There have been several high-profile post-lockdown car launches that set the internet on fire. The Nissan Patrol Nismo, the Chevy Tahoe and the upcoming Ford Bronco featured prominently among them, but those were all SUVs. The only small car to “trend” is the Volkswagen Golf GTI, which shows that cars might be giving way to SUVs, but the legendary O.G. hot hatch is always going to be around.
The Volkswagen Teramont didn’t make sense on the surface when it debuted a few years ago, considering the Touareg was still around. But it made perfect sense when you delved deeper into the specs sheet — compared to the 2-row Touareg, the Teramont had a third row of seating, and was actually larger and cheaper. While the latest Touareg moved even further upscale, the Teramont is holding the fort in the meat of the mid-size SUV market, going up against Ford Explorers and Nissan Pathfinders. And it has just received a nip-and-tuck for the 2021 model year.
We were invited to check out Carzaty, the Middle East’s hottest digital-focused car dealership that operates in Oman and the UAE. Carzaty sells pre-owned cars with a warranty and puts a priority on the customer experience. Their “showroom” is called the Car Hub and we went to the one in Dubai. You can find all their cars and book a test-drive at www.carzaty.com
Many folks will fondly remember the Xterra. It debuted as a sister model to the older body-on-frame Pathfinder, meant to be a playful more-capable alternative to its sibling, and taking on the Jeep Wrangler and the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It came in bright paintjobs and was a smaller vehicle than the Pathfinder, although both were based on versions of the Nissan pickup platform. And then the Xterra was cancelled a few years ago, for various reasons. It’s back now, as a completely different beast with a hyphen in its name.
The all-new Cadillac CT5 directly competes with cars such as the compact BMW 3-Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. In CT5-V form seen here, the V version has now been repositioned as an entry-level performance model, with a future Blackwing model taking the fight to the BMW M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C 63. However, this car is an entertainer in its own right.
The 2020 Infiniti QX80 is based on the decade-old Nissan Patrol platform. But the much-needed facelift it received back in 2018 took care of the biggest design criticisms of the older version.
The current Fiat 500 has been around for a decade now with almost no visible changes. While the car is long in the tooth, the good thing is the sportier Abarth 595 versions are still around. And there is yet another new variant this year in an attempt to keep the model fresh on the unchanging showroom floor. The latest “special edition” is the 695 70th Anniversario (as it is customary for Fiat to rebadge yearly special models as “695”).
The last time we wrote about child car-seats was a decade ago, when education on the importance of child seats was still in its infancy in the Middle East. Since then, many of us have become parents ourselves. While there has a been a lot of progress on the adoption of child seats, mostly thanks to new laws in the UAE and elsewhere, many folks still feel clueless on what is the best type of seat for their children. So here’s a fresh guide for young parents on what’s best for each age group.
The Chevrolet Tahoe is probably GM’s best known SUV. As one of most popular big SUV’s in this region, this latest generation of the Tahoe is a long time coming, especially as the outgoing model was left wanting while its rivals transformed into near-luxury vehicles.
The MG ZS was the most value-packed crossover SUV in its segment when it debuted in the Middle East a few years ago. The model has now undergone a redesign and is also available in ZST form with a new turbo engine option. We check out the 2021 MG ZST that comes with a premium new look on the outside, and attractive premium trim on the inside.