New York may well be the nerve centre of the world’s financial markets, but clearly the same doesn’t apply to motor shows.
The Big Apple’s International Auto Show, which concludes on Sunday, was notable for a lack of pizzazz and its dearth of genuinely significant debutants – be it concepts or production-ready models.
Possibly the most significant newcomer was the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept, which is a precursor to an all-new range of Discovery models that will effectively replace the existing LR2 and LR4 line-ups. The svelte Vision ushers in far racier design language than has traditionally been seen on Land Rovers, but the concept looks so similar in execution to the Range Rover Evoque and Range Rover Sport that one wonders whether the Brit purveyor of all-terrainers is in danger of cannibalising sales of its own premium brand.
Time will tell, as the first model – known as the Discovery Sport – will arrive next year to take over the baton from the ageing LR2 compact SUV. Expect it to retain many of the styling elements of the concept, barring the suicide doors and massive wheel-tyre combo.
Another noteworthy entrant in New York was the Mercedes S63 AMG Coupé, a barnstorming two-door rocket ship that will replace the CL63 AMG in the Middle East over the coming months. Graced by a much more sporting and athletic stance than the CL, it looks set to be a big hit in our horsepower-loving region.
Propelled by a twin-turbo, 5.5L V8 that kicks out 576hp and 900Nm, the Coupé leaps from 0 to 100kph in just 3.9 seconds in 4MATIC all-wheel-drive form, while the rear-drive version isn’t too far adrift at 4.3.
As per its S-Class sedan sibling, the Coupé features Magic Body Control (which flattens road surface imperfections), but it supplements this with a “curve tilting function” that enables the car to lean into corners in the same fashion as a motorcyclist or skier. This is said to make for more comfortable and poised progress across twisty roads.
Also likely to be a hot seller in our region is the revamped Dodge Charger, which gains a much more contemporary nose and tail than the outgoing model. The US manufacturer claims that every body panel is new, but the mechanicals are as before. Based purely on the visuals, The National gives it a thumbs up, even though it looks a bit too much like the smaller, cheaper Dart.
Over in the GM corner, the big news was the debut of the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible, which appears to provide one of the fastest solutions if you like getting your jollies by having your toupee ruffled. With propulsion provided by a steroidal 625hp, 6.2L supercharged V8, the Z06 ragtop should be an electrifying performer, and we have to admit that it looks the business, too.
BMW also unleashed a rapid drop-top: its new M4 Convertible, which packs a 425hp, 3.0L, twin-turbo six and folding metal hardtop. It promises a scintillating open-air experience when it lands here later this year, though it won’t offer the V8 rumble of its E93 predecessor.
On a much more low-key note, Toyota’s main attraction (in addition to the stunning FT-1 concept that had been seen earlier at Detroit) was a revamped Camry, which moves closer in appearance to its plusher Avalon sibling. The nip-tucked saloon is still nothing to get overly excited about, but it’s a huge improvement over the current model, which derives most of its business in the UAE from taxi-fleet operators.
For four-door shoppers with substantially deeper pockets, there’s the Rolls-Royce Ghost Series II, which arrives five years after the “compact” limo first hit the market. It gains re-profiled headlights that look remarkably like the Jeep Grand Cherokee’s, and the front bumper, bonnet and fenders are also new. RR has updated the interior for a more premium and sporty feel, and the options list now includes a Dynamic Driving Package that brings stiffer springs and dampers, along with a more direct steering rack.
weekend@thenational.ae
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The winners
Fiction
- ‘Amreekiya’ by Lena Mahmoud
- ‘As Good As True’ by Cheryl Reid
The Evelyn Shakir Non-Fiction Award
- ‘Syrian and Lebanese Patricios in Sao Paulo’ by Oswaldo Truzzi; translated by Ramon J Stern
- ‘The Sound of Listening’ by Philip Metres
The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award
- ‘Footnotes in the Order of Disappearance’ by Fady Joudah
Children/Young Adult
- ‘I’ve Loved You Since Forever’ by Hoda Kotb
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Naga
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Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The Bio
Favourite vegetable: “I really like the taste of the beetroot, the potatoes and the eggplant we are producing.”
Holiday destination: “I like Paris very much, it’s a city very close to my heart.”
Book: “Das Kapital, by Karl Marx. I am not a communist, but there are a lot of lessons for the capitalist system, if you let it get out of control, and humanity.”
Musician: “I like very much Fairuz, the Lebanese singer, and the other is Umm Kulthum. Fairuz is for listening to in the morning, Umm Kulthum for the night.”