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Road Test: Mercedes Benz GLC 300 4MATIC Premium+ (2020)

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The new Mercedes Benz GLC 300 is a crossover utility vehicle that has a lot going on for it. The GLC has always been one of the most popular Mercedes vehicles out there on the market. And this year, the GLC gets a subtle refresh in terms of exterior styling updates, interior improvements, technology upgrades, and a boost in horsepower.

While there are a couple of variants the GLC 300 comes in, for this review, we received the Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC Premium+. This variant is an all-wheel drive and comes packed with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood.

The engine offers 370 nm of torque and 258 horsepower with an acceleration of 100 kmph achieved in 6.2 seconds. You also get 20-inch AMG 5-twin-spoke light-alloy wheels and run-flat tires as part of the package. The GLC 300 is a handsome vehicle – it flaunts a new grille, revised front, and rear bumpers and lighting, updated wheel designs, and new paint colours.

On the front, you get the gigantic Mercedes Benz star insignia, which is still as prominent and sparkly as ever before. And once you step inside the cabin of the GLC 300, you will feel and experience the premium components put together to build this vehicle. Our test vehicle came with black leather interiors and top-notch materials.

The steering wheel included touch-sensing controls for the driver information center and infotainment system. The wood trim on the dashboard also felt pretty nice. And at night, when you switch on the headlights, the cabin gets its very own 64-colour ambient lighting that adjusts to fit your mood.

The legroom is quite ample on the front and you get 14-way power-adjustable front seats. On the rear though, it feels a bit cramped up – two passengers can sit quite comfortably. But three passengers at the rear may not find any wiggle room. The AC controls just below the infotainment system are made up of piano key-style buttons.

The GLC 300 comes with a dual-zone automatic climate system that lets you control the temperature on the front and at the back individually. In terms of entertainment, you get the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system on the front. This includes a 12.3-inch touchscreen display and Burmester audio components that offer an awesome listening experience.

Apart from other features such as navigation, music, and so on, you also get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. In terms of cargo space, you get plenty with the GLC 300. Opening up the hatch reveals 19.4 cu.-ft. of space, while folding the rear seats gives you 56.5 cu.-ft. There are plenty of security features on the GLC 300. 

You get a blind-spot warning system and automatic emergency braking, along with an exit warning system, active cruise control, active steering assistance, and lots more. When it comes to the driving experience, you will be happy to note that everything went well with the GLC 300. You also get DYNAMIC SELECT which lets you choose between driving modes, including the sport mode.

Even at high speeds, the car handles quite well and its suspension perfectly manages weight around corners by soaking up bumps on city roads. The car offers precise steering and robust brakes – so you can clear curvy corners with ease. Though the GLC 300 is a compact SUV, you get a host of features with it. 

For a price starting at AED 281,900, the Mercedes Benz GLC 300 offers a refreshed exterior design, top-notch interiors, a powerful engine that offers performance, and an overall quality ride.

Price: AED 281,900 onwards

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The 2025 INFINITI QX55 Arrives in the Middle East

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INFINITI has announced the arrival of the 2025 QX55, a stylish and comfortable crossover coupe that makes a statement with its iconic sloped roofline and confident presence. The latest iteration of the QX55 emphasises daring design, a meticulously crafted interior, and user-friendly technology, promising an elevated driving experience.

The 2025 model year offers buyers a streamlined selection of three well-appointed grades, each providing the added confidence of standard INFINITI Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. Prioritising driver and passenger safety, every QX55 comes equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard active safety technologies. This includes Intelligent Cruise Control, Predictive Forward Collision Warning, Forward Emergency Braking with Pedestrian Detection, Rear Automatic Emergency Braking, Blind Spot Warning and Intervention, Lane Departure Warning and Prevention, High Beam Assist, and Cross Traffic Alert.

The entry-level QX55 LUXE offers a compelling package, powered by a potent and efficient 2.0-liter Variable Compression Turbo (VC-Turbo) engine producing 268 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. Exterior highlights include 20-inch dark-painted aluminum-alloy wheels. Inside, drivers will appreciate a leather-wrapped steering wheel, the ProACTIVE Package, heated front seats, a convenient wireless phone charging pad, and the intuitive INFINITI InTouch infotainment system featuring both Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay integration.

Stepping up to the QX55 ESSENTIAL grade adds practical enhancements designed for everyday convenience. These include the Around View Monitor with Moving Object Detection for enhanced visibility, integrated navigation, climate-controlled front seats for optimal comfort, and rain-sensing front wipers. The top-of-the-line QX55 SENSORY builds upon the already well-equipped ESSENTIAL grade with a focus on premium materials and advanced features.

The interior is adorned with black natural maple open-pore wood trim and luxurious semi-aniline leather-appointed seating, complemented by heated rear seats. Audiophiles will appreciate the rich and immersive sound delivered by a 16-speaker Bose Performance Series premium audio system, complete with metallic speaker grilles for the tweeters. The SENSORY grade also boasts an elite 3-zone full auto air-conditioning system with front and rear ventilation shut function, auto recirculation with ionizer, and fine particle anti-allergen deodorising filters, along with a convenient head-up display and a motion-activated liftgate.

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The BMW Group Shows Off New Innovations of Future Vehicle Generations at Auto Shanghai 2025

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On the road to Neue Klasse, the BMW Group will be showcasing the outstanding innovations of future vehicle generations at Auto Shanghai 2025. “Innovative strength, a pioneering spirit and sheer driving pleasure – these characteristics are deeply rooted in BMW’s DNA,” says Oliver Zipse, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “In the Neue Klasse, they can be experienced by our customers on a whole new level: the user interface is even more intuitive, the design even more progressive and the driving experience even more precise and dynamic. By the end of this year, we will be putting the mobility of the future on the road”.

The smart display and operating concept BMW Panoramic iDrive and the lightning-fast Heart of Joy central computer take centre stage at the auto show.

  1. The BMW Group presents the BMW Panoramic iDrive in a version specially developed for the Chinese market.
  2. The Heart of Joy centrally calculates all driving dynamics functions and raises the hallmark BMW driving pleasure to a new level with ten times faster information processing. BMW presents the Heart of Joy in the specially developed high-performance test vehicle BMW Vision Driving Experience, which shines in a spectacular, luminescent paint finish.

By the end of the year, the iX3 will be the first Neue Klasse model to roll off the production line at the new plant in Debrecen (Hungary). The BMW Vision Driving Experience is presented to the public for the first time in Shanghai: It is a high-performance test vehicle with no connection to series production, which BMW has designed as a rolling laboratory for optimising the Heart of Joy drive and driving dynamics control system.

“The BMW Vision Driving Experience is equipped with the “Heart of Joy” – one of four super brains specifically developed for our software-defined Neue Klasse models,” says Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Customers, Brands and Sales. “The Heart of Joy takes every aspect of sheer driving pleasure to the next level. Starting with the launch of the first Neue Klasse model, the “Heart of Joy” will beat in every all-electric BMW model”.

The four super brains combine the computing power for the most important customer functions: infotainment, automated driving, basic functions and driving dynamics. In this new, zonal electronics architecture, the Heart of Joy is responsible for drive, braking, charging, recuperation and partial steering functions. In conjunction with the BMW Dynamic Performance Control software, the system, which was developed entirely in-house, calculates all driving dynamics functions. It processes information ten times faster than previous systems and achieves latencies in the millisecond range. There will be control units with comparable functions for combustion engines and hybrids.

As the “world’s fastest test rig”, the BMW Vision Driving Experience takes the Heart of Joy and BMW Dynamic Performance Control to their absolute limits. With a maximum torque of 18,000 Newton metres and active aerodynamics, it generates 1.2 tonnes of downforce and lateral forces of up to 3G – a dimension on par with Formula 1 and far beyond the requirements of conventional vehicles in road traffic. The logic behind this: If the hardware and software can tame the brute forces of this test rig, they can easily cope with the demands of everyday use.

In Shanghai, the BMW Vision Driving Experience shines in an innovative, fluorescent paint finish. The paint’s special light-sensitive pigments recharge in daylight, with even the smallest amount of ambient light sufficient. In the dark, the colour varies from a whitish yellow to an expressive neon yellow, depending on the state of charge. In addition, the rear of the car has been fitted with a “magic film” which, when stimulated by UV light, creates an expressive gradient from yellow to orange to pink from the rear to the front of the car. These special looks underline the uniqueness and innovative power of the car. Like the vision vehicle, they are not intended for series production.

The Auto Shanghai at the National Exhibition and Convention Center has become the largest auto show in the world. More than one million visitors are expected from April 23 to May 2, 2025. Across almost 5,000 square meters, the BMW Group presents the latest products of the BMW and MINI brands. An oversized installation of the complete BMW Panoramic iDrive display and control system is the focus of the exhibition space. The road to Neue Klasse leads guests along a “road” across the exhibition. On display will be a BMW 1500, the historical model of the Neue Klasse from the 1960s, as well as the visionary vehicles BMW Vision Neue Klasse and BMW Vision Neue Klasse X. The BMW Group will showcase a total of 42 vehicles at its largest exhibition booth in the world.

BMW M celebrates more than 25 years of cooperation with the Nürburgring with the exclusive special edition BMW M4 Edition Nürburgring. This special edition vehicle, which is only available in China, is limited to just 53 units to mark the 53rd anniversary of BMW M. Specific design elements make reference to the world’s most famous racetrack. The BMW Individual Frozen Deep Green metallic paint finish is a nod to the “Green Hell”.

The red Nürburgring Nordschleife logo is embroidered on the headrests and the frameless radiator grille is also framed in this striking red. The uniform “nürburgring 1/53” lettering in the door sills symbolises that the vehicle is part of an exclusive special edition. The edition based on the BMW M4 Competition with M xDrive has the familiar in-line six-cylinder engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology and generates 390 kW/530 hp. This not only enables acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h (60 mph) in 3.5 seconds or 3.2 seconds according to the “1-foot rollout” method, but also highly dynamic driving on the racetrack – tried and tested on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, of course.

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EXEED by Al Ghurair Launches Electric and Hybrid Model Range

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EXEED by Al Ghurair celebrated the unveiling of its electric vehicle (EV) and hybrid models in the UAE, with an exclusive launch event at Skydive Dubai on 9 April 2025. The premium automotive brand is reshaping the region’s sustainable mobility landscape, combining innovative technologies and performance to offer superior driving experiences.

EXEED is redefining the future of mobility with the launch of its fully electric models: the EXLANTIX ET SUV and the ELANTIX ES – EXEED’s first sedan. Equipped with the Super Hybrid Range Extended Electric Vehicle (REEV) technology, both models deliver an exceptional driving range of over 1,000 km. At the heart of this line-up is the Qualcomm-powered technology. Prioritising safety, the models have received a 5-star C-NCAP & CIASI rating, 88% high-strength steel, and advanced airbags, alongside cutting-edge driver assistance technologies for effortless control.

Designed for those who demand versatility and endurance, the EXLANTIX ET SUV offers both pure electric and range-extended powertrain options, featuring EXEED’s pioneering Golden Range Extender Technology to eliminate charging anxiety. A high-performance adaptive air suspension system ensures a premium, smooth ride, rivalling luxury SUVs. With a drag coefficient of 0.266Cd and a 0-100 km/h acceleration in 4.9 seconds, the ET seamlessly blends efficiency with power, while offering passengers exuding comfort in zero gravity seats. Furthermore, it offers Arabic voice command, and an intelligent cockpit that puts drivers in control with minimal effort.

The ELANTIX ES is a bold expression of avant-garde design, blending aerodynamics with artistry for a striking yet efficient silhouette. With a 0.205Cd drag coefficient, it enhances energy efficiency while ensuring a smooth, whisper-quiet ride. Engineered for precision handling and optimised weight distribution, the ES delivers an exhilarating 0-100 km/h acceleration in just 3.7 seconds. Its sleek aesthetics coupled with dynamic performance, offers an unmatched fusion of innovation, elegance, and driving excitement. Inside the sporty frameless door design encompasses a D-shaped steering wheel ready to give drivers a racing feeling of handling and grip.

EXEED has also introduced the RX Plug-in Hybrid SUV that balances power and efficiency. Powered by the Super Hybrid REEV System, it delivers a total range of over 1,300 km and maintains real-world fuel efficiency as low as 1.2L/100 km of a full charge. The model is equipped with a Three-Speed Super Hybrid Transmission generating 445KW of power through 11 gear combinations, ensuring a responsive yet smooth ride. The safety is reinforced by a high-performance CATL battery, enhanced with EXEED’s M3P material system, which delivers real-time diagnostics and can cut power within just 2 milliseconds in the event of a collision. Also, designed for extreme conditions, it operates reliably across a wide temperature range of -35°C to 60°C – ideal for the UAE’s harsh climate.

With its Smart Hybrid REEV technology system, advanced safety measures, and long-range capabilities, the RX PHEV stands as a strong addition to EXEED’s new energy line-up. EXEED also opened its flagship showroom on 9 April 2025, located on Corniche Street in Abu Dhabi. This state-of-the-art facility will offer customers an immersive introduction to the brand’s electric future, with futuristic art installations, interactive digital advisors and EXLANTIX merchandise and products.

“This launch is about more than just new models, it’s about EXEED defining the future of electric mobility in the region. With our industry-leading new technology, full EV and hybrid range of vehicles, and the introduction of the UAE’s first dedicated EXEED EV showroom, we are taking a major step forward in delivering intelligent, high-performance electric vehicles. The future of driving is here, and EXEED is at the forefront of this transformation,” said Oscar Rivoli, Chief Executive Officer of Motors, an Al Ghurair Mobility business.

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