The 2014 Nissan Patrol had its official launch in the UAE, with an event in Ras Al Khaimah. The facelifted model isn’t far removed from the outgoing version, and as such retains its offroad capabilities.
This week’s motoring news round-up includes one of Nissan’s UAE dealers winning an aftersales service award, Valvoline launching a GCC-spec engine oil, the Porsche GT3’s Dubai race conclusion, and Bridgestone’s new air-free tyre.
Nissan has officially re-entered the Saudi Arabian car market, with Alissa Auto becoming the sanctioned dealer for the brand in the country.
The Nissan Sentra is not exactly considered fast. But then again, don’t underestimate the power of Nissan’s tuning wing- Nismo, as they have come up with a mean looking, power-packed Nissan Sentra Nismo Concept at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The Nissan GT-R is in the fourth year of its life cycle, and throughout the period it has received numerous power upgrades and a slew of exclusive editions. However, its latest incarnation is in Nismo form and it takes cues from the GT3-spec racecar. The GT-R Nismo was officially unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show.
Sitting between the Juke and the X-Trail, the Qashqai had never really been the pick amongst Nissan’s SUV lineup. But a fresh look for 2014-2015 should put it back on the buyers’ lists, as it receives a heap of cosmetic and technical changes throughout.
Nissan revealed a range of vehicles at the 2013 Dubai Motor Show, with the most notable being the new facelifted Nissan Patrol, the Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid, and the Nissan Smart Hybrid Taxi.
Dubai Police had their own stand at the 2013 Dubai Motor Show, and had five cars on display, including a never-before-seen Nissan GT-R, an Audi R8 and a Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. Interestingly, Brabus also announced that they’ve built a tuned police-livery Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG, dubbed the B63S-700 Widestar, although it was conspicuously absent from both the Dubai Police and the Brabus stands.
The Nissan X-Trail had been up and about in the Middle-East since 2002. There had been no significant change in the vehicle’s design since its inception, the current X-Trail gaining some notoriety in the UAE due to the fact it is used by the Dubai Police for carrying mobile speed radars. The all-new 2014 Nissan X-Trail has officially been unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show this week. Incidentally, it is intended to be sold in several markets under different names, so our long-running version might finally be replaced in the coming years.
The 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show is under way in Germany, with a number of new product launches, otherworldly concepts and near-production concepts. Some of the new models launched include the Nissan X-Trail, the Volkswagen Golf R and the Bentley Continental GT V8 S. Some of the near-production concepts, which hint at the future direction of these brands, include the sleek Infiniti Q30, the staid Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe, the unlikely Volvo Coupe and the unfortunate BMW Active Tourer. Here’s a selection of photos right from the show floor.