WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018 SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT Car …

WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Car dealers line up attractive offers

Automobile dealers in Qatar are doling out offers and have lined up appealing packages to attract customers during the Holy month. The dealers are offering freebies such as free registration and insurance for vehicle for one to two years, extended warranty, cash back and free roadside assistance.

To make it easier to own a car, they have also announced flexibility in payments. Some car makers are giving option of zero percent down payment for buying a car. Additionally, customers will also be offered gift vouchers and lucky draw coupons. Ramadan is a crucial month for car makers as customers consider it auspicious to buy cars during the Holy month.

Abdullah Abdulghani & Bros Co (AAB), the sole agents for Toyota vehicles, began their Ramadan promotion under the theme "Celebrate the season of Giving". The campaign began on May 20 and will continue till the last working day in Ramadan. Customers purchasing any Toyota vehicles during the campaign period will get a chance to win one of 2 Toyota Prius or 2 Toyota Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicles which will be raffled at the end of the campaign period.

AAB also launched their Lease to Own option along with their Ramadan promotion wherein customers can purchase their favourite Toyota vehicles without any Guarantor, No Down Payment, No Bank Approvals. In addition to this, Lease to Own Customers will also enjoy Free Registration, Free Service and Free Insurance during the lease period subject to fulfilment of contract terms of Lease to

Own Facility. Alfardan Automobiles, the official importer of

BMW, launched their new and exclusive offers in collaboration with First Finance during Ramadan.

Doha Marketing Services Company WLL (DOMASCO), the exclusive distributor of Honda, is giving away up to three million Qatar Airways Privilege Club Qmilesas part of its Ramadan promotion

this year. Customers purchasing a new Honda car will receive between 20,000 to 60,000 Qmiles and can also benefit from two years interest-free payments and 90 days deferred payment on their first instalment.

National Car Company (NCC), the sole agent for Mazda, has launched their most exciting Ramadan campaign assuring multiple rewards to delight enthusiastic car buyers. Mazda's campaign offers value added benefits such as extended warranty, comprehensive insurance, service, registration etc.on select models over and above the very attractive and competitive prices. Besides other benefits of purchase, Mazda is offering an assured gift to every customer as they get a chance to "SPIN" the wheel of fortune and "WIN" a surprise high value gift.

Qatar Automobiles Company, the authorised distributor of Mitsubishi, has launched a special offer. Valid until the end of Ramadan, the offer includes a direct reduction on car prices for arange of Mitsubishi SUVs including Pajero, Montero Sport, Outlander, ASX and Eclipse Cross.

Nasser Bin Khaled Automobiles, the authorized general distributor of Mercedes-Benz, has also launched a special offer on a wide range of Mercedes-Benz cars. The offer allows customers to buy their dream Mercedes-Benz car for an affordable monthly payment for 24 months. Valid until June 30, 2018, the offer includes MercedesBenz cars of the classes A, E, GLE and S. Customers can now drive away in their own vehicle with the new deal when payinga 20% advanced payment plus the monthly installment.

CHAIRMAN Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dr. Khalid Mubarak Al-Shafi

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR Mohammed Salim Mohamed

ADVERTISING MANAGER Ali Wahba

SUPPLEMENT COORDINATOR Muhammad Shammas

DESIGN Abraham Augusthy

2 WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018

Exclusive Ramadan offer on BMW models from Alfardan Automobiles

Selected BMW Sedan models starting monthly from QR 2,475

Alfardan Automobiles, the official importer of BMW Group in Qatar, has launched their new and exclusive offers in collaboration with First Finance during the Holy Month of Ramadan. Aligning itself along with the Month of Giving for yet another year, Alfardan Automobiles has something special to offerfor every customer looking to own their favourite BMW model.

Customers can now own a BMW Sedan model with monthly instalments starting at QR 2,475/ month or a BMW X Range with monthly instalments starting at QR 2,840/month with 0% down payment and up to 6 months grace

period through First Finance, BMW service package for 5 years or 60,000 KMs (whichever comes first), warranty up to 5 years or 200,000 KMs (whichever comes first), one year full comprehensive insurance, and free window tinting.

Rabih Ataya, General Manager of Alfardan Automobiles, said: "TheHoly Month of Ramadan provides us with the perfect occasion to offer our customers exclusive deals and packages to show our appreciation and gratitude for their loyalty to us and the BMW Group brand. This gives us the chance to share some of the most popular BMW modelsto our customers with great offers and added value."

Drive away in your new BMW sedan including the following benefits:

0% down payment Up to 6 months grace period 5 years/60,000km* service package 5 years/200,000km* warranty 1 year free comprehensive insurance Complimentary window tinting

3 WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018

Renault Trucks C and K range: Outstandingly robust

Driver comfort, reliability, fuel efficiency and durability Tested in the Middle East, for the Middle East

Ruggedness, working comfort, payload, pulling power, low fuel consumption, easy body mounting for all uses, and, customised services -- Renault Trucks C and K range vehicles have been developed to provide an efficient response to customer demands, whether on or off the road.

Setting new standards in terms of robustness and productivity, the C and K ranges have the capacity to accept a variety of body types, each model can easily be adapted to a wide range of applications and customer demands found within the distribution and construction segment.

Both the C and K ranges have undergone rigorous quality trials and have also been exhaustively field tested under real operating conditions to ensure they excel within the Middle East market. The Renault Trucks C range offers superior driver comfort, exceptional reliability and optimal fuel efficiency, making it ideal for both long-haul and construction

applications. Fitted with an OPTIDRIVER auto-

mated gearbox as standard, together with cruise control, the C range features equipment designed to optimise commercial speed and reduce fuel consumption.

The C range offers outstanding pulling power, enabling it to operate over all types of terrain thanks to its generous ground clearance and the offroad mode; which comes as standard on theautomated transmission.

The K range features an all-steel, three-part bumper, protective grids for the headlights and optics in polycarbonate for the greatest impact resistance, as well as steel protection for all exposed parts.

Thanks to its high ground clearance and excellent approach angle, the K range can clear significant obstacles and deliver outstanding pulling power over any terrain. The high precision steering and tight turning radius also makes the range extremely easy to manoeuvre.

The cabs of the C and K ranges are spacious, with an engine tunnel reduced to 200mm. With multiple easy-to-access storage areas and an extendable bunk, Renault Trucks deliver the ultimate in comfort. The ergonomic steering wheel and be adjusted in three-dimensions and the

driver's seat has a 20cm range adjustment, offering the perfect driving position and more space to relax during rest periods.

Ensuring on-going driver improvement, both ranges are equipped with OPTIFUEL INFORMAX, which swiftly detects how improvements can

be made to fuel consumption based on specific indicators drawn directly from the vehicle's engine data. This information is invaluable for instructors and fleet managers, providing them with leverage to set up improvement plans for their drivers and increase uptime for their vehicles.

4 WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018

When marketing luxury vehicles, electric is no longer a bad word

HANNAH ELLIOTT BLOOMBERG

Many Bentley customers believe they have obtained their wealth because of luck. So says Bentley Motors Ltd>s new Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Hallmark, during an interview in Geneva. "I have recognized that a lot of our customers follow a similar thing: They are super-successful. And a lot of them think it's because they're lucky," he says. "That's really important, because they don't think they're above human weakness and frailty."

Such perceived (and believed) good fortune is spurring the world>s millionaires and billionaires to make luxury purchases, based on a system of values such as reduced carbon footprints and sustainability, he adds. According to Hallmark, hybrid and electric cars allow them to express in a novel way, he says.

"There is a new dimension longterm in the purchase decision-the ethical value," Hallmark says, referring to gleanings from a 2008 internal study Bentley did of the world>s wealthiest people. "Electrification is part of it, and electrification isn>t going away."

In fact, this new addition to the traditional considerations for buying a luxury car -- performance, quality materials, and craftsmanship -- is manifesting so strongly among the world's top 1 percent that it is influencing Bentley's product planning for the next two decades.

The company debuted its Bentayga Hybrid, a mid-six-figure SUV that can run 31 miles on purely electric power, recently at the Geneva Auto Show. By 2025, all Bentley cars will offer some version of an electric drivetrain, Hallmark says. That includes its growling 12-cylinder Continental GT line, the latest generation of which is due out early next year. It may take up to a decade to make an electric version of such a car, but the way Hallmark sees it, Bentley has no choice.

"We already know that the [next version] will be a battery electric vehicle," he says. "It will have all of those moral and ethical benefits with it. By not going that way, even if we don>t have to, we would be massively under-performing in terms of customer potential."

Of course, the Crewe, England-based brand isn>t the only one to reckon that, in addition to being more efficient, electric power bestows a mark of honor upon its best clients.

Top luxury automakers have been producing hybrid and electric vehicles for years, such as BMW>s i8, Porsche>s 918 Spyder Hybrid, and MercedesBenz>s sold-out Project 1.

We take it for granted that a fair

A plug-in power dock made from sustainable materials and designed by the French designer Philippe Starck stands next to the 2019 Bentley Bentayga hybrid luxury sports utility vehicle at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland.

number of wealthy car buyers admire electric power, thanks to the cool cachet of Tesla Inc. But not long ago, electrics were viewed as anathema by serious car people, who favoured traditional aircooled engines with their guttural roars and grit. Then Toyota's Prius introduced the modern electric car to a broad audience. That one, with its awkward angles and gutless drive train, made electric cars feel like medicine we took with eyes closed and a quick swallow.

The few electrics that did get car fanatics excited were rather fragile, million-dollar hypercar one-offs that spent more time in the garage than on the road. These days, well-heeled buyers consider a hybrid or plug-in vehicle a crucial part of a well-rounded garage.

"It is definitely high-performance with sustainability that resonates on a values and ethics level ... with affluent and wealthy automotive buyers," says Milton Pedraza, founder of the Manhattan-based Luxury Institute, which studies trends of the world's rich.

Witness Porsche's upcoming Mission E, an electric-powered sedan that the automaker has hyped for years and

plans to unveil on the eve of its also much-hyped 70th anniversary. It will probably cost more than the $90,000plus Panamera, and while its driving range and battery power remains obscured, it will undoubtedly be a car to impress with next year.

Among Porsche's notoriously rabid fans, it will be the only new model that could divert attention from the usual adulation attending icons such as the brand's GT3, 911R, or 930. More crucial on a broader scale, if Porsche delivers on its promise, it'll be the first sedan to challenge Tesla's Model S in terms of sales volume.

Or take Aston Martin Lagonda, which has announced it's turning an entire heritage brand, Lagonda, into an electric powerhouse. The wedge-shaped Lagonda Vision Concept that debuted in Geneva is an all-electric sedan that marks how Aston expects the longextinct brand to look when it returns.

Aston Martin hasn't divulged many details about the new car, which, after all, is only a conceptual exercise, but Andy Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer of Aston Martin Lagonda

Ltd, says it will get 400 miles on one charge-enough to drive from Los Angeles to San Francisco in one sitting, with self-driving capability and zero emissions.

"The Lagonda Vision Concept is our plan for the rebirth of a great brand," he says. "It's a new kind of luxury car."

Some of the most prestigious brands are holding off on electric for now. McLaren's Global Head of Sales, Jolyon Nash, recently said no way, not ever (probably). Automobili Lamborghini's chief engineer, Maurizio Reggiani, says it would take quite a lot of persuasion for the brand to make anything electric in the near future. Bugatti Automobiles SAS's Stephan Winkelmann, who incidentally came from Lamborghini by way of Audi Sport, said "it>s too early to talk about" electrification at Bugatti, though he recognizes the potential.

"We are not influencing this discussion, but we take this very seriously," he says. "It's something to look into."

Stephanie Brinley, senior analyst for IHS Markit, takes it all with a grain of salt. Some of the "ethical value"

status symbol talk is hopeful thinking and marketing, she says. After all, car companies have invested billions in electrification; They have a lot riding on their ability to sell the story that a massive, expensive hybrid SUV is cool, not just "eco-friendly". (Because, let>s be honest, if you wanted to really reduce your carbon footprint, the answer would be to buy a cheap, tiny electric car, or ride a motorcycle-or a bike.)

Still, the automakers are on to something real, she adds, that's not going away. Young drivers are going to care about sustainable and ethical transportation in the next decade-more than any buying group ever has, especially when it comes to aspirational brands.

"If you look at millennials or the younger generation, there does seem to be more thoughtfulness about what kind of mark you leave on the planetmore so than a decade ago," Brinley says. "As we move forward in the luxury landscape, for this type of buyer, having one in your garage will be crucial." For automakers, at least, it'll take more than luck to get them there.

What consumers should consider when buying an electric car

ALEX SCHIFFER WASHINGTON POST

This summer has had a lot of news about electric vehicles. Tesla announced that it plans to deliver its first massmarket car to customers. Volvo said it will only sell electric and hybrid cars in 2019, and last month, Nissan>s Global Director of EV, Kazuo Yajima, said that the next Leaf will have a range of over 200 miles. As efforts ramp up to get more electric vehicles in front of consumers, here are some things to keep in mind when considering such a purchase:

BATTERY LIFE

Batteries in electric vehicles differ from those in gas-powered cars. Electric cars require a more expensive kind of battery, which is what

contributes to the high price of most models, said Frederic Lambert, the editor in chief of the website Electrek. The batteries are lithium-ion based and designed to give power over sustained periods, while batteries in gas-powered vehicles are lead-acid based and mainly

are used to start the conventional gas engine.

Most electric cars come with an extended warranty that covers the car battery up to its first 100,000 miles, said Brian Mooney, an auto analyst and executive editor at Autotrader, which

is similar to gas cars depending on the model. Since most electric cars have yet to have their warranties expire, car companies have handled the majority of battery replacements, Lambert said.

RANGE

Depending upon the mileage, how fast a car is going and other factors, a non-electric car can get well over 350 miles on a full tank of gas, according to consumer finance website Bankrate. The range for electric vehicles vary model to model, with the Chevy Bolt advertised to go 238 miles on a full charge, which is considered high for electric cars. The Nissan Leaf has a range of 107 miles, while the Tesla Model S has a range between 210 to 315.

The more miles a car can go on one charge, the higher its price will be, Mooney said. But not everyone needs an electric car that has a range like the

Bolt, if they>re only going to use it for a 10-mile commute to work every day. Consumers should consider how they will use the car and the average number of miles they>ll be putting on it before purchasing an electric car, Mooney said. If they>re not traveling far, they can look at the cheaper models rather than overpay for a more expensive one.

CHARGE TIME

How fast an electric car can charge its battery really depends upon the strength of the outlet it>s plugged into and the kind of charger used. One can recharge half the battery in half an hour when it>s plugged into a supercharger, which is unique to Tesla cars only. Cars plugged into a basic wall outlet can take up to 12 hours to charge depending on the wattage, but customers have the option to buy a wall connector that cuts the time by five to six hours, Lambert said.

5 WEDNESDAY 23 MAY 2018

DOMASCO announces Ramadan offers for Honda

Doha Marketing Services

Company

WLL

(DOMASCO), the

exclusive distributor of

Honda in Qatar, is giving

away up to three million Qatar

Airways Privilege Club Qmilesas part

of its Ramadan promotion this year.

Customers purchasing a new

Honda car will receive between

20,000 to 60,000 Qmiles and can

also benefit from two years interest-

free payments and 90 days deferred

payment on their first instalment. On

pre-owned Honda vehicles,

DOMASCO is giving Marks & Spencer gift cards worth up to QR 2,000 and two yearsinterest-free payments on select models.

On the purchase of a Honda bike, customers can avail cash back of up to QR 47,000, get their first two services free along with free registration, free third party insurance for 1 year and a free Honda jacket.

Honda Marine is offering an attractive price of QR 125,000 on a set of two BF250 engines. An added feature that customers can benefit from is the new multi-functional

Faisal Sharif, the Managing Director of DOMASCO, said: "In the true spirit of Ramadan, we've put together one of our best deals with attractive financing options, deferred payments up to 90 days and two years interest-free payments. We encourage all our customers to visit our showrooms and take advantage of these offers which are valid all through Ramadan."

display screen that has replaced the conventional gauges. With each purchase, customers get free installation and the first five services free.

Faisal Sharif, Managing Director, DOMASCO, said: "In the true spirit of Ramadan, we've put together one of our best deals with attractive

financing options, deferred payments up to 90 days and two years interestfree payments.We encourage all our customers to visit our showrooms and take advantage of these offers which are valid all through Ramadan."

DOMASCO's Honda Ramadan offers are available at the showroom on Khalifa Street near the National Mosque and TV signal. During the Holy month, the showroom will be open Saturday to Thursday from 8am to 2pm and 7.30pm to midnight and on Friday from 8pm to 11pm.

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