Arabian Automobiles and Renault GCC said the new Renault Safrane, unveiled recently in the UAE will target the mid-size sedan or the passenger car segment.

The segment commands up to 47 per cent of the total UAE market share, a statement said.

The companies said Safrane has been designed especially to suit Middle Eastern driving conditions that comes with a V6-2.3 litre and 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine options.

The new bespoke, stylish luxury sedan is based on a successful Renault Samsung Motors model, the SM5, which has sold more than 600,000 units since its launch in 1998.

The launch comes at a time when the GCC and in particular the UAE is experiencing one of the highest automobile volume growth rates globally.

According to recent reports, the Total Industry Volume (TIV) in the GCC grew by 26 per cent in the first half of 2008 over last year while the UAE alone reported a whopping 34 per cent increase.

Other countries such as Europe and America witnessed a downfall with TIV rates dropping by -3.2 per cent and -8.9 per cent respectively; while Asia saw marginal automotive volume growth of 3.6 per cent.

Positive statistics for the UAE are a direct result of the country's growing economy, political stability, rising resident and tourist population.

Increasing net worth of individuals and demand for more choice also makes the UAE a key market for global automobile manufacturers.

Automobile market volumes have doubled over the past five years with the number of cars on UAE roads increasing from 118,455 in 2003 to 296,675 last year.

Of the total UAE auto market, the SUV segment commands a 30 per cent market share, followed by LCVs (19 per cent) and HCV & MPV segments (4 per cent) while the major chunk of 47 per cent is dominated by Passenger Cars. This is the segment that Renault Safrane will target.

'Even though the mid-size sedan segment is a highly competitive one – with over 20 different models - we are confident that with the support and expertise of our local partners, Arabian Automobiles, and the quality of our product, Renault GCC will soon account for a prominent slice within the DE segment,' said Mohamed Bennani, managing director of Renault GCC.

'Launching Safrane is a milestone event for the revival of the Renault brand in the GCC and marks the third launch in 2008 after the Clio F1 team and RS. We hope to launch two more models by the end of this year reinforcing our commitment to the region. As with the Safrane, each vehicle we bring into the market will be locally tested and adapted to suit customer needs.'

Arabian Automobiles CEO Michel I Ayat said: 'Our sales volume in the UAE increased by around 37 per cent in the first half of 2008 over last year with total volume sales almost double since 2003, proving that demand is still strong.'

“Arabian Automobiles are pleased to welcome the new Renault Safrane to the UAE and are certain that existing and potential customers will appreciate the car especially with its competitive pricing,” Ayat added.

The 2.3 litre engine applied to the Renault Safrane is developed by Nissan.

In addition to the V6 2.3 litre (5-speed automatic transmission + manual mode), which delivers a smooth 170 ps at 6,000 rpm, comes the brand new 2.0 litre 4-cylinder from the Renault-Nissan Alliance in which torque and fuel economy are the highest among its peers at 196Nm and 9,3l/100km respectively (automatic transmission).

Available in a choice of seven body colours (White, White pearl, Metallic, Neo black, Glamour beige, Olive and Sporty silver), the new stress-free space from Renault will be available in three trim levels (PE : 2,0l ; SE & LE) with prices ranging from Dh59,900 ($16,308) to Dh79,000.

Renault said the car's air-conditioning has passed clinic tests, making it one of the best available in<