Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
This week definitely marked a first during my tenure as a motoring correspondent for this newspaper. Never before have I undertaken a test drive, only to discover that what I really needed was a boat and not a car.
Yep, torrential rains and thunderstorms greeted me on the morning I was scheduled to pick up my vehicle from the Toyota dealership in Sitra. Thankfully, the model I was picking up was the new 2016 Land Cruiser. Just the beast I needed to plough through the miniature lakes masquerading as puddles and cut a swathe through the downpour.
Make no bones about it, this vehicle is an absolute behemoth. I may have joked earlier that I needed a boat, but in some ways the Land Cruiser reminded me of the times I piloted my uncle’s vessel on a summer afternoon forage to Bird Island.
The bonnet extends so far in front of the windshield it may as well be a hull, and no matter how I adjusted my seat, I felt like I was hunched over the wheel in an elevated position, almost like a bus driver.
Subtlety isn’t this car’s forte, but in a country where the roads aren’t the easiest or safest to navigate, it’s nice to know you have a serious hunk of metal underneath you should anything happen.
Outside of video games, I’ve never driven a tank before, but this was a rewarding experience. It might not fire shells out of its exhaust, but the 4-ltr V6 with 271BHP provides a decent amount of oomph with above average acceleration, and it certainly doesn’t run on treads but it can navigate curbs, bumps and yes, copious amounts of water thanks to its outstanding 4WD and off-road capabilities.
There are rafts of infotainment features inside the car, all accessible from the seven-inch touch screen display, and assistant editor Zahid and I had fun blasting rock music out of the model’s crystal-clear six-speaker system.
However, one major annoyance was that practically every function was disabled while the car was in motion, such as accessing the track listing pairing the car with another device. I understand the safety aspect, but when the passenger can’t access it either it’s a huge irritation.
Much cooler (quite literally) was the built-in cool box in the centre armrest. After driving round for a while, we stopped at a shop and picked up a couple of bottles of water to test the device out. It really does get as cold as a proper fridge and will be perfect for those gruelling summer months when drinks get uncomfortably warm within minutes.
Safety-wise, the headrest is designed specifically to prevent or lessen whiplash injury, while anti-lock brakes, brake assist and a full complement of airbags are standard across all options.
By the time I delivered the Land Cruiser back to the showroom, I had definitely put it through its (very wet) paces, which was a rare and enjoyable experience given Bahrain’s usual climate.
It’s very large, but to its credit, it isn’t unwieldy. Now I understand why it’s so well-loved in the kingdom, shipshape and Bahrain fashion!
The 2016 Land Cruiser is available now from the Toyota showroom in Sitra, with the mid-option starting at BD18,800. For more information, call 17730730.
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Behbehani Brothers staged a Jeep Roadshow at the Bahrain Rugby Football Club over the weekend and thrilled onlookers and passengers alike with displays around its clever, makeshift obstacle course.
Fans of the marque had an opportunity to take part as Jeep Academy professionals put the cars, including the famous Jeep Wrangler, through its paces over a series of ramps and inclines designed to showcase the vehicles’ off-road capabilities
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The 2015 GCC Body & Paint Technicians’ Skills Grand Prix took place during the week at the Toyota Training Centre in Sitra.
The event, aimed at improving Toyota technicians’ skills and efficiency, saw participants from Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE compete for the winner’s prize of a gold medal, plaque, trophy and $500.
In the end, the Philippines native, Bambang Ganda, representing the Saudi Arabian branch of Toyota, emerged victorious. He said: “I am very happy and proud to win. I was very nervous at the beginning but once it got underway I just focussed my mind on the tasks at hand and thankfully the judges liked my work.”
