ME Exclusive! 2014 Datsun GO
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Find us Online : www.automan.me | Facebook: AutomanMag | Twitter: @automanmag | Youtube: AutomanVideo OMR 0.500 AED 10 QR 10 NOW, the region’s Best Automotive RESOURCE APRIL 2014 ISSUE NO 152 YEARS14 2014 ITALIAN ME Exclusive! 2014 Datsun GO STALLIMASERATION ON THE OFFENSGOIVE WITH ALL-NEW 2014 GHIBLI DRIVEN IN THIS ISSUE BONUS PREVIEWS 2014 CADILLAC XTS PLATINUM VSPORT MASERATI ALFIERI 2014 CHEVY CAMARO ZL1 HYUNDAI INTRADA 2014 KIA SOUL VOLKSWAGEN T ROC DISCOVER 2014 WITH MERCEDES-BENZ MCLAREN 650S SUVS IN UAE CITROEN C1 2014 GENEVA A UTO SALON : BEHIND THE SCENES AND OUR ANALYSIS CHEROKEE-AUTOMAN-230x300.pdf 1 3/24/14 2:33 PM Cover material shows here 18 COVERSTORY | Maserati Ghibli With this new model, the Italian brand has Germans sedans in sight FIRSTDRIVE | 2014 Kia Soul Second generation CUV has been refined with quality lifestyle trappings inside out 44 36 40 54 in this issue CONTENT METER COVER STORY 0 18-24 2014 MASERATO GHILBI 44-49 2014 KIA SOUL OMAN AND REGIONAL NEWS NEXT ISSUE 6-13 2014 SHELL SUPER MILEAGE CHALLENGE HELD IN OMAN, 2014 MERceDES- NEW MULTIMILLION RIYAL FERRARI AND MASERATI SERVICE BENZ C-CLASS CENTRE OPENS IN MUSCAT, , MASERATI GHIBLI ARRIVES IN 10 OMAN IN STYLE, REGIONAL LAUNCH OF FERRARI CALIFORNIA T IN DUBAI, THIRD GENERATION MINI HATCHBACK LAUNCHED IN REGION, IMPRESSIVE REVEAL OF PORSCHE MACAN SUV IN OMAN, MERCEDES SUVS PUT TO THE TEST AS PART OF BRAND EVENT, LAND ROVER AND EXTREME SAILING SERIES ACT II THRILL OMAN RESIDENTS , VOLKSWAGEN INTRODUCes ‘R’ vARIANT IN THE GOLF FAMILY, NEW COMPACTS FROM MITSUBISHI INTRODUCED IN OMAN, MUSCAT MUNICIPALITY TAKES 20 DELIVERY OF YAMAHA BIKES, NEW APPOINTMENTS AT NISSAN, HARLEY-DAVIDSON INTRODUCES MY14.5 MODELS, HYUNDAI ANNOUNCES TOP MIDDLE EAST FOOTBALLER AS BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR 2014 FIFA WORLD CUP BRAZIL BRANDWATCH 14-17 NISSAN CHIEF SUPPORTS UNUSUAL APPROACH WITH 30 IDX DEVELOPMENT, PORSCHE TO REPLACE DEFECTIVE 911 GT3 ENGINES AND DELAY GT3 RS LAUNCH, PORSCHE CONFIRMS DOWNSIZING STRATEGY, FIAT CHRYSLER AUTOMOBILES IN TALKS WITH SUZUKI? BENTLEY RELEASES GLIMPSE OF ITS FIRST SUV, PEUGEOT TO FOCUS ON SPORTIER HATCHBACK VARIANTS, POOR RESPONSE TO SRT VIPER, MINI to grow as ‘brand FAMILy’, NEW BATTERY CHEMISTRY TO DOUBLE DRIVING RANGE OF ELECTRIC CARS LIKE R8, NEW CAMARO TO BE BUILT ON NEW 40 LIGHTER PLATFORM, JEEP PLANNING A SUB-RENEGADE MODEL? ALFA ROMEO DESIGNER DEFECT TO CHINA, TOKUO FUKUICHI ADMITTED TO TOYOTA BOARD OF DIRECTORS, IKER CASILLAS & RICARDO KAKÁ ARE Hyundai’s FIFA BRAND AMBASSABORS, TOP REGIONAL EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS AT BENTLEY, GERRY DORIZAS JOINS GM FROM VW INDIA 50 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 26-35 2014 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW REPORT ALSO DRIVEN 36-39 2014 CADILLAC XTS PLATINUM VSPORT 26 40-43 2014 CHEVROLET CAMARO ZL1 50-53 2014 VOLKSWAGEN TIGUAN 60 EXCLUSIVE FIRST DRIVE Star production cars, 54-56 2014 DATSUN GO motorcycles, stunning concepts and more @ PREVIEWS 58-59 MASERATI ALFIERI CONCEPT 2014 Geneva Auto Salon 60-62 CITROEN C1 CONCEPT 64-65 HYUNDAI INTRADO CONCEPT 70 66-69 JEEP RENEGADE CONCEPT 70-73MCLAREN 650S 74-75 VOLKSWAGEN T ROC CONCEPT MOTORSPORTS 76-79 FORMULA ONE, REGIONAL HAPPENINGS, UAE DESERT CHALLENGE, WRC 80 80 CHICANE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mohammad Al Taie 2014 AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 There is no argument to the premise that automobiles are as much about the Al Harthy Complex product that you buy, as they are linked to the brand, country of manufacture Sultanate of Oman and the subliminal message that they convey. It is almost automatically Email: [email protected] assumed that if a car drives past you with two-doors, two seats and an open Website: www.automan.me roof, it has to be an expensive sports car, its owner has to be rich and the lady sitting shotgun is the lucky wife. Unless of course if the lady is to drive, Editorial office: Tel: +968 24479888 Extn 300, Fax: +968 24479889 then we would be challenged for assumptions. No, we aren’t trying to be Distribution: sexist - quite to the contrary! Tel: +968 24490386, Fax: +968 24121045 Subscription: Tel: +968 24493701, Fax: +968 24121045 As carmakers look further afield for customers, it is time to push the barrier of generalisations. Just because a car is big, it doesn’t become a man’s car PUBLISHER and for heaven’s sake would manufacturers stop putting colours that seem Hatim Al Taie [email protected] to have come out of a salad recipe on a car, just so that it appeals to a lady EDITOR & GM (or one’s feminine side). What is at stake here is our society’s insistence on Raj Warrior [email protected] putting people into convenient slots - from our cradles where boys get blue EXECUTIVE EDITOR and girls pink. Chandan B Mallik [email protected] Oddly enough we had a conversation with Ferrari’s product development CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Anne Kurian [email protected] team reecntly, where we put the premise that the rapid styling change to the Ferrari California T was largely in response to a demand that it look more HEAD OF DESIGN masculine. The discussion rolled on, but the message that came through was Sawsan Al Muharbi [email protected] that the brand primarily catered to males, with the occasional female buying PHOTOGRAPHY any of their cars - not just the California. Is it fair to say that our hormonal mix Elvis John Ferrao would influence our choice of cars? Or is it just that women are more rational MARKETING in their purchasing? Sayantani Ghosh [email protected] Again as brands look for newer buyers to increase volumes, long held views CIRCULATION [email protected] on gender, country and race are changing. Some of the most affluent and emphatic buyers are from countries that were long associated with economy. FINANCE & ADMIN That’s not true anymore - and even a brand like Maserati has moved into Sumy Mol [email protected] a segment better suited to tapping this huge market that is looking for an WEBSITE & IT entry into the Italian brand’s cachet. It is on the back of this that the brand is Mohammed F Draz [email protected] targeting a volume of 50,000 units a year in 2015. That is a challenging target PRINTER and needs so many traditional German brand buyers to shift allegiance. Ruwi Modern Printers LLC, Muscat Tel: +968 2479 4167, 2479 8157 In addition to the Ghibli, that is meant to drive this trend, we are choc-a-bloc Fax: +968 2470 0545 with stories, news and reviews that make us the best automotive read in the © 2014 region – that’s one perception we can endorse. 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 AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING From this month, Automan is available in Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial bookshops in the United Arab Emirates too! material, but reserves the right to publish any such 14 material. Once published, the copyright for any YEARS Get your copy or let us know which outlets such material will vest with AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING you would like to see us in >> *** * 6 YEARS PROTECTION ** FEEL THE FUTURE FREE SERVICE FREE REGISTRATION PRESENTING ALL NEW 2014 RANGE Fulfilling your dream of owning a Lexus gets easier this season. Packed with cutting-edge technology and exceptional driving * performance, for you to reach an entirely new level of driving FREE SERVICE pleasure. Choose from a wide range of elegant Sedans to legendary 4WDs, high performance and track proven F Sport versions to the world’s first fully Hybrid range. FREE REGISTRATION** 6 YEARS PROTECTION*** Come drive a Lexus and experience amazing! IS ES GS GX RX LX LS Campaign Period: 24th Mar. to 22nd May 2014. The above benefits are applicable for all purchases except Government Organisations & Ministries. *2 years / 40,000 kms (whichever is earlier) on all models. **Free one year Registration on all models. ***Aman Bahwan 6 years unlimited mileage protection. Pictures & colours are indicative. For further details, please visit your nearest Lexus showroom. FEEL THE FUTURE Showrooms now open Corporate Enquiries: 99443728 from 9AM to 7.30PM Muscat: 92822675/92844016, Al Mawaleh: 99221863 Barka: 99471397, Buraimi: 25660271, Sohar: 99881526 Saturday: 9:00AM to 6:30PM, Ibri: 99898249, Nizwa: 25213016, Salalah: 99103579 Friday holiday Oman & region NEWS THIRD geneRATION ALL-neW MINI HATCHBACK LAuncHED IN RegION porting classic MINI proportions and an instantly familiar design Contrary to popular thinking about the new MINIs using co-devel- Sthat’s packed with character, the incoming model is completely oped engines like in the past [BMW and PSA worked together to new from the ground up and MINI claims that every component create the “Prince” line of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated has been back to the drawing board in an effort to optimise its and turbocharged four-cylinder engines], the engines in the new function, performance and style. However, the car is dimensionally MINI’s have been developed by BMW independently as part its different -- it is 3,821mm long (MINI Cooper S is 3,850mm), 1,727mm own scalable engine architecture for three, four and six-cylinder wide and 1,414mm tall. These measurements make it 98mm longer, petrol and diesel engines. And for the first time, the MINI Cooper 44mm wider and 7mm taller than its predecessor. The wheelbase and Cooper S variants will be available with a choice of two turbo- has been extended by 28mm, while the track width has been en- charged engines – a 136hp 1.5-litre three-cylinder and 192hp 2.0-li- larged at the front by 42mm and at the rear by 34mm.