It’s time for another edition of Dubai Shopping Festival. And you know what that means – there are a whole bunch of car deals around.
To be honest, the dealers aren’t making that much fanfare out of DFS this year. A few have got some special offers running this month, but the majority of the best deals are pretty standard promotions that carry over from 2017.
Still, with VAT now being applied to new car purchases, every little helps, right? Here are our top picks for great car offers in January.
Mitsubishi
As usual, Al Habtoor Motors is selling the Mitsubishi Pajero for a steal. The no-nonsense 4×4 may not have been updated for 10 years, but it’s still an incredibly capable all-rounder that comes at a pretty good price. Anyway, this DSF, you can pick up a Pajero from AED 94,395, and you’ll get free insurance, warranty, services – and you can get a 2% trade-in bonus for any car.
Chevrolet
Al Ghandi Auto doesn’t say much about its special DSF offer for Chevrolet, but what we do know is that it mostly relates to the Cruze. This month, you can pick one up on finance from AED 658 per month with the dealer picking up the tab for the down payment. You’ll also get free registration, one year’s free insurance, and free tinted windows.
MG
This isn’t strictly a DSF offer, but if you’re car-hunting this month, you should definitely check out MG. AW Rostamani is offering the smart MG GS, a compact SUV that we tested and liked, from a frankly ridiculously low AED 49,900. For that, you’ll get a well put together family crossover with a nippy 2.0-litre, 220 bhp engine, and a whole bunch of toys usually found on cars twice the price. Seriously, give the GS a test drive and you’ll be blown away by the value this thing represents.
Skoda
This January, Ali & Sons is offering the Skoda Octavia with zero down payment. You can walk in, sign on the dotted line, and drive away without paying a penny. From there, you’ll be paying AED 1,365 per month for two years, after which, if you want, the dealer will give you a guaranteed buyback option. Just be careful, though – if you want to keep the car after that initial 24 months, you’ll have to arrange finance for the remainder of car’s value.
Renault
The offer from Arabian Automobiles for Renaults this January couldn’t be simpler. You can buy any new model, and get up to AED 10,000 cashback. Obviously, the full AED 10,000 won’t apply to the brand’s cheapest models – presumably, the more expensive the car you’re buying, the bigger the cashback bonus you’ll get. There are “terms and conditions”, though, so check those out before signing on the dotted line.
Honda
This offer doesn’t seem to be associated with DFS, but it’s certainly a new one for January 2018. Basically, Al Futtaim Motors is offering big discounts across a range of Honda models – and the advertised prices are inclusive of VAT. Despite the 5% tax, you can save AED 10,000 on the Accord Coupe EX 2.4-litre, which is now going for AED 94,900. The Civic EXI 2.0-litre now costs AED 72,900 (AED 10,000 cheaper), and the CR-V Plus 2.4-litre 2WD has had its price slashed by AED 5,000, so it’s now AED 94,900.
Nissan
We’re not really sure how this one works, but, on the face of it, it sounds good. Basically, if you buy a new Nissan and pay the 5% VAT on top, Arabian Automobiles will reward you with a ton of good stuff, the best of which is free fuel for a year. The dealer will also throw in a year’s free servicing, a year’s free insurance, and sort out your registration for you.
Toyota and Lexus
This isn’t exactly a DSF offer, but it might well entice you down to one of the Al Futtaim showrooms. Basically, Toyota and Lexus have locked their prices so that they’re still at 2017 levels – before VAT was introduced. This means that the dealer is effectively absorbing the cost of VAT for you with cars from these brands.
Oh, and that Damac offer
Yep, it wouldn’t be a Dubai Shopping Festival without another free-car offer from Damac, the property developer. This year, if you buy a certain unit from a range of Damac’s developments, you’ll be given a brand-new Tesla. The offer ends on January 27, so if you’re house-hunting but you’re also a speed-freak, check out what Damac has available.