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First drive: 2012 Nissan Sunny in the UAE

First drive: 2012 Nissan Sunny in the UAE


The Nissan Sunny was once a leader in the local compact segment, battling the venerable Toyota Corolla and occasionally even outselling it. Heck, most of us learned to drive on that thing, as it was the car of choice for driving schools here. But things changed once the impressive Tiida came into the scene, stealing sales from the Sunny and largely relegating it to fleet-vehicle status, having barely changed in more than a decade. Now that Nissan has decided to dust off the Sunny name and bring in a completely revamped model, keep in mind that it is not playing in the same segment any more.

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Mini Clubvan to debut in Europe

Mini Clubvan to debut in Europe


Small van-like vehicles with two seats up front, a partition behind the cockpit and a flat load floor in the back are popular in Europe, for small businesses and what not. It seems Mini wants in on the action, converting the slow-selling Clubman into a car for the working man. And they’ve cleverly named it the Clubvan.

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Long-term update: 2009 Renault Safrane gets work done

Long-term update: 2009 Renault Safrane gets work done


Our two-year-old Renault Safrane just had its first proper problem. The driver-side power window, which had been acting hesitant for more than a year, finally decided to crap out. The window glass went down and never came back up. Naturally, my father was pissed, as he had to go to work on a Friday, driving at 120 kph with a face-full of wind, and then having to leave the car overnight, open to the elements. He kept comparing it to his “reliable” 1997 Toyota Corolla, which didn’t even have power steering, let alone power windows.

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Porsche Macan is the next baby Porsche SUV

Porsche Macan is the next baby Porsche SUV


After much rumour and speculation of the name “Cajun” for an allegedly upcoming Porsche SUV, and several spy shots of an Audi Q5 which was allegedly a Porsche in disguise, all floating around the internet for over a year now, Porsche has decided to break the suspense. As the rumors suggested for most part and unlike the rumored “name”, Porsche is all set to introduce a new sports utility vehicle called the Porsche Macan.

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2012 Chicago Auto Show: Photo coverage

2012 Chicago Auto Show: Photo coverage


The Chicago Auto Show in the United States is one of the smallest of the “major” shows, but the 2012 edition this February the 8th still played host to a number of debuts. These include the 2013 Jeep Mopar Compass, the 2013 Toyota Land Cruiser, the 2013 Nissan 370Z, the 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible, the 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe, the 2013 GMC Acadia and the 2013 Acura ILX. Concepts include the Kia Trackster, the Scion iQ Pit Boss and the Fiat 500 Stinger.

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Long-term update: 2012 VW Passat CC goes to Abu Dhabi

Long-term update: 2012 VW Passat CC goes to Abu Dhabi


Our Volkswagen Passat CC had taken a back seat for the last month as we fiddled around with, what else, other Volkswagens. We drove the VW Phaeton and the VW Passat Ecofuel recently, and we have become quite familiar with Volkswagen DNA by now. Of course, we’ve come to realise that the Passat CC is indeed tuned to be sportier than other sedans in their fleet, as our car rides a wee bit firmer than either of those cars, while taking corners with much more confidence. But does it make a good highway cruiser?

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Largest BMW showroom opens in Abu Dhabi

Largest BMW showroom opens in Abu Dhabi


Abu Dhabi Motors, the sole dealer for BMW, Rolls-Royce and Mini in the UAE capital, just opened the world’s largest BMW showroom last week. A VIP party was on February 14 to celebrate the opening of the massive new showroom facility, although the Rolls-Royce section was already opened last year.

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