Asian Car News

It is confounding that Infiniti and Lexus are the only Japanese brands that are attempting to take on the German luxury marques. Who wouldn’t want a reliable luxury car? However, while Lexus is content with outdated models, Infiniti has been going from strength to strength, launching various all-new models in the past few years, with a bias towards capable performance, unique styling and original technology. We will now take a look at the technology found in our Infiniti QX56, and how well they actually work in real life.

Read More …

This is the 2012 Nissan Tiida, as seen in Chinese-spec trim. It looks much better than the current model, and now has a longer wheelbase than the Honda Civic, putting it firmly in the compact category, larger than the current sub-compact.

Read More …

After a long break, I have finally decided to write another review in here. Think Mitsubishi Lancer; yeah, think! I bet the vast majority of you will now think of a silver-coloured bland-and-boring rental runner crying out loud in agony on the last lane of a motorway while trying with all its might to catch up with a Toyota delivery van! Get a manual variant and you may be able to get a glimpse of the delivery boy too. Yeah, that was what it was and that is what it still is! So why the review? Because what I am going to write is not about the Lancer,

Read More …

After recently introducing the first “manufacturer-approved Japanese brand certified pre-owned program” for Nissan in the UAE, Arabian Automobiles has opened the UAE’s largest used cars facility in a media event held yesterday. The company is the sole dealer for Nissan, Infiniti, Renault, ZNA and MG in Dubai and the Northern Emirates, and they have chosen to get into the used car business in a big way with this 7000 square-metre facility.

Read More …

If you’re wondering why we haven’t posted an update on our borrowed 2011 Infiniti QX56 for a while, it’s because it had gone back via tow-truck to Nissan on a working vacation a week ago, namely for test-drives by other magazines. It is due to be back with us today hopefully.

Read More …

One of our regular readers, M. Hajooni, who usually drops all sorts of spy shots on this site taken by himself, just dropped an email to me with a picture of a 2011-2012 Nissan Patrol interior. The interesting bit is that the interior seems to have a manual gearbox.

Read More …

Al-Futtaim Motors, the UAE distributor for Lexus, launched the GCC’s first compact premium hybrid, the Lexus CT 200h, at The Walk, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai on March 3. At this unique public event, the new Lexus was revealed on a stage display, using the latest in light and 3D technology which “reflects Lexus’ own cutting edge approach to advanced automotive engineering.”

Read More …

This exclusive original video has been a long time coming. We drove the 2010 Honda Civic Type-R a year ago when it was first launched in the UAE. We made this little video, largely due to the efforts of Faisal Khatib, with support from me and Marouf Hussain. Think of it as our very own tribute to Japanese engineering.

Read More …

Recalls are boring news. They’re in fact so boring that we only cover them once in a while now. The number of recalls per month has actually reduced since the last time we did a rundown, by about 35%. Of course, the general media still chooses to sensationalise some recalls more than others, especially anything to do with Toyota. In the past two months, there have been recalls by Lexus, Land Rover, General Motors, Ford, Honda, Suzuki, Chrysler, Saab and even Mazda, the last of which is a hilarious one.

Read More …

The MG brand has officially been launched in the UAE, at an event in Dubai. MG, or Morris Garages, was originally a sporty British brand under Rover before changing hands to become a part of SAIC, China’s largest carmaker. Chinese-built models at launch include the MG 550 and the MG 750, with the MG3, MG 350 and MG6 models set to join later.

Read More …