With such stunning scenery, the UAE is a haven for anyone who truly loves to drive. While there’s a booming new and used car market within the UAE itself, you may find the car of your dreams abroad and want to import it. That’s great!
Here’s what you need to remember.
Before you begin
There are a series of checks you need to make sure you have passed before you start the process. Firstly, the car must be left-hand drive for safety reasons, and under ten years old. If it’s over ten years old, it’ll need inspection and verification with the Road and Transport Authority.
You must also be a registered UAE citizen, with a valid visa and a current local driver’s licence.
Once your car arrives
The paperwork you will need includes the original sales invoice for a record of both the make and model, as well as the estimated value of the car. A certificate of origin is necessary for confirmation of the country the car has been imported from, along with all of your documentation too.
This includes original copies of your passport, visa, and driving license, along with receipts for both shipping and customs fees you may have paid.
Inspection and payments
With all that taken care of, the car will then be inspected. Following this, an upfront payment of 5% of the car’s value will be required in duty fees, along with payment for the clearance inspection.
After that, you should receive a pair of export plates for the front and rear of your vehicle.
Getting on the road
Vehicular inspection follows at an RTA-approved testing centre, to ensure the vehicle is in roadworthy condition. For this, your passport, ID, driving licence, customs and import papers will be required. Once the vehicle has been deemed roadworthy, you’ll be able to register and insure it to drive.
Ideally, get the vehicle insured before you register it. For registration, you will need a filled-in application form, proof of residency, your vehicle’s customs and inspection paperwork, and your export plates.
With that done, the beautiful roads of the UAE are now yours to explore!
3 key tips for selling your car quickly in the UAE
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comThe UAE used car market is vibrant and very stable; however, making key mistakes can prevent you from selling your car quickly. Wherever you live in the UAE it’s important to think clearly about the best strategies for shifting your wheels quickly.
Here are three golden rules to help you prevent your car garnering no interest from Dubai used car buyers.
The right advert
Your advert needs to be concise, yet informative, and provide all of the key information about the car. That includes a detailed description, overview of service history, any optional extras, and so on.
Take good pictures too. Smartphones these days have high-quality cameras, there’s no excuse for blurry portrait photos. This is your chance to make your car look its best!
Set a realistic price
Obviously, you want to get the most money you can for your car, but the Dubai used car market is thriving and so you have to be willing to set an achievable figure if you’re going to lure a buyer.
Do some research on your car and see what other vehicles are selling for that are a similar age, condition, and carry similar mileage, and account for any haggling. Have a clear bottom figure you’ll accept.
A key mistake people often make is assuming they can charge the same as dealers – this is wrong! Dealers often offer services like warranty and breakdown cover which allows them to charge more.
Be honest
If you have to lie about your car to accentuate the good and hide the bad, then it’s obvious the car has faults. Lying to potential buyers is just going to delay the process even more, so make sure everyone knows exactly what they’ve come to see.
On the other hand, if you want to sell your car quickly and easily, why not get in touch with us at Simply Car Buyers? We buy any car, saving you plenty of time and effort.
A handy guide to importing a car to the UAE
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comWith such stunning scenery, the UAE is a haven for anyone who truly loves to drive. While there’s a booming new and used car market within the UAE itself, you may find the car of your dreams abroad and want to import it. That’s great!
Here’s what you need to remember.
Before you begin
There are a series of checks you need to make sure you have passed before you start the process. Firstly, the car must be left-hand drive for safety reasons, and under ten years old. If it’s over ten years old, it’ll need inspection and verification with the Road and Transport Authority.
You must also be a registered UAE citizen, with a valid visa and a current local driver’s licence.
The paperwork you will need includes the original sales invoice for a record of both the make and model, as well as the estimated value of the car. A certificate of origin is necessary for confirmation of the country the car has been imported from, along with all of your documentation too.
This includes original copies of your passport, visa, and driving license, along with receipts for both shipping and customs fees you may have paid.
Inspection and payments
With all that taken care of, the car will then be inspected. Following this, an upfront payment of 5% of the car’s value will be required in duty fees, along with payment for the clearance inspection.
After that, you should receive a pair of export plates for the front and rear of your vehicle.
Getting on the road
Vehicular inspection follows at an RTA-approved testing centre, to ensure the vehicle is in roadworthy condition. For this, your passport, ID, driving licence, customs and import papers will be required. Once the vehicle has been deemed roadworthy, you’ll be able to register and insure it to drive.
Ideally, get the vehicle insured before you register it. For registration, you will need a filled-in application form, proof of residency, your vehicle’s customs and inspection paperwork, and your export plates.
With that done, the beautiful roads of the UAE are now yours to explore!
Alfa Romeo brings rear wheel drive to the 2019 Stelvio
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comSome exciting car news for fans of Alfa Romeo’s much anticipated SUV, the Stelvio – there are plans afoot to give Alfa’s primary family mover the benefit of rear wheel drive.
The 2019 Stelvio will still offer UAE customers four wheel drive for those who want it and those who feel they need it, but anyone wanting a little more lithe feedback from the handling may have had their prayers answered.
Why a RWD Stelvio makes sense
So, why keep the four wheel drive? A rear wheel drive Stelvio is guaranteed to be lighter than the fall fat model, shaving upwards of 50kg off its original weight. This means the 280 horsepower 2.0 litre four cylinder engine doesn’t have to work quite so hard.
When it arrives in the UAE, the RWD Stelvio is sure to be a rewarding drive.
No sacrifice necessary
Alfa Romeo has always made drivers’ cars however, and the RWD Stelvio means that parents no longer have to sacrifice driving pleasure just to have the necessary space to carry their children and all their things from one place to another.
With so much electronic stability control it’s unlikely to be a piece of cake to do handbrake turns out of the school gates, but that’s not exactly advisable anyway. However, the lighter driving experience, coupled with the front wheels now freed up to focus on the job of steering, mean handling is sure to be improved.
The new rear wheel drive Stelvio, designated Q2, will be available throughout the UAE for the 2019 model year. Prices are currently unavailable.
16,000 vehicles recalled in ongoing safety campaign
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comDrivers in the UAE may be shocked to learn that certain cars are being recalled due to safety concerns. The UAE’s Ministry of Economy is currently enacting a policy that requires vehicle dealers to review their products and recall those that don’t meet vigorous safety standards.
Honda, Mercedes Benz and Kia models affected
The good news is that you can afford to relax a little. All the models being recalled and reviewed have problems that could compromise driver safety, but most of them are reasonably low-risk. For example, Honda Odyssey cars have been recalled because, in some vehicles, the second row of outer seats might not latch properly to the floor. As a result, they could tip during braking and cause an injury.
Obey the recall notices and get any faults fixed
If you’re unsure of whether your vehicle needs to be recalled, you can contact your dealership to check.
Of course, even if you don’t drive one of the models that has been recalled, you might still drive a car from one of the manufacturers of these models. If you don’t feel comfortable driving a car created by a manufacturer of recalled models, why not buy another vehicle? Here at Simply Car Buyers, we buy any car that our clients want to sell, so sell us your current vehicle to raise the money for your next one.
UAE car owners change their cars more often than most
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comHigh incomes, status, a transient population and a desire to avoid growing maintenance costs are just some of the reasons drivers in the UAE change their car more often than those in the rest of the world.
How often are vehicles traded in?
In other parts of the world, that age of previously owned motors is even higher. Drivers in Australia hang on to their cars for around 11 years, while in African countries like Congo it can be 17 years.
UAE motorists tend to trade their cars in before the manufacturer’s warranty expires which tends to be around five years from new. While cars are becoming ever more reliable, the costs of maintenance continue to rise and in the harsher climate of the emirate, cars can need more frequent attention.
Demand for new cars
The purchasing power of motorists in the UAE continues to drive demand for new cars, but with depreciation accelerating in the first 18 months of a vehicle’s life, most drivers will get the value out of their purchase. Selling before the manufacturer warranty expires maximizes the return from a used vehicle.
There’s also a buoyant market for slightly older-than-new cars in the UAE, with many exported to other Gulf countries as well as North Africa, Iran and Iraq. That demand continues to maintain prices for used vehicles.
Regular car servicing and maintenance likely to increase
There’s still a trend for new cars and status vehicles in the UAE of course, but with today’s cars being built with higher levels of quality and longer life spans, the average age of motors is likely to increase. Regular car servicing and maintenance will become increasingly important for maintaining a vehicle’s value.
Dubai’s most dangerous roads revealed
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comWhen it comes to motoring in the UAE, Dubai is one of the most popular places where people love their cars. If you travel anywhere in this wonderful city you will see a wide variety of colourful and expensive cars that people get from A to B in. Of course, this love for fast cars and driving can sometimes lead to road traffic accidents. The latest transport news in UAE has shown this to be true by revealing the most dangerous roads to drive on in the city.
Recent figures paint a picture
What are the most dangerous roads for Dubai drivers?
The report from the Dubai Traffic Police outlined the below as the ones to watch out for:
– Emirates Road with 14 fatalities and 30 traffic accidents
– Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road with 8 deaths and 72 recorded accidents
– Shaikh Zayed Road counted 8 fatal accidents and 69 major collisions
– Dubai-Al Ain Road witnessed just 4 deaths and 26 accidents
– Al Khail Road had only 3 deaths and 34 serious accidents
If you regularly drive down any of the above, then please take extra caution!
Keep Dubai safe
Although there is no need for alarm as a Dubai driver, these figures do show why any car buyers in the city need to exercise caution on the road. It is not always as simple as paying a fine for any traffic violations or dangerous driving you may engage in. Poor driving standards can have often fatal consequences and these latest statistics show just how common this can be. If you stick to the speed limit, leave a safe distance between cars and always adhere to the rules of the Dubai roads, you will be fine.
W Motors new hypercar to debut at Festival of Speed 2018
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comThe city of Dubai has long been notable world-wide for the sheer amount of stunning and rare super/hyper-cars, including the emirate’s famous fleet of police supercars, but has only recently entered into the business of manufacturing supercars to revival the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche. In 2013, Dubai-based brand W Motors released the Lykan HyperSport, the first supercar indigenously produced in the Middle East which was famously featured in the 2015 ‘Fast and Furious 7’ action-heist film.
Now, the Dubai-based marque is set to premiere their newest hyper-car, the Fenyr SuperSport, an evolution of the 2013 Lykan. Named after Fenrir, a monstrous wolf from Ancient Norse mythology, the car is suitably aggressive in styling and features rear-opening suicide doors for a touch of supercar flair. With new boutique supercars produced in small volumes, there is some trepidation as to the build quality – but W Motors uses established luxury and sports car-building firm Magna-Steyr to ensure that all Fenyrs will have an ultra-high quality of fit and finish to match the price tag, which is likely to top the Lykan’s sticker price of around US$3,000,000.
The car will make its worldwide debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2018, a prestigious 3-day hill climb event where a huge range of classic road and race-cars, modern race-cars including F1 and GT cars and the latest luxury and performance road-going vehicles receive their first-look debut. So, if you are in the market for an ultra-exclusive hyper-car produced and designed in the UAE, the W Motors Fenyr SuperSport may be the vehicle for you.
Dubai’s RTA rolls out new smart meters and parking scanners
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comMotorists should find the new smart meters make parking much easier. What’s more, they can rest assured that the parking scanners won’t fine them unless they’re genuinely late returning to their cars.
However, the system isn’t perfect. E-tickets expire the minute the pre-paid time on them runs out and parking scanners will pick up on vehicles whose tickets have only just expired, even if the driver is hurrying back to their vehicle. Traditional paper tickets and human parking ticket inspectors left drivers with some room for error. If a driver returned to their vehicle a few minutes late for a good reason, their paper ticket would still be displayed and a parking inspector could choose to give them the benefit of the doubt and not fine them. This simply isn’t the case with automated smart-systems.
However you feel about smart meters and smart parking scanners, you’ll probably want a snazzy, up-to-date vehicle before you park anywhere in the aspirational city of Dubai. Here at Simply Car Buyers, we can help. We buy any car from any client, so you can sell us your old vehicle to raise the money for a new one.
UAE drivers reminded to leave a safe distance
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comWhat is the penalty for not complying?
Abu Dhabi police have shown how serious they are about this latest road safety push by hitting drivers with harsh penalties if they are found to be driving too close to others. A 400AED fine will be charged to the driver along with 4 black points on their record. This type of firm action is sure to see drivers take note and for the roads of Abu Dhabi to become a safer place to drive.
Police also warn of harassment of other drivers too
It is not just ensuring drivers keep a safe distance from the cars around them that police are cracking down on though. They have also warned of the dangers of tailgating cars in front and flashing car lights at them, in an attempt to get them to move lanes. This is very dangerous as it can lead the car being harassed to make a dangerous manoeuvre that could cause an accident.
All road users encouraged to show patience
Abu Dhabi police have asked all road users to show more patience and consideration when driving but especially younger drivers. They reminded all who travel by car of the potentially fatal consequences of tailgating or not leaving enough of a gap between the cars around you. Many serious road accidents were caused by this in the city last year and it is a habit that the Abu Dhabi police are committed to breaking.
Abu Dhabi is making its roads safer
This latest initiative is part of a wider push by Abu Dhabi police to make its roads safer for users. Earlier in the year it had reported its top motoring violations of 2017. Along with tailgating were not using lanes properly, speeding and poor decision making. They hope these latest measures will help in some way to making car drivers in Abu Dhabi more responsible.
New Porsche Electric Car Revealed
/in General /by SimplyCarBuyers.comAs we’ve mentioned in other blog entries, Tesla is the most well-known and innovative manufacturer of electric vehicles. However, other car companies are rapidly catching up. For example, drivers who appreciate timeless, understated luxury and beautiful vehicular designs may prefer a Porsche electric car to a Tesla vehicle. Porsche recently unveiled a ‘concept car’ that redefines what electric vehicles can do. The vehicle is known as the Mission E Cross Turismo and it’s sure to impress motorists throughout the UAE.
The car’s most noticeable feature is the way it combines form and function. The Mission E Cross Turismo has a sleek aesthetic and looks a lot like a sports car, making it a natural fit for the aspirational lifestyles of many UAE drivers. However, it also has the same off-road capabilities as an SUV, making it ideally suited to the Emirates’ varied terrain.
However, to understand why the latest Porsche is so impressive, you need to look at its engine. The powertrain provides 592bhp of horsepower, which would be impressive for a fuel-driven car. For an electric vehicle, it’s actually astonishing. The engine also boasts a range of over 500km, meaning that the Mission e Cross Turismo can tackle truly epic journeys without needing to recharge.
If the vehicle does run out of power, it can be recharged in less than 15 minutes, thanks to its 800-volt charging technology.
Sa
dly, the Mission E Cross Turismo won’t be available to ordinary drivers in its current form for several years. As a concept car, its purpose is to prove the viability of new EV technology and show that it can be incorporated into real-world vehicles. However, there’s no need to be too disappointed. The vehicle will serve as a blueprint for Porsche’s next publicly available electric car, which should appear in showrooms by 2021. In other words, drivers will be able to get their hands on a commercial version of the Cross Turismo eventually.
Of course, if you want to get used to driving a Porsche before its next electric car appears on the market, you might like to invest in one of their other cars today. Here at Simply Car Buyers, we can help you raise the funds by buying your old car. You can sell any car to us, so visit our homepage and find out how much we’ll pay for your old car today.