The MPV segment in general is quite bland. Yes, they are filled with features and with value-for-money spewing out of them and it is quite hard to disagree why a family wouldn’t prefer it. But with reports flowing in that BMW is in the works for a new MPV, their German counterpart, Mercedes-Benz have come up with arguably the best looking Multi-Purpose-Vehicle to date.
As a tie-in with the 2014 Dodge Durango launch, we are giving away 3 pairs of Anchorman 2 premiere tickets. That’s right, three UAE-based readers will each win a pair of tickets to the movie’s premiere in the UAE. Here’s how you enter. Update: The winners are Samer Hassan, Praveen Haridas and Ahmad Shumayal.
Lister Motor Company, one of the top names in British racing during the 1960’s has popped up once again; only this time, with a different management, to celebrate the company’s 60th anniversary. In any case, the 2014 Lister Knobbly, which is up for sale, is based on the original 1958 Lister-Jaguar Knobbly.
This was one overseas media event that kept throwing us surprises by the bucketful. I was invited for a trip to Milan by Fiat to drive something or the other. What we got was a romp in a manual 500 with a new turbo engine as well as a brief run in an insane Alfa Romeo 4C, but more on all that later. The car in focus during the event was the Fiat 500L Trekking, a recently-released crossover that’s tentatively headed to UAE shores by the end of summer this year.
We’re certainly not disappointed, but the Subaru Legacy is not the design from the rather awesome concept shown off last year. It too, like the WRX has gone for a rather conventional look for 2015. The sedan debuted at the Chicago Auto Show this week
The 2015 Volkswagen Beetle will be making its way into the GCC by this summer.
What started off as a last-minute call to a few of our fans to hang with us while we took photos of an Audi A5 Sportback ended up turning into a mini-meet of sorts last Saturday, as several of our regulars from previous meets showed up. As the sun set, a few people still kept coming in, and eventually reader Saifur Rahman from Mama Tani restaurant brought with him loads of complimentary Emirati cuisine and tea, for an impromptu food party around the boot of our Jaguar. We even handed out USB flash sticks to everyone who showed up.
We pick up our first Audi for a test-drive after a nearly decade-long hiatus. And it’s a good one too, for our re-introduction to the brand. The facelifted A5 Sportback, with the supercharged V6, is quite a car.
The Toyota 4Runner SUV, the Toyota Tacoma midsize pickup and the Toyota Tundra fullsize truck are not offered in the GCC, but we’re sure many here wish there were, given the number of grey imports running around on UAE streets. Built in the United States, Toyota is now offering each one with a Pro Series package there.
Toyota has launched an “interactive telematics service” called T-Connect in the Middle East, which is basically a navigation app for your smartphone, but with an on-call concierge. It will come with every new Toyota purchase.