Sheikh Zayed Highway after it got a flat tyre. Normally we don’t report on accidents caused by the ignorance of people, but we figured we’ll take a look at what you should really do when you get a tyre puncture on the highway.