Over 500 cars on display at the Dubai International Motor Show.

Inayat-ur-Rahman

With over 500 cars on display, the Dubai International Motor Show (DIMS) opened its doors on the second day to crowds of motoring enthusiasts and families who were seeking to catch a glimpse of this year’s best and most glamourous car launches and motoring-themed entertainment. Independent Chinese brand, Hongqi unveiled its flagship crossover SUV, the HS7, equipped with advanced assisted driving which offers a luxurious driving experience. UAE-based STREIT Group, one of the world’s largest armoured vehicle manufacturers revealed the Streit Shaman 8x8; the amphibious automobile delivers a horsepower of 146 and 350Nm torque, ideal for tackling all terrains, even water.

General Motors brought forth an array of models from Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, showcasing six new reveals with 36 models in total across all three brands; Chevrolet made regional debuts of the 2020 Corvette Stingray, the fastest and most powerful in Stingray history, the all-new 2020 Onix saloon, and the 2020 Chevrolet Captiva crossover; Cadillac revealed its all-new CT5 sports saloon; and GMC showed off its all-new GMC Sierra line-up.

Jaguar Land Rover hosted its regional debut of its new Range Rover, which is powered by the brand’s new six-cylinder Ingenium petrol engine, and combines dynamic on-road handling, luxurious refinement, and the trademark Land Rover all-terrain capability. Independent Chinese brand, Hongqi unveiled its flagship crossover SUV, the HS7, equipped with advanced assisted driving which offers a luxurious driving experience. UAE-based STREIT Group revealed the Streit Shaman 8x8; the amphibious automobile delivers a horsepower of 146 and 350Nm torque, ideal for tackling all terrains, even water.

Speaking at the unveiling, Antonio Al Asmar, General Manager of CAFU said, “We’re proud to be sponsoring this initiative because we are one of the companies innovating the oil and gas sector, and it makes a lot of sense for us to help kids grow their creativity, their entrepreneurship and their innovation skills. We want to be sure the youth can see their dreams are not so far from reality.”

Christian Bolognesi, Press Office Manager, Italdesign, “This project was a demonstration of Italdesign’s range of expertise, showcasing the finest technologies in automotive design. It was a fantastic feeling to see the students’ faces when their designs were unveiled.”

Voting has commenced to find the Supreme Winner for Women’s World Car of the Year 2019 which will be announced at the Dubai International Motor Show in the presence of Founder of WWCOTY, Sandy Myrhe from New Zealand and the GCC Jury Shereen Shabnam.

Forty-one women motoring journalists from 37 countries make up the Women’s World Car of the Year Jury. Given the rise and rise of female car purchasers world-wide, the female voice is more important than ever and the female demographic is, in fact, the fastest-growing consumer segment in the world and arguably the most influential.

The awards will be presented by Sandy Myhre who has covered motor racing from all the major tracks of the world. She was the first woman member of NZ Motoring Writers’ Guild, the first woman member and first President of the NZ Motorsport Media Association.  She is an award-winning journalist and the author of six books.

 “It’s an honour to be announcing our awards in Dubai for two main reasons,” she said.

“First, it means we are recognized as an international entity by the organisers which is important to us as journalists. “Secondly, the motor industry, the media and visitors to the show will hear our voice from a significant platform.

 “It’s well-known that women aren’t always acknowledged as major buyers of cars but by being in Dubai and giving our opinion on what cars we think were the best in 2019 will take that recognition factor up by a consideration notch.”

Accompanying Sandy will be Shereen Shabnam, a pioneering motoring journalist based out of the UAE since 1999. Shereen is the only female Jury of the Middle East Car of the Year Awards, Founder of All About Wheels, Editor in Chief of the Millionaire Group and Motoring Editor of Trending Business Insights and Madame magazine. Shereen has tested cars all over the world and has been the female voice for motoring in the regional media for over 17 years.

Finalists in this years WWCOTY are Audi e-Tron Quattro, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, BMW 3 Series, Tesla Model 3, Volvo S60, Citroën C5 Aircross, Ford Escape, Ford Kuga, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Xceed, Porsche 911, Range Rover Evoque, Renault Clio and Lexus UX.

Winners will also be announced according to the Budget, Family, Green, Luxury, Performance and SUV/Crossover. Models in these categories include, Kia Xceed, Renault Clio, Skoda Scala, BMW 3 Series, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Audi e-Tron Quattro and Kia Soul EV, Tesla Model 3, BMW 8 Series, BMW X7, Porsche Cayenne Coupé, Mercedes AMG A35/45, Porsche 911, Toyota GR Supra, Citroën C5 Aircross, Range Rover Evoque and Lexus UX.