Ashraaq Wahab
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Ashraaq has always been fascinated by things that go. He's intensely passionate about cars and trains, and has a keen interest in aviation too. He dabbled in the marine sector for a bit but found ships to be too slow. He's happiest when behind the wheel of a vehicle on a test drive for a feature. Coming from a Marketing and Management background, automotive journalism and writing has been a satisfying career shift for him. Ashraaq's also a collector of model cars and trains, dabbles in vintage hi-fi (particularly vinyl and CD) and is perpetually on a 'see-food' diet.
Author's Latest Articles
Jaecoo J7 PHEV
Since imports opened up in 2025 after a near five-year ban, we’ve seen a host of new Chinese automakers enter our shores. Today’s contender is the Jaecoo J7 PHEV, as brought to you by Hayleys Mobility, who also represents sister brand Omoda. Jaecoo and Omoda come under the wider umbrella of Cher...
Deepal S07
In the June issue of Motor, we introduced Deepal to you with their slick transforming E07 that could turn from an SUV into a pickup truck within a few seconds. Then, in July, we featured the Changan Lumin city car, a little pocket rocket of sorts that wowed us with its nippy personality and surprisi...
IM Motors IM6
Today’s electron-powered machine from China is the IM Motors IM6 luxury SUV. Brought to you by Evolution Auto, it’s made by IM Motors which is a brand under the hierarchy of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, or SAIC Motor as it’s now known. SAIC has a plethora of brands, including the ...
Jetour X70 Plus
Electric vehicles are plentiful nowadays, but there’s also the good old internal combustion brigade vying for your attention and cheque book. And yes, some of these machines are from China. In fact, since the import ban was lifted, the Chinese auto floodgates have opened with gusto, giving us a ta...
Deepal L07
Uncle Deepal (pronounced DePaul in case you didn’t know) has been quietly making waves in Sri Lanka. A brand of Changan Automobile and represented by Senok under the Deepal Sri Lanka name, they sold their 200th vehicle just before this test drive! And, with this latest feature; we’ve tested thei...
JMEV ELIGHT
Ah, a sedan! What a breath of fresh air amidst the onslaught of SUVs, I thought, as I was tasked with test-driving the JMEV ELIGHT. Then, I discovered that it was an electric sedan, which really piqued my interest. So far, the EVs I’ve tested have been SUVs and a pickup truck or two. Despite being...
Suzuki Fronx Alpha AT
EVs, EVs, EVs. That’s what we’ve been mostly sampling for the past many months. That’s also why it was a breath of fresh air to check out the latest Suzuki Fronx in Alpha AT 1.0L Turbo guise, as brought down by Associated Motorways, official agents for Suzuki in Sri Lanka. Suzuki is probably o...
XPENG G6
Every day there’s another Chinese car in Sri Lanka. However, contrary to popular belief, these aren’t mushroom outfits. XPENG is arguably one of the newer Chinese automakers, but it’s still over a decade old. Founded by two senior executives formerly of GAC Group, XPENG enjoys a strong partner...
Beijing X55
I was “relieved” to be behind the wheel of a traditional, internal combustion-engined vehicle after many a foray with EV’s. Plus, the X55 has received a superb stamp of approval from the general public… the friendly and helpful people of David Pieris Automobiles tells me that a few hundred u...
Maxus T90
In April 2019, I spent a few days at the facilities of SAIC – Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, in, well, the greater Shanghai area. There, I drove ten vehicles from three SAIC brands – MG, Roewe and Maxus, at their proving grounds which is a joint venture with General Motors. While we a...
Deepal E07
What on earth is this thing? If you’re looking at our photos, you’re probably scratching your head too. When Teranka Carim, CEO of Deepal Sri Lanka told me about an SUV that could convert into a pickup truck… I couldn’t believe my ears. Then he sent me some pictures, and a clearer idea began...
Riddara RD6 4WD
You might recall that we had a short preview of the Riddara RD6 back in the April 2025 issue of Motor… That special test vehicle was a 200-kilowatt, rear-wheel drive variant that surprised us with its nippiness, ride comfort and practicality. Now, Evolution Auto, the authorized distributor of Ridd...
Nissan Magnite
The official press release for the Nissan Magnite dated October 21st, 2020 says that the word Magnite is a combination of Magnetic and Ignite. Competing in the crowded sub-4 metre subcompact crossover segment in India, the Magnite has landed to take on the Sri Lankan market. Yes, this vehicle hails ...
1959 Holden FC Special
Holden is definitely Australia’s most well-known automaker, even though it sadly isn’t around anymore. The company’s history dates back to 1856, when James Alexander Holden founded it, to make saddles for horses. By 1898, Holden was making automobiles, and the company became a General Motors s...
Tata Curvv
When I first saw photos of the Tata Curvv on social media, I was intrigued. What on Earth is this thing? Looks like the Indians are doubling down with taking on the world, jumping on the sportback SUV bandwagon that’s previously been the near-exclusive preserve of German luxury automakers. Then, D...