Third Generation Kia Sportage launched

Kia’s new 2011 Sportage SUV was formally launched in Oman recently. Speaking on the occasion, Y K Park, president, Kia Motors Corporation, Middle East and Africa said, “In the recent past, Kia has moved into overdrive with the launch of many new and interesting products. All these models have done exceedingly well, won positive recognitions for design, quality and customer satisfaction across the globe.” Tarun Singhal, general manager, Reliable International Automotive, remarked, “I would like to mention the economic recession has forced several car manufacturers to defer, delay or even cancel the launch of new models. Kia in contrast continues to launch several models each year. Two models, the Cadenza and Koup, have already been launched this year. The Sportage will be the third and there are more to follow. Kia continues to move from strength to strength truly showing its power to surprise.”

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar in Oman

The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing supercar that pays homage to the legendary Mercedes-Benz 300 SL that was first seen at the New York Motor Show in 1954, is now available in Oman. The new Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG was launched during an exclusive event held at the Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa recently. The function was inaugurated by Waleed bin Omar Zawawi, deputy chairman of Zawawi Trading Co. “The car was designed from scratch, which means the SLS AMG is not based on any other Mercedes-Benz vehicle platform. And, anyone who truly wants to understand AMG and what lies at the heart of our performance brand has to drive the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG” said Frank Bernthaler, director sales and marketing Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Middle East. “This highly desirable interpretation of one of the world’s greatest sports cars will certainly become a classic in its own right,” said Adarsh Taneja, acting GM, passenger car sales, Zawawi Trading Co.

The spacious Nissan TIIDA

If you guess the number of footballs inside the 2011 Nissan Tiida on display at either the Nissan showroom at Qurum, or the enticing new Tiida at the Muscat City Center, you have a good chance to win a 40” LCD TV! Draws will be held once every fortnight. Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA), the sole importers of all Nissan vehicles into Oman, have added the excitement of FIFA Fever to the unveiling of the simply-gorgeous new Nissan Tiida 2011 model. Winning at football is an intriguing combination of art and power. The all-new 1.8L 2011 Nissan Tiida is very much an awesome combination of great looks and power! The 2011 Nissan Tiida comes with a compact and lightweight 1.8-litre engine that has the ability to generate as much as 135 HP at 5200 RPM, with a gross torque of 19.0 kg-m at 4,800rpm

Renault’s new branch in Ibra showcases models

Officials from various ministries and the office of the Wali of Ibra turned out in large numbers for a grand showcasing of popular Renault models at the new Suhail Bahwan Automobiles (SBA) Renault –Nissan showroom in Ibra. On display were the immensely-popular Renault Logan and the Safrane. The deputy wali of Sur, Khalifa Salaleh Salim Al Busaidi, inaugurated the show. A Renault–Nissan Alliance audio-visual presentation highlighted the advanced technology available in the group. Various models of cars and SUVs under the Renault-Nissan Alliance are available at over 15 centres throughout Oman. Unveiling the Renault Safrane before a gathering of nearly 200 people, Khalifa said the people of the Ibra – Sharqiya region would be very happy to experience an exquisite feature-laden car like the Safrane.

Luxury has a new name

Porsche Centre Oman, Sata, has unveiled the long awaited second generation Porsche Cayenne. As a premiere for the Porsche brand, the model is offered as a hybrid version, the Cayenne S Hybrid. A highly sophisticated parallel full hybrid drive ensures fuel consumption of just 8.2 litres/100 kilometres with CO2 emissions of just 193 g/km. The Cayenne S Hybrid combines the performance of an eight-cylinder with the economy of a six-cylinder running on much less fuel. Based on the manufacturer’s principle of “Porsche Intelligent Performance”, all Cayenne vehicles offer more power on less fuel, greater efficiency and lower CO2 emissions. Compared with the former generation, fuel consumption is down by up to 23 per cent making the new models trendsetters in their respective segments. These objectives result from the introduction of the new Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic transmission.

Zubair Automotive scores on service

Continuing their commitment to “Delivering an outstanding Customer Experience –The Zubair Way,” the Zubair Automotive Group has just achieved an important milestone of 90 per cent of the 4,000 customers surveyed in April awarded their recent experience as a ‘Good’ experience.
After the launch of the new customer relations centre (CRC) in November 2009, the new operation has grown from strength to strength. The CRC team has been working hard to achieve excellent standards of service, meeting daily targets with all customer enquiries. Some of the targets met included a minimum of 85 per cent of the calls being answered within 15 seconds whilst ensuring customers are not being left on hold for more than 20 seconds. Customers also receive a 48 hour courtesy call where they can provide full feedback on their recent after sales or sales experience. One of the highest areas scored included the quality of the car wash and vacuum provided after each service. “The increase in this particular area is very important to us, over the last few months our customers have commented that we need to improve regarding the quality of our car washing. Taking this feedback into account we discussed the feedback with our car washing team and agreed on an improvement plan,” said Matthew D’Emanuele, head of quality and customer experience

100 points free checkup at TAC

Mazda has always encouraged its customers to maintain their vehicles with regular checkups and this latest offering from Towell Auto Centre (TAC), the official distributors of Mazda in Oman, is surely not to be missed. Under this scheme, TAC has announced the start of their ‘100 points free checkup with a chance to win 100 fabulous prizes!’ The 100 points free checkup is being conducted at TAC’s various service centres across the Sultanate. On spending a minimum of RO20, one can get guaranteed redemption and raffle coupons too. “Customer service at Mazda does not end once the car is sold to the customer. We are constantly bettering and upgrading our after sales services. This offer too, is a means to ensure that our customers are better served even after the sale of the vehicle”, says R. Sarvanan, national manager - service, Towell Auto Centre.

Amazing features, great value

Suzuki, in Oman, has a history of offering ‘Value for Money’ to their valued customers. This tradition is being taken forward by SX4 Sedan and SX4 intelligent all-wheel drive (i-4WD). The SX4 Sedan comes with the option of two power trains, the 1600cc with 111 horsepower on two variants, the GLX & GLX ‘Special’ models and the 2000cc, 160 horsepower. The 2000cc model, now available starting from RO4995, comes with alloy wheels and fog lamps as standard features in addition to many other details. The emphasis on safety is highlighted by antilock brake system (ABS), electronic brake distribution (EBD) with front dual airbags as standard options on all models of Suzuki SX4 Sedan. These models further boast of having the widest tyres in its class providing better stability and road handling that increases safety.