Asian Car News

First drive: 2018 MG RX5 and MG ZS in Oman

First drive: 2018 MG RX5 and MG ZS in Oman

Believe it or not, China’s state-owned SAIC is actually one of the biggest carmakers in the world, as they are wildly successful in their fast-growing home market. About a decade ago, they purchased MG Rover, turning the once-British maker of family cars, sports sedans and iconic sports cars into a mainstream maker of, well, family cars. MG’s first crossover was the GS, launched in the GCC a couple of years ago. They’ve now added to the portfolio with the RX5 and the ZS, both compact crossovers roughly the same size as the existing GS.

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So we got a 2018 Mazda CX-5

So we got a 2018 Mazda CX-5

The other day, as I parked this candy-red Mazda CX-5 tester, an older European couple came up to me and commented that it’s a good-looking car. They proceeded to ask me if it’s a Toyota, which is when I realised how much brand recognition Mazda has right now. Mind you, they were impressed by the car, inside and out, and they’re folks who were shopping for a Mercedes-Benz.

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Acura RDX prototype previews 2019 model

Acura RDX prototype previews 2019 model

Acura is Honda’s luxury brand, found in only a handful of markets. The RDX crossover is Acura’s key player in the U.S. market. Accounting for a third of the total Acura sales, the RDX obviously is a very important product. Now, as a new generation model of the RDX is due to arrive this summer, Acura has lifted the covers off the 2019 RDX prototype.

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First drive: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross in the UAE

First drive: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross in the UAE

The Mitsubishi Eclipse has been around since 1990, until a green one with unlimited manual gears was popularised in the first The Fast and the Furious movie in 2001. While that movie franchise is still ongoing, the Eclipse sports coupe took a break in 2012. It’s back now as the 2018 Eclipse Cross, embodying Mitsubishi’s committment to become an SUV-focused carmaker. We took it for a stroll around the Dubai Autodrome at its UAE launch.

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So we got a 2018 Honda Jazz

So we got a 2018 Honda Jazz

When you think of Honda, the Jazz is the furthest thing from your mind nowadays. It was unceremoniously cancelled a few years ago in the GCC due to slow sales stemming from its high price. It’s back now in its latest form, although the price hasn’t changed from before. Does it pack more value now?

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Arabia Taxi adds 50 Toyota Prius cabs to Dubai fleet

Arabia Taxi adds 50 Toyota Prius cabs to Dubai fleet

In a joint effort to support the UAE Vision 2021’s environmental targets, Al-Futtaim Toyota announced the handover of first 50 Prius Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) to Arabia Taxi, member of Arabia Holdings Group of companies and one of the UAE’s largest taxi operators, marking the latter as the first fleet operator in the UAE to use a Prius in its ranks.

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Long-term update: The curious case of the fuel gauge in our Nissan Patrol

Long-term update: The curious case of the fuel gauge in our Nissan Patrol

A few months ago, our Nissan Patrol LE went in for its mandatory bi-annual service. Yet again, we pointed out that the fuel gauge was showing wrong readings half the time. If you’ve read our past long-term updates, you’ll know this is an ongoing problem since we bought the car (although curiously, no other post-facelift Patrol owner seems to have this issue). This time, the service advisor blamed it on a low battery. Okay, we’ll play along and see what happens.

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