August 19, 2019

Volkswagen Middle East has introduced the new 2020 Passat to the region with three offerings of different variants and prices to suit a wide range of customers.

Over eight years ago, Volkswagen completely overhauled the midsize sedan to include more interior space and modern comforts, combined with the company’s signature fun-to-drive nature, said a statement from the company.

Building on this success, the new Passat of today offers more of what matters to the modern customer; a bold design, upgraded technology and enhanced access to convenience and driver-assistance features, it said.

Victor Dalmau, managing director for Volkswagen Middle East, said: “The sedan market"...

August 18, 2019

An Aston Martin DB5 used to promote the James Bond film Thunderball has sold for $6.4 million (Dh23.5m), becoming the world's most expensive DB5 in doing so.

The sale was made at the world’s biggest classic car auction in California this weekend, Monterey Car Week. The DB5 was one of the star lots, though it exceeded expectations when it surpassed its auction estimate.

The car was once owned by British billionaire and Tory party donor Lord Bamford.

Barney Ruprecht, of the auctioneer"...

August 17, 2019

Velodyne Lidar, Inc. filed a patent infringement complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) against Hesai Photonics Technology Co., Ltd. and Suteng Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (a.k.a. RoboSense) for violations of section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 which makes unfair methods of competition and importation of certain products into the United States unlawful. Earlier this week, Velodyne also filed patent infringement complaints against Hesai and RoboSense"...

August 15, 2019

British luxury car maker Aston Martin is producing a limited edition of its DB4 and DBS GT Zagato Continuation models, its most expensive new cars ever.

Only 19 of the handmade models will be delivered in the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2020, each with a price tag of £6 million (Dh26.59m) plus taxes, according to the company.

Production is under way at Aston Martin's Heritage Division headquarters in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England using facilities that for the first time enable multiple continuation cars to be built alongside"...

August 10, 2019

Hyundai Motor has launched Sonata Hybrid equipped with world’s first Active Shift Control (ASC) technology and solar roof system.

The Sonata hybrid boasts hybrid exclusive design with enhanced dynamic elements. The hybrid model is equipped with unique characterising cross hole cascading grille, rear spoiler, and alloy wheel which not only accentuate the look and feel of an eco-friendly vehicle but also provide fine-tuned aerodynamics.

Hyundai"...

August 10, 2019

Al Naboodah Group Enterprises (ANGE), one of the UAE’s leading conglomerates, partnered with UK bus manufacturer Optare to launch the RTA Solo into service in the UAE.

A long-established strategic partner of the RTA, ANGE has provided supply and maintenance services for public transport buses for the last 10 years.

Held at RTA’s headquarters, the exclusive launch was held in the presence of RTA’s director general Mattar al Tayer, ANGE’s managing director Swaidan Al Naboodah, Optare’s chief executive officer Richard Butler and Mehdi Taher deputy consul general of the British embassy in Dubai.

Al Naboodah said: “We are thrilled to be celebrating"...

August 10, 2019

The global automotive fuel injection systems market accounted for $61.61 billion in 2017 and is expected to reach $115.10 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.2 per cent, according to a report by Stratistics MRC, a market research firm.

Factors such as growing demand of automobile industry among emerging countries and rise in advancements in fuel injection system are driving the market growth, said the report.

However, increase in the government stringent emission norms and its regulatory framework is hampering the growth of the market.

The fuel injection system delivers fuel or a fuel-air mixture to the cylinders by means of pressure from a pump."...

August 8, 2019

Hyundai Motor Group has developed the world’s first Active Shift Control (ASC) transmission technology.

The innovation optimises transmission efficiency by monitoring gear shifts 500 times per second, precisely adjusting the transmission rotation speed to for faster shift times.

The new technology will premiere in the upcoming Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and eventually benefit other upcoming Hyundai and Kia hybrids.

ASC applies new control logic software to the Hybrid Control Unit (HCU), which then controls the electric motor to align the rotational speeds of the engine and transmission to reduce gear shift time by 30 per cent.

The technology also delivers smoother gear"...

August 8, 2019

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. (TOKYO:7272) announced today that for the first half of the fiscal year ending December 31, 2019, consolidated net sales were 855.9 billion yen, an increase of 0.5% from the same period the previous year. The company experienced a 16.1% decrease in operating income of 13.2 billion yen, while ordinary income fell 9.1% to 70.2 billion yen and net income for the period attributable to parent company shareholders was down 8.4% to 52.2 billion yen.

Although sales increased in the marine and financial services segments, falling sales in the land mobility and robotics businesses resulted in overall net sales remaining unchanged."...

August 4, 2019

Car sharing has a come a long way from the early days of university students pooling cash to buy a car and sharing it among themselves to split the costs.

The concept is pretty much the same today but technology has made it better, turning car sharing into a mass-market business.

While car sharing is widely available in the developed world, in most major cities in Europe and in the US, it did not exist in the Middle East until a few years ago.

There was a big, gaping hole in the Middle East"...