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Bidders emerge for Saab
General Motors' Saab division has received interest from several potential bidders including China's Geely Automobile and Dongfeng Motor Group, reported Reuters, citing sources with direct knowledge of the sales process. GM has not yet begun an official auction for the Swedish brand but expects to have preliminary financials for Saab ready in a few weeks.
Oman to have 'Try Honda' weekends
Honda's showrooms in Oman are to host a series of 'Try Honda' weekends, where members of the public are invited to test drive any of the brand's models. The events will also include family-friendly themes, including motorbike riding lessons on simulators and children's activities.
Audi Q5 set for MidEast delivery
The first of Audi's new five-seater SUV, the Q5, are to arrive in the region in March and dealerships are now taking registrations for test drives under www.audi-me.com/q5. The company expects the car to be one of its strongest sellers for 2009, with thousands of test drives already booked.
GM 2008 loss totals $30.9bn
General Motors (GM) has announced Q4 losses of $9.6bn, bringing its losses for 2008 to $30.9bn. It was the second-worst financial performance in GM's 100-year history after 2007's results, the Wall Street Journal reported. GM said 2008 revenue fell 17% to $149bn compared to 2007, as vehicle sales plummeted 11% globally.
Daimler sees 2010 recovery
German car manufacturer Daimler has said that it expects significant decreases in sales in 2009 but that the market would begin to recover slightly in 2010. The company, which owns Mercedes-Benz, said that its 2008 inventory increased by close to $20bn. Mercedes-Benz global sales fell 35% in January.
Classic Rolls-Royce on GCC tour
A collection of more than 70 classic Rolls-Royce cars kickstarted its GCC tour at Porto Arabia boardwalk, (The Pear-Qatar island) on February 26, as it sets off to the three-week Arabian Gulf Adventure tour. The tour will proceed to Abu Dhabi, transiting the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between the two countries, before crossing the mountains to the town of Nizwa in Oman, via Al Ain, continuing on to Muscat, before ending up back on the coastline of The Arabian Gulf, in Dubai.
Rolls Royce sales jump 48% in ME in 2008
Sales of Rolls Royce cars in the Middle East climbed 48% in 2008 cpompared to the previous year, reported Gulf News. Overall, the Gulf region accounted for 18% of Rolls Royce's worldwide car sales, with 216 units sold in the Gulf. Of these, Abu Dhabi and Dubai together recorded over 100 units sold, cementing the UAE's position as the number one regional, and number two worldwide, market for Rolls Royce. North America remains the largest market for the carmaker and accounts for 38% of global sales.
BMW 7 series sales rise 121% in ME
BMW Group said Middle East sales of its 7 Series model in January 2009 increased 121% over the same month one year ago. The Middle East is one of the biggest growth markets for the BMW Group and represents its fourth largest market worldwide for sales of the 7 Series. Markets which recorded particularly strong 7 Series sales growth in January were Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Lebanon, the company said in a statement.
VW's new Passat CC on sale in UAE
Volkswagen's new Passat CC - a sedan and coupe hybrid - has been launched in Abu Dhabi by Ali and Sons. This evolution of the Passat represents a brand new segment in the automobile industry, VW says, combining the rationality of a saloon and the emotional appeal of a sports coupé.
Abu Dhabi licence auction raises $12m
An auction for sought-after licence plates held in Abu Dhabi raised $12m (Dhs44m) for charity, a 25% increase on the previous event. Licence plate number 8 was the highest earner, selling for Dhs8m.
Dubai Classic car parade set for Burj
The 2009 Dubai Classic Car Show is to be held on 27 and 28 February at Downtown Burj Dubai. The classic car parade and competition will be staged for the first time at Burj Dubai at the Emaar Boulevard. The event is organised by Emaar Properties with the support of the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE.
Chrysler spares Mideast in layoffs
Chrysler's mass layoffs worldwide will not involve the Middle East, The National has reported. Thomas Hausch, the Chrysler vice president of international sales, said he did not expect job cuts in the immediate future, but he could not rule out layoffs in the future, and said there was a general hiring freeze for the car company's international operations, with some exceptions. The company employs 20 people at their administrative office in the UAE, which serves as the hub for the region.
BMW unveils five-year service offering
Abu Dhabi Motors, the exclusive importer for BMW, BMW Alpina, MINI and Rolls-Royce in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, is offering its customers peace of mind with the BMW Service Inclusive Ultimate Package (previously known as the BMW Service and Repair Inclusive package). The Ultimate package covers all major servicing for BMWs for the first five years, or 100,000kms, including wear and tear parts that are beyond the standard warranty, costs for labour, original BMW replacement parts and top-up oil.
Nissan launches GT-R in Middle East
The Nissan GT-R is now on sale in selected 'Nissan High Performance Centers' across the GCC featuring a newly developed Premium Midship package, including the world's first independent transaxle 4WD developed independently by Nissan. The Nissan GT-R was developed with a new understanding and appreciation of the Earth's natural forces - gravity, inertial force and aerodynamics - and translates those forces into a completely new design, maximizing tire grip and airflow, according to a press statement.
Al Majid wins Kia dealer of the year
UAE-based Al Majid Motors, the sole distributor of Kia vehicles in the UAE, has been awarded Kia dealer of the year for 2008. The awarded dealers were selected based on the results of the annual Kia Dealer excellent Program, which is an objective evaluation tool used by the brand. A total of 34 global dealers were selected to participate of the program.
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