Dubai

For those not in the know, Skoda is a Czech brand owned by Volkswagen. Skoda does fine in Europe, selling variantions of VW platforms alongside Seat and Audi. But thanks to sub-standard dealers and all sorts of internal politics, the brand never took off in the UAE. Now a new dealer has taken over sales of Skoda in the UAE, and they are looking to move cars in a big way instead of playing second-fiddle to VW. To coincide with the launch of their Dubai showroom a couple of weeks ago, dealers Ali & Sons released the 2011 Skoda Superb 3.6,

Read More …

The current-generation Lexus LS 460 has always been available with a powerful direct-injection 4.6-litre V8 in other markets. However, when the latest LS was launched in 2007, it came with a detuned V8 for the GCC market, possibly over concerns of poor petrol quality in some countries in this region. Now the UAE dealer has rectified that.

Read More …

Al-Futtaim Motors, the exclusive dealer for Lexus in the UAE, launched the new IS models, including the IS-F, at a Dubai Autodrome event.

Read More …

So we were offered a brand new 2011 Lexus LX 570 for a weekend, or what we like to call the “Lexus Land Cruiser.” Since we didn’t get invited to the actual Toyota Land Cruiser 5.7 launch event, we figured we’d take the LX anyway, since it is essentially the same thing, and we’d indirectly reacquint ourselves with the Land Cruiser. But since we had already reviewed the 2008 LX before, we used this truck for a fuel economy test instead.

Read More …

Chrysler held a two-day media event for the all-new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in the UAE. And by “all-new”, we really do mean all-new. Now based on a Mercedes-Benz M-Class platform, that’s where the similarities end between the former siblings, as the Jeep is a completely unique vehicle.

Read More …

Skoda dealers for the UAE is now Ali & Sons Motors, who happen to be the existing dealers of Skoda’s sister brands Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi in Abu Dhabi currently. The official launch of the new Skoda Auto showroom on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai took place this week. The occassion also marked the introduction of the Skoda Superb 3.6, joining the existing Superb 1.8T that was apparently already available quietly via the old dealer. Suprisingly also on sale already is the latest Skoda Octavia.

Read More …

The 2011 Ford Mustang has been launched in the UAE at a crowded event inside and outside the Dubai Autodrome’s Kartdrome grounds. We’d call the public event a success as about a million Mustang owners and fans showed up for the afternoon launch.

Read More …

AW Rostamani Trading, dealers for Nissan in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, is now also going to be the dealership for Zhengzhou Nissan Automobile (ZNA) in the UAE. ZNA is one of China’s “biggest” automotive manufacturers that was established in 1993 in partnership with Nissan.

Read More …

We went to the launch of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Middle East launch yesterday at the Dubai Autodrome, on which we’ll report later. But more interestingly, there was a display of six classic cars, all shipped in from the Porsche Museum in Germany.

Read More …

It is rather amazing how some car manufacturers are actually going backwards in design and creating dullards like the “all-new” VW Passat, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. And then there are some manufacturers whose newest models pretty much look as if they belong at an auto show as a concept car. Like the Infiniti M, the Hyundai Sonata, the Kia Optima, and now the 2011 Volvo S60.

Read More …