Dubai motor show set to unveil record 13 new cars

Dubai: The Dubai Motor Show, to be held from December 16-20 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibitions Centre, will feature a record 13 exclusive global car launches as well as 40 regional premiers, organisers said yesterday.

Models making their worldwide debut will be, among others, the new Mercedes G-Class Edition '79, the Renault GCC Fluence and the Kepler Motors Motion.

"Global launches are big news for any international motor show," said Helal Saeed Al Merri, CEO of the Dubai World Trade Centre, which is organising the exhibition. "To host a record 13 is a testament to the strategic importance of the Dubai International Motor Show to the industry especially in today's climate," he added.

Growth rates

Al Merri said that this year has proved "challenging for all companies". Therefore, it was notable that the Dubai Motor Show "is bucking the international trend as the global industry looks to us to showcase their best in class."

Experts from Business Monitor International predict that the market in Dubai will rebound "strongly", with double digit growth rates in sales expected to resume in 2011. The regional markets are seen as a growth area for most car manufacturers, from premium luxury car builders to compact and fuel-efficient cars.

However, the market researchers are highlighting an important trend: In the medium term, the market segment for smaller, more efficient and more affordable cars will grow significantly. According to Business Monitor International, the segment of compact cars is the fastest growing, and sooner or later will displace the SUV segment. This also means that manufacturers of those cars will gain greater importance in the market.

Sustainable vehicles

At the Motor Show, more than 200 companies will be present, among them well known brands from all over the globe as well as new exhibitors such as Kepler Motors, London Taxis International, Luxgen and Mantide.

A number of manufacturers will also be bringing the latest sustainable cars, including BMW's Active Hybrid 7 and X6, General Motors' Volt, Lexus' LS600hL, the S400 from Mercedes-Benz and the 1/X from Toyota.

One of the most amazing launches will undoubtedly be the Ultimate Aero by Shelby SuperCars, an American car company. The new supercar model has a price tag of $740,000 (Dh2.7 million) and is capable of a top speed of 439 km/h, which makes it the world's fastest car. Al Futtaim Motors will show the world's first live transformation of a vehicle into "gold".

Four craftsmen from the Paris based company Gold Emotion will apply 40,000 gold leaves to a Lexus LX570 during the Motor Show, marking the first commercial 24 carat gold car in the GCC.