2015 Land Rover Discovery Sport 30 First drive of brand’s 7-seater in Oman COVERSTORY | Shanghai calling Some familiar, some unfamiliar names at this year’s edition 22 42 48 COVER STORY 30-35 LAND ROVER DISCOVERY SPORT NEXT ISSUE 42-47 FORD MUSTANG ECOBOOST OMAN AND REGIONAL NEWS 2015 Audi A6 6-13 RENAULT MEGANE HATCHBACK ARRIVES IN OMAN, HARLEY-DAVIDSON STREET 750 ARRIVES IN OMAN, 2015 BENTLEY MULSANNE SPEED ARRIVES IN REGION, Audi ‘Land oF QUATTRo 2015’ touR HELD IN OMAN, FASTEST ALL-NEW MINI JOHN COOPER WORKS INTRODUCED FOR REGION, NISSAN MIDDLE EAST POSTS INCREDIBLE RESULTS, TWIN MITSUBISHI MODEL LAUNCHES BY GAC, OTE INTRODUCES ALL-NEW CHERY TIGGO5 SUV BRANDWATCH 14-21 TOYOTA AND MAZDA CONFIRM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP BEYOND 2020, NEW ROLLS- ROYCE MODEL ANNOUNCED, MEXICO APPEALS TO JAGUAR LAND ROVER AS PRODUCTION POSSIBILITY, RENAULT REBRANDING TAKING PLACE, LINCOLN RECONSIDERING NAMING NOMENCLATURE, SOME ENGINEERING DETAILS OF NSA RELEASED, LAMBORGHINI CONFIRMS URUS SUV PRODUCTION, LEXUS TO OFFER RX SUVS WITH TURBO POWER, WHY ARE MERCEDES AND VW BATTLING UBER AND APPLE? VOLKSWAGEN CONSIDERING MORE CROSSOVERS? HONDA CONFIRMS RETURN OF AFRICA TWIN, INDIA’s RoyAL ENFIELD HAS ACQUIRED UK-BASED HARRIS PERFORMANCE, HYUNDAI CELEBRATES THREE DECADES OF THE SONATA, BMW CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF 3 SERIES, NEXT NISSAN GT-R COULD USE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY, PEUGEOT RULES OUT RCZ SUCCESSOR MILESTONE 20 PEUGEOT CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIV OF 204 INTERNATIONAL NEWS 22-29 2015 SHANGHAI AUTO SHOW 74 FIRST DRIVES 36-41 2015 BMW X4 48-53 2015 RENAULT CAPTUR 54-59 2015 MAZDA CX-5 60-65 2015 HYUNDAI VELOSTER TURBO FIRST RIDE 68 66-67 2015 KTM RC 200 CONCEPT CAR PREVIEWS 68-69 CHEVROLET HNR 70-71 AUDI PROLOGUE 72-713 CITROEN AIRCROSS 74-75 BMW HOMMAGE CONCEPT MOTORSPORTS 76-79 F1, MOTO GP, SNIPPETS CHICANE 88 COLOUR MY RESPONSE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mohammad Al Taie AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING PO Box: 343, Postal Code 118 Al Harthy Complex Sultanate of Oman We pointed out at the beginning of the year itself that the longish cool weather of winter Email: [email protected] may just as likely be a portent of a blistering summer and the month of May has lived up Website: www.automan.me to that promise. With temperatures in the high forties (once in a while leaping over fifty Editorial office: on our car dashboards) the condition of our car maintenance and air-conditioner efficiency Tel: +968 24652400/1/2/3/4/5 Extn 300, makes all the difference. Fax: +968 24652444 Distribution: Tel: +968 24652400/1/2/3/4/5 Extn 555, We hope that many of you have taken the message we passed out last month about the Subscription: condition of our tyres. While tyres always function at a higher than ambient temperature, Tel: +968 24652400/1/2/3/4/5 Extn 650 having bad tyres, high speeds and these scorching roads is a bad recipe. Do watch out PUBLISHER and if necessary, get your tyres changed while getting your air-conditioner topped up and Hatim Al Taie [email protected] cleaned. EDITOR & GM Raj Warrior [email protected] This issue is choc-a-bloc with testdrives of turbo-powered cars. Long time readers will know that we have been early proponents of boosted aspiration in regular sedans. Gone are EXECUTIVE EDITOR the days when having turbos was indicative of a sporty identity. The use of turbocharging Chandan B Mallik [email protected] in engines has one mainstream with manufacturers across the spectrum opting for the CONTRIBUTING EDITOR extra huff and puff that it provides on smaller displacements and the resultant extra fuel Anne Kurian [email protected] efficiency ratings that help corporate figures. HEAD OF DESIGN Antony Karlo The six turbo-boosted vehicles that we test cover a rather wide range of choices, from a small crossover to a car that actually is better known as a muscle car, although that is one PHOTOGRAPHY Elvis John Ferrao tag that may have to be inferred rather than experienced. In trying to reach the Mustang out to global markets, Ford have to find smaller displacement engines that can provide at MARKETING least some of the excitement. Sayantani Ghosh [email protected] CIRCULATION Speaking of a global footprint, the Shanghai motorshow served to debut quite a few [email protected] models on to the Chinese carscape as well as providing some that will see the light of FINANCE & ADMIN day even in the Middle East. Outside the models itself, what is even more interesting is Sumy Mol [email protected] the new technology that debuted, with new standards being drawn up entertainment systems, drivetrains and cabin environments. We have an extensive report. WEBSITE & IT Mohammed F Draz [email protected] One technology that we hope to see in cars in the region is something that will keep the PRINTER car interiors cool while parked. It’ll make a lot of difference to customers here and perhaps Al Anan Printing Press LLC Road No. 4A, Rusail Ind. Est., P.O. Box 10, help save the lives of sundry pets and infants left locked in cars. Postal Code 124, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Tel: +968 24446163 | Fax: +968 24446287 alananprinting.com | [email protected] © 2015 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 & Now, Automan is available in bookshops in PUBLISHING the United Arab Emirates too! Get your copy Automan accepts unsolicited exclusive editorial or let us know which outlets you would like material, but reserves the right to publish any such material. Once published, the copyright for any to see us in such material will vest with AL ROYA PRESS & PUBLISHING Audi ‘Land of quattro 2015’ tour held in Oman NEWS Oman & region As part of a region wide brand exercise, on model applications, there are three New A6 launched in region Wattayah Motors, the brand custodians types. The first one is the Hydraulic Multi- for Audi in Oman organized a three-day plate Clutch quattro, which primarily quattro experience with customers, utilises the front wheels in ideal conditions prospects and media. The elaborate but can send up to 50 per cent of the event was held at the Oman Automobile engine’s power to the rear when extra Association in Seeb, Muscat. The all- traction is needed. This application finds new 2015 Audi S3 and Audi TT were also place on the Audi A3, Q3, and TT. showcased at the event. The second one is the Self-locking The quattro tour, which has also visited Centre Differential quattro, which is the various cities in the GCC is specifically most common type of all-wheel drive designed to give four-wheel drive technology across the Audi line-up and is The newly refreshed C7 platform A6 enthusiasts a chance to test their designed for lengthways-fitted engines – has landed in the region. Unveiled to driving skills by taking advantages of the such as the Audi A6 or Q7 and powers the journalists across the region at a driving technologies available from the Quattro drivetrain asymmetrically, sensing torque event held across Dubai and Ras Al set-ups. “Audi’s quattro system is a across all four wheels and delivering Khaimah, the A6 premiered in all engine triumph of technology that excels in the power to where it’s needed most. options but one across the line-up of the most diverse of conditions. Delivering The third type of quattro technology is A6, S6 and RS6 models. dynamism and sportiness with the highest only available on sportier models like the Featuring a completely refreshed exterior standards of safety and precision, quattro high-performance R8. Here it delivers all- design, new lighting technologies, a new technology has powered the success of wheel drive to predominantly rear-wheel generation of the MMI interface as well the brand over the past 30 years,” said driven set-ups via the Viscous Coupling as a completely new engine in the 2.0 TFSI Faisal Nawaz, Marketing Manager of Audi system. Additional power is transferred unit (the one engine that wasn’t on the Oman. Currently, 50 per cent of Audi to the front wheels when it’s needed for drive), the A6 seeks to beef up the brand’s models sold are quattros and depending difficult bends or in adverse conditions. increasing dominance of the segment. While the complete event report and Automan’s take test drive will be carried in our next issue, Audi chassis engineer Jörg Bensinger in the early 80s applied his pioneering all- we can definitely say that the RS6 and wheel drive technology to the original Audi Quattro. This application helped the car S6 with their turbocharged V8 engines win four World Rally Championships. Since then it has become as hallmark feature will dominate rivals, while the 2.8 FSI will and Audi continues to pioneer the development and refinement of all-wheel drive. remain a stalwart of the price sensitive As a result of many years of development, today’s quattro provides benefits across entry V6 segment for the brand. the driving spectrum: from safety and ride quality, to high-performance and all- Initially the new 2.0-litre TFSI is expected terrain capability. to come in FWD mode to be followed at a later stage by the Quattro version as well. 6 JUN 2015 Nissan Middle East posts incredible results Nissan maintained its status as the strategy ‘Power 88’, which CEO Carlos situation. However, Nissan has excelled fastest-growing automotive brand in Ghosn announced Nissan would achieve in the last financial year and lofty targets the GCC for the third consecutive year, by 2016.