The Targa is an iconic body style for the Porsche 911, combining the advantages of both the Coupe and Cabriolet. Porsche has never missed offering a Targa version of all their 911s since 1965, even if the interpretation has wildly varied. So, when the 992 gen Porsche 911 came out last year, a Targa version of that was always on the cards. And here it is, the 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 4S.
Superminis never made a wave in our market despite having a decent number of good contenders. However, the segment is big when it comes to fleets, with Kia’s Picanto going up against the Chevy Spark, Mazda 2 and Peugeot 208. A facelift for the 2021 Kia Picanto has been rolled out in its home market.
Even when the global car market is going through a slump, news about recalls is flooding in. Let us have a look at which manufacturers have announced recalls in the past month.
The Mohave had been Kia’s flagship SUV until recently when the new Kia Telluride came around. The large monocoque Telluride replaced the ladder-frame Mohave in most markets around the world, except its home market, South Korea, and the Middle East, where both are sold. And Kia is not done yet with the oldie as they gave it a thorough facelift last year. And now, there is a new version called the 2020 Kia Mohave Gravity.
We have seen a lot of crash tests, but in what might be a new low benchmark among modern cars, the all-new Jeep Wrangler suffered a poorer-than-usual crash test result in which it tipped over. Yes, that’s right.
Mazda has built a bit of a reputation with enthusiasts on a budget. Building cars that drive well, no matter what category they play in, it is popular among certain younger buyers. Of course, the problem is most buyers aren’t of the enthusiastic variety, and Mazda has always been way behind when it comes to the basics of space and comfort, thereby giving up market share to brands which understand their respective segments better. Does the new Mazda 3 change that?
The Toyota Yaris has grown into quite a popular name over the past two decades. The plucky little sub-compact family consisted of only the sedan and the hatchback. But now, Toyota has added a new member for 2021 to cater to the ever-growing SUV craze, called the Toyota Yaris Cross.
Some days ago, we reported the launch of the 2021 Audi A3 Sportback, which is probably not slated for the Middle East as the reception for any pricey premium hatchback in our market has been lukewarm at best. But there a new iteration of the Audi A3 sedan for 2021, which will make its way into the market as the least expensive offering from the German brand, at least in the GCC.
The Toyota Hilux is a pickup that has made its name around the world for being an extremely dependable and bulletproof workhorse. In the Middle East, the Hilux continues to be a hot favorite among small-business buyers, and Toyota has done timely updates to keep it that way, even after switching production to Thailand. Since the current model was launched in 2016, a facelift is due to arrive in late-2020. But drivers won’t have to wait that long as the 2021 Toyota Hilux might already have been leaked.
The full-size luxury coupe flashes a blingy design that has always made it stand out, despite its relatively-lacklustre performance credentials compared to German rivals. So, when the time has come to give it a refresh for the 2021 model year, Lexus has chosen to confine the changes to a few new colour options, wheel options, suspension tweaks and slightly less bulk to carry around.