Mazda 2 Launch

I personally had a chance to get to know the planned launch of this car.

Mazda is not in to big numbers, but they operate on a niche segment. Some of my friends, who drive Mazda, are very satisfied with the brand and service. They plan to stay within the Mazda range of cars. That is interesting. I have not heard such consistent comments from any other brand owners.  That is the strength of Mazda in KSA. With this launch, they have widened the range and has a product to target the youth segment.

It is great, even in a market such as KSA, they are raising the bar with this model and highlighting their eco-friendliness, fuel efficiency, etc. The youth need to be aligned with these important issues anyways...

Knowing HHA, they would ensure this segment with its own youthful preferences and tastes, will satisfy them. 

Saudi Gazette - Award-winning car debuts in Kingdom

Toyota, BMW top UAE, Saudi car brands survey - Retail - ArabianBusiness.com

Toyota, BMW top UAE, Saudi car brands survey - Retail - ArabianBusiness.com

That must some releif for Toyota, weighed down by the 'dents' on their reputation, courtesy recalls. GCC has been comparatively insulated from the recall crisis. But, the iconic brand in entire GCC has suffered a loss of faith.

BMW is a bigger surprise. My personal obeservation is people prefer Mercedes Benz over BMW.

While across GCC, quality of service remains a big opportunity for all car dealers, it is a fact the car-owners are not desciplined when it comes to their own responsibility to drive for timely servicing! (That adds to the risk on the road... )
If dealers focus on after sales, they can earn a lot more and retain many more customers too..

Happy Driving... safely :)

My Car 'beauty-parloured' !

This year, may be thanks to the worldwide phenomenon called 'Climate Change', we had some good weather till recently. Some parts of Middle East even got showers. The weather was pleasant, the trees/plants looked greener, the urban landscape looked cleaner. Some areas were flooded causing some hardships. For many passionate car-owners, the regular trips for a thorough wash became more frequent.

This afternoon.... it was very hot. But the need to drop off my son for classes forced me to step out. On the way back, I decided to stop by at the service center. The fact every car was taking more than usual time, forced me to stay on a bit longer. That enabled me to make these observations....

Though the crowd at that point of time was negligible, as temperature improved towards the sunset, more car-owners reached.

• Virtually every major brand had its fair share of representation. But the market leader, toyota, had very low representation. 
• A Lexus SUV, Suzuki Grand Vitara (aspirational in India!), Opel ( still around!?), Pajero, BMW 5, VW Toureg, a vintage Merc, GM Trailblazer & Tahoe...
• The owner of black Suzuki vitara was the most demanding customer. He even took the car back for further washing, when same was half way through drying. 
• Owner of BMW 5 Series was seen snatching the cloth and giving finishing touches to his seat, clearly not satisfied with the staff...
• Trailblazer-owner went around with a tissue-box and guiding the staff to come up to his level of cleanliness. (Management by example !)
• A camry, an accent, a Honda accord... they came quietly and fell in line..
• Pajero owner, a young guy, managed to jump the queue!
• Meanwhile, another Pajero drove directly to the drying section. Cleaned up, along with the staff. He came in with a mess, clearly after a long journey. He went with an interior spotless, thanks to the combined effort... He was seen whistling around towards the fag-end of the cleaning effort, perhaps satisfied with the outcome. Or downplaying the big dent on the right side which ensured the door made a creaking noise when opened? ( He was quick to slam the door closed and not to touch it again, obviously a bit embarrassed!)
• Some of them smoked continuously...wonder, why the tension at all ?
• I did not see the staff being tipped at all, which prompted me to tip them liberally today! Afterall, it is quite hard work, semi-skilled, I would add....and, hot weather !
• Just as we have preferences when it comes to hair-cutting saloon and the specific guy at the favourite saloon, some customers had preferences here too. They allowed others to go ahead just to ensure their favourite machines would be in the safe hands of their preferred staff !

We are so particular when it comes to our own cars. We need to be as much conscious about other cars, driving safely !

SAHER in KSA

One of the most talked about topics in recent past, in KSA, would be the new traffic system ( Saher).

We have seen so many reports, including that of international agencies, indicating  KSA had one of highest accident rates. That would automatically translate to deaths/injuries, with its effect on families and friends. A young population, good roads, comparatively lower price of cars, thanks to very low duties/taxes, etc may be the reasons. Saher was an idea which was just 'what doctor would have prescribed', literally and otherwise :)

As I earn my bread from the automotive industry, this topic has come up for discussion several times.

• While a friend became too cautious at the signal and his car was hit from behind
• Over-speeding and jumping signals were presumed to be the most common 'errors'! 
• Even if you stop at signal, but on 'zebra-crossing', it is a violation.

The fact it is quite automated, this is here to stay. And that is the real good news. As we get fined, we will become more compliant. 

But, one common point of discussion is we all need to be doing these even without the electronic-policing. As responsible drivers, it is our minimum duty. But, we forget about our responsibility. Most of us end up of violating, only the degree of violation varies. Just rushing past when yellow light blinked is a violation too, a very common one. 

We just need to be more aware of our traffic responsibility and driving around with that awareness... Happy & Safe Driving...

Saher launched in KSA

PS: If we were conscious of our similar responsibility and extend same to all our thoughts, words and deeds, this world would be a better place. In that case, Saher could be our inner consciousness... Food for thought!

CoY KSA

The all-new Hyundai Sonata 2010/2011 has been rated the "Best Buy Car - Saudi Arabia" in mid-sized family category by Sport Auto magazine, for its stylish exterior and interior, advanced technologies, comfort and convenience, high performance, durability, spacious cabin, driving dynamics, safety, fuel economy and reasonable price.


This should not come as a big surprise... this model has caught the imagination of all, with its looks and features, though some perceive 'a bit expensive'. Hyundai definitely has a winner here and they are steadily going up the curve, in terms of quality and price-bands. 

Road Safety initiative in KSA

Officials are concerned about the high number of deaths on the roads, which according to recent reports amount to 6,000 people a year – about 16 a day. In a bid to improve safety, Jeddah authorities recently introduced an electronic technical inspection management system, called the ‘Tim Service’, which records mechanical inspections on vehicles. This system will be rolled out across the country over the coming months.( Arabian Business)

Future of Auto Industry

Vice President of GM talks of future of Auto Industry : He said '96 percent of the transportation industry depends on this non-renewable resource'. 

 GM VP on future of auto industry

Elsewhere, on a Sky TV debate, the three British leaders were specifically asked what they did personally at their respective homes to tackle the risk of climate change.... Interesting response, but not convincing though.

I still maintain the political leaders can not get us out of this threat. It is responsibility of every member of world population, whether we like it or not !