The Toyota Hilux 4X4 Review

Toyota launches a Hilux once in a decade. Waiting 10 years for one of the favourite cars in the market is a long one but it also adds to the buzz around it. The Toyota Hilux 4x4 2016 Dual Cab is expected to be an upgrade at many levels because of the advancements made in the technology over the past decade.

It is one of the best buys simply because of Toyota's name being associated with it. Many new features have been added to the model, including chassis rails, suspension and a pair of new diesel engines. The 2.4-litre engine is more powerful, while the 2.0-litre engine is available only for rear drives. The petrol version comes with 2.0-litre and 2.7-litre engine options.

Safety is another important feature and this vehicle's entry in the market will keep the competitors on their toes.

Here is our full review of the Toyota Hilux 4x4 dual cab.

Style

The first box that Hilux ticks is that of looks. In a time where dual cabs no more look like the traditional trucks, Hilux has managed to stand out. The Hilux has been given a sleek contemporary look that can be a trendsetter for the future.

It sharp lines, striking finish and elegant design make it one good-looking truck, both on and off the road. You can drive through the busy street roads and can also hit the country back roads with equal ease.

Interior

The good work done on the outside continues inside the automobile as well, with a design that looks up to trend and apt for the real world. The cabin is much taller and wider and is easy on the eyes. There is a multi-function screen on the dash board, which is easy to use and can be used to view maps or the reversing camera.

Since it is a larger car, there is enough space both to relax and to load luggage. The style also leaves its mark on the buttons and door knobs. Attention has been given to make sure that they are within your reach. Not to forget, the seats are comfortable too.

On paper, it is estimated to produce about 130kW of power along with 450Nm of torque. Both these values are better than the previous models.

Overall, it is more stylish, powerful, smoother and more refined than the previous versions as well as its competitors in the same price range. It should be your dream ride of the year 2016. 

Of oily stains and other stories

Are cooking oil and car grease making your clothes unwearable? You’re probably not using the right stain removing products!

The world over, we use various oils in cooking and seasoning our food. A splash of herb oil on our salad, a generous helping of olive oil in our hummus, and with vegetable oil creating the base for a curry, cooking oil enhances the flavour of our food and makes it easier to eat. The oil we ingest also has the ability to lubricate our body’s joints.

But cooking oil can also splash on to your clothes and leave behind an ugly mark. You need not be in direct contact with cooking oil – even the grease dripping off your pizza or burger is enough! Not only does oil cause discolouration on the clothes, it also alters the texture of the fabric. You may not have noticed a tiny dribble of oil on your clothing as you cooked or ate, but when you washed your clothes and dried them, you were puzzled by a strange greyish mark on your clothes. That was caused by a splash of oil.

Even worse are grease stains left behind by car oil. They are dark in colour and quite tough to clean. It would seem like nothing in the world has any effect on them! But if you’re ready to throw in the towel when it comes to grease stains, all hope is not lost yet. You’ve probably not been using the correct stain removal technique!

Here’s how you rid your clothes off grease stains forever:

Do not rinse. Other stains caused by chocolate, grass and ketchup should be rinsed at once, but oily stains do not react the same way with water. Water does not loosen an oily stain as much it loosens other stains.

Blot out the oil. If you spill oil or grease on your clothes, blot it out gently using a tissue paper or a white cotton cloth. Do not rub or you will spread the oil further. Keep blotting till the cloth comes away clean.

Use a stain removing gel. Apply a reliable stain removing gel directly on the grease stain and wait for at least five minutes. The gel gets to work on the stain and begins to lift it out of the fabric. If the stain is large and dried, fill half a bucket with warm water, and soak the garment with a measure of the stain removing gel. You may need to soak the garment for a minimum of one hour.

Wash as usual. Wash the stained fabric in the washing machine. At this stage, the stain will have considerably lightened. Add a measure of the stain removing gel to your clothing load. Once washed, the stain will be eliminated forever. 

MENA asset management – your key to successful investing

The MENA region presents its own unique challenges for investors. Hence, the right team of asset managers is required to handle the investment portfolio.

It is an obvious truth that the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region holds tremendous opportunities for growth. Notwithstanding a few recent economic hiccups, the region is set to show commendable development across various industries and business sectors.

It is safe to say that the MENA region will be among the fastest growing economic regions in the world in the next five years. Today, the Governments of the MENA region countries are all set to implement and execute a slew of economic reforms that will catapult them to a high rate of success.

A dominant trend to emerge in recent times is that of an increase in private equity investments in the region. This could be attributed to a large upwardly mobile, young population employed in high paying industries. Also, there is good stability in the markets, leading to higher creation of wealth all around. Thus, an evolution in new businesses and such sectors as education, infrastructure and mining is expected in this region. This is further underlined by higher shares of private equity capital in the region’s overall GDP, with tremendous scope for the future.

Foreign investment is seeing a revival in the MENA markets as well. In recent times, many private equity-owned companies have been snapped up by both domestic and international players, and there have been good results at the stock exchanges. Furthermore, FDI is expected to rise in the coming years with Saudi Arabia opening its already considerably large stock market (worth close to USD 700 million) to foreign investors. The UAE has followed suit by lowering the stock percentage that companies must float in an IPO from 55% to 30%.

With the signs of the MENA markets evolving and maturing in the coming days, it is time for both domestic and international investors to augment their resources by investing in the region’s many industries and businesses.

The best in investment with the right asset management teams

‘Asset management’ has become a dominant theme among many investors’ daily lingo. Investors in the MENA region are putting together a sophisticated portfolio that is backed by research and experts’ inputs. Since investors are constantly in need of market news and trends to make their next strategic decisions, reputed MENA asset management companies are helping investors in a variety of ways.

Rightly recognising that investors can bring about the best in the MENA region in the coming days, these MENA asset management teams are helping investors get exposure to global investment solutions. They combine their extensive knowledge in asset management to help investors get both short term and long term gains, across such sectors as investment products, alternative investments and investment advisory, among others.  

Dubai's Real Estate Market is Poised to Surge

There is no doubt that Dubai is one of the most sought after residential destinations in the world. The highly advanced city offers a high standard of living to its residents and that is why the housing market here reached its peak in 2013, opening its doors to more real estate developers in Dubai.

However, with some of the major tourist destinations in the Middle East, like Cairo, coming into the limelight in recent years, a huge setback was seen in the growth of the housing industry in the city. The impact of the Brexit was also felt by the property market here, with a drop of 8% in the traffic from the UK.

The Revival

The first quarter of 2016, however, saw Dubai's real estate market getting back on its feet. The city's safe haven status and world-class hospitality led to 1% quarter-on-quarter growth in the overall sales of real estate here, according to research by Core Savills.

The second quarter saw 5% growth from the first quarter and the numbers are likely to pick from here over the next two quarters of the year. This growth has also been supported by the new laws introduced by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency to control the off-plan sales. The new brand strategy to improve the city's image is also helping the cause.

Growing Investments and the Future

In the first eight months of 2016, real estate transactions of more than US$43 billion (AED158 billion) had been made in Dubai, according to the Dubai Land Department's (DLD) Transaction Report. In addition to this, the Real Estate Research and Studies Department also declared 38,000 sales, mortgages and other investments.

In the months of June, July and August, 2016, the market picked up really well and saw transactions of a combined value of AED 60.5 billion. Property sales contributed to 46% of the total amount, with more than 28,077 deals done during these months, accounting for about AED71 billion. Land sales accounted for AED58.5 billion in the city.

The introduction of new real estate developers in Dubai's market, such as Shapoorji Pallonji Real Estate, which offer luxurious accommodation with environmental friendly amenities, will definitely give a boost to the market in the coming days.

If you are planning to invest in the real estate market in the near future, then Dubai should definitely be on the top of your list of preferred residential destinations.

10 Ways to Bank Safely Online

Online banking is convenient, but how safe are your online habits? We present 10 ways to bank safely onlilne.

Though the Internet has eased the way we conduct our banking transactions, it has also opened the gates to a slew of theft and hacking activities all over the world. Online banking is largely a secure exercise, but it is vulnerable to fraud and phishing attempts despite your vigilance. Your bank may also put in place several security controls for your safety. Still, it is always prudent to be safe by following these 10 safe online banking habits:

1 Never reveal your login credentials to anyone. You may receive a call ‘from your bank’ asking you to verify your card number and PIN – ostensibly as a security exercise. Do not part with the data and note down the caller’s details and number. Notify your bank immediately of such a phone call. No bank authorises its personnel to ask customers for confidential information.

2 Beware of phishing attempts. Phishers are adept at redirecting unsuspecting customers to fake sites that trawl your information and start stealing from your account. If you receive an email/SMS from your bank asking you to avail of a special offer or sign up for a new product, simply delete the email and block that web address.

3 Do not respond to emails from persons claiming to be employed by your bank. You might receive personalised emails from a person who signs off as your bank’s employee, informing you of special privileges and reward points. The email will contain your bank’s logo and other marks to make it look as authentic as possible. Remember: your bank’s promotional emails will not have any clickable links in it.

4 Do not click on banking links in third party sites. Many of us are used to clicking on links in online articles, emails and newsletters that direct us to third party sites. Do not click on ANY banking-related links in any material you find online. Just visit the bank’s Internet banking site to conduct all your transactions instead of clicking third party links.

5 Bank from a secure terminal. This is an important habit to inculcate. You may bank using your smartphone or your personal laptop, but NEVER bank from an open Wi-Fi connection or a publicly shared terminal. Even when using your personal digital devices, be sure to log out of the site or app every time your transaction is finished.

6 Do not verify your details when an email asks you to. You might receive emails asking you to ‘verify your details’ as part of your bank’s customer verification norms. No bank asks its customers to verify their details on emails; this process is done on the bank’s Internet banking platform directly.

7 Sign up for two-factor authentication. If your bank is serious about your online banking safety, it will incorporate the two-factor authentication in its sign in process. It might seem cumbersome every time you log in, but it is essential.

8 Change your password every month. It is always safer to change your password as frequently as possible, and verify it using an OTP sent by the bank. Make sure the password is an alpha-numeric one and is hard to guess. Never include your name, date of birth or phone number in it. Also, set a couple of security questions with secret answers in case you need to recover your password.

9 Enlist for SMS alerts. Every transaction that takes place via your account, however small, must instantly be recorded and sent to you via SMS. Your bank will set up an SMS alert system for you, which is helpful to track your account’s activity. You will know at once if somebody attempts to use your cards or log into your account without your knowledge.

10 Activate anti-virus software on your computer. A good anti-virus software detects malware and hacker attempts. It will also alert you in case a log in attempt was made from a browser or location that you normally do not use.