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Sep 3
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Longbridge scion from Nanjing Longbridge scion from Nanjing
It has been sometime since we heard the roar of the MG brand. Now with a turbo-charged 1.8 engine th...Readmore
Lexus for the jetset to go Still flying high Back on the Bull run Chariot of Aspiration Super cool cat Navigating an on-road course Adding a premium to handling Big at Heart
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New Sales and Marketing Head for Bugatti
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Dr Stefan Brungs
Dr Stefan Brungs
Bugatti Automobiles SAS announced today that Dr. Stefan Brungs (50) will take over the sales, marketing and aftersales department for the company, beginning October 1. Brungs will succeed Alasdair Moray Stewart (46) who effective immediately will join Bentley Motors Limited as sales and marketing director in the board of executives.

Stefan Brungs started his career in the Volkswagen Group as head of the marketing strategy and conception of the Volkswagen brand and in 1997, took over the sales for the Northwest region of Europe. From 1999 to 2004 Brungs ran Bentley‘s European business as its managing director. During this time, Bentley successfully launched the Continental GT, expanding the brand to a new customer demographic.
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CHRYSLER, JEEP AND DODGE CELEBRATE RAMADAN TOGETHER WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS
Press Releases

CHRYSLER, JEEP AND DODGE CELEBRATE RAMADAN TOGETHER WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS
CHRYSLER, JEEP AND DODGE CELEBRATE RAMADAN TOGETHER WITH THEIR CUSTOMERS
Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge enter the holy month of Ramadan with competitive pricing and generous Ramadan packages available from Zubair Automotive Group and Shanfari Automotive Company showrooms across the Sultanate.

The Ramadan pricing and offers jointly launched by the two companies follows the recent creation of Dhofar Automotive – a joint venture initiative between Zubair Automotive Group and Shanfari Automotive Company to sell these three iconic American brands across the Sultanate – offering consistent pricing and service levels for customers. Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge have truly embraced the spirit of giving during Ramadan this year by providing new and existing customers with the opportunity to choose from a range of specially created added-value packages, all combined with great prices on the individual vehicle.

The special “gift”packages have been formulated to meet the different requirements of customers and will include free additions such as; Free Insurance, Free Registration, Free Servicing and Free E-Max gift vouchers, as well as a host of others including finance rates from as low as 3.99%.
 
Bentley Motors launches two unique, special-edition Continental models for the Middle East
Press Releases
• Bentley Motors launches two unique, special-edition Continental models for the Middle East
• Bentley Motors launches two unique, special-edition Continental models for the Middle East
Bentley Motors has unveiled two unique Continental models, which have been engineered and designed exclusively for the Middle East market. These special edition cars have been created at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters with both models offering a range of striking features specially commissioned for Arabic customers.
The Middle East market now represents 10 per cent of Bentley retail sales globally and has doubled its contribution to the worldwide percentage of sales over the last five years. This trend has continued despite the recent global recession.
From Bentley’s first dealership in Dubai, the network has grown to become nine-strong in 2010, with dealers in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar. These two new models have been launched specifically for this unique market.
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French twist
Test drives

Designed by Renault, engineered by Nissan and built in South Korea, the all-new Koleos is the French marque’s first ever 4x4 lifestyle crossover SUV. Question is: can it cut in the fiercely competitive market? We find out

Author: Chandan B Mallik

Renault Koleos
Renault Koleos
The adage used sometimes ‘it’s better to arrive late than never’ usually helps business strategists and product planners to study the markets in-depth, understand and see what competition is up to. Timing is also important, especially for Renault at this stage, since the company is currently on an overdrive mode with its models as it expands globally. To many in the business, Renault may have come into the compact SUV market a little late with the Koleos SUV, but it does arrives fully-formed and not as a half-baked proposition.

For the record, the SUV run for Renault just doesn’t end here. In fact, the automaker has, recently confirmed market rumours that it made an offer for ailing South Korean SUV and car manufacturer SsangYong Motor Co. SsangYong produces saloon cars and SUVs mostly using dated Mercedes-Benz engineering. The buyout offer was made in conjunction with their Korean subsidiary Renault Samsung Motors and Alliance partner Nissan.
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Still flying high
Test drives

Consider it a luxury car with a difference. In a market that is getting increasingly comfort biased, the Lexus RX350 has been a pioneer. Automan tests the car

Author: Raj Warrior   |  Photography: Shakeel Al Balushi

Lexus RX350
Lexus RX350
In other pages in this month’s magazine, we look at the range of SUVs that a certain luxury car marque offers. While the attempt by the brand there was to bring out the hardy, terrain-busting characteristics of even their entry level SUV, the understanding always remained that all the performance in the world had to come with a clutch of core values to make sense for a luxury segment buyer.

Hence just as much importance would be given to things like air-conditioned seats, leather and DVD players and driver related goodies couched as necessity in terms of safety or performance. Like adaptive cruise control, reversing cameras or even the power adjustable seats with memory functions. At a certain level the customer is accustomed to a feature set that gives him this package.
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Poised with confidence
Test drives

Automan discovers the all-new 2010 Tucson as one successful new chapter in transformation of Hyundai from a maker of cheap econoboxes to a bonafide manufacturer of first-class quality global cars

Author: Chandan B Mallik   |  Photography: Shakeel Al Balushi

2010 Hyundai Tucson
2010 Hyundai Tucson
If you remember the outgoing Hyundai Tucson, it was one affordable SUV money could buy. It was decent in terms of its package and performance, but it was more Asian in styling and was seen as a viable alternative to a second hand or used Japanese equivalent. Hyundai is flexing its muscles in the global markets quite successfully and the fact of the matter is that despite the current economic crisis which has hard hit the bottom lines of even seasoned automotive players, Hyundai and Kia jointly are one exception to the rule. Hyundai has surprised business analysts with an outstanding and enviable 49 per cent year on year growth.
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Featured interview

Phil HortonWe interviewed Phil Horton, Managing Director of BMW Middle East for his insight on the brand’s readiness for...
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Featured Test

The Land Cruiser Prado gets a new shape and some really impressive re-engineering under its sleek new skin...
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