Eid Mubarak to everyone. I am sure you all will enjoy this long holiday to celebrate. Hope all those who went for Hajj come back safely. Before I disappear for the long break, let me sign off with a few interesting facts about the 2009 Nissan GT-R that you might not have heard before.
Hyundai announced “Genesis” as the official name of its luxury sports sedan, and launched the car in Korea. The rear-wheel-drive Hyundai Genesis is attempting a credible alternative to premium offerings from Germany and Japan, with a range of V6 and V8 engines.
We haven’t asked for a Hyundai tester in ages because, well, who wants to drive a Hyundai? But at last month’s Los Angeles Auto Show, Hyundai officially showed off their new rear-wheel-drive Genesis coupe, but in so-called “concept” form. This is basically a weak disguise with paint and stickers to show off the tuning potential of the car.
The highlight of my day today was watching a tiny woman in a Toyota Prado ram into the side of some guy’s Chevy Optra for no apparent reason, reinforcing the unfortunate stereotype that most women are poor drivers, as much as I hate to mention this. Maybe she couldn’t see over the steering wheel. Of course this region has its share of men with poor driving skills too. And oh yeah, and I picked up a 2008 Toyota Corolla. A 1.6-litre version no less. It’s been a while since I drove a car this slow. But I’d like to thank Toyota’s PR-lady-of-the-year Marwa for keeping us at the top of the test-drive list.
The 2009 Nissan Murano has been officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The profile is much the same as the current Murano, but the rear benefits from new LED tail-lights and there is an optional panoramic roof, along with a power upgrade for the standard V6.
Yep, I suddenly remembered the trio of 4WDs that Nissan unveiled here, and figured I should try out some of them. So I just picked up this Xterra (having waited for an hour for it at the showroom after some potential “customer” stole the test car for longer than he was supposed to have it). It is a very basic truck that does exactly what it advertises — off-road prowess with none of the fluff.
A Dubai-based engine manufacturer today announced plans to be the UAE’s first mass producer of automobiles. Except that there isn’t really a market for its cars in this country.
Our PR person, simple-minded Diego, is not much of a car guy. But he brought my attention to a car he became interested in during the Dubai Motorshow, lost among all the supercars that few can afford. It was the Chinese-built BYD F3, which looks insulting similar to the Toyota Corolla at front, and the Honda City at the rear. The interior is completely lifted from the last-generation Corolla, with upgrades such as (fake?) wood and (fake?) leather. All for Dhs 29,900.
Infiniti revealed three new models for the GCC market. Making their debut only a day before the Dubai Motor Show, the new cars are the G37 Coupe, the EX35 compact crossover and the M35 midsize luxury sedan.
The 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser was launched in the UAE today. Engine choices include a 4.7-litre V8, a 4.0-litre V6 and a 4.5-litre turbodiesel V8. The 5.7-litre V8 found in the US-spec model will not be offered in the GCC.