The cars we need to import in the UAE
The market rules the world. The demand is what counts. The dealers sell you what they want. The marketing experts do their analysis. Some create the products and then convince you that you need it. Genius. They make you believe what you believe. We are consumers, mere consumers. Our preferences change year after year, the “influencers” change our mind, and again, the marketing architects govern the new sales and production strategy. So, for example, in the UAE a lot of good cars that usually satisfy most of the drivers in the USA or Europe are not even considered to be imported. Most of them are the dear Station Wagons, very often better looking than their sedan sisters, more practical and much much more intelligent than SUVs. They carry the same amount of goods, they are more aerodynamic, consume less fuel, and you don’t have to be Reinhold Messner to climb into them. This is because the UAE or the Middle East, in general, are “SUV & Sedans” countries. Here below is what we miss.
Ford Focus RS
A hot hatch that produces 350 bhp, and capable 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds and 265kph flat out. A smart, small, practical sports family car for four that can make daddy happy during a track day. She is a natural competitor to the Golf R, which is very successful down here. Why is she not her? They say the spec is not good enough for this weather.
Honda Civic Type R
Another hot baby, capable of sub 8 minutes on the Nordschleife and 308 Bhp. Honda brings several small cars in the UAE, but they regret to deliver the most fun one. What a pity
Fiat 124 Abarth
You can still buy the legendary Mazda MX3 in the UAE, but if you want a touch more of sport attitude and an aggressive look, you can be deluded. Honda had the great S2000, discontinued, and Fiat has this convertible, rear wheel drive, arrogant machine. Unfortunately, it’s not available.
BMW 3 & 5 Series Touring
Far better looking than the sedans sisters, smarter, classier, roomier. Not good enough for my wife shopping and to take the kids to the beach? Oh, I miss them. They are not available. Furthermore, Emirates Airlines killed the image of the 5 Touring by making it a “business class” taxi. Remember the M5 Touring? One of the most fascinating cars ever made. Goodbye imagination.
Audi A4 & A6 Avant
Remember the RS2? A medium family station wagon with a Turbo Porsche engine in it? And most recently the RS4 Avant? They make the sedans relatives look like aborted projects. Often quite ugly. Valentino Rossi drives an RS6 Avant daily. Do you think he would let himself seen in an A6 sedan? Look, even a boring A4 2 liter Avant would make me smile more than 3.0-liter turbo A4 sedan. Audi Avant? Not available, get yourself a Q5.
Mercedes C & E Class Wagon
Exactly like for the German cousins. Wouldn’t you want an E63 AMG Wagon, instead of a G Class AMG or the Sedan? You don’t take that thing in the desert, do you! The C and the E Class Wagons look so well proportioned yet badass, but your children and wife think it’s your new middle age crisis family car. It looks “normal,” civilized and it’s so elegant. Golf bags, baby strollers, cats fit in it, and you are cruising at 250 km/h. In my country, Italy, the Mercedes E Class sedans are stolen and driven by the gypsies. Can’t tell you the nationality or I will be labeled as racist. Wagon? Nein, Nein, Nein!
Audi A1 and VW Polo
In the UAE you cannot have a city car which is classier than a Toyota Yaris. Not possible. In here small means cheap. It is not conceivable that you want to spend a good amount of money in a car that can be stored in a Nissan Patrol trunk. “You want small? You buy Japanese or Korean”. “But they look ugly.” “It doesn’t matter. We don’t bring them. Get over it”. I would like to buy my wife a Polo GTi or an Audi S1 so I can have a fun Friday morning when the kids are busy. Not possible.
VW Golf & Passat Variant
We love the hatchback Golf, but the Passat Sedan is one of the most boring looking cars we can remember. Take the Variant? Another world. An immense room inside, elegant, smart, comfortable. It looks great. How many take their Touareg in the dunes? Nobody does. The Passat wagon has the same room of a Touareg, but it has double the class and intelligence. The Golf Variant? Compare it with a Tiguan, and you will have the same answers. Not available
Our special thanks to:
Volvo for importing the stunning V60 and V90 Series
Porsche for offering the Panamera Turismo, the car that immediately makes the Cayenne and the regular Panamera redundant and a little worse looking
