Have you been putting off washing your car? Well, your unkempt vehicle could end up costing you as new laws mean you could be fined Dh500 for leaving your car in a dirty state.

The Municipality of Dubai has advised motorists to keep on top of the cleanliness of their vehicles, as car owners that neglect to clean their cars are affecting the aesthetic appearance of the city.

The director of the Municipality of Dubai’s waste management department, Abdul Majeed Abdul Aziz Al Saifaie, has announced that vehicles that are deemed to be hindering the cleanliness of the city will be issued with a notice of violation and a sticker notifying the owner placed on the vehicle. Owners of dirty vehicles will have 15 days to clean their car after being notified of the nonconformity.

If vehicle owners fail to respond within the 15 day period, the dirty vehicle will be removed from the public highways and taken to a vehicle impound. If the owner of the vehicle then refuses to pay the fine issued, the vehicle will be sold at auction.

It’s important to point out that vehicles are not being targeted for having dirt around the tyres and wheel arch or light amounts of dust on the vehicle body. The crackdown by authorities is aimed at motorists that have not washed their cars for several months, with the colour of the vehicle becoming hard to distinguish.

The law affects all vehicles in public areas, so residents that regularly park their vehicle in public spaces should take note in order to evade a potential fine of Dh500.

A similar law has already been brought into effect in Abu Dhabi. From January to May in 2018, 1073 motorists were issued with fines and cautioned over the cleanliness of their vehicles.

The Municipality of Abu Dhabi City has urged motorists to keep their vehicles regularly washed with the law covering all commercial and residential areas.

Motorists in Abu Dhabi have three days to clean their vehicles after being issued with a warning. If vehicle owners fail to clean their vehicle within this time, they can be issued with a fine of Dh3,000 and have their car removed from the public highway and impounded

Nissan Middle East recently launched the 2019 Nissan Patrol, which is available with all-new accessories, safety features and exterior colours which are exclusive to the UAE.

Car buyers will be pleased to hear the model is now available in two exciting new tones – “Forged Copper Brown” and “Hermosa Blue”. The 2019 Nissan Patrol also features freshly-designed rear and front diffusers which are complemented with all-new grey side fenders, and the rear of the Patrol now comes with the option of a tow-hitch cover and chrome-plated exhaust tip.

New safety features

Nissan’s patented Intelligent Brake Assist has been implemented into the new model, which helps the driver to avoid rear-end collisions. Intelligent Forward Collision Warning has also been added, which is designed to make the driver aware of any risks which lie beyond their immediate field of vision.

In addition to this, Intelligent Blind Spot Intervention and Intelligent Lane Intervention help to detect vehicles approaching in the blind spot area and notify the driver of any potential lane drift. When reversing, Intelligent Back-Up Intervention springs into action to alert the driver if any moving objects are detected behind the vehicle. If necessary, Back-Up Intervention will engage the brakes to stop a potential collision.

Under the hood

Power wise, nothing much has changed for the latest incarnation of the Nissan Patrol, which is available with a 275 hp 4 litre V6, or a 400hp 5.6 litre V8 engine.

The five-door wagon weighs in at 2695kg and is capable of going from 0-100 km/ph in just 6.6 seconds. With a top speed of 200km/ph it’s safe to say that the Nissan Patrol 2019 is something of a workhorse, and provides plenty of space for passengers, making it great for those with families.

Options

Both new exterior colours are available in all the new 2019 models, while the new safety features and accessories are available on the LE and SE grade models.

The all-new 2019 Nissan Patrol is now available for car buyers to test-drive in showrooms across the UAE. Prices for each model start at:

• AED 176000 (Nissan Patrol XE)
• AED 210000 (Nissan Patrol SE)
• AED 260000 (Nissan Patrol LE)
• AED 255000 (Nissan Patrol Desert Addition)

The Audi A7 Sportback is a highly appealing car that is guaranteed to satisfy a variety of needs in new car buyers throughout the UAE. It’s a fantastic blend of excellent good looks, a rewarding drive, superb build quality and a high-class image, all of which is married to a genuinely practical design.

If you’re looking for a new car that will impress you every time you go near it, the new Audi A7 Sportback may just be for you.

What the A7 Sportback offers

The key feature of the Audi A7 Sportback is that while it looks like a low-slung blend of a saloon and a coupe, it is in fact a genuine hatchback. That means you get a beautiful aesthetic, without sacrificing any usability or practicality, indeed the new A7 Sportback has 535 litres of carrying capacity.

MMI Navigation and the MMI sound system are available as standard, while customers looking for some more features have the opportunity to upgrade to MMI Navigation Plus in the options list. This, along with a host of other safety and connectivity options, mean that there’s a lot to be had for your money.

New hybrid drive

In the interest of developing increased fuel efficiency, the new Audi A7 will come with a hybrid system. It’s nothing that will require fussing with cables and charge points however, instead it’s an electrically operated system that uses clever engine management and battery technology to decrease fuel consumption.

A Belt Alternated Starter means that when travelling anywhere from 55 kph to 160 kph, the engine itself can actually be turned off and then on again when necessary, completely seamlessly, allowing it to achieve 0.7 litres per 100 km better fuel economy than its predecessor.

The engine itself is a 3.0 V6 that has 340 horsepower mated to a seven speed DCT to provide seamless and highly responsive gear changes whether you’re driving the car in the city or opening it up on sweeping country roads.

The middle east will get one trim level, 55 TFSI, which carries a price tag inclusive of VAT of AED 315,000.

UAE motorists who want to drive abroad should be pleased to learn that it will now be easier to obtain an international driving license. The Emirates’ Ministry of Interior has partnered with the Automobile and Touring Club of the UAE to make applying for an international driving license as fast and straightforward as possible. The two organisations have launched an online ‘smart service’ that will allow drivers to apply for their international licenses through an app or via the Ministry of Interior’s website. Until recently, UAE drivers had to fill out complicated forms in order to get their international licenses. The ‘smart service’ should help to streamline the process and empower motorists to get their licenses with much less fuss. Drivers can easily provide all the information needed to get their international licenses using the service and even receive those licenses electronically.

The United Arab Emirates is a nation of drivers. For example, the city of Dubai has a vehicle density of 540 cars per 1,000 people, making it one of the world’s most motor-centric cities. It’s natural for UAE residents to want to continue driving when they travel abroad, so the new smart service is likely to have a positive impact on thousands of travel-minded motorists.

Brigadier General Ahmed Al Harthy is the head of the Ministry of Interior’s Smart Services and Artificial Intelligence Council. He has been instrumental in bringing the new smart service to life and is enthusiastic about its future. He recently stated that the service would bring the Ministry of Interior closer to fulfilling its vision of a smart technology-assisted government.

The chairman of the Automobile and Touring Club has also enthused about the new service, stating that it makes “the process of application… simple”. He also said that drivers “can refer to the smart app for the legal requirements while driving abroad”.

If you’re planning on using the new smart service to apply for an international license, you may wish to consider investing in a new car that’s better-suited to international driving. Here at Simply Car Buyers, we can help. We’re happy to buy any car, including your current vehicle. Why not sell us your current car to raise the money you need for a new one to take abroad?

Car-Switch, the Dubai-based company, has recently published its findings that the UAE used car market offers better prices than others, which is excellent news for buyers. The rate of depreciation new cars experience is higher than in other markets, meaning that new cars can lose up 30% of their value in their first year after purchase, followed by up to a further 20% each following year.

This is due to a combination of a number of factors relating to Dubai’s general population, which is usually somewhat transient with a higher than normal level of disposable income. In short, this means people buy more new cars more regularly than they do in other parts of the world.

For example, a 2011 Porsche Cayenne is valued at around AED 88,000 in the UAE compared to AED 106,000 in the UK. A 2013 Ford Explorer is around AED 28,500 in the UAE compared to roughly AED 38,000. These savings continue across the board.

But why should you take the depreciation hit? There are great used bargains to be had!

Trading up

What this means for Dubai used car buyers is that more luxurious and prestigious cars are now firmly within the realms of possibility, because it’s almost always luxury vehicles which depreciate the fastest. That means your budget will buy you much more on the used market than the brand new one. It’s also the case that new cars no longer hold as many advantages as they used to, because many dealers now offer finance and warranty extensions on used cars, making them a much safer purchase than they once were.

Naturally, you won’t be able to specify the car’s options to your own personal taste, but the odds are most cars will already have most of the desirable features specified from new anyway.

Caution prevails

Though you can save a lot of money buying on the used market, you still need to keep your wits about you. Ensure you are completely satisfied with the car’s condition and its history before you part with any money. Patience, however, will reward you with the affordable car of your dreams.