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First drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class in the UAE

First drive: 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class in the UAE


After its dramatic birth back in the late 1990s as a 5-door Smart Car-alternative that went up on two wheels at the sight of a moose, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class went on to become rather popular in Europe, even though it was nothing more than a city runabout that shared the same badge as an S-Class. Of course, it never caught on in the UAE, where people prefer their luxury cars to look like, well, cars. But more than a decade later, the A-Class changes its ethos completely and comes back as a proper hatchback, apparently in search of buyers who don’t have white hair.

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First drive: 2013 Infiniti QX56 offroad in the UAE

First drive: 2013 Infiniti QX56 offroad in the UAE


Infiniti recently invited us to try out the 2013 QX56 at a media event. We were more than familiar with the QX56’s capabilities on the road, thanks to the long-termer we had in 2011. We didn’t explore its off-roading credentials at the time beyond mountain-driving, but since it is a reskinned Nissan Patrol after all, Infiniti wanted us to do more with it this time around.

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Comparo: 2013 Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Santa Fe vs VW Tiguan

Comparo: 2013 Toyota RAV4 vs Honda CR-V vs Hyundai Santa Fe vs VW Tiguan


A comparo is the best way for an automotive publication to lose advertisers. That’s why you never see a clear winner in so-called comparos by local magazines, with lots of pretty photos to sell copies, no figures to back up any conclusions and three-way ties to make everybody happy. We’ve rarely picked a winner in our previous comparos either, but that’s because most of them were not proper straight-up comparos. We decided to do a serious comparison test this time though, if only to answer certain recurring questions once and for all. And the category we decided to tackle is the hotly-contested compact crossover segment.

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We thrash the Nissan GT-R, let our readers drive, and meet its maker

We thrash the Nissan GT-R, let our readers drive, and meet its maker


Nissan Middle East debuted the 2013 Nissan GT-R “For Track Pack” in Dubai last week at the Dubai Autodrome. The new model isn’t a big change, aside from a retuned suspension and further weight loss, and we didn’t get to drive it either. But Nissan had two 2012 GT-R test cars lined up on the track, with pro instructors in the passenger seat. With Nissan GT-R creator Kazutoshi Mizuno and his team hanging around. And we were told to bring in a couple of our Facebook fans as well for a drive!

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5th Emirates Classic Car Festival kicks off in Dubai

5th Emirates Classic Car Festival kicks off in Dubai


The fifth edition of the Emirates Classic Car Festival kicked off on the 7th of March with the largest showcase of classic cars and motorbikes to date. Featuring a line-up of more than 200 classic cars and motorbikes, the event is running on the Mohammed Bin Rashid Boulevard in Downtown Dubai, somewhere near Dubai Mall, until March 9, 2013.

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