Premium drive experience puts HUMMER, Cadillac and SAAB to the test in Bahrain

Dealers, journalists from around the region, fleet customers and car owners from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain put General Motors' luxury line-up through their paces on the Bahrain International Circuit and a specially constructed, hugely demanding off road track.

"This event is all about demonstrating that General Motors has a full complement of fantastic, class-leading vehicles in the luxury segment," commented Terry Johnsson, Managing Director, General Motors Middle East. "The robust line-up is being further strengthened by the introduction of the HUMMER H3 and the new Cadillac V-series performance range. These will be joined towards the end of the year by the SAAB 9-7x, which we are showing for the first time in the Middle East."

It is the new 'Adventure Drive Arabia' off road track that proved a worthy test of a truly unbeatable new SUV as HUMMER used this event to introduce the new H3 to the region. The H3 is an exciting new midsize sport utility that delivers all of HUMMER's authentic style and off-road capability in a more efficient package. The H2 were also able to demonstrate why parts of this challenging course, including 'HUMMER Hill', have been nicknamed after the legendary off-roader. The dealers and the Middle East journalists were amongst the first in the world to test drive the H3.

The excitement on the F1 Track was just as intense. As well getting the opportunity to test the entire Cadillac range, from the CTS and STS luxury performance sedans; through the Escalade and SRX SUVs; and the ultimate performance and luxury of the XLR, guests got their first glimpse of the Cadillac V-Series, the supercharged performance versions of the CTS and STS. These flying machines are capable of sub-five second 0-100 km/h while delivering the ultimate luxury you would expect from a Cadillac.

The V-Series has been designed to take Cadillac's performance credentials to an entirely new level. With 400 horsepower, CTS-V is based on Cadillac's performance-oriented rear-drive Sigma architecture. CTS-V is a highly refined high-performance luxury sedan designed for performance enthusiast drivers.

SAAB is renowned for its real-life safety strategy and its uniquely European driving experience, as well as remarkable driving dynamics. A series of demonstrations, including a low speed safety belt test, demonstrated why SAAB cars are considered some of the safest in the world. On display at the event was the SAAB 9-7x, one of the most important launches in the history of SAAB, targeting one of the world's fastest growing market segments, the mid-luxury SUV segment. The new 9-7X will bring unique SAAB characteristics to the growing SUV segment.

"We have been very transparent about our sales results over the last 12-18 months," commented Johnsson. "We have had 18 straight months of record sales and this is down to our strategy of bringing great products to the region. It also shows that Middle East market acceptance of these great products is high."

"Our commitment to the region is stronger than ever, which is demonstrated by the new models we have shown at this event," he added. "Luxury car owners demand a truly outstanding car buying and ownership experience and our dealers have invested time and money to ensure 'total peace of mind' is not a catch phrase; it's the reality of driving a GM premium vehicle."

"We continue to raise the standards to improve all areas of our customer ownership experience, starting with products engineered for the Middle East and we have invested almost US$1 million in technical evaluation since 2002," added Johnsson.

"As world's No. 1 auto manufacturer we also have a responsibility towards safety and the well being of our customers and this continues to be one of the main drivers behind our research and development investments in technology and vehicle design," he added.