In the past couple of years, Skoda India has managed to turn its fortunes. The Czech brand that leads Volkswagen Group India’s game plan in the subcontinent has retailed over 100,000 vehicles in the last two years. In 2023, it grew by 18.5 per cent. And all that came courtesy of two heavily localised models – the Slavia and Kushaq – and the platform they share – the MQB-A0-IN.

In 2026, Skoda Aims to sell 100,000 vehicles in India. By 2030, the Volkswagen Group India wants to capture a 5 per cent market share. And to give a real push, a new model will join the lineup. Still nameless (to be confirmed by the end of the year), it will sit below the Kushaq in Skoda India’s product portfolio. The newcomer will compete in the hotly contested sub-4 metre SUV space.

Underpinned by a tweaked version of the same platform mentioned above, the production version of the Skoda SUV will launch in the first half of next year. In all likelihood, Skoda will utilise the 1.0-litre TSI motor for its new model. Besides India, the brand intends to sell the subcompact SUV in ASEAN and the Middle East markets.

AW Rostmani Group’s Arabian Automobiles, the exclusive distributor of Nissan in Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, has announced a special edition – the Nissan Z Proto. Conceived to celebrate Nissan’s lineage and legacy of sports cars, which spans more than five decades, the Z Proto dons Boulder Gray exterior colour accompanied by a black roof, black rims and yellow brake callipers. The same theme continues indoors, where the yellow highlights add unmissable contrast to the all-black theme.

Powering the two-door sports car is a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 outputting 400hp/475Nm. The petrol-fed powerplant is available with a 6-speed manual transmission or a 9-speed automatic gearbox.

The features list includes a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 19-inch rims, powered and heated seats, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Departure Warning and Blind Spot Warning.

The Nissan Z Proto is priced at AED 221,900 for manual and automatic variants. It will be available in showrooms from March 2024.

To strengthen its presence in the UAE further, Mazda recently inaugurated a new showroom at Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, with its long-standing dealer for the country – Galadari Automobiles Co. The outlet aligns with the brand’s latest corporate identity. It serves as a one-stop shop for all prospective Mazda customers.

On this occasion, two all-new models were also launched – the CX-60 and the CX-90. Both SUVs, but where the former is a five-seater, the latter is available in two seating layouts – six and eight. Both models pack the same engine – a turbocharged 3.3-litre inline-six coupled with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. In the CX-60, that powerplant offers 284hp/450Nm. The larger CX-90, on the other hand, has a more potent version of the engine, outputting 345hp/500Nm. To ensure little oomph goes to waste and yet delivers a dynamic driving experience, the Mazda CX-90 also has a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system. The claimed mileage figures for the CX-60 and the CX-90 are 15.4kmpl and 14.3kmpl, respectively.

The prices haven’t been announced. However, Mazda is inviting all those interested to register for both models.