First things first, the 2011 Infiniti QX56 makes a big first impression. It is so big, in fact, that it makes us feel a bit embarrassed to be standing next to it, us appearing to be relative midgets. Of course, that bigness is generally regarded to be part of its appeal.
The Lexus IS F sports sedan may have just debuted in the UAE and other GCC countries for the first time in 2011, but it has been around elsewhere since the 2008 model year. In fact, the Lexus IS F’s Middle East debut coincided with a 2011-specific upgrade. Also, we just wanted to make use of photos that were taken by Faisal Khatib back when we tested the car.
The American-built 2011 Honda Odyssey minivan was launched at an event in Dubai. The upmarket minivan is seemingly aimed at big Arab families, and is expected to sell fine in countries such as Saudi Arabia, though not necessarily as abundantly in the UAE.
When we asked for an Infiniti M as a long-term car, it was unavailable, but Nissan Middle East offered us a QX56 instead, for a month. We hadn’t driven either the Nissan Patrol nor its sistership Infiniti QX56 yet, so we jumped at the chance.
Mitsubishi Motors will give the world a peek of the Mitsubishi Concept Global Small, a concept sub-compact car, at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show.
Late last year, on the sidelines of the Mitsubishi ASX crossover launch event at the Dubai Autodrome, Mitsubishi had an egg on four wheels parked outside the halls, plugged into the wall like a blender. We quickly recognised that to be the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Japanese firm’s first commercially-available electric car.
The Nissan/Infiniti GTZ club in the UAE celebrated its 2nd anniversary on Friday by organising a meet and drive event. There was a good turn out of members with their cars, comprising of the G35, G37, 350Z, 370Z, Skyline and GT-R models.
Today’s new cars are, supposedly, much more reliable than before. It is certainly true, to a certain extent. American cars nowadays are much more reliable than the crap they churned out in the 1980s. On the other hand, German cars are actually less reliable now than the rock-solid ones of the 1980s, thanks largely to their excessive reliance on electronics. It’s only the Japanese that have maintained their standards for the last couple of decades. But even they are not immune to problems, as recent recalls have shown. We took a look around the internet and found alleged issues involving the 2010-2011 Nissan Patrol,
It’s been more than a decade since a Toyota coupe has set foot (or tyre even) in a Dubai showroom. But Toyota has been churning out 2-door cars elsewhere for years, and one of them has finally made it to the shores of the UAE. Whether the Toyota Zelas will make Honda fanboys jealous remains to be seen.
The Rio is one of the few cars still carrying the old Kia baggage. But despite Kia only releasing these simple sketches of the next-generaiton 2012 Rio, the car is more ready than you’d think. It is set to debut in March at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.