Automan 173

AutomanMag | Visit our website: www.automan.me now, the region’s Best Automotive Resource FEB 2016 Issue no 173

OMR 0.500 AED 10 QR 10

ff the Road

On and O th o b st la b a is é p u o C G GLE 63

AM

Also inside: Detroit Motor show report | Qatar Motor show Tested 2016 Honda Pilot 2016 Ford Figo 2016 Lexus RX350 Face to Face : Hyundai’s regional managing director Jin Kim

New Wheels

6-11 2016 KIA Sportage Media drive, 2016 Subaru XV Launch, 2016 Jaguar XF launch, 2016 Renault Duster 4x4 Launch, 2016 M-B AMG G-class upgrade, 2016 Lexus GS F Launch

Oman and regional news

12-13 Shell Oman launches new cards, Cadillac share ME results, M-B offer, Maserati hold italian night 14-15 OLX Statistics, M-B Oman awarded, Renault boosts Iran presence, New head of Ford ME, Nissan Training academy, Infiniti pleased with results

regional news spotlight 16-18 Qatar Motorshow report

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Brandwatch

20-21 Renault-Nissan alliance declare results, Daimler announces record figures, GM on a roll, Mary Barra to become Chairman 22-23 are suzuki and toyota joining forces? Audi announce bumper year, tata faces zika issue, Ferrari listing

International news spotlight

24-27 Detroit Motorshow Round-up

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Cover story

28-33 2016 M-B AMG GLE 63 Road test

Road Tests

34-39 2016 Lexus RX350 40-45 2016 Honda Pilot 46-49 2016 Ford Figo

Face to Face

50-53 Hyundai MEA Head Jin Kim

automan coty 2015

54-61 The winners are announced in all categories plus our editor’s two select segments. We debut the bike categories too.

Concepts

62-63 Audi Lunar Quattro being

developed for Lunar X-Prize 64-65 KIA Telluride. Is it the next Mohave?

Previews

First Drive

66-69 Infiniti Q60 Coupé 70-71 BMW M2 Coupé

72-75 2016 Bentley Range on Media

Drive In Oman

Motorsports 76-78 Dubai 24 Hours and F1 snippets

Chicane

80 Ringing in the New

editor-in-chief Mohammad Al Taie

AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 Al Harthy Complex, Sultanate of Oman

Website: www.automan.me Facebook: AutomanMag Twitter: automanmag Instagram: automanmag

publisher Hatim Al Taie

hatim@alroya.net

FINANCE & ADMIN Sumy Mol

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Distribution: Tel: +968 24652400/1/2/3/4/5 Extn 555, Subscription: Tel: +968 24652400/1/2/3/4/5 Extn 650 MANAGED AND PRODUCED BY:

www.carbrandz.com Managing editor Raj Warrior raj@automan.me contributing EDITORS Chandan Basu Mallik Anne Kurian Design Consultant Antony Karlo photography Elvis John Ferrao For Advertising & Marketing enquiries: Sayantani Ghosh sayantani@automan.me Or advertising@automan.me DisTRibution United Arab emirates Dar Al Hikma LLC alhikma@emirates.net.ae Tel: +971-4-2665394 | Fax: +971-4-2669827 Printer Al Anan Printing Press LLC Tel: +968 24446163 | Fax: +968 24446287 alananprinting.com | alananprinting@gmail.com © 2016 All editorial content of Automan in the magazine and its website is copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any form without the written consent of the management of Automan.

Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial material, but reserves the right to publish any such material. Once published, the copyright for any such material will vest with Automan.

We are in 2016 and most of the doomsday predictions we have had for the economy in general and automotive sales in particular have come to nought. Company after multinational car company has come out with announcements of record or near record profits and sales. In fact, in most cases, car companies have bounced back solidly from the low point of 2008 to a healthy new paradigm.

However, that does not mean that challenges don’t exist for 2016. Petroleum prices are uniformly predicted to remain depressed and the regional economies are increasingly going to have to find innovative solutions to keep their business going as usual. Every regional business boss we have spoken with over the past couple of months has admitted that 2016 would be far more challenging than the previous year. The run of record sales in car numbers has also been powered by the increase of volumes in the premium and luxury segment in the region, but once the government stops unnecessary expenditure, will we see that segment dry up?

Infrastructure spending will be the key. As revenue from petroleum stays challenged, it may be the right time for governments to borrow and plow money into infrastructure at cheaper terms. This will no doubt pay back in the short term by injecting much needed business into their local economies, while the longer term benefits will be seen in better roads, bridges, airports, railways and the sort.

In the meantime, there have been some changes at Automan. As we had promised last year, our portal has taken on a life of its own, with a 24x7 dissemination of automotive news. We are increasingly becoming the first port of call for anything to do with cars and bikes in the region.

This issue is also important as it carries the results of the 2015 Automan Car of the Year programme. As always we have spent the whole of the past year testing and rating vehicles we have driven that are sold in the region. Finally, we tally the scores through January and reach the final result that appears in this issue. This began with the 2011 year, making this the fifth edition of the programme. And we must say with a certain degree of satisfaction that the programme is acknowledged across the region as being fair and unbiased – making the award winners real achievers. More power to them.

Here’s to a great 2016 ahead - we look forward to your continued patronage as we drive ahead as the region’s best automotive resource.

Automan is now in its 16th year of publication. Expect a great deal from us through the year in terms of all your favourite automotive content

NEWWheelS 2016 KIA Sportage

KIA unveils new Sportage with major styling changes and turbo GT grade

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utoman recently participated in a media drive arranged by KIA Motors regional office in Dubai. The aim was to introduce media to the new 4th generation KIA Sportage, that is a 2016 model here.

The event was based at the Meydan hotel and began with a press conference and orientation session where various speakers informed us about the salient features of the new Sportage.

Soon-Nam Lee, managing director of KIA’s middle east and Africa operations informed us that the new Sportage would be sourced from the brand’s Slovakia factory.

He also informed media that KIA’s global sales for 2015 was 3.15 million units, making it the second year that the brand had crossed 3 million units and marking 12 continuous years of growth.

Sales in the middle east and Africa region is expected to hit 230,000 units out of which the new Sportage is expected to contribute 50,000 units.

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The new Sportage is designed to offer a smoother ride and better handling and builds further on the 43 models that have either been released as new or upgraded over the 2009-2015 period.

The Sportage also launched with a GT Line specification that offers a truly differentiated package for buyers, complete with the 1.6-litre turbocharged engine and 7-speed DCt gearbox, along with front and rear skid plates, dual exhaust pipes and 19” alloy wheels with matt silver machine finish.

Higher grades of the Sportage have LED DRLs and projector lamps, panoramic sunroof, reversing camera, cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot warning and even a tailgate that opens when you swing your leg below the rear bumper.

The vehicle’s interior features heated and ventilated seats (in higher grades) tyre pressure monitoring, multiple USB jacks as well as the ability an eight speaker JBL sound system that is supposed to be able

to boost the quality of compressed music to that of an uncompressed media source (called Clari-Fi).

After the press conference we drove out to Fujairah and back to the Meydan taking some of the longest detours possible so as to clock in kilometres on the cars. The turbocharged 1.6-litre GT Line is a gem of an engine, largely made great because of the 7-speed DCT. On the 2.4-litre unit, the regular 6-speed automatic unit enjoys a natural torque delivery but does seem a little tall geared.

The Sportage has never been a hardcore off-roader and the provision of the AWD lock button on the dashboard does not make it one, although we were provided a stock of images of the Sportage performing on sand. But that’s really not the market for it – as Soon-Nam Lee expressed to us, he believes that the new vehicle will still be a success despite launching into a tough market.

Our first impressions of the car are that the NVH levels have improved, as has

2016 KIA Sportage: What’s changed in this model year?

KIA Motors regional managing director, Soon-Nam Lee addresses the media gathered for the media drive. the general stiffness of the body (with the greater use of high strength steel). The electric power steering still stays a little muted in feel despite the drive modes available, although the gearshift pattern does change suitably. But once set revving, the Sportage is a noisy little charger, with dreams of competing against some rather premium marques.

The 4th generation KIA Sportage comes at a time of intense competition in the compact SUV segment. Thus the styling changes have brought about a sense of being contemporary as well as takes the Sportage upmarket against its competition.

Major changes have been brought about in the light signature, profiling and interiors, as well as in the use of more ultra high strength steel in the construction of the body.

While there has been no move to actually perform a major platform change, the new method of making large changes on modified platforms shows through. You can see that the roofline and C-D pillar hasn’t been touched, but all outer panels have undergone sea changes.

The interiors get a very modern interpretation of the KIA interior, with large touch panels, LED lumination and a system that offers features like multiple USB jacks, bluetooth streaming and even wireless phone charging points.

The rearview camera has cross-traffic assist, Blind spot monitoring on the outside mirrors and a large panoramic roof all add in to the appeal - as does the new GT line with its unique 19� alloy wheels and 1.6-litre turbocharged engine.

In our opinion, this Sportage will be a sure fire hit with its almost Porsche like fascia, classy interiors and feature pack that takes it into a rather premium territory. We do expect prices to move higher accordingly.

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NEWWheelS 2016 Subaru XV

Subaru Oman launches 2016 XV

Top right: OTE Chairman Saad Suhail Bahwan addresses the assembled media and guests at the launch. Bottom right: CEO Anil Dua

MHD Launches Ford Trucks in Oman MHD LLC and Ford Trucks, celebrated the opening of the newly constructed 4S Ford Trucks facility in Muscat, including showroom, spare parts and service. The facility represents the first Ford Trucks dealership in Oman, 3rd biggest truck market in Middle East.

The 4S facility staffed by a team of trained personnel will provide Sales, Service & Spare Parts support to the Ford Trucks customers. Facility is formed of 225 m2 internal showroom, 192 m2 External Showroom, 350 m2 Workshop and 1000 m2 commonly used spare parts warehouse area. The showroom can accommodate up to 3 trucks 8

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and the service area can receive up to 300 trucks per month.

Speaking at the launch Gopi Subramanian, General Manager of the Engineering Products & Commercial Vehicles Division, MHD LLC said, “We are proud to launch the tough, technically superior, fuel efficient FORD range of Trucks in the Sultanate of Oman. They have been equipped with specifications that will cater to all the specific requirements of our clients in cargo hauling, construction, tankers or any other load handling applications.”

Ford Trucks General Manager Haydar Yenigün emphasized that Ford Trucks continue

to establish global network and stated; “We have strong business relations with our distributors. And as a result of this settlement in Muscat, we are truly hoping our

long lasting relationship will continue with Mohsin Haider Darwish L.L.C. The Middle East is very important for Ford Trucks and Oman is among the most important markets.”

NEWWheelS 2016 Jaguar XF

Top: David Aziz addressing the gathering. Top right: Johnny Amiouni from Jaguar Middle East joins (second from left)

New Jaguar XF launched in Oman T

he all-new Jaguar XF launched in Oman at a glittering outdoor ceremony hosted by the brand’s importers, Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC. The Jaguar XF 3.0 Litre V6 Supercharged Portfolio was showcased at the event.

Speaking at the launch, David Aziz, CEO- Automotive Products MHD LLC said: “Jaguar has a rich 80-year history that spans key historic events and sporting triumphs, a history of producing stunningly designed cars which deliver uncompromised form and function. The All- New Jaguar XF is the latest addition to this extraordinary heritage”.

Johnny Amiouni, Regional Business Manager, Jaguar Land Rover MENAP region added: “The All-New Jaguar XF’s elegant and progressive design stands out from the crowd and makes it instantly recognisable as a Jaguar from any angle.

Setting the benchmark for steering response and feel, and exceptional ride comfort combined with refinement and performance, this dynamic luxury business saloon offers our customers a compelling

package defined by Jaguar’s dynamics DNA. The All-New Jaguar XF has been very well-received since its launch at the New York International Auto Show, and I am very pleased to be launching it here today in the Sultanate of Oman alongside Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC.”

The All-New Jaguar XF range consists of: XF Pure, XF Prestige, XF R-Sport, XF Portfolio and XF-S. The All-New Jaguar XF range will be available with prices starting from RO. 18,950 (along with 5 years/ 250,000 KM Warranty and 5 years/ 65,000 KM service package).

The all-new XF is 4,954mm long: at 2,960 the wheelbase is 51mm longer than before, the front overhang 66mm shorter. Though 7mm shorter and 3mm lower than the original XF, rear seat space is class-leading thanks to 15mm more legroom, 24mm more kneeroom and up to 27mm more headroom than before. Aerodynamics are also superior: the drag coefficient drops from 0.29 to just 0.26.

The light (190kgs lighter), stiff body is also fundamental to the all-new XF’s superb vehicle dynamics. Double wishbone front suspension and Integral Link rear suspension - combined with near-50:50 weight distribution.

FEB 2016

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NEWWheelS 2016 Renault Duster 4x4

Renault Oman expands entry level by launching new Renault Duster 4x4 The new Renault Duster 4×4 (albeit without any major platform changes) has been launched in Oman by its importers, Suhail Bahwan Automobiles.

With a refreshed front end, chrome strips and a new air intake. The headlamps also incorporate LED daytime running lights and black alloy 16″ wheels. The

interiors have also been upgraded with a redesigned dashboard, beige fabric seats, cruise control and a 7″ media nav touch screen that offers satellite navigation, bluetooth connectivity and links to a rearview camera.

It also now gets ABS and ESP as standard along with tyre pressure monitoring.

. “New Renault Duster 4x4 will deliver a level of equipment normally associated with vehicles from the next segment up,” stated a senior SBA official, Renault Oman Team. He added: “It is the ideal vehicle for all who wish to own a stylish yet affordable vehicle.”

2016 Mercedes-Benz G500

Upgraded MercedesBenz G-class in region

T

he Mercedes-Benz G500 is now available with a new version of the V8 power plant based on the AMG tuned unit found in those variants. This unit is a 4.0-litre biturbo engine that has been modified to deliver 422hp and a torque of 610Nm. The turbochargers are also 10

FEB 2016

optimal response and low exhaust emissions.

uniquely positioned in between the banks of cylinders instead of outside them. The layout known as the “hot inside V” offers a compact layout,

Both the G 500 and Mercedes-AMG G 63 are equipped as standard with an ECO start/stop function that reduces fuel consumption and emissions by switching off the engine when the vehicle is at rest, e.g. in a traffic jam or at traffic lights.

NEWWheelS 2016 Lexus GS F

2016 Lexus GS F launched in Oman The 2016 Lexus GS F launched in Oman in the presence of Yukihiko Yaguchi, Chief Engineer for the GS F and Takayuki Yoshitsugu, chief representative for Toyota Motor Corporation in the region The GS F is the first new F sedan after the launch of the IS F in 2007. It is seen by the brand as the complement to the RC F in the middle layer of the F performance pyramid, with the LFA at the apex and the F-sport variants as the base.

According to Yaguchisan, “With the GS F, our aim was to develop a car that combines the versatility of a sedan with the agility and dynamic character of the ‘F’ brand.” He added, “To enhance its dynamic performance and hone its handling, our team also spent countless number of hours on some of the most famous tracks of the world, including Fuji Speedway in Japan and the Nurburgring in Germany”.

Yoshitsugusan says, “The sedan embraces the virtues of sound, response and limitless power feel to support Lexus ‘F’ brand

identity of a performance car. We look forward to delighting our customers with this latest model and would like to acknowledge their support over the years.”

An official spokesman for the Lexus importer in Oman also informed the guests that the increasing range of ‘F’ badged cars with their unique styling and grilles as well as outright performance edge had helped draw in younger customers to the brand.

The GS-F is based on the partially revamped GS and is equipped with a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 that outputs 471hp at 7,100rpm and delivers a torque of 518Nm from 4,800-5,600rpm.

It is also equipped with an 8-speed sport direct shift automatic gearbox, which has a manual mode with quick shifts (as little as 0.1 seconds per shift).

The rear-wheel drive sedan features a special differential on the rear axle that also offers torque vectoring and partners well with the overall power delivery of the car. Yaguchisan also confirmed that the body is specially prepared and the chassis is tuned for performance with even the brakes being Brembo units (six-piston on the front axle).

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Shell Oman launches latest fleet card system Shell Oman Marketing Company recently launched a new fleet card management system in the presence of outgoing managing director Adil bin Ismail Al Raisi and other members of the senior management team.

The system comes with enhanced control, greater security and extra savings. The

new platform also allows for a corporate Advance payment system, allowing customers to prepay for fuel.

Some of the new features include PIN-enabled cards and online authorisation of transactions, with downloadable invoices and a variety of reports through the

web portal.

Shell also introduced their vehicle recognition system that uses RFID technology to communicate fuelling type and limits at the pump. This allows vehicles to fill at the pump without a card and with no manual intervention.

Cadillac manages higher sales in tough year In a year that saw a distinct softening of the Middle East luxury car market, Cadillac bucked the trend, reporting 20% annual growth.

“Last year the luxury car industry saw a slowdown in terms of sales and growth. This was due, in part, to geopolitical factors in the region and consumers’ views towards major purchases,” said Felix Weller, Managing Director, Cadillac Middle East.

Weller said Cadillac has been setting itself apart from the competition in terms of its unique vehicle lineup and by growing, even in a contracting market.

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“Cadillac is a leader in terms of last year’s the fastest growing premium car brands,” Weller said.

He attributes the increasing popularity of Cadillac to its strong foundation of vehicles packed with modern technologies, sophisticated design, and advanced driving dynamics. The range starts with the ATS sedan and coupe, which saw 17% year on year growth, and continues up to Cadillac’s flagship, the Escalade, which posted an impressive 63% increase in sales.

As for the year ahead, Weller predicts the luxury market to continue to face some challenges, but expects Cadillac to continue its growth story.

Mohammed Mahmood al Balushi has been named by the company’s board of directors as the new managing director for Shell Oman Marketing Company, replacing outgoing Adil Ismail Abdullah al Raisi. The appointment is effective immediately and Balushi will also represent the interests of shareholder Shell Gas BV as its nominated director.

Balushi’s 23 years of experience include 12 with Shell, with exposure to corporate banking, equity financing, project management, government relations and fuel retailing. His previous post was as country manager – retail and he was a member of the Shell Oman management team.

Indian battery brand Emtrac have launched a series of zero maintenance batteries in Oman along with local partner Eint Automotive. Eint Automotive is a part of the WJ Towell group of companies and offer a range of tyre, battery and accessories to the Oman market.

Emtrac say that their range offers the highest cranking performance and low corrosion over time due to their use of SilvenX alloy. They offer an 18-month warranty on the battery (unlike the industry standard 12 month) and claim that the battery will work flawlessly even in the harshest environment.

Mr. Shajahan Azeez, Business Unit head, Eint Automotive, PLB Division says “We are confident that our customers will find this battery highly beneficial and are also pretty certain that Emtrac will very soon become a preferred choice in the market due to its long life and extended warranty.”

news

Emtrac batteries launch in Oman

Oman & region

Alfardan Motors hosts evening of Italian culture for Maserati

Maserati’s official importer in Oman, Alfardan Motors, hosted an evening of Italian food, art and culture for a select group of customers and media invited to their showroom in Muscat.

Acclaimed Omani artist,

Ibrahim Gailani who is collaborating with the brand used the occasion to unveil his Zeus portrait, depicting the inspiration behind the Maserati Trident emblem.

Clients were invited to join in and try their hand

at painting canvas boards.

Gailani is a contemporary artist who also runs the Gailani art retreat.

The latest Quattroporte and Ghibli models were available through the evening for customers to take test drives.

Mercedes-Benz announces offers on models in Oman Mercedes-Benz Oman has announced offers on three of its models in Oman.

The three models carrying these offers are the MercedesBenz GLE400 4Matic, the C200 AMG and the Avantgarde trim level of the E300 AMG sport.

“Mercedes-Benz fans will be driving their dream thanks to this precision-engineered package,” commented Clive Hammond, CEO of Zawawi Trading Company-Automotive.

“While the three vehicles have distinct personalities, what they have in common is Mercedes-Benz’s unrivalled engineering, luxury and power.

The Mercedes-Benz philosophy of ‘The Best or Nothing’ applies to our deals as much to our vehicles, and with these fantastic packages we are confident that we achieved that.”

Available for OMR 29,995 while stocks last, the GLE400 4MATIC offer includes a 3 year or 45,000 kilometre integrated Service Package. With a similar offer, the E300 Avantgarde is priced at RO 24,995, while the C200 AMG is at 22,495.

This offer is available till March 31st, 2016 or till stocks last, whichever is earlier.

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OLX shares its Oman statistics highlighting some trends Months after the site OLX took over the business of now defunct dubizzle.com in the country, the site has communicated to us the volume of traffic.

The total number of ads reached 102,742 with a total product value of OMR 22.6 million (USD 60 million) which is double the number of international flights in Muscat International Airport by end of August 2015.

The report revealed that the most searched car brands on the OLX website, and its accompanying mobile applications in Oman during the same period were Toyota, Nissan, Jeep, BMW, Honda and Mitsubishi. Regarding secondhand items, the report revealed that the most searched items were: beds, sofas, TVs, furniture, ACs, fridges, tables, washing machines, mobile phones and cameras.

Commenting on the Report, Abdallah Touqan, Senior PR and Communications Lead at OLX said, “Such reports help us not only in improving transparency within the used product sales market within our society, but to also educate consumers to disrupt consumer exploitation. We are proud to exceed the 100,000 ads mark in Oman within just ten months of the year, with a total product value of around 60 million USD.” According to the report, Samsung phones topped the “phone for sale” category on the OLX website and OLX Arabia phone apps with 2,332 ads with an average price per piece of OMR 100. Following closely behind were iPhones with an average price per piece of OMR 141 across 404 ads.

Zawawi Trading Company (ZTC) scooped four top prizes at the 2015 Mercedes-Benz Middle East and Levant Sales and Marketing Awards.

Zawawi Trading Company (ZTC) scooped four top prizes at the 2015 MercedesBenz Middle East and Levant Sales and Marketing Awards: ‘Best Target Achievement’, ‘Best Ever Sales Results’, ‘Best Social Media Activation’, and ‘Best SUV Sales Performance’. Dubbed the ‘Night of the Stars’, the stellar event held in Dubai recognized the successes of the iconic brand’s eleven General Distributors in the Middle East and Levant as they pursued the Mercedes-Benz philosophy of ‘The Best or Nothing’.

Accepting the four awards on behalf of ZTC, CEO Clive Hammond enthused: “It’s a true honor to receive this major recognition in these extraordinarily competitive categories. These accolades are the culmination of a remarkable year for Mercedes-Benz in Oman, one in which we have reinforced our commanding position in the luxury automotive sector thanks to an outstanding line-up and an incredible set of new launches. We look forward to continuing to set standards and enthralling the market in the coming year.”

Renault to increase business in Iran post sanctions In a release timed with the visit of Iranian president Rouhani to France, Renault Groupe has communicated the existing co-operation it has with Iranian manufacturers and indicated a further growth in volumes.

It says that over the past decade, Renault Pars, a joint venture with both Saipa and Iran Khodro, has produced more than 500,000 vehicles. The company considers the Iran market as an important part of its strategy and calls it calm and consistent.

It also says that two new vehicles were produced during 2015 itself, the Logan pick-up with Iran Khodro and the Sandero with Saipa.

Thanks to the lifting of economic sanctions against Iran on January 16, 14

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and as soon as smooth relations have resumed between French and Iranian banks, Renault will considerably intensify operations in Iran and prepare future model releases in association with its two local partners.

“With a market amounting to two million vehicles by 2020, Iran has undeniable potential. Renault has ambitious plans in Iran and advanced discussions are currently underway with Saipa and Iran Khodro to step up our presence, develop our structures and support the automobile sector in Iran,” said Bernard Cambier, Director of the Africa-Middle East-India region.

In 2015, Group sales soared by 56.1% compared to 2014, to reach a total of 51,500 vehicles and 4.8% of market share.

Thierry Sabbagh is the new managing director for Ford Middle East operations.

Sabbagh has vast automotive experience, having previously been regional sales director for the brand since 2012, where he was responsible for supporting Ford and Lincoln dealers across the GCC markets as well as Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan and Yemen.

“For the continued success of Ford in our region, certain priorities including customer satisfaction will help us reach our goals,” said Sabbagh. “An improved dealer network and level of ability, along with making the customer sales and service experiences second-to-none, can make sure of the growth of Ford in this region moving forward.”

Sabbagh also intends to improve distributor marketing efforts, while also getting serious about the fleet and commercial vehicle business.

He has previously worked for other major automotive brands in the region, including another US-based major.

Oman & region news

Thierry Sabbagh to lead Ford Middle East as Managing Director

Nissan upgrades its regional training centre to Academy status Nissan Middle East has announced the upgrade of its existing regional training centre into a full-fledged professional academy, complete with programmes designed to address the skill needs of staff around the region. This was announced on the occasion of the 2,000th graduate being trained at the centre.

“At Nissan we already have the best trained staff in the business but our continuous pursuit of even higher standards means that we always go further than anyone else in the pursuit of customer excellence,” says Samir Cherfan, Managing Director of Nissan Middle East. “Through dealing with unparalleled

expertise in every aspect of the ownership experience, our customers remain loyal to Nissan and extending the training programmes for our staff even further means a better deal for everyone.

The academy will see new certifications available for sales advisors, sales managers and fleet managers as well as the launch of ‘Front Line Coaching’, which boosts the number of programmes to 26 across 18 markets in the region. Each programme can be of varying durations from one to three years and is available in multiple languages. The company claims that every member of sales staff across the region will be enrolled in 2016.

Infiniti happy with 2015 performance Infiniti in the Middle East has concluded 2015 on a strong note, delivering over 8,300 vehicles at a growth rate of 18%, making it one of the fastest growing premium automotive brands in the region.

On a global level, Infiniti broke the global sales records once again in 2015 with sales of 215,250 vehicles, up 16% from the previous year.

“The double digit growth achieved for 2015 is testament to the excellent vehicles we continue to deliver to our customers around the region,” said Juergen Schmitz, Managing Director, Infiniti Middle East.

2015 was a great year for the Infiniti brand which saw enhancement in its product portfolio on a global as well as regional level. The Infiniti Q30 unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show. Representing Infiniti’s first entry into the premium compact segment, the Q30 is a product of a new tie-up with Daimler.

Here in the Middle East, Infiniti launched the new Infiniti Q70, with new exterior styling and refreshed interiors.

Schmitz added: “The Infiniti Q70 continues to be a key driver of growth for our brand in the mid-size executive sedan

segment across the region. So too, when we introduce the all-new Infiniti Q30 in the Middle East later this year, we are confident that the vehicle will contribute to Infiniti’s successes.”

Focusing on growth, all of Infiniti’s models performed well in 2015. Amongst the sedans, leading the way was the new Infiniti Q70 which accounted for an increase of 116% with almost 600 vehicles delivered to customers in the year. Infiniti’s multi-award winning Q50 also performed strongly registering a growth of 110% with almost 1,900 vehicles sold.

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Audi reveals five new models at the 2016 Qatar Motor Show

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udi Middle East is displaying three regional premiers at this year’s Qatar motor show, including the first RS model in the Q series – the Audi RS Q3. The Audi SQ5 is also shown for the first time together with the new S8 plus.

Also new for Qatar are the all-new Audi R8 and the all–new Audi A4.

For selected VIP guests, the Audi A8 Security Car is on show too.

Speaking at the Qatar Motor Show, Benoit Tiers, Managing Director of Audi Volkswagen Middle East said “Audi Middle East is looking forward to an exciting year in 2016 with many new models arriving in our dealerships very soon. Qatar is an important market for Audi that has shown consistent growth, and the recent opening of the new workshop for Q-Auto has ensured our customers here are given an even better customer experience.

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AUDI S8 Plus

With a power output of 605 hp and a top speed of up to 305 km/h, the new Audi S8 plus delivers more driving performance. The new flagship seeks to set a benchmark. Its 231 kg body is made from aluminium and is based on the Audi Space Frame.

The standard spoiler lip on the rear lid is painted in the exterior body colour, and it is also available in carbon fibre as an option. The flaps in the side air inlets and the blade on the front apron are made of carbon fibre. The mirror

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housings in body colour are optionally available in gloss black or carbon. The Single-frame grille and double bars are in gloss black, while the honeycomb structure of the side air inlets and radiator screen are in matt black.

Distinctive design characteristics of the S8 plus also include darkened tail lights and a gloss black diffuser insert, which has an additional carbon surround.

The dual-branch sport exhaust system branches into two oval gloss black tailpipes on the left and right.

AUDI A4

The new R8 launches in two engine versions – as the R8 V10 plus with 610 hp it is the most powerful and fastest production Audi ever built.

The 5.2 liter V10 enables breathtaking performance, and its hissing, roaring sound is highly emotional. Yet fuel economy has been improved by up to 13 percent in the R8 model series compared to the

AUDI SQ5

The new Audi SQ5 is the third regional premiere on the Audi stand. This version produces 354 hp and 470 Nm of torque It sprints from zero to 100 kph in 5.3 seconds and has a top speed of 250 kph.

The new Audi SQ5 is powered by a supercharged, three-litre V6 engine with a displacement of 2,995 cc. Its compressor sits in the 90-degree V of the cylinder banks and is beltdriven by the crankshaft.

previous model.

From 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h, 9.9 seconds and a top speed of 330 km/h, the R8 V10 plus has a dry weight of just 1,454 kg. and is also joined by the R8 LMS that is a GT3 race ready version of the Audi sports car.

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Two rotors inside the supercharger spin at over 20,000 rpm. The supercharger compresses the intake air to as much as 0.8 bar; two intercoolers then cool it for greater power.

The 3.0 TFSI engine produces 354 hp between 6,000 and 6,500 rpm, and delivers 470 Nm of torque between 4,000 and 4,500 rpm.

The new model offers an abundance of intelligent technologies – the new Audi MMI display and control concept. Technological highlights of the new A4 include the Audi virtual cockpit, the Audi Matrix LED headlights, the Audi smartphone

3 5

interface, the Bang & Olufsen Sound System with 3D sound, the Audi phone box with wireless charging, the head-up display and new driver assistance systems like the parking assist, rear cross-traffic assist, exit warning, collision avoidance assist, turn assist and the Audi pre-sense systems and optional virtual cockpit.

AUDI RSQ3

The second regional premiere on the Audi stand is the Audi RS Q3, which is the first RS model of the successful Q range of models. It takes just 4.8 seconds to complete the sprint from 0 to 100 kph. The 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo produces 340 hp and has an average fuel consumption of just 8.4 liters of fuel per 100 km. This five-cylinder engine has been named “International Engine of the Year” in its class for three consecutive years.

The chassis of the Audi RS Q3 is also impressive. 19-inch wheels are standard; 20inch wheels are optionally available. Thanks to the wave design, the large brake discs on the front axle are now one kilogram lighter. They are gripped

by eight-piston callipers.

The standard RS sport suspension is also available with optional adaptive dampers. The steering is tuned for sporty driving, and the Audi drive select dynamic handling system is standard.

The seven-speed S tronic, which transfers the power has also been refined for even faster gear changes.

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news

Oman & region

AUDI R8

Porsche debuts new 911 and Macan GTS

(R-L) Vice President of Region Overseas and Emerging Markets, Matthias Becker, Porsche Centre Doha CEO, Salman Jassem Al Darwish and Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, CEO, Deesch Papke

Led by the Middle Eastern premieres of the latest 911 Turbo S and all-new Macan GTS, Porsche delivered a total of four regional debuts highlighting the brand’s benchmark setting models. Porsche’s 911 premieres included the new 911 Carrera 4S and 911 Targa 4S. In addition to this the Macan GTS was shown for the first time in the region.

Deesch Papke, Chief Executive Officer of Porsche Middle East and Africa FZE, commented: “The Porsche 911 is the brand’s most iconic model and we are thrilled to be powering into 2016 at the Qatar Motor Show with three new variants, including the top-of-therange 911 Turbo S which offers even more power, driving excitement and a sharper design. Through constant development in the form of technology transfer and a mindset of evolution our engineers have been able to advance the 911 range to a new high. With the

Volkswagen shows new Tiguan for first time in region 18

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premiere of the all-new Macan GTS we are celebrating a landmark moment, as we now have a powerful and dynamic GTS version in every Porsche model series.”

The new 911 Turbo S is the top of the 911 range and thanks to new turbochargers with larger compressors, the 3.8 litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine delivers an output of 580 hp. This makes the Turbo S the first production 911 to accelerate to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds.

The model’s top speed is 330 kph, 12 kph higher than its predecessor.

The same traits are extended to the 911 Carrera 4S and 911 Targa 4S which also made their regional debuts at the Qatar Motor Show. The completely new engine generation with bi-turbo charging featured in both models results in an increase of 20 hp across all models, amounting to a total of 420 hp

in the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet and 911 Targa 4S. The new exteriors of the 911 range include new headlights with four-point daytime running lights and a redesigned rear lid with vertical louvres, as well as distinctive four-point brake lights at the rear. Meanwhile inside the car features an updated Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with a multitouch display, offering an expanded range of functions and controls.

With an output of 360 hp, the Macan GTS features a 3.0 litre V6 bi-turbo engine, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Porsche Traction Management (PTM), with flexible power distribution between front and rear axles.

Completing the zero to 100 kph sprint in 5.0 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono package, Porsche’s latest GTS model has a top speed of 256 km/h.

Renault-Nissan alliance sells 8.5 million vehicles in 2015 The Renault-Nissan Alliance sold 8,528,887 vehicles in 2015, up almost 1 percent from the previous year, thanks to record sales in the United States, China and Europe.

Combined sales for the world’s fourth largest car group, which includes Renault Group, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., and Russia’s AVTOVAZ, held steady from calendar-year 2014 — despite sharp declines in the overall Russian and Brazilian markets.

Renault, Nissan and AVTOVAZ, Russia’s largest automaker, account for about one in ten cars sold worldwide.

Renault Group, Europe’s third-largest automaker, sold a record 2,801,592 vehicles worldwide in 2015, up 3.3 percent from 2014, in a market that grew by 1.6 percent. This marked the third consecutive year of sales growth for Renault. Dacia sales accounted for a record 550,920 vehicles, up 7.7%.

Renault reached a market share of 10.1 percent in a market that rose 9.4 percent.

Renault retained its light commercial vehicle leadership in Europe for the 18th consecutive year.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., sold a record 5,421,804 cars and trucks worldwide, up 2.1 percent. In each of its two biggest markets, the United States and China, Nissan sold at least 1.25 million vehicles.

Infiniti accounted for a record 215,250 vehicles, up 16 percent from the previous year, thanks to all-time high sales in all key

regions, including the Americas and China.

AVTOVAZ, which sells cars under the LADA brand, sold 305,491 vehicles, down 31.5percent due to the slump in the Russian marketThe Renault-Nissan Alliance has a majority stake in AVTOVAZ through a joint venture with state corporation Rostec. Together, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and AVTOVAZ sell about one in three cars in Russia.

The overall Russian car market plunged by more than 35 percent. The Alliance

increased its market share from 30.7 percent in 2014 to 32.3 percent in 2015.

The Alliance’s top 10 markets in 2015 were the US, China, France, Japan, Mexico, UK, Germany, Russia, Brazil and Spain.

In the United States, Nissan set an all-time record with 1,484,918 vehicles, up 7.1 percent, resulting in a record market share of 8.5 percent. Nissan also set annual sales records for Rogue, Versa, NV and NV200.

In the light truck segment, sales rose 20 percent compared with 2014.

In China, Nissan sold 1.25 million vehicles, up 6.3 percent. Nissan remains the leading Japanese automaker in China with a market share of more than 5 percent.

In France, Renault’s home market, Renault sold 607,173 vehicles, up 5.1 percent.

Its market share totaled 26.4 percent.

The Clio compact car remained the topselling passenger vehicle for the sixth consecutive year. Renault ZOE was the leading electric passenger vehicle with at 60 percent market share.

In Japan, Nissan’s home market, Nissan sold 589,046 vehicles, down 12.1 percent.

Nissan’s market share stood at 11.7 percent.

Daimler posts record results for 2015 Daimler AG posted record sales in 2015 in terms of units and revenue as well as earnings before interest and tax “2015 was a good year for Daimler,” stated Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars, upon opening the 2016 Annual Press Conference. “We know from experience: Getting to the top is hard, but staying at the top is even harder.

That’s our ambition: Daimler belongs at the top on a sustained basis.”

In financial year 2015, the Group achieved its best ever EBIT of €13.5 billion 20

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(2014: €10.8 billion) and its best EBIT from the ongoing business of €13.8 billion (2014: €10.1 billion). Net profit of €8.9 billion was significantly higher than in the previous year (2014: €7.3 billion). Earnings per share increased to €8.08 (2014: €6.51).

As previously announced, Daimler significantly increased its total unit sales in 2015. The number of around 2.9 million vehicles sold was 12% higher than in 2014.

This growth was primarily driven by the Mercedes-Benz Cars division (+16%) and to a lesser extent by Mercedes-Benz Vans (+9%). At Daimler Trucks, the growth in

unit sales of 1% was lower than originally expected, mainly due to weak markets in Latin America and Indonesia. At Daimler Buses, for which slight growth had been expected at the beginning of the year, unit sales were significantly below the prior-year level. This was primarily due to the pronounced weakness of the markets for bus chassis in Latin America. Driven by the growth in unit sales, Daimler increased its total revenue by 15% to €149.5 billion in 2015; adjusted for exchange-rate effects, revenue grew by 9%.

transformation of personal mobility. We believe the opportunities this will create in connectivity, autonomous, car-sharing and electrification will set the stage for driving value for our owners for years to come.”

Special items during the calendar year impacted full-year net income to common stockholders favourably, $1.5 billion, or $0.89 per share, compared to an unfavourable $(2.4) billion impact in 2014, or $(1.40) per share. Among these special items were a net gain from the reversal of certain valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, and charges for litigation matters related to the ignition switch recall and a Venezuelan bolivar currency devaluation.

Total net revenue for the year was $152.4 billion, compared to $155.9 billion in 2014.

The change in net revenue is due primarily to a negative net foreign currency

GM global sales totaled 9.8 million vehicles in 2015, up 0.2 percent for the company’s third consecutive year of record sales.

“GM continued to grow in 2015 as our focus on the customer and successful new vehicle launches more than offset the challenging conditions in South America and the curtailment of our presence in certain markets such as Russia,” said GM President Dan Ammann.

Deliveries in North America rose 6 percent in 2015 to 3.6 million cars, trucks and crossovers. In the U.S., GM grew its retail sales, which are sales to individual customers, faster than any other automaker.

In China, General Motors and its joint ventures delivered a record 3.6 million vehicles, up 5 percent compared to 2014. Their lineup expanded through the

exchange impact of $9.3 billion. Holding exchange rates constant, net revenue in 2015 was $5.8 billion higher than 2014.

Based on its strong operating performance in 2015 and consistent with the outlook provided in January, the company reaffirms its expectation that its EPS-adjusted will be between $5.25 and $5.75 in 2016. introduction of 12 new and refreshed models. SUV deliveries were up 144 percent, led by new models such as the Buick Envision and Baojun 560.

In 2015, General Motors’ cars, trucks and crossovers were leading automotive sales in China and its North American and South American regions.

GM has several major product launches underway around the world, including the new Opel Astra with more than 80,000 orders across European markets and the new Chevrolet Malibu in North America, which began arriving in showrooms at the end of last year.

Mary Barra is next Chairperson 2016 begins on a good note for General Motors’ CEO Mary Barra, who is now also elevated to the position of chairperson of the board.

She succeeds Theodore (Tim) Solso, who will continue serving as the Board’s Lead Independent Director.

Barra has served as GM CEO since Jan. 15, 2014.

“At a time of unprecedented industry

change, the Board concluded it is in the best interests of the company to combine the roles of Chair and CEO in order to drive the most efficient execution of our plan and vision for the future,” said Solso. “With GM consistently delivering on its targets and on track to generate significant value for its shareholders, this is the right time for Mary to assume this role.”

Said Barra: “I am honoured to serve as Chair of the Board of Directors. With the support of our Board, we will continue to drive shareholder value by improving our core business and leading in the transformation of personal mobility.”

In 1990, Barra graduated with an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business after receiving a GM fellowship in 1988.

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news

General Motors Co. announced record 2015 calendar-year net income attributable to common stockholders of $9.7 billion, or $5.91 per diluted share, up from $2.8 billion, or $1.65 per diluted share in 2014.

Earnings per share (EPS) adjusted for special items was $5.02, up 65 percent compared to $3.05 in 2014.

Full-year earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted rose to a record $10.8 billion, up from $6.5 billion in 2014. EBIT adjusted margin for the year also increased, to a record 7.1 percent, compared to 4.2 percent in 2014.

“It was a strong year on many fronts, capped with record sales and earnings, and a substantial return of capital to our shareholders,” said Chairman and CEO Mary Barra. “We continue to strengthen our core business, which is laying the foundation for the company to lead in the

brandwatch

General Motors declares record income for 2015

Partners or not? Toyota and Suzuki deal in question A front page report in Japan’s Nikkei newspaper has Toyota Motor corporation and Suzuki Motors in talks for a partnership to develop a new range of small cars targeted at developing markets like India

Automan’s take While a bit of a surprise, the potential of such a partnership between Toyota and Suzuki has nevertheless excited the local stock market because of the perceived synergies. But that would largely have to discount the Daihatsu stable of offerings, although it could also work well in terms of a three-way sharing of costs in platform development and technology. Similar tie-ups exist with other brands for Toyota and the brand can bring in significant new drivetrain technologies to small cars, including hybrid, electric and hydrogen powered units. Perhaps, this year will see an official confirmation.

H

owever both companies have come out with denials, while the stock market has reacted positively with both their shares rising. This is on the back of Toyota reclaiming its no. 1 slot from Volkswagen group, whose problems this year have added to the drop in numbers. Toyota Motor claim to have sold 10.15 million vehicles in 2015, leading Volkswagen’s 9.93 million and General motors’ 9.8 million.

The potential tie-up between the two car companies would seem odd considering the level of control that Toyota already has in small car maker Daihatsu. However

Audi enjoyed a bumper year in 2015, not facing the massive issues that Volkswagen did with its diesel engines in the United States and elsewhere.

Its annual figures show a growth to 1.8-million deliveries.

The company is also quick to point out that it managed these record numbers despite some of its newest cars, the new Audi R8, the new Audi A4 and the new Audi Q7 not being available in key markets. The brand has also clocked in market leader status is Europe and China in its segment, with their US sales growth actually twice the market rate – the company surpassed the 200,000 mark for the first time in its history, rising 11.1 percent to 202,202 units.

“With sales of 1.8 million, we have surpassed the target set in our Strategy 2015 of 1.5 million cars by 300,000,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. “2015 has proved that Audi is solidly on track and that we are able to master a year 22

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that presented various challenges very successfully.”

Regarding developments in the sales regions, sales chief Dietmar Voggenreiter explains: “In Asia, we adapted very flexibly to the slower market pace and consistently geared our activities toward healthy and profitable businesses. With strong results in the United States and the successful launch of our model initiative in Europe, foundations for Audi’s further growth have been successfully laid.”

The sales in China were lower than in 2014, a sign of the slackening premium demand, despite the launch of the locally produced A3 sedan that generated a quick boost in sales volumes.

Suzuki has the advantage of having an established operation in many developing markets, with its India operations actually being the most significant part of its volumes and income.

Toyota Motor has also stated that it is evaluating its Daihatsu relationship with the possibility of even making it a wholly owned subsidiary. However no decisions have been made as of now.

Suzuki Motors has had a previous tieup with Volkswagen along similar lines, with the target of developing models for emerging markets. This partnership is over as of 2015.

A car by any other name – is no longer Zica!

A rather unfortunate side effect of the ZIKA virus outbreak in various South American countries is being felt in India, with Tata Motor’s newest hatchback ZICA being renamed.

A press release from Tata Motors, claims that they are doing this as a socially responsible company “Empathizing with the hardships being caused by the recent “Zika” virus outbreak across many countries”. The name ZICA is claimed to be the shortening of Zippy Car, which may have sounded fine till a few weeks ago, when the latest health emergency began to raise its ugly head.

The new name will be announced by the company at the Auto Expo that shortly begins in New Delhi, where the new car will be shown to the public for the first time. The campaign behind it is labelled “Made of Great” and by the rename, Tata Motors will be cutting off any negative associations that the similarity in sound to Zika could have brought about.

manufacturer. I am quietly confident of a strong year in 2016.”

Record sales were reported in Asia Pacific (up 13%), the Middle East (up 4%) and North America (up 6%). Individual markets that recorded record results included Korea (up 73%), Japan (up 7%), Qatar (up 21%), Russia (up 1%), UK (up 2%) and USA (up 7%). Emerging markets such as Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia and Kazakhstan all showed promising growth. In China, significant headwinds impacted negatively on the entire luxury sector and Rolls‑Royce was not immune to these developments.

The region reported sales down 54% compared to 2014.

The brand’s global dealership numbers have risen to 130, with further expansion planned for 2016. Numbers during 2015 were driven by the Ghost and Wraith family of cars. The Dawn, shown last year, will begin deliveries in the second quarter of 2016.

news

Rolls-Royce Motorcars has closed out 2015 with the second highest sales in its history, on the back of a strong market in the United States A press release from Rolls-Royce Motorcars says that the brand has sold 3,785 cars during 2015, with the salient factors for the year being a strong performance in all regions except for China, the United States returning to the position of being the strongest market and the Abu Dhabi dealership being the largest selling for the third year in a row.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, said, “2015 was a year of tremendous challenge for the entire luxury industry. I am very proud of our success which was achieved against a backdrop of considerable global uncertainty. We have proven that our long-term strategy of globally balanced, sustainable and profitable growth is delivering and we have maintained our position as the world’s leading luxury

brandwatch

Rolls-Royce enjoys upbeat 2015 with strong US sales

Land Rover announced the roll-out of the last Land Rover Defender from Solihull

Ferrari DEBUTS IN MILAN

“Ferrari: A new milestone, a new start”, these were the words Sergio Marchionne inscribed in the guest book of the Italian Stock Exchange during the Ferrari Listing Ceremony on the MTA. Raffaele Jerusalmi, CEO of Borsa Italiana (the Italian Stock Exchange) presided over the ceremony, which took place a few months following Ferrari’s debut on the New York Stock Exchange last October 21st, while Matteo Renzi, Prime Minister of Italy, was the guest of honour.

The stock began trading after Ferrari Chairman Sergio Marchionne, FCA Chairman John Elkann, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa and Ferrari Vice Chairman Piero Ferrari rang the traditional opening bell for the session.

To mark the occasion Land Rover invited more than 700 current and former Solihull employees involved in the production of Series Land Rover and Defender vehicles to see and drive some of the most important vehicles from its history, including the first pre-production ‘Huey’ Series I as well as the last vehicle off the production line, a Defender 90 Heritage Soft Top. At the same time, Land Rover announced a new Heritage Restoration Programme, which will be based on the site of the

existing Solihull production line. A team of experts, including some long serving Defender employees, will oversee the restoration of a number of Series Land Rovers sourced from across the globe.

The first vehicles will go on sale in July 2016.

The last of the current Defender vehicles includes an original part that has been used on Soft Top specifications since 1948 – the hood cleat. The vehicle will be housed in the Jaguar Land Rover Collection.

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s t o h s p a n S t i o r t e D m fro Detroit 2016

d dition di e 6 1 0 2 s ers, both le show’ r i u b t o c a m f o u t tional au tunes of car man a n r cks and e u t r n t I r w n o a e f c n i back in head h Amer ncepts, a g o n c e i g w m i n s t i t l e s u The Nort th bountif e intere a m ighlight o h s s d o n t h t e i h t r c mu global. W ar, the show po d n a n a c is ye h t Ameri r o f s r ew ca lots of n

In his first-ever visit to NAIAS, President Obama toured the show with 2016 NAIAS Chairman Paul Sabatini and UAW President Dennis Williams.

Obama said, “I believe that every American should be proud of what our most iconic industry has done.” He also noted that he wanted to see the industry’s progress “firsthand.”

President Obama is one of three U.S. Presidents to visit the auto show.

Chairman Paul Sabatini at the launch of the show for the press

An all-new, more rigid and lighter architecture is the Chevrolet Cruze’s foundation for driving dynamism, while also playing a significant role in safety and efficiency. It is more than 200 pounds (91 kg) lighter than the previousgeneration model due largely to a body structure that is 100 pounds lighter and an 24

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engine that’s 44 pounds (20 kg) lighter. “With 9 percent market growth in small hatchbacks last year, it’s the perfect time to bring the Cruze Hatch to America,” said Alan Batey, president, General Motors North America and Global Chevrolet. “As Cruze continues to set the tone for Chevrolet globally, it articulates

the brand promise of offering cars with the latest technologies, more features and greater efficiency, performance and safety with fresh, distinctive styling.”

Cruze is Chevrolet’s best-selling car around the world, with 3.5 million sold since it went on sale in 2008.

The new Audi A4 allroad quattro takes to the floor at Detroit with a sharper design – with striking front end and a typical “allroad” look. Its quattro drive as standard and the 34 millimeter gain in ground clearance make it the perfect allroad. The engines deliver an output of up to 200 kW (272 hp).

Audi USA President Scott Keogh and CE O Rupert Stadler quattro concept. with the H-Tron This model, which Audi is unveiling fo all-electric drive – r the first time, ha using hydrogen as s its energy source. of-the-art fuel cell It combines statetechnology deliver ing up to 110 kW wi provides a tempo th a battery that rary boost of up to 100 kW. The electr axle develops 90 kW ic motor on the fro , and its rear coun nt terpart 140 kW.

Volkswagenpresented the Tiguan GTE Active Concept.

The concept car is based on the new Tiguan, and it showcases the technical capabilities of the modular transverse matrix. The primary goal was to create a synthesis of plug-in hybrid technology and maximum off-road performance.

On the road, the concept car essentially runs as a zeroemission vehicle, operating 100% in electric mode.

autonomous driving next step on the road to The new E-Class marks the can autonomously ver assistance system. It km/h, and at up with the DRIVE PILOT dri nt at speeds of up to 210 fro in ling vel tra icle veh follow a A distinctive feature is the ut clear lane markings. ho wit n eve /h km 130 to ly merge to create a ch displays, which visual two high-definition 12.3-in personal preferences. design can be adapted to widescreen cockpit. The

“2015 was the outstanding year in our very long history. It was the most successful year for Mercedes since we invented the automobile. And we are determined to build on this success by expanding and rejuvenating our line-up. I think we owe it to Carl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler to mark the 130th anniversary,” said Dr. Dieter Zetsche FEB 2016

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“The first-ever BMW M2 is not only the legitimate successor to the BMW 1 Series M Coupe - it also continues the tradition of compact, high-performance sports cars that started with the 2002 turbo. It is characterised by a highly emotional M design language. A bold, Motorsport-inspired appearance with an exceptionally wide stance which reflects its powerful presence.” Ian Robertson

The new 911 family was unveiled by Porsche at the North American show. Highlights of the new generation 911 Turbo include Active rear wheel steering enhances agility on the street and the race course, New all-wheel drive controls distribute power with more speed and precision.

Two versions of the new 3.8-litre twin turbo engine produce 520 hp (383 kW) and 560 hp (412 kW), respectively.

The new Volvo S90 comes equipped with an advanced semi-autonomous drive feature, Pilot Assist. The system gives gentle steering inputs to keep the car properly aligned within lane markings up to motorway speeds of around 130 km/h and no longer needs to follow another car. Pilot Assist is another step towards full autonomous drive – a key innovation area for Volvo.

Ford launched the super cre w version of the F-150 Raptor. Built as a Baj a racer and using high-strength steel and high-strength, military grade, aluminium allo y the Raptor is a unique performance truc k that has a huge appeal in the Middle Eas t region.

Ford also unveiled a new ver sion of the Fusion, with versions that offe r hybrid drive as well as electric motors.

“Fusion offers people a lot mo re car – including helpful technology , beautiful design and a more rewarding driving experience than other midsize sedans,” said Raj Nair, Ford executive vice president and chief technical officer, Glo bal Product Development.

Seen to the right are CEO Ma rk Fields and Bill Ford Jr.

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Carlos Ghosnn com mented: “As the th ird-generation versi iconic sports coup on of Infiniti’s e, the new Q60 bu ilds on Infiniti’s br history of technolog and heritage and y leadership. It re inforces Infiniti’s re performance, elega putation for nce and driver-foc used design.”

Alongside the Q60 at the 2016 NAIAS, Infiniti has reveale versions of the Q5 d upgraded 0 sports sedan an d the QX60 crosso ver.

The LC 500, a provocative, athletic flagship car, makes the strongest statement yet about Lexus’ future product direction. The production model’s design shares many of the key elements, proportions and visual dynamism of the LF-LC concept car that inspired it. The luxury coupe is powered by the proven, high-revving 5.0-litre V8 that is found in the RC F and GS F and features a newly developed 10-speed automatic transmission. Akio toyoda said, “I was determined to make sure we became a more emotional brand … and that the words …boring and Lexus … never showed up in the same sentence again.”

the first luxury segment showed for Hyundai’s new direction in the ne with alo d stan now esis badge will time in North America. The Gen the of sion ver ew all-n the begins with a unique set of models that .

Centennial that is now the G90 was shown. where the Telluride concept To the right is the KIA stand t Mohave. nex the be y ma platform, this Built on a modified Sorento

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2016 M-B AMG GLE 63

hy: Elvis

hotograp rrior | P a W j a R or:

Auth

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rrao

John Fe

The Mercedes-Benz GLE is a rather late entrant into the space ruled by the BMW X6. With the AMG GLE 63 version, the brand finally has a product that can take the battle to the roads. Automan tests the car in Oman.

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t has the profile of a coupé but the wherewithal of an SUV. But more than anything the new GLE has a huge task on its shoulders. For it comes at a time when the brand has been reinventing the way it approaches the SUV segment.

Admittedly now part of a cleaner, more logical approach, the GLE is the switchover model from the ML SUV and thus has the ML shaped regular GLE as well as the more visually unique GLE Coupé.

However, that does not immediately mean that the GLE is set out to be an X6 competitor. In the decades-old game that the two German rivals play, their models are set slightly apart so as to address niches that don’t directly compete with each other.

In many ways the GLE Coupé takes that ahead by a stage.

For it comes at launch itself with the full-specced AMG variant and that could almost be the gamechanger that Mercedes-Benz need in this equation.

The AMG variant of the GLE takes the muscular lines of the Coupé and add more sinew in the form of design elements. The front valance looks more aggressive and the use of the chrome inserts against a darkened grille match the signature DRL treatment of the headlamps. AMG call this signature treatment their A-wing, with the fascia being a bit bottom heavy due to the prominence of the A-shape.

For the profile, the swoop of the canopy is placed just right over the rising shoulderline, what this does is accentuate the wedge shape of the form. The doors do look rather metal heavy but avoid getting a slab-sided feel.

The rear of the car actually looks more interesting than the front, with the

multiple layers of visual energy descending from the glasshouse to the muscular haunches of the boot area (with taillights that appear to widen the base and add a certain squatness) all the way down to the lower valance and its set of two by two trapezoidal exhaust pipe tips.

In some respects, the rear on view looks like that of a regular S-class coupé.

The interiors are no less radical. The clearly laid out dashboard reflects the modern Stuttgart paradigm. An almost tab like central display hogs the space between the central air vents. Below that is the console that is separated into an infotainment zone and a climate control mode. The controller (with writing recognition and trackpad functions) as well as the ride control switches sit on the transom between the seats allowing for ride height and quality controls as well as the most extensive performance adjustments.

AMG call it their dynamic select dial. You can literally dial in whether you want the car to handle slippery, individual, comfort, sport or sport plus. Once you set it, all the vehicle’s responses change including the way in which it delivers power to the wheels or allows wheelspin. In sport and sport plus, you can feel that the car allows a far greater degree of drift without the engine getting throttled.

Even in something as select as an AMG 63 version, the company offers two engine variants with the standard unit being the 557hp unit with a torque of 700Nm. The S variant ups that just a tad further with 585hp and 760Nm on tap. Both of these variants are built on the mechanicals of the 5.5-litre V8 biturbo unit made by AMG engine specialists who sign off their one-

man built engines.

The S variant of the 63 is capable of hitting the standing hundred in 4.2 seconds, with the regular flavour following close on its heels with a 4.3 seconds figure.

The gearbox used is the AMG version of the 7G-tronic box used by the threepointed star.

You need something as hefty as this box to handle 760Nm of torque. But what this also offers is the M override button that switches the box to full manual control.

That means the shift controller will allow the engine to both over-rev as well as get loaded if the driver doesn’t intercede. The M is a true manual control choice - not the M button of its competitor.

As for the regular shift pattern, it is decided by a variety of factors including which drive mode the car is in – lightning fast switches between gear cogs is made possible by the ability to double de-clutch for quick downshifts and the way in which the car allows you to pop up and down using the paddle shift, allowing for quick bursts of activity – and then settling back into an automated shift pattern.

The handling of the SUV could have been a problem with the higher centre of gravity that it carries. You dial in a huge burst of power to the 4Matic system, carry that speed into the corner and you would expect a lot of body roll. But here the engineers have managed to out-guess you. To a certain degree the variable damping control and suspension response already do a lot to offer a stiff, predictable turn phase. And then to add to the fun, active anti-roll bars kick in, using small adjustments to hold the body flatter as you take the curve. It is a sheer joy to use the Sport and Sport plus settings as the FEB 2016

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The approach that the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 adopts is to take a rather luxurious interior and make it as sporty as possible. Our test car had the benefit of white leather trims and seats, brushed aluminium ans stainless steel metal interfaces, and the AMG three-spoke steering wheel with its characteristic shape.

The AMG SUV gives you a feel of control. From the ride quality selector knob, to an M button that puts you in full manual shift mode, to the automation provided by a package that offers adaptive cruise control and automated braking, the car has it all.

At the core of its performance is adaptability of the rear-wheel drive biased E platform. Long wheelbase, short overhangs and a wedgelike profile even as a coupÊ all add to the performance as does the reasonable approach and departure angle. A point of caution is to realise that the AMG skirts impact the base model’s approach and departure angles.

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air suspension hardens up and the anti-roll bars activate. You would still know that you are sitting with your hip pojnt a few extra centimetres off the ground but most of the lateral forces will be fely by your body directly, not what you glean from the yaw as the car turns.

In terms of speed of response, the car’s air suspension is almost as good as the magnetic fluid based systems used by some brands. The part that gets added in is the ability to vary ride height as well as ride feel. As the car speeds up, it settles down to present a lower profile and CG. The car sits on proper sports car like wheels. The regular AMG variant gets 21” 10-spoke alloy wheels with tyres of size 285/45 R 21 (front axle) and 325/40 R 21 (rear axle). The S variant gets a blacker look for its wheels to match the shiny black treatment of its A-wing fascia as well as going up by an inch. The wheels are shod with tyres of size 285/40 R 22 (front axle) and 325/35 R 22 (rear axle).

However, for all its performance capabilities, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 will sell as much for the interior package as it will for its muscle. Rich leather feel tempered to add a sporty edge, brushed aluminium inserts, leather

feel dashboard, a sound system that brings a concert hall level of clarity (you could opt for the B & O Beosound surround sound system or the Harmon Kardon Logic 7 surround sound system depending on how much you want to add to the price) to the interiors and appointments that immediately communicate a real classy ambience are all there.

Driving Impressions Driving any AMG car is always an experience and the AMG GLE 63 is no exception. From the moment you switch on the engine and it settles into its characteristic rumble, you know you are about to have fun. The interface allows you to select from a menu of parameters to set an individualised ride mode, but you really don’t need that – for regular riding just leave it on comfort or take sport for all the performance driving you want to do. Sport plus does give you a lot more latitude, but you can find that the immense torque on tap from the biturbo engines can catch you unawares. So we suggest that you leave it for large, open expanses or the racetrack, just so that you can let the car slide around as the torque

hits the rear wheels. The natural tendency of the 4Matic system is to apportion power to the front, but Sport plus keeps the transfer at an edgy level.

The speed sensitive steering tightens up brilliantly, allowing you to keep hands on at all times. The paddle shift manual only mode is a rock solid advantage for the car.

Verdict We find the AMG GLE to be a true champion model. It is likely to be the SUV model that marks out Mercedes-Benz (of course alongwith the AMG G-class) and helps the brand build the rest of its SUV lineage. The shape is rather incidental to the equation and the only bit that keeps bringing up the X6.

With its combination of sporty, rich interiors, massive power and torque as well as the factory offered image boost of a select (S) option, the mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 ticks all the boxes of the affluent buyer and gives the brand a real halo model in the segment.

Now the question to ask yourself really is what other types of luxury cars would you be looking at with the budget of over US $150,000 that you would need to have? It’s either a sports car or the sportiest of SUVs. FEB 2016

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2016 Lexus RX350

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The Lexus RX has undergone a generational change and now both looks and feels like the top of its breed. Does the car bring anything new to the equation? Automan tests the RX350 in Oman Author: Raj Warrior | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao

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exus has a rather unique position in the brand universe. It is known as the brand that was created to signify luxury. And it has done that job – the products and experience it offers stand apart from the mainstream and as the years go by its offerings get taken to a new level.

The RX350 is a good example of the dynamics that underly Lexus as a brand.

Like Goldilocks’ bears were quoted to say, “this one’s just the right size”. And that’s what draws in the buyer who would normally have been looking at the size and convenience of a sedan yet wanted something different. It’s larger than the new addition compact size NX, yet doesn’t get as large and unwieldy as the GX and LX, which take the off-roader tag a lot more seriously.

The new generation RX is marginally larger than the previous one at 4,890mm. But the wheelbase has grown disproportionately (now at 2,790mm) and thus the new RX looks more tied together with the feel of a shorter rear overhang.

The new treatment of the C-D pillar area also changes one’s perception of the profile. Now there is a lot happening visually, with a busy form that highlights the swoosh from nose to tail on multiple levels. The front fascia has also changed dramatically, with a sharper form of the Lexus spindle grille (almost notched in at logo level) and a larger logo. This generation brings new lighting technology with the complete move to LED lights. The headlights are now called 3-eye projectortype headlamps (quite self-explanatory) on every trim level except the base Premium grade (which gets single Bi-LED element). The taillamps also carry the new layered LED motif in a signature pattern.

This generation of Lexus lighting also translates into turn signal indicators that don’t just flash, they ripple outwards,

effectively creating more drama and catching your eye, just that bit more.

Flared wheel-arches and the matched spindle like treatment of the rear panels add to the drama of the RX. The interiors also reflect the new Lexus philosophy. The cabin layout is more driver centric, with the dashboard and centre console skewed towards the driver. To effect this the passengers side of the dashboard is lowered and made flatter, although by doing so the dashboard is now layered. This layering even extends to the glove box zone. More visual energy is created by the recesses around the centre console.

The central screen is an almost tab like 12.3” display (8” is the base size) which also has character with its trapezoidal form (put in there to add to the visual skew towards the driver).

The controller on the centre console is the haptic feedback unit used elsewhere in Lexus.

Of course the number of variants available mean that you get sound systems from a 9-speaker Lexus unit, to a 12 or 15-speaker Mark Levinson system. You also get panoramic roof in grades above Premium and two rear screens in the top grades.

What doesn’t change is the power unit, which is a 296hp 3.5-litre V6 unit with VVt-i and direct injection mated to an 8-speed automatic gearbox and an all-wheel drive system. The torque is a healthy 362Nm. The headers for the engine have been redesigned with new intake ports. The engine also offers the ability to switch to an Atkinson cycle to conserve fuel. The AWD system now adopts dynamic torque control that uses a series of sensors to determine the torque split between front and rear, while detecting wheel slippage and compensating accordingly.

Along with moving the wheels out further, the new chassis layout incorporates a

re-engineered front strut and rear double wishbone layout. Additionally, the engine subframe has been modified to increase its bracing, adding to a tighter handling and better feel.

The modified platform has allowed Lexus to lower the driver’s hip point and thus makes the car feel slightly less SUV like.

If you fork out for th ehigher grades, the RX gets adaptive suspension too although this is limited to solenoid control over the oil in the dampers. However, the effect is worth it, especially in terms of the recoil response and ride quality.

Steering feel is still very much along traditional Lexus territory. Soft and still a hint vague, the motor in column electric power steering is nonetheless a blessing in very tight parking situations. You can steer the car with a finger if needed.

Drive mode selection is an added bonus, with the ability to switch between Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+ modes. The Normal mode is very American tuned, which meant that we switched it to Sport mode the minute we realised it. It isn’t as if the RX becomes and oversize go-kart.

Far from it, the car still has roll. But th eSport mode means that the roll is held in check and the swing back is controlled and muted. This allows you to feel the road better, especially to control the understeer of the platform better.

Driving Impressions If you are looking for a city SUV – the RX350 fits your needs perfectly. It doesn’t try to growl its way ahead (with even the F-sport being primarily an appearance package), nor does it lag in any department. Switch th eengine on and you can see th emodern day Lexus talk back.

Everything falls into place, you don’t have to shift your right hand off the console if you really don’t want to and the best thing is that all essential controls are available

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The interiors display a good, clean layout with a dashboard that is biased towards the driver. When matched with the light colour leather and trims and the enormous panoramic roof, the cabin is very spacious and airy. The 3.5-litre engine has been re-engineered to offer more power with lower fuel consumption with its ability to switch to an Atkinson cycle. The generous use of LED lighting technology now results in the 3-eye LED projector lamps along with LED DRLs and turn light indicators that offer sequential (ripple type) lighting

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off the console. You only have to get into the infotainment screen for Navigation and setup related entries if at all.

Dial in Sport mode, put it in D and you can floor it. Engine noise remains muted, with all of th ebrand’s expertise in NVH reduction coming through. Push the car hard through corners and you can get the tyres to squeal although that’s where you find that the adaptive suspension control is really meant to reduce, not eliminate roll. The car’s 235/55 R20 wheels and tyres are large enough to fill the profile visually, yet supple enough to take a bit of pounding. Even in sport mode, speedbreakers should not be an issue as there is enough give in the springs.

Brakes are 328mm in the front and 338mm in the rear although the front ventilated discs are way thicker. The pedal feel is good, with limited travel.

Verdict What’s not to like in the RX350? Lexus has now taken this urban crossover well away from its original positioning where it was seen as a ladies’ car. The styling itself will tell you that alongwith the rest of its stable Lexus wants the RX to appeal across genders and types of buyers.

Also the investment in new age technologies is commendable, from the extensive use of LED and piped LED technology both outside and in the car. The cabin has an expansive feel to it, accentuated by the enormous panoramic sunroof. The dashboard too is now busier and more interesting to look at, while interfaces with modern day conveniences like your smart phone are more intuitive.

And it has all the safety features you may ever wish for like airbags all around including knee airbags.

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2016 Honda Pilot

From big and boxy to a sleek reborn version – the all-new Honda Pilot takes the largest of its SUVs into new territory – one where looking good counts for at least as much as driving well. Automan tests the car.

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Author: Raj Warrior | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao

The 2016 Honda Pilot comes in at a time when Honda needs to push its SUV segment. Especially here in the Middle East region, Honda has had to depend only on the CR-V for the lucrative SUV segment as opposed to other Japanese manufacturers who have a stable of models to compete with.

However, it isn’t as if the Pilot is new.

After the MR-V, the Pilot came into its own from around 2003. But like the MR-V the Pilot was built along the lines of a classic SUV with basic attention given to styling the two box shape. It has taken until this model year for Honda to lavish the same level of attention to the looks of the Pilot as it does for the smaller CR-V. But it has managed this sea change without reinventing the entire genre.

What it does is take the solid mechanical prowess of the established Global light truck platform and build a whole new vehicle on top of that. This generation gets added doses of ultra strength steel components, making for a lighter, more rigid structure. This also inludes the use of aluminium and magnesium alloys.

These alloys are generally used in critical areas, like the use of the magnesium alloy under the dashboard to hang the steering assembly.

In terms of styling the Pilot now gets the

visual signature of the sedans and the CR-V with the wing like treatment of the headlamps and front grille, marking the clearest signal yet of a cohesive design philosophy coming through at Honda. Of course the dimensions of the Pilot call for some unique touches, especially around the lower valance. In order to maintain a sense of sleekness, the turnlights are moved to a mid level while the lower corners are reserved for the foglights.

These foglights bracket a large and prominent underbody protection.

In the process, the boxy look of the old Pilot has been consigned to the past as the form now follows the looks of the CR-V with softer shoulders, wider haunches and prominent character lines on the hood and along the profile. Even the tailgate has been softened to reduce the sheer bulk and height of the car.

The Pilot also gets better NVH treatment with more padding as well as an acoustice windshield. The wheelbase has increased by almost two inches, making the SUV bigger than before.

The interiors have changed too with all the attention centering around the new 8� colour display on top of the central instrumentation. This touch screen is very connected with current technology, being powered by Android and capable FEB 2016

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Acoustic windshield

Better styling and aerodynamics

LED DRLs and projector headlamps

Modern day Honda visual signature for grille

Turn indicators placed to break the mass

Metal scuff plate at front and rear adds to look

2016 Honda Pilot What’s different?

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of connecting to the internet, especially if you have a data connection on your mobile phone. Open your internet sharing on the phone and the system can update itself and offer online content. Admittedly, it may have been better to mirror the phone on the system, but it really wouldn’t work if you have an Apple device.

On the other hand, the entire cabin has been cleaned up and made to seem more luxurious, including comfortable seating and large storage spaces for various odds and ends. This includes a roller type cover for the centre console and large glove box. The concept of pushing storage is taken to the next level by the ingenious treatment of the rear cargo bay with a parcel tray that is adjustable so as to allow the inclusion of tall cargo.

Cabin room has increased along with the added external dimensions and this means more legroom in all three rows as well as better headroom.

The steering wheel gets a central triangular hub based on a four spoke arrangement with a very American layout of controls. Thankfully paddle shifters are added in to match with the straight gate automatic shifter so you don’t really miss a J-gate.

The instrumentation has also benefitted from a rework, especially with the use

of lights and colours on the IP so that you know whether the engine is in 3 or 6-cylinder mode just by the colour that surrounds the dials. Of course you also get the obligatory ECO button that actively switches off or reduces electric consumption by the air-conditoner compressor and other ancillaries but you don’t really need to use it. The IP itself is split into a digital speed readout and analogue display tach and fuel gauges.

The cabin also benefits in the upper grades from a large almost panoramic sunroof.

This is split by the crossbeam that the central DVD unit is hung from making it seem a little more sensible in acreage.

The engine has been thoroughly reworked. This generation of the 3.5-litre V6 offers 280hp at 6000rpm and 355Nm of torque. It is a well-balanced transverse unit coupled to a reworked 6-speed automatic gearbox. The V6 banks are rather compact with only 60-degrees in between. For customers in the US, along with the 6-speed, they also get a 9-speed box but that comes with an idle stop/start system as well. In this case the engine also gets VCM or variable cylinder management that allows the engine to switch from its normal firing mode to using only the three cylinders that occupy the front bank of the V. In effect the system shuts down the

other bank without actually disconnecting the cranks of the rear bank, shutting off the inlet and exhaust valves while keeping the spark plugs firing in order to keep the plug temperature up. Additionally the engine recognises the need to feed oil to all the necessary parts and handles the switch between both modes seamlessly.

The engine also gets active mounts to help dampen out any vibration.

The chassis is also reportedly completely redesigned. Yes, it has 4-wheel independent suspension despite being on the truck platform and speed-sensitive electric power steering.

The front suspension is a strut type unit using aluminium components and a stabilizer bar. The rear suspension uses a space saving multi-link design with a tubular stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is entirely of steel although the new design of the chassis means that the loads are transferred to the body side frame instead of to the wheels.

All critical components of the engine, transmission and chassis are mounted on subframes to reduce vibration.

The other big story on the Pilot is the new generation of AWD system tagged i-VTM4.

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The 2016 Honda pilot gets a new version of the 3.5-litre engine with variable cylinder management and a reengineered six-speed gearbox. Depending on demand situations, the engine switches over to operating only the front bank of three cylinders, while the system shuts of the intake and exhaust valves on the rear three cylinders alongwith the fuel supply to that bank. The spark plugs continue to fire.

The interiors of the new Pilot are a class ahead with Honda’s new design and feature package resulting in an 8� touch screen system based on Android.

The rear occupants get an overhead DVD based display system that is paired with two bluetooth headphones. However, even the main front screen can take input from the rear DVD player and be hacked to show video even while moving. That is a rather interesting outcome of using a not so customised Android-based system.

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attached to this means that all you need to do in off-road situations is activate the toggle mounted just behind the straight gearshift gate to tell the system that you are off-road. You can toggle through Normal, Snow, Mud and Sand modes and the system takes care of the rest. As it is, the car is driven by throttle-by-wire so that allows for the system to override your pedal imput and throw in more revs when needed as well as to actively transfer torque to the wheels that need it. This torque transfer also goes on to offer torque vectoring, so as to make turns much sharper and less prone to understeer.

All of this has been done while shrinking the rear drive unit and making it lighter.

Driving Impressions The Pilot is comprehensively a generation ahead of its predecessor in its handling and off-road abilities. It doesn’t try to take on the generation of trucks, but aims itself at the top of the crossover segment.

Extremely capable in gravel and turf, now the sand capabilities have improved too, while keeping the poise of a city crossover.

Engine response is good and you can actually get a good feel of the road through the EPS. It isn’t as vague as expected, while the 6-speed gearbox does have to do a lot of work. One wonders if it is only a matter of time before the 9-speed comes to the region. In the meantime the larger volume and the appeal of the three rows make for a solid appeal.

Verdict Would we suggest the Honda Pilot to a customer who would normally be looking at a Traverse or Explorer? The question would be what makes it better? The platform is spanking new, the drivetrains carry the Honda seal of engineering and the technology is well thought out. What takes a bit of getting used to is the need to hand over control to the system. The system is engineered around a tendency to jump into the most fuel efficient drive mode. It is sometimes a little hard to believe that the Pilot can handle off-road conditions as well as any other crossover can, but it does.

Now it is left to Honda to get the pricing and feature pack right.

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2016 Ford Figo

Author: Raj Warrior | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao

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We test the Ford Figo, the small sedan from the brand’s Indian operations. Does it have enough going for it to take on the Japanese competition?

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he biggest problem with trying to sell a small sedan is communicating value without being able to get the customer to really spend a lot. This does not mean that car manufacturers wouldn’t like to sell more of the breed. Despite all the profits associated with selling larger cars and SUVs, most of the world’s first time car buyers shop around in the A or B-segments and usually buy a sedan if they have a little more money. That’s why Ford makes the Figo in India, for the country’s burgeoning car buyer base and the Figo meets the need of this market.

But what Ford has done in keeping with its new approach to markets is to build the Figo to a quality and with powertrains that broaden its appeal outside the home market. While the Figo is sold in India with two diesel engines and two petrol

engines, it is only the petrol engine choices that have migrated to the middle east (for obvious reasons).

The Figo sells in the region with the 1.2-litre and 1.5-litre inline 4 cylinder engines, but the automatic 6-speed gearbox is only attached to the latter. You can get the manual 5-speed box with either engine. depending on the variant offered, (i.e ambiente, Trend or Titanium) the options change, with the smaller engine only on offer with the Ambiente. Interestingly, the Indian mindset on the car has a fallout on interior package on offer. The Ambiente version offers the ability to plug in your mobile phone and doubles up the top storage hatch into a convenient mobile holder to compensate for the lack of Sync on the variant.

The test car we got was a trend with the

larger engine and the 6-speed gearbox.

The engine is part of the Ti-VCT family of new age engines and offers 110 hp@6300 rpm and a torque of 136Nm. The engine is more than adequate for the car’s weight and the gearbox is rarely taxed. in terms of styling, Ford has migrated its surrent grille treatment onto the small sedan but it doesn’t quite carry the finesse of any of the European small cars. The side looks a touch bland and the rear is almost devoid of embellishments. The 14” wheels that the car is shod with look good and fill up the small wheel wells.

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The Ti-VCT 1.5-litre engine offers 110 hp of power and is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

In the Trend grade, the audio pack includes Sync and bluetooth alongwith the ability to integrate input from smart phones as well as voice control linked to the phone.

The auto gearbox has a tiptronic arrangement linked to the +/- switch on the grip. Ford sells the interiors on the amount of storage spaces, including a hidden pocket on the dashboard on the driver’s side.

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much as it does that of the slightly bigger and better appointed Fiesta.

The cabin also benefits from a good uncluttered layout with clearly legible instrumentation and bluetooth as standard.

We really didn’t expect the car to be as refined as it turned out to be. The engine comes to life with lowest of vibration and once you engage the gearbox you get only a slight whine under acceleration. The gear ratio spread is more than adequate for the power delivery. Electric power steering also cuts out any likelihood of aberrations from the steering linkages communicating back to the wheel. Road feel is good, with a slight deadness around the centre but effort required is minimal.

Once the car gets moving you really begin to enjoy the value of this car. The engine purrs along, the gearbox does it job adequately and the suspension has just a degree of stiffness dialled in for the quality of Indian roads.

The car even offers features like Hill start assist and hill hold in the top spec version.

Boot space, a feature that is really important for the segment, is among the best in class at 430 litres. Frankly, the Figo looks like it ticks all the boxes of a first time buyer even in the Middle East.

How does the Figo fare?

Figo features Ford MyKey technology that allows owners to program car’s keys with restricted driving modes such as increasing seat belt use, limiting vehicle top speeds and regulating audio volume

The segment is rather crowded with direct competition from the Toyota Yaris, Honda City, Suzuki D’Zire and to some degree the Mazda 2. Mitsubishi have the Attrage that comes out of Thailand and then there is Nissan with the Tiida. If you are willing to expand the price bracket slightly, a whole lot more of competition exists. The point here is that there is very little latitude to offer more than the regular pack of power windows, mirrors, central locking and the likes. When you factor in bluetooth and advanced audio controls, the Figo seems to build on the Koreaninspired mantra of being able to sell cars on the feature pack.

The Figo has a lot going for it – it looks better and feels solid compared to the D’zire or Attrage. However when it comes to th e City, Tiida and Mazda 2 it matches quality at best, but falls short on styling and appeal.

The Figo will most likely sell on the interface as well as to customers who take a drive in it. The NVH level is good, ride quality firm and responsive and the narrow tyres aid in the nimbleness and small turn circle.

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Jin Kim has taken up his position at the middle east office just some months ago, coming in at a critical time for the brand. Hyundai has enjoyed some phenomenal growth and the coming year offers unique challenges.

RW: What are your hopes for the Elantra?

JK: The car has been the best performer in our product range and we have put all our passion into meeting the needs of our customers and we expect it to be very very successful in this generation.

RW: For comparison, can you give us some idea of how the previous Elantra has fared in this region?

JK: I think the previous model has been the driver of the brand’s success in the region of Middle East and Africa. The new version inherits that heritage and takes it ahead to another level.

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a clutch of models that lead or challenge their segments. But you are entering a rather tough year in the region. How do you expect the model line-up to fare in 2016?

JK: I think that we are lucky to have a full line-up in our portfolio. We can meet all the demands of our customers and this year will be definitely a very tough year.

We believe there are opportunities as well. In the past, with good product line and good demand that was enough to create the necessary sales and we could have been growing. This year we need a more creative way of thinking. We should tap the market for opportunities that we have never considered before. So, my colleagues are working very hard to locate where are the opportunities are this year.

RW: Would these also include avenues like moving into financial services or financial backing to a purchase of your product, to enable customers in the region to take a chance on your product in a risky purchasing environment?

JK: Yes, we are working on it and we have a financial arm in the group. We have asked them to study the situation but it will take some time. But in the meantime,

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news

face to face

our partners in each country are very sound and have the financial capability and have their own arms to facilitate the consumer’s need. We rely on them and we will support them to execute the financial services end.

RW: During this year, many of your outlets across the region are switching over to your new corporate identity guidelines with investment in new facilities and showrooms. Do you see any slackening on this front due to the tighter market conditions in 2016?

JK: We have been promoting our new CI very strongly. But now we will slow down, knowing the financial difficulties in the region. We try to have some more room to breathe. The facility issue is very important in terms of customer satisfaction and their experience in our showroom is very important for the sales process. We are going to keep moving, but to some extent, knowing the environment is getting tougher, we are going to tune the speed of roll out.

RW: Slightly off-topic here, but what do you see happening in the region in terms of the Genesis brand?

JK: Genesis brand will be launched this year in the region. When it comes to the luxury car line-up of ours – with the Centennial and the Genesis, Middle East has been a key market for us, so we are going to launch in this market in a very professional and effective way. We are going to come into the customers mind, who want to be very intelligent buyers.

The big challenge is there with the new brand but up until now the brand has been penetrating the people’s mind and even the media is very welcoming initially towards this brand from HMC. We are going to be in line with that strategy so we can very successfully push the popularity of our Genesis brand.

RW: Are you looking at specific marketshare with Genesis in terms of the luxury segment?

JK: I think that with the current Genesis model we are relatively good, but it’s very difficult to put the marketshare. We are working on the marketing strategy, of how we can buy into people’s minds.

When everything is in place we can come back with a figure, but we do pay a lot of importance to it and the Middle East is one of the key markets of the brand and we are going to give customers a luxurious experience.

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RW: Bringing us back to the Elantra, are you considering out-of-the-box solutions for the mainstream sedan in a market where price is the primary peg to induce buyers away from market leaders?

JK: I think that the car itself is a fantastic product. I think it’s most important to give an experience to the prospective buyer. We are going to be very proactive in terms of giving test drives, not just in the showroom but in every touch point to the prospective buyer. We will do very effective communication. From the corporate point of very we consider more aggressive communication very important to get to more customers. We are also going to very active with our fleet buyers.

We see some other opportunities in the market, spaces where we were never active. Putting all that together, we firmly believe that we are going to meet targets.

presentation that showed the upmarket feature pack available on the Elantra (including rearview camera with crosstraffic warning). By offering the car with such a high specification, would the car then go into a price segment that you are not used to selling it at?

JK: We have always been very competitive, so the combination of the package is part of the equation. We are going to develop some other packages which makes the customer more accessible to the product, i.e. more affordable.

RW: How much of a percentage of your volume does Elantra contribute?

JK: Elantra contributes almost 22-23% of our volume. That’s really significant.

RW: We were impressed with the

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CONceptual

Audi Lunar Quattro

Audi is assisting the Berlin-based engineering group ‘Part-Time Scientists’ in the Google ‘Lunar XPRIZE’. Audi is supporting the lunar expedition with its expertise – and the Audi lunar quattro

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o win the competition, a team – which must be at least 90‑percent privately financed – needs to transport an automated vehicle to the moon. Competition rules state that this rover must drive at least one-half kilometre distance on the moon and transmit high-resolution images and video footage back to Earth. The lunar vehicle with the Audi lunar quattro

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rover must launch into space by the end of 2017. The trip takes five days and is 380,000 kilometres one-way – according to estimates by the Part-Time Scientists it will cost around 24 million euros. The target landing zone is north of the moon’s equator, close to the 1972 landing site of NASA’s last manned mission to the moon, Apollo 17. In this region, temperatures fluctuate an enormous 300 degrees

Celsius; when the sun is shining, it gets up to 120 degrees Celsius due to the lack of an atmosphere.

The Part-Time Scientists – whose headquarters is in Berlin – are the only German participants. So far, their rover prototype has already won two prizes known as Milestone Prizes in the competition. These prizes, which carry

a monetary value of 750,000 US dollars, were awarded by the competition jury for development of the rover and its optical systems. The Berlin-based researchers are refining their lunar vehicle, and extensive tests have been conducted in such places as the Austrian Alps and on Tenerife.

Many of the rover’s components are made of high-strength aluminium, and it weighs 35 kilograms. In further development of the vehicle into the Audi lunar quattro, its weight will be further reduced by the use of magnesium and design modifications, even though the vehicle might grow somewhat in size. A swiveling solar panel captures sunlight, and the electricity it generates is fed to a lithium-ion battery that powers the four wheel hub motors.

All four of the wheels can be rotated 360 degrees.

The theoretical maximum speed is 3.6 kph – but more important on the rugged surface of the moon are the vehicle’s offroad qualities and safe navigating abilities.

Two stereo cameras that acquire detailed 3D images are mounted to a moving head at the front of the vehicle. A third camera is used to study materials, and it generates extremely high-resolution panoramic images.

Jorge Diez, head of Audi Concept Design Munich, revises the rover

The Audi working group that is assisting the Part-Time Scientists currently consists of ten employees from different technical departments. In addition to their lightweight design competence, they have much more know-how to offer, especially their expertise about the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system (although the rover itself is electrically driven) and the electrical e-tron drive system. The goal here is to further enhance performance by making additional improvements to the electric motors, power electronics and battery.

Audi is also providing assistance in testing, trials and quality assurance. Using their high-tech tools and methods, specialists from Quality Assurance will study the parts of the future Audi lunar quattro for wear.

The motors and electronic components must withstand stress tests in climate chambers. In parallel, Audi Concept Design Munich continues to refine the form.

The Google Lunar XPRIZE started with 34 teams, and 16 groups remain today. The Part-Time Scientists team was founded in late 2008 by Robert Böhme, who works as an IT consultant in Berlin. The majority of its team members, who currently number over 70, come from Germany and Austria.

This space travel competition was organised for engineers and business enterprises worldwide, and it offers around 30 million US dollars in prize money FEB 2016

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CONceptual

KIA Telluride

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KIA showed a striking large SUV concept at the recent NAIAS motor show in Detroit. Is this three-row, seven-seat KIA Telluride concept close to what the new Mohave will look like?

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he Telluride concept is KIA’s interpretation of the full size SUV, the segment in its current lineup where the Mohave is placed. While offering the convenience of a large SUV and the power of a V8 engine, the SUV has not really shared the appeal of its smaller brethren, Sorento and Sportage, in the region.

So should we be seeing the Telluride as the visual direction that the 2018/19 Mohave will carry? Admittedly, the strong, bold treatment is very much an exploratory direction from the brand. As it is, the Peter Schreyer initiated new look has propelled the KIA stable into a rather upmarket direction, capped with the almost Porschelike bonnet and lights treatment of the new 2016 Sportage.

Purely conceptual, the Kia Telluride is based on an existing platform and reveals the brand’s interest in potentially offering an SUV positioned above the current Sorento.

“The Kia Telluride makes an aesthetic statement for the Kia brand as a bold, all-new luxury SUV with an abundance of advanced technology, focusing particular attention on the experience and comfort of second-row occupants,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer, Kia Design Center America (KDCA). “Longer, wider and taller than the recently redesigned Sorento CUV, Telluride allows us to envision what a fullsize seven-passenger SUV from Kia could look like.

The Telluride carries the look of a concept, with the portal like treatment of the opposed opening doors, large interior volume, use of captain chairs in the front two rows with a bench seat in the third row. New concepts like the incorporation of health-tracking sensors on the seats and the software for that on-board are being tested, although they are unlikely to see the light of day soon. The other overthe-top technology is in the Light Emitted rejuvenation system that uses a huge roof-

mounted LED panel to play light patterns and colours to treat jet lag and ‘boost’ the passenger’s energy levels.

Another new technology being tested is the swipe control band that allows media to be selected and played by the second row occupants. This could debut as early as in the 2017 models. As could the use of 3D printed customised parts similar to some parts in the car.

While using a modified Sorento platform, the Telluride is longer, wider and taller than the Sorento, while the wheelbase itself has been stretched by almost a foot to 3,080mm. The wheels are similarly proportioned at 22” and are clad in 275/45R tyres. The powertrain also gives significant directions for what the new Mohave could be powered with – a hybrid 3.5-litre V6 with electric motor assist offers 400 horsepower in total with 130 hp of that coming from the motor.

KIA has said that they have no intention of actuating producing the Telluride, but the indications are very clear that the Mohave may just end up being placed on a modified Sorento platform, with a transverse layout engine and electric motor assist (at least in some markets) along with an AWD system.

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2017 Infiniti Q60 CoupĂŠ

Building on the visual cues of the Q60 concept, the actual production version has been unveiled at Detroit. The car is visually striking with recognisable design cues like the deeply inset double arch grille and crescent headlights with LED light guide technology. The car is also squatter, lower and wider than before. The new shape has resulted in a Cd of 0.28. Q60 models with the new V6 engine feature an Active Grille Shutter to balance the engine’s cooling requirements with the desire to enhance aerodynamics. Under normal use, the shutter remains closed, opening when greater performance is required.

The interior gets either an aluminium or carbon-fibre treatment with a unique

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white leather variant. The console follows the visual style of the Q50 with its twin panels.

Engines The car debuts with a brand new engine in the 3.0-litre V6 twin turbo engine from the VR family. The high-output version of the V6 delivers 400hp (298kW, 405ps) at 6,400 rpm and 475Nm (350lb-ft) maximum torque at 1,600-5,200rpm; while the 300hp (224kW, 304ps) version (at 6,400rpm) produces 400Nm (295lb-ft) torque at 1,600-5,200rpm.

This power-to-efficiency performance was made possible thanks to a set of newlydeveloped powertrain features, including

an advanced new twin-turbo system which enables smooth and immediate responses under acceleration, while aiding efficiency.

A four-cylinder turbo-charged 2.0-litre petrol engine is also available on the Q60, with enhanced fuel injection for efficiency in all conditions. This engine delivers 208hp (155kW, 211ps) at 5,500rpm and 350Nm (258lb-ft) maximum torque at 1,500rpm. A high-pressure direct injection with piezoelectric injectors delivers fuel to the engine in precise amounts for greater fuel efficiency.

Steering The direct adaptive steering that we saw on the Q50 has been improved for

the Q60. It is a drive by wire system that disconnects the mechanical steering linkages and controls steering through electronic signals. The steering feel and response has been improved. drive mode selectors allow the steering to be dialled in through six modes – ‘Customize’, ‘Standard’, ‘Snow’, ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’, and – new for certain models – ‘Sport+’.

The Sport mode enhances the response of Direct Adaptive Steering, elevating the steering effort required while reducing the required steering movement from lock to lock. In the new Sport+ mode, steering effort remains the same as Sport mode, but the response of the steering is further increased, with an even quicker steering

The Infiniti Q60 Sports Coupe is the latest addition to the Infiniti stable. With a highlight on styling, new technology and V6 twin turbo engines, the car seeks to build on the new direction for the brand FEB 2016

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ratio for precise performance.

As standard, Q60 models equipped with the new 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo engine feature Infiniti’s Rack Electronic Power Steering. This all-new system provides a linear and in-control driving experience that can be tuned through the Drive Mode Selector.

The four-cylinder turbo-charged Q60 models are equipped with a speedsensitive hydraulic electronic rack-andpinion power steering system as standard.

This increases assistance at low speeds and reduces assistance for enhanced feel and response at higher speeds.

Two choices of suspension system allow the driver to tailor a dynamic response.

The standard suspension set-up, shared

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with the Q50 sports sedan, ensures a low level of road noise and minimal intrusion of unwanted vibrations, while allowing for more direct and linear handling responses.

Suspension link layouts and bushings have been modified specifically for their application in the Q60, while shock absorbers are relocated for optimised sports coupe ride and handling.

An all-new electronic suspension system, Dynamic Digital Suspension, comes as standard on the Q60 Sport grades and has been designed to offer bestin-class handling responses and agility, and enhanced ride comfort – thanks to software and hardware upgrades, including a dedicated new set of dampers.

Drivers can change the focus of the

suspension from a comfort-biased ride to one which offers more dynamic responses, by placing the electronically adjustable shock absorbers in either Sport or Sport+ modes (adjusted via the Drive Mode Selector), providing firmer damping control for more agile handling. While in these modes, the suspension is constantly adjusting to provide ideal performance and a level ride.

The car has also been equipped with adaptive shift control, that measures the nature of the driving road and optimises shifting to deliver better handling. The intelligent all-wheel drive system can switch between 100% power delivery to the rear wheels to a 50:50 split front-rear.

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2016 BMW M2 Coupé

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The move to a smaller platform is paying off for BMW with the new BMW M2 Coupe. The BMW M2 Coupe is being unveiled at the Detroit motorshow (NAIAS 2016)

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he expected smaller sibling to the BMW M4 and M6 Coupe’s is to be unveiled at Detroit, although details of the car are already available.

In launching the BMW M2 Coupe the company has brought the power and excitement of its signature M line to the entry level of the brand, although in keeping with its practice, the M2 Coupe will be sold at a premium.

In order to add the M touch, major components are changed, including an adapted version of the lightweight aluminium suspension components of the M4 and a new 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder engine that is paired with twin-turbos to provide an output of 370HP at 6,500rpm.

Torque is a monstrous 465Nm that can be ‘overboosted’ to 500Nm for short durations by the engine control. And if you are looking for the full M effect, then the optional 7-speed Manual DCT and launch

control allow you to push the car from 0-100kmph in only 4.3 seconds.

As previously mentioned the front and rear axles are of aluminium and have 19″ alloy wheels with mixed size wheels and the steering is M servotronic with two settings. The car is also equipped with an active M differential to enhance handling, traction and stability.

For the racetrack feel the car’s DSC system has an M dynamic mode that allows for wheelspin and drift in track driving conditions.

Modern features for the M2 A wide selection of driver assistance systems and mobility services from BMW ConnectedDrive is also available. The ConnectedDrive Services provide the basis for extensive vehicle connectivity, and this option also enables the use of innovative apps, which are integrated seamlessly

into the car using BMW ConnectedDrive technology. For example, the GoPro app allows the driver to record fast laps of the track with a dashboard-mounted action camera, using the iDrive Controller and Control Display. Meanwhile, the driver’s individual style at the wheel can be analysed as desired with the M Laptimer app. Information on speeds and braking points can be shared easily via e-mail or Facebook.

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2016 Bentley range

Author: Raj Warrior | Photography: Elvis John Ferrao

Bentley Oman organised a media drive as part of a bigger roadshow that saw them offer customers the opportunity to drive and familiarise themselves with the 2016 versions of the Continental GT Speed, GTC, Mulsanne and both the V8 and W12 versions of the Flying Spur. We bring you our impressions of each model

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The best and brightest Bentley was also the principal draw at the media drive. Although the Continental GT Speed is powered by a 626bhp, 820Nm W12 engine, we were driving in convy throughout, so the experience was rather muted. As with the regular Conti GT, the cabin is a major draw.

Subtle signature design cues distinguish the GT Speed from its stable-mates, including exclusive 21-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels, dark-tint matrix to the radiator shell and lower bumper grilles and ‘rifled’ exhaust tailpipes. Inside the handcrafted cabin, the Speed models are specified exclusively with the Mulliner

Driving Specification, featuring quilted, perforated leather and bright metal detailing plus a broader choice of optional technical finishes. This now includes the exclusive-to-Speed dark tint aluminium as well as carbon fibre.

The W12 engine is mated with an eight-speed transmission. In terms of performance the car can hit the standing 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 330 km/h.

The flagship Bentley Mulsanne is still an effective competitor to Rolls-Royce’s Phantom although the roller takes the cream of the crop of top end buyers.

Powered by the rather traditional 6.75-litre V8 engine with 505bhp and 1020Nm of torque the car rockets off

The drive is transmitted to all the wheels through a standard AWD system that is biased to the rear with a 40:60 split in power delivery.

Whether it was due to the exquisite colour or just because we were at the head of the pack, passerbys were drawn to the GT Speed.

This will be a rather interesting car to drive for a full road test and as part of next year’s Car of the Year.

the stops to hit the standing 100 in 5.2 seconds and reaches a top speed of 296 km/h.

But then this car feels just as good trunding along in convoy, especially if you can get the rear seat to yourself.

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The principal draw in terms of volume for the brand, the newer Flying Spur was offered both in W12 and V8 guises.

The W12 engine and eight-speed gearbox are shared with the Continental GT while the V8 (also seen in the GT V8) version is engineered to bring the family of Continental based cars to a price point that is only slightly over that of an AMG S-class for instance. That and phenomenal fuel efficiency with its ability to switch over to 4-cylinder mode.

Of course, the Flying Spur brings with it a degree of sophistication and class that only a Bentley brings with, including burled wood panelling, supple leather interiors and an instrumentation suite that includes top quality audiophile level equipment as standard.

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Dubai 24 Hours

Finally, German car manufacturer Audi can add victory in the Hankook 24H DUBAI to its already impressive list of achievements in the world’s major endurance races. With their Audi R8 LMS (#19), run by Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, drivers Alain Ferté, Michael Meadows, Stuart Leonard and Laurens Vanthoor racked up a total of 588 laps of the 5.399 kilometres long Dubai Autodrome, equalling a total of 3,174.612 kilometres. Belgian driver Laurens Vanthoor drove the winning car across the finish line. “A fantastic success for our team, for Audi and for ourselves,” he commented.

“With so many cars on track, it was a difficult race, probably the most difficult I have ever driven. But that is making the success feel even better.” After impressive progress from last place on the grid, the Black Falcon team finished second with its Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (#16, Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Oliver Webb/Adam Christodoulou/Oliver Morley/ Frank Montecalvo), five laps down on the winners.

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Another three laps down, the C. ABT Racing Audi R8 LMS (#4, Christer Jöns/Andreas Weishaupt/Isaac Tutumlu Lopez/Matias Henkola/Daniel Abt) finished third.

With a record field of 98 cars on track, there were numerous incidents, particularly during the first half of the race. Some of the front-running teams were also affected. Former Dubai race winners Black Falcon saw both its Abu Dhabi Racing Black Falcon Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#2, Khaled Al Qubaisi/Hubert Haupt/ Jeroen Bleekemolen/Maro Engel/Indy Dontje) and its Black Falcon-Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#3, Abdulaziz Al Faisal/Hubert Haupt/Yelmer Buurman/Bernd Schneider/Michal Broniszewski) retired with damage incurred in separate collisions. The Scuderia Praha Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 (#11, Jiri Pisarik/Peter Kox/Matteo Malucelli/Matteo Cressoni) ran in the top three for most of the first half of the race and led for 76 laps, but retired in the tenth hour due to a collision with the Primus Racing Ginetta G55 (#51, Thomas Martinsson/Johan

Rosen/Marcus Fluch/Peter Larsen/Magnus Holmström).

That handed the lead to the Land Motorsport Audi (#28, Marc Basseng/Christopher Mies/Carsten Tilke/Connor de Phillippi) that led for over 100 laps before losing some time due to running short on fuel early on Saturday morning.

With the Audi Sport Team WRT Audi now in the lead, the drivers motored on to an undisputed victory, the first victory for Audi and the maiden overall win for a Belgian team in Dubai.

There was plenty of drama in the battle for the remaining positions, however. With two and a half hours remaining, the Land Motorsport Audi retired with gearbox failure.

A total number of 193 laps in the lead and the fastest race lap time of 1:58.712 minutes, set by Christopher Mies on lap three, were the only tangible results for the team. But drama didn’t end there: in the final 30 minutes, both the SPS automotive-performance Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (#27, Alex Müller/Tim

Müller/Lance-David Arnold/Valentin Pierburg) and the Konrad Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 (#26, Mark Ineichen/Rolf Ineichen/Fabio Babini/ Christian Engelhart/Franz Konrad) retired while on course for a podium finish.

Victory in the A6-Am class went to Swiss team Hofor-Racing with its Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (#10, Christiaan Frankenhout/Kenneth Heyer/ Roland Eggimann/Chantal Kroll/Michael Kroll), three laps ahead of the similar car from Preci-Spark (#22, David Jones/ Godfrey Jones/Morgan Jones/Philip Jones/Gareth Jones). German team Car Collection Motorsport finished third with its Audi R8 LMS (#34, Ingo Vogler/ Elmar Grimm/Max Edelhoff/Gustav Edelhoff/Dr. Johannes Kirchhoff). Team Lechner Racing Middle East scored a 1-2 in the Porsche 991 Cup class with its two fastest cars (#40, Saeed Al Mehairi/ Bashar Mardini/Sven Müller/Hasher Al Maktoum/Jaap Van Lagen and #81, Hannes Waimer/Wolfgang Triller/ Edward Jones/Christopher Zöchling/ Charlie Frijns) in first and second place respectively, from Black Falcon Team TMD Friction (#61, Saud Al Faisal/ Manuel Metzger/Gerwin Schuring/ Saeed Al Mouri/Anders Fjordbach).

Two French teams came first and second in the SP2 class with victory for Porsche Lorient Racing with its Porsche 997 Cup S (#64, Frédéric Ancel/ Christophe Bourret/Pascal Gibon/JeanFrançois Demorge/Philippe Polette) and the Vortex V8 GC Automobile GC 10 V8 (#203, Lionel Amrouche/ Alban Varutti/Cyril Calmon/Mathieu Pontais) in second place. Belgian team Speedlover finished third with its Porsche 991 Cup (#85, Jean-Michel Gerome/Vic Rice/Richard Verburg/ Dries Vanthoor/Yves Noel). British sports cars locked out the top three in the SP3 class with victory for Century

Motorsport (#229, Nathan Freke/Anna Walewska/Aleksander Schjerpen/ Tom Oliphant) from CWS 4x4 (#178, Colin White/Stephen Fresle/Matthew Nicoll-Jones/Hunter Abbott), both with Ginetta G55 GT4s, and the JW Bird Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT4 (#221, Rory Butcher/Jake Giddings/Liam Griffin/Kieran Griffin) in third place.

The TCR class brought victory for the reigning 24H SERIES powered by Hankook teams’ champions, Memac Ogilvy Duel Racing with its SEAT Leon Cup Racer (#1, Ramzi Moutran/Nabil Moutran/Sami Moutran/Phil Quaife) from Zest Racecar Engineering (#130, Andrew Hack/Daniel Wheeler/Kane Astin/Lucas Orrock) and NKPP Racing (#125, Gijs Bessem/Harry Hilders/ Roger Grouwels/Bert de Heus), also with SEAT cars. French Team Altran Peugeot won the A3 class with its Peugeot 208 GTi (#208, Stéphane Ventaja/Thierry Blaise/Guillaume Roman/Kim Holmgaard) from the two SEAT Leon Supercopa cars run by RKC/TGM (#99, Gavin Spencer/David Drinkwater/Wiliam Gannon/Thomas Gannon/Ricky Coomber) and RTG by Gladysz Racing (#21, Adam Gladysz/ Marcin Jaros/Robertas Kupcikas/Jerzy Dudek/Simon Larsson). The CUP1 class for BMW M235i Racing cars brought victory for QSR from Belgium (#148, Jimmy de Breucker/Mario Timmers/ Luc Moortgat/Pieter Vanneste/Dylan Derdaele), followed by Duwo Racing from Luxemburg (#235, Jean-Marie Dumont/Maurice Faber/Frédéric Schmitt/Nicolas Schmitt/Thierry Chkondali) and Bonk Motorsport from Germany (#145, Philip Bethke/Volker Piepmeyer/Axel Burghardt/Michael Bonk/Liesette Braams). German team Besaplast Racing won class A2 with its Mini Cooper S JCW (#165, Friedhelm Erlebach/Henry Littig/Fredrik Lestrup/ Franjo Kovac).

McLaren first to announce 2016 car unveiling

Formula One

Renault pushing new focus on motorsports Renault have confirmed that Kevin Magnussen will help spearhead their return to Formula One racing as a full works team in 2016, as well as revealing their new car for the forthcoming season.

The new car, which was manufactured at the team’s Enstone base, features a predominantly black livery, though Renault Sport chief Jerome Stoll hinted the colour scheme could change ahead of the 2016 season opener in Australia.

The car will be powered by Renault’s R.E.16 power unit, which will continue to be developed in Viry-Chatillon.

Meanwhile as part of its larger direction, Renault will have two dedicated operations for its motorsports thrust.

Renault Sport Racing will encompass all Renault’s motorsport activities, including Renault Sport Formula One Team, Renault e.dams, Formula Renault 2.0, Renault Sport R.S.01 Trophy, plus further customer racing and rallying programmes. Renault Sport Racing will cover operations at the two Renault motorsport sites at Enstone, UK, and Viry–Châtillon, France.

Renault Sport Cars, an evolution of Renault Sport Technologies, will manage the development and commercialisation of the Renault Sport car portfolio.

Renault Sport is recognised worldwide for its excellence in hot hatches such as the Mégane R.S. and Clio R.S. as well as efficient and accessible GTs including the new Mégane GT. Renault Sport will develop its international footprint, 78

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brand appeal and portfolio growth with increased R&D investment.

Renault will use the new structure for two primary functions. Initially, it aims to promote the Renault Sport brand to a wider audience primarily using the Renault Sport Formula One Team and the global audience of F1. Secondly, it will use Formula E and racing activities such as the Clio Cup to showcase the image and design of other aspects of the Renault range such as electric vehicles.

At the core of the racing activities will be the newly-created Renault Sport Formula One Team.

A number of key appointments have been made in the F1 team to avoid any dilution of the specific requirements of Formula One. Bob Bell is appointed F1 Chief Technical Officer and will manage the efforts of Nick Chester as Chassis Technical Director and Rémi Taffin as Engine Technical Director. Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer are confirmed as Renault Sport Formula One Team’s race drivers, and will be supported by Esteban Ocon.

McLaren have become the first team to confirm a launch date for their 2016 car. The Honda-powered MP4-31 will be revealed on February 21, on the eve of this year’s opening pre-season test at Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya in Spain.

McLaren hope the new machine will revive their fortunes after a hugely disappointing 2015 campaign, in which the Woking team dropped to ninth in the standings as drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button scored just 27 points between them.

The MP4-31 is the second car of McLaren’s revived partnership with Honda, and despite the extensive teething problems experienced last year, they are expected to retain the ‘size-zero’ design concept for the car’s packaging.

The two pre-season tests of 2016 both take place in Barcelona, the first on February 22-25 and the second on March 1-4. The opening Grand Prix of the year is in Australia on March 20.

Mercedes confident 2016 cars will be significantly louder Formula One cars will be ‘significantly’ louder in 2016 according to Mercedes technical chief Paddy Lowe.

The advent of F1 racing’s 1.6-litre engine rules led to a fall in noise levels, but for this season steps have been taken to make power units louder such as mandating two exhaust tailpipe exits rather than one changes that Lowe is convinced will prove a success.

“We’ll see how much louder [the changes prove], but some measurements have been made in the labs and they have seen a significant increase,” Lowe said in a Mercedes video.

“The reason for that is the wastegate was causing a sort of silencing of the main exhaust pipe, so by removing it from the main exhaust pipe we have less silencing going on of the main flow.

“In the last two years we have had a situation where the main exhaust goes through one tailpipe, [and] we have a wastegate to spill out extra pressure from the exhaust. We now have to duct that air separately through an extra tailpipe, and this is intended to make more noise. It will work.”

The changes will get their first public outing when teams roll out for the first pre-season test, which takes place in Barcelona, Spain on February 22-25.

Ringing in the new Change is in the air – and I’m not just referring to the rather chilly winds that have been blowing down across the Arabian peninsula for the past couple of weeks. For a change, the effects of global warming and the El Niño effect has brought colder air to regions that aren’t so used to it. Yes, I know that we will have to pay for it with a much more severe summer, but then that is still a few months away.

The rough and ready of the economics of the Oman media scene has had its effect over at Automan headquarters. We’ve had an organisational change, with some changes in how we operate. But thankfully, our commitment to the greater cause of building on Automan’s unique position in Oman and its fierce reputation for independence has seen us emerge as a leaner, tighter operation.

But then the malaise that is afflicting publishing in Oman and the broader region has managed to claim a few worthy titles over the past few years, with two more automotive names dropping out over the new year. The main reason for this is not a change in the way people consume magazines or newspapers – it is the belief advertisers have that somehow the micro-doses of media consumption that we have on social media is somehow replacing the role of traditional media.

A recent media drive event was a sign of the times. Stuffed to the rafters with bloggers, ‘Youtubers” and so called digital influencers, the traditional print media journalists were outnumbered. The sheer numbers meant that the available cars were crowded, anyone who had a GoPro camera managed to steal cars away from the fleet and now we had practically everyone posing in front of the car for a selfie or the video equivalent of it.

Raj Warrior is now managing editor of Automan and has been in the thick of the Automotive journalism field from the past 18 years.

Want to comment or have your say?

Email at raj@alutoman.me Identify yourself or your message will be trashed and your id blocked

I know car companies are exploring every avenue to boost car sales. I sat down with someone for lunch at this event who honoured me with the information that he wrote a blog. He didn’t seem to know anything about the car in question, so I wondered what exactly he would tell his audience? I hope that marketers are doing their homework and actually measuring these interactions in terms of whether the spend is worth their while.

And more importantly, I certainly hope that this sort of over-the-top inclusiveness is limited to events in the region.

However, this year will also see many of this breed of media bite the dust. Do you really believe that marketers with a tighter budget and very clear stress on value will have the wherewithal to spread their largesse all around? Traditional media still has a lot to offer, if nothing else, its ability to hire talented people who are good at their jobs and know their subject.

That is the differentiation that will keep the best publications going for many more years.

Of course, they have to adapt in order to survive, just as we have had to do and are doing. Fortunately, it isn’t a fight or flight situation. Organisations are increasingly facing this situation around the world, where they and their employees are having to learn new skills, retool and reorganise in order to meet the challenges of staying relevant.

And it doesn’t help at all that most of the change has to be brought about in an environment that is facing the fiercest ever attack of a negative sentiment. I ask you, when was the last time you heard someone upbeat about the economy in the past month? Methinks that has to change first – we’ve found new opportunity in the face of change and no doubt so will many others. The point is to look for the opportunity in the first place. You never know, the next management meeting that you are dreading may just be the place that it strikes for you.

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