New cars of the month: Nissan, Ford, Infiniti, Kia and Hyundai

We take a look at some of the latest vehicle launches in the Middle East and further afield during October

A view of Nissan's Hyper Tourer concept car. Photo: Nissan

There was no let-up with car releases during October, with a number of SUVs and a whole host of concept vehicles being unveiled.

The Lotus Eletre made its debut earlier this month and we also got an early look at the Lamborghini Revuelto.

Here's a look back at the motoring highlights from the past month.

A Ford fit for adventure

The Ford Everest has made its Middle East debut and, as its name suggests, it's been marketed to the outdoor-pursuits brigade.

It has been “engineered to excite”, according to Ford. The company says the vehicle has been created using more customer input than ever before, with the objective to make the car tough on the outside and calm on the inside without compromising its off-road capability.

You get a choice of powertrains, including a 2.3-litre petrol turbo and 2-litre diesel turbo.

Prices start at Dh157,395.

Nissan’s Hyper concept cars

Nissan went into concept car overload in October, with five futuristic vehicles being revealed.

These included the Hyper Force, Hyper Punk, Hyper Tourer, Hyper Adventure and Hyper Urban.

The names alone suggest each has been designed for a clearly defined customer base.

Each vehicle is an all-electric affair, with the Force posited as a flat-out supercar and the Punk as a neat crossover with an emphasis on style.

Meanwhile, the Tourer sits as a luxury people mover, the Adventure an outdoor all-terrain vehicle, and the Urban a city runabout.

Nissan has not given any indication of a release date, so there is no confirmation that the vehicles will go into production any time soon.

However, there has been a trend among manufacturers in recent years to bring their concept designs into production, so there is a viable chance that at least one or two will go into production.

At the moment, they’ll be available online as part of the Fortnite gaming world.

Infiniti pool

Infiniti announced the launch of four new models in a comprehensive range refresh.

As part of the brand’s goal to electrify the majority of its range by 2030, the covers came off a sleek fastback sedan concept, the Vision Qe, and teased a new SUV which it would only describe as “advanced”.

The manufacturer also let us have a look at its new QX Monograph, confirmed that its new-generation QX80 SUV will arrive next year and announced a new QX65 crossover coupe is set for release.

Infiniti says each of the models will embody the brand’s evolved design language, centred around the Japanese concept of artistry in motion.

Seltos SUV charges in after three electric releases

Earlier this month, Kia introduced its electric trio the EV5 concept, EV9 and EV6.

The manufacturer is back to more traditional territory now with the announcement of the arrival of its latest Seltos SUV in the Middle East after an event in Jordan.

The five-seater has been largely redesigned, resulting in a bigger and more powerful unit than ever before, driven as it is by a 1.6-litre petrol engine.

Prices start at Dh76,000.

Unaccompanied Sonata

The Hyundai Sonata is one of the brand’s most popular vehicles in the Middle East.

In a bid to keep its appeal fresh, the 2024 model has been upgraded with an improved powertrain – a 2.5-litre petrol affair – and a series of sporty design cues.

Hyundai says the new vehicle highlights the manufacturer’s design philosophy of “sensuous sportiness”.

Prices start at Dh87,500.