We got a chance to briefly test-drive the 2011 Kia Cerato Koup at the Dubai dealership when we went in as potential customers. Oh my, from where to where the Kias have come – what a car the Cerato Koup is! For the first time ever, I found a vehicle that has its roots in Asia while having a pure European character – rivalling some of the European marques!
Here is the closest look you’ll get at the 2012 Ford Explorer without having to step into a showroom. This walkaround video will give you a quick visual tour of the all-new SUV inside and out. Video by Faisal Khatib.
Proton, Malaysia’s national carmaker, was first made available in the UAE more than a decade ago. Using Mitsubishi-derived designs and engines, the two models never made waves, quickly disappearing long before we were even out of college. Now, it looks like Proton is preparing a comeback with their Gen-2 model.
The Porsche 911 is probably the longest-running sports-car nameplate ever. It has retained some semblance of familiarity since its debut in 1963, improving with every generation, eventually reaching a point where they cannot further optimise the shape any more. There are thousands of 911s running around the world right now. And yet, very few people have actually been behind the wheel of these so-called “iconic” cars. Are they really iconic? Well, we finally got behind the wheel of the 911 Carrera GTS to find out, if only for a day.
Ford Middle East hosted a three-day public event dubbed Can-A-Car at the end of July at the Dubai Autodrome. The event was aimed at publicising Ford’s latest American line-up, including the all-new 2012 Ford Explorer. And a fair number of visitors to the event happened to be our regular readers, though all of them showed up at different times on different days.
The Nissan Juke didn’t make much sense to us, considering the Qashqai was already on sale here. But it has apparently become a hit wherever it has gone on sale so far. This is the first time we got to look at the Juke in person, and it is seemingly nothing like the Qashqai on which it is based.
Well, looks like we’ve landed an exclusive. This here is the first 2012 Honda Civic to be reviewed in the UAE. After months of spy photos by readers spotting these mysterious cars all over Dubai, the Japanese firm has finally gone official with their new compact contender.
We’ve already known for months now that the first shipment of 2012 Honda Civic sedans were on sale in the UAE quietly. According to Honda, the Japanese carmaker “faced immense challenges in its production capabilities due to the earthquake & tsunami disasters in March 2011.” Honda was in short supply of the new models, so they did not actively advertise the fact that limited numbers were already available, which was likely sold out easily enough. But Honda has now released full details about their new model.
The all-new 2012 Ford Explorer, technically a 2011 model, is now on sale in the UAE. The dealers have been quietly taking orders for the new crossover since some time now. And we are probably among the first media people in the UAE to take an unofficial look at it in the showroom.
We’re not on good terms with Mercedes-Benz any more for personal reasons (theirs, not ours), so we were sitting on these photos for a while, pondering whether they’ll try to get back at us using archaic local laws for taking photos of their prototype cars. After consulting our lawyers, we’re told these cars were in public view and reveal nothing, so we’re going ahead and showing you our own spy shots of what is now comfirmed to be the 2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class.