June 25, 2019

Mazda is one of the top automobile brands whose customers enjoy the highest satisfaction rate for dealer services among the mass market brands across the UAE, according to JD Power survey released on Monday.

Data disclosed that the Japanese automaker received 799 score out of 1,000 points and was rated better than most of the brands in the mass automobile market segment. Mazda also surpassed the mass market average score of 785 points.

JD Power survey of after-sale satisfaction revealed that Mazada was rated higher than Toyota, Volkswagen, Ford, Honda, Kia, Suzuki,"...

June 24, 2019

BMW Group will unveil the third generation of the BMW 1 Series to the public for the first time on June 25-27 on the new BMW Group #NEXTGen presentation platform at BMW Welt in Munich.

Hosting the show premiere of the new BMW 1 Series, meanwhile, will be the IAA event in Frankfurt am Main in September 2019. The worldwide launch will get underway on September 28.

The third generation of the successful premium compact model draws back the curtain on the new BMW front-wheel-drive architecture, which fuses BMW’s signature driving pleasure and dynamic excellence with a significant increase in interior space.

Cutting-edge chassis systems and innovative technologies, plus the integration"...

June 23, 2019

Summer has arrived and we witness sizzling temperatures above the 40-degree mark. The hot summer months are extremely taxing for vehicle tires and overall, more than 5% of road traffic deaths in the UAE are linked to poor tire maintenance. Abu Dhabi police for example stated in 2018, that 17 fatalities (out of a total of 199) were attributable to underinflated or damaged tires.

Naser Shashaa, Regional Director, Michelin Middle East states: “During our recent tire check campaigns in Dubai where we inspected nearly 300 vehicles, we have witnessed that nearly 20% of checked vehicles had tires either over or under inflated and nearly 30% of"...

June 22, 2019

Toyota Corolla, the world’s favourite family sedan with a record sale of over 47 million units around the world, has not only come out in a brand new striking avatar but also introduced a Hybrid Electric powertrain version for the first time in the UAE.

Launched by Al-Futtaim Toyota, the all-new 2020 Toyota Corolla features a brand new dynamic exterior design, unprecedented performance and a fuel economy of 27.6km/L making it the consummate version of the iconic sedan.

Saud"...

June 22, 2019

Data from UAE-based InsuranceMarket.ae has revealed that average car insurance premiums declining by an average of 9.5 percent in 2019 year-to-date, compared to the same period in last year.

InsuranceMarket.ae released data also showed Nissan, Toyota, Ford, Honda and Mitsubishi as the top five insured car brands in the country.

Average premiums for Nissan cars fell from AED1,983 to AED1,780 in the past year, down 10 percent, while Toyota premiums fell 9 percent to AED1,858, Ford (down 9 percent) to AED1,972, Honda (down 10 percent to AED1,528) and Mitsubishi (down"...

June 18, 2019

Dubai royal, Sheikh Saeed bin Ahmed Al Maktoum, has invested in Urent, a new online platform that aims to revolutionise the UAE car rental industry.

Dubbed an Airbnb for cars, it offers the first peer-to-peer vehicle sharing platform in the region, creating a whole community that focuses on building trust between two people, one being the private vehicle owner, the other being the renter.

It will also provide UAE residents and citizens with the right to rent vehicles of up to six categories.

CEO"...

June 15, 2019

You may have to save up for this one – Aston Martin's newest car in its Continuation series is being unveiled at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, ahead of its launch on the market, and it's a pricey little runaround.

If you want one in your garage, you'll have to part with £6 million plus taxes, which is around Dh30 million.

And that's if you can even get one, as Aston Martin is only making 19 of them.

The car won't be racing at Le Mans, but it'll be on display"...

June 14, 2019

Velodyne Lidar, Inc. (Stand A50) will demonstrate how its smart, powerful lidar solutions can advance port terminal automation at TOC Europe in Rotterdam, 18-20 June. Velodyne will highlight customer applications that show how its lidar sensors can be used in crane steering, container handling, internal terminal vehicles (ITV), automated guided vehicles (AGV), forklifts, and terminal security/yard monitoring systems. DGWorld (Stand B21A), a Dubai-based Velodyne integrator, will showcase autonomous taxis, ITVs, AGVs, and terminal operation vehicles that use Velodyne lidar sensors to run autonomously. These vehicles use advanced artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and self-driving systems to bring greater precision and efficiency to port and terminal operations. “Autonomous vehicles (AV) can reduce costs in port and terminal operations, and bring improved reliability and predictability,” said Gautam Ahuja, Business Development and Sales Director, DGWorld. “Velodyne’s state-of-the-art sensors provide the range, 360-degree field of view, and resolution that our AVs need to synchronize and optimize logistics movements within a port.” DGWorld is a leading provider of advanced autonomous solutions for seaports, airports, and urban cities. DGWorld is working with international port terminal operators in automating their ITVs, with projects that are being implemented at ports. “DGWorld......

June 11, 2019

The UAE has rubber-stamped Uber’s $3.1 billion acquisition of Dubai-based ride-hailing app Careem.

An Uber spokesperson said: “We welcome the decision by HE Sultan Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, to unconditionally approve Uber's pending acquisition of Careem. Uber and Careem joining forces will deliver exceptional outcomes for riders, drivers, and cities, in this fast-moving part of the world.”

The acquisition, which will consist of $1.7bn in convertible notes and $1.4bn in cash, will be the largest technology transaction to ever"...

June 11, 2019

The Middle East and Africa's (MEA) auto aftermarket is expected to grow 43 per cent over the coming few years as the competition grows and demand for automobiles and their parts grows in line with growth of population, industry executives said.

'We're confident that demand for the automotive service industry and aftermarket products will remain robust, with growth largely fuelled by demand from existing vehicle part and the expected improvement of car sales moving forward,' said Mahmut Gazi Bilikozen, show director, Automechanika Dubai.

He pointed out"...