BMW Group Middle East has announced that the two commemorative Mini 50 Camden and Mini 50 Mayfair Limited Edition models will be making their Middle East debuts at the 10th Dubai International Motor Show in December. The models, both named after famous suburbs of London, have been created to celebrate the brand's 50th birthday.
Renault GCC has announced that the upcoming 2009 Dubai Motor Show will see the launch of the new Renault Fluence that was designed especially for the Gulf region. In addition to the Fluence, Renault will also unveil four brand new models that will make their first GCC debut- two hatchbacks and the 2010 Koleos and Safrane models.
United Arab Emirates:
Wednesday, November 11 - 2009 at 09:54
The investment arm of Qatar's sovereign wealth fund has raised around $2.4bn by selling 25 million preference shares in Volkswagen 'to enhance the liquidity' of the stock, but said it remained committed to Europe's biggest carmaker, Reuters has reported. Qatar Holding said it would continue increasing its voting holding in VW as previously announced, to give Qatar the third-largest voting stake behind automotive group Porsche SE and VW's home state of Lower Saxony. Qatar's voting stake in VW was 6.78% in August.
Germany's top three car makers have confirmed they will be showcasing some of their most exciting models during the 10th Dubai International Motor Show in December. BMW is scheduled to unveil two of their new hybrid vehicles, with the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo and BMW X1 models, while Audi plans to showcase several of its latest lighthouse models, including the 5-door Coupé concept, A5 Sportback. Set to display a total of 17 cars this year, Mercedes-Benz will also showcase its range of AMG models and highlight its 'green' credentials with the debut appearance of the new S400, the first series luxury production car to feature a hybrid drive system with a lithium-ion battery to go on sale in the Middle East and Levant.
United Arab Emirates:
Tuesday, November 10 - 2009 at 10:14
The fourth generation of the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado has been unvelied by Ebrahim K. Kanoo, Bahrain's sole distributor of Toyota and Lexus vehicles, in the company's showroom in Sitra. The new Prado has improvements including a roomier cabin with power enhanced third row seats, enhancements to the full frame structure and higher body rigidity, a Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System, and a 'Crawl Control' feature to enhance rough-road compatibility.
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has opened a new showroom at Qatar's most exclusive address, the Pearl Island in Doha. The showroom will offer five models: Ghost, Phantom, Phantom Extended Wheelbase, Phantom Drophead Coupé and Phantom Coupé. Rolls-Royce has 83 dealers around the world and currently nine showrooms in the Middle East: in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Lahore, Manama, Muscat and Riyadh.
Zubair Automotive, the sole distributor of Dodge, Jeep and Chrysler in Oman, has said that its sales of vehicles during the month of Ramadan were 12% higher compared to the Ramadan sales period last year. The sale of Dodge's Durango recorded sales increases in excess of 50% compared to the previous year, the firm said in a statement.
Oman's Towell Auto Centre plans to hold a test drive event for the latest Mazda CX-9. Raffle prizes and special limited period price on the CX-9 will also be offered during the event, which is scheduled to be held between November 11 and 12, 2009, at the Oman Automobile Association in Seeb.
The new Porsche Panamera has arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Panamera has the looks of a coupé with four-seater space, fitting alongside the 911, Cayenne, Boxster and Cayman ranges as Porsche's fourth nameplate. It is available for delivery in three versions—the S, the 4S and the top-of-the-range Turbo.
Saudi Arabia:
Saturday, November 07 - 2009 at 11:37
Renault GCC has launched a new vehicle buy-back programme which aims to reassure potential car buyers of the positive market value of Renault cars. The French car manufacturer will guarantee customers 50% buy-back on the initial cost of their car after three years, with no obligation to purchase another Renault vehicle. The new campaign will run until December 31, 2009 and will be applicable on purchases of new Koleos and Safrane models in Dubai and the Northern Emirates.
United Arab Emirates:
Thursday, November 05 - 2009 at 11:06
The all-new Mazda SUV CX-7 has been launched in Saudi Arabia by Haji Hussein Alireza & Co., the Saudi Gazette has reported. Mazda's new sport crossover SUV features advancements in fuel economy, riding comfort, quietness, and interior quality, the company said. The all-new CX-7 is equipped with an MZR 2.5 liter inline four-cylinder DOHC 16-valve engine, producing maximum torque of 217Nm/3,500rpm and maximum output of 120kW/6,000rpm.
Saudi Arabia:
Wednesday, November 04 - 2009 at 11:09
The new 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been launched in Dubai by Gargash Enterprises, the Mercedes-Benz authorized agent in the emirate. Some of the innovative features of the new S-Class include attention assist-drowsiness detection system, adaptive high beam assist and night view assist with special pedestrian detection. It also incorporates the 'splitview technology', which enables the driver and front seat passenger to view different content on the same screen simultaneously. While the driver is using the map-based navigation system, the co-driver can watch a movie on DVD.
United Arab Emirates:
Tuesday, November 03 - 2009 at 10:12
Audi Middle East has launched 'Audi Warranty plus', the company's two extended warranty packages for the GCC and Levant. Customers can opt for a one-year or two-year extension of their Audi factory warranty, starting from $540 and $1,000 respectively. The service is available from authorized Audi dealerships for all new Audi vehicles as well as vehicles with a remaining factory warranty of at least six months, the company said in a statement.
UAE Mazda dealership Galadari Automobiles has said that the last two quarters have been encouraging and that it now believes sales growth will hit 20% in 2010. The UAE car market has suffered this year, due to the economic downturn, but Galadari said predicted growth was due to signs of improvement in the economy combined with the impending launch of the crossover SUV, the CX-7.
United Arab Emirates:
Sunday, November 01 - 2009 at 11:26
Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari has reported a 35% increase in sales of its cars in the UAE this year and 30% more cars in the Middle East, compared to the previous year, Gulf News has reported. Edwin Fenech, general manager for Ferrari Middle East and Africa has said the company has sold 500 Ferrari cars in the Middle East this year, 150 of which were sold in the UAE.