Earlier this month, we selected the best 15 cars that The National had driven during 2018. The longlist was a varied one, from an electric SUV to a rally legend and several superb supercars.
Thousands of votes poured in online and the results were hearteningly down-to-earth – not everybody, it seems, is obsessed with flossing in their fancy-pants wheels.
So without further ado, read on for our top 10 cars of the year, in ascending order.
10. Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
An unexpected opportunity arose while testing the also-impressive new Jeep Wrangler among the Sound of Music-worthy relief of the Austrian Alps. Would, the nice people of Jeep asked, we like a blast around the grounds and surrounding area of the Red Bull Ring, home to the Formula One Austrian Grand Prix? Why, yes, we would – we might have suggested that "there isn't actually the aural fireworks that you might expect to assault your eardrums", but 707hp in a sizeable SUV just added a bunch of fun to the school run.
Read our mini-road test here
9. Aston Martin DBS Superleggera
Legendary British brand Aston Martin feels as though it is slap-bang in the middle of a contemporary golden age right now – but if the DB11 and new Vantage were really rather fantabulous, then this super-light super-GT might be the glossy pinnacle of that shiny new era. We took it on a drive to Al Ain and put it through its paces up Jebel Hafeet, one of the finest driving experiences in the UAE. This is the car that Aston likes calls a "brute in a suit". As we said: "The DBS snacks on the road as if it's never going to stop being hungry."
Read our road test here
8. Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Is the latest extreme Lambo, we wondered aloud at the time, "a gloriously unapologetic, politically incorrect, 770hp farewell to big-engined, old-school supercars"? It certainly seemed that way when we gave it the treatment at the Estoril circuit in southern Portugal. Its 6.5-litre, normally aspirated V12 does remarkable things: 0-to-100kph in 2.8 seconds, 200kph in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of more than 350kph. "I've rarely had so much fun, nor felt so in control, of such a wild beast," gushed our writer, who gladly didn't bin one of only 900 units of the SVJ that will ever be made.
Read our road test here
7. Subaru WRX STI
End-of-year television programmes tend, at some juncture, to feature an in-memorium section of those we have lost during the previous 12 months. True to type, so does our Car of the Year top 10, because if rumours that have been swirling around the motoring world are true, the WRX STI is supposedly about to join Colin McRae and Richard Burns, the most famous drivers of its predecessor the Impreza, in the great rally in the sky. That would be an awful shame, because it was among the stick-shift highlights of this, or any, year. Its cultural impact continues: see its appearance in slick heist movie Baby Driver, in which a bright-red example was an undoubted star. Don't do it, Subaru.
Read our feature here
6. Cadillac CT6
One of the first cars we drove in 2018 also turned out to be one of the most remarkable of the whole year. Cadillac’s CT6 wasn’t an especially memorable motor in itself, but one facet gave us a tantalising glimpse into the future of motoring: semi-autonomous innovation Super Cruise. The American brand calls it the “first true hands-free driving technology for the highway”, combining map data and a driver-attention system, alongside cameras and other sensors in the car. We put the CT6 to the test in the wide expanses of Nevada and found the results to be “addictively impressive... pushing the game forward into mass-market cars with genuinely head-turning results”. The sooner the UAE’s autonomous infrastructure catches up, the better.
Read our feature here
5. Mercedes-AMG G 63
Want wasta? You certainly have it in Merc's revamped G-Wagen – preferably in white, for maximum effect. The results of one of the most radical overhaul's in the illustrious history of the luxurious SUV – a past intertwined with our region – proved mighty agreeable. That was largely, we noted, "because crucial characteristic touches remain, such as the push-button door handles and the wonderful swing-out back door, replete with its hulking spare-wheel hard cover". It maintained sufficient links to its lineage in the smoothed-out exterior, while pushing Merc's luxurious interiors to their logical conclusion. "Four decades on and the spark shows no sign of fizzling out," was our verdict, and nothing since then has changed that statement.
Read our feature here
4. Jaguar I-Pace
Every single entry on our Car of the Year longlist was originally selected by yours truly (The National's Motoring editor), but if I had made this rundown a purely dictatorial experience, the I-Pace would be sitting atop the standings at the moment. Why? On our test drive in rural Portugal, what initially had begun as ripples of mild intrigue as to how one of the first electric-SUV contenders to Tesla's throne would stack up soon became a tidal wave of wow. It climbed rocky hillsides; it waded through standing water, despite its floor-mounted battery unit; it zipped along on-road with excellently grounded handling and, well, pace. "Is the Jaguar I-Pace a game-changer for electric cars?" we asked at the time. In a word, yes. Find out for yourself when the Jag, already available elsewhere in the world, finally lands in our region in the second half of 2019. The National Motoring editor's unofficial award is hopefully some consolation to missing out on the main prize this year.
Read our feature here
3. W Motors’ Fenyr SuperSport
Having already thrust UAE cars into the public eye when its Lykan HyperSport vaulted between buildings at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Towers in Hollywood blockbuster Furious 7 three years ago, W Motors is making a similarly massive impact in putting the country on the automotive map with its follow-up. After the hologram display and other Hollywood-worthy headline draws of the Lykan, the Fenyr truly went for the performance kill: its high-revving, 3.8-litre, flat-six engine wields an almost freakish output of 800hp and 980Nm of torque. Afterwards, we concluded that it was a "badge of honour that should be worn loud and proud" for the UAE. A total of 844 voters agreed with our assessment, propelling the Fenyr on to the Car of the Year podium.
Read our feature here
2. Renault Duster
If we were handing out trophies for the most improved car of the year, the Duster would win hands-down. Previously a plasticky, ugly, outdated Romanian reject wearing a Renault badge, the SUV has been transformed into a genuine contender fit to take on rivals several price brackets above it. The evidence of its newfound toughness? When we got hold of it in Jordan, one fellow test driver rolled his Duster down a wadi. Several flips later, he emerged from the car unscathed. Renault’s 2018 might have ended in chaotic fashion after the arrest of its boss Carlos Ghosn, but the Duster feels rugged enough to endure scandal and off-road mishaps, as well as scrambling over moderately rough terrain. With 1,800 votes, the Duster is the runner-up in our Car of the Year 2018 reckoning.
Read our feature here
1. Volvo XC40
Nobody can deny the credentials of The National's Car of the Year: the XC40 has been picking up awards like most of us contract head-colds at this time of the season. A maiden European Car of the Year accolade in March was its first major global gong to come its way this year; last week, it added Women's World Car of the Year to its already lengthy list of plaudits. Our readers were of a similar mindset, with 2,000 votes cast for the compact SUV, which our writer called "a very desirable machine" and "a genuinely brilliant all-rounder that also happens to be individually styled and exceptionally safe". The XC40 has a nippy turbocharged 2.0-litre engine that makes it a perfect city runaround, and the Dh185,000 price tag offers a relatively affordable entry in to what has become a premium brand. A round of applause for the XC40, if you please.
Read our road test here
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Read more:
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WATCH: We drive a Lamborghini into Dubai nightclub Secret Room
Latest from The National's Motoring section
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Fight card
Preliminaries:
Nouredine Samir (UAE) v Sheroz Kholmirzav (UZB); Lucas Porst (SWE) v Ellis Barboza (GBR); Mouhmad Amine Alharar (MAR) v Mohammed Mardi (UAE); Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) v Spyro Besiri (GRE); Aslamjan Ortikov (UZB) v Joshua Ridgwell (GBR)
Main card:
Carlos Prates (BRA) v Dmitry Valent (BLR); Bobirjon Tagiev (UZB) v Valentin Thibaut (FRA); Arthur Meyer (FRA) v Hicham Moujtahid (BEL); Ines Es Salehy (BEL) v Myriame Djedidi (FRA); Craig Coakley (IRE) v Deniz Demirkapu (TUR); Artem Avanesov (ARM) v Badreddine Attif (MAR); Abdulvosid Buranov (RUS) v Akram Hamidi (FRA)
Title card:
Intercontinental Lightweight: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) v Angel Marquez (ESP)
Intercontinental Middleweight: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) v Francesco Iadanza (ITA)
Asian Featherweight: Zakaria El Jamari (UAE) v Phillip Delarmino (PHI)
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Florida Project
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Bria Vinaite, Brooklynn Prince, Willem Dafoe
Four stars
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Electoral College Victory
Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate.
Popular Vote Tally
The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
