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The Nissan Rogue Sport Will Get You There
The 2018.5 Nissan Rogue Sport SV—the .5 denotes a mid-year upgrade with more safety features; the 2019 model is basically the same—is a tweener that slots between the Kicks and the regular Rogue in Nissan’s lineup. As such, it doesn’t really have a direct competitor, instead looking to capture people who might think the subcompacts below are too tight and the compacts above are too large or expensive.
The Rogue Sport SV uses a 2.0-liter inline four producing 141 horsepower and 147 lb-ft of torque, mated to a CVT. All-wheel drive is available, but our Caspian Blue Metallic SV model was a front-driver. Given the relative dearth of power—and the droning caused by the CVT when you tap into what’s there, even with its faux shift points—the Rogue Sport is most at ease and most livable when navigating urban traffic or cruising on the highway where you don’t expect to execute many passes. There’s a manual option that improves the experience by allowing you to select from the simulated fixed ratios, and I found myself using this often to avoid waiting for the computer to decide where I needed to be in the powerband.
Where the powertrain falters, the handling and chassis control prove redeeming. Driven relatively hard, there’s little body roll and the light steering makes it simple to place it where you want it, even if I did want a faster ratio. The Rogue Sport also offers a surprisingly cushy ride given its size, and its wheel control is exemplary for something in this price class. It admirably soaks up road imperfections, and isn’t overly reluctant to turn into corners.
It’s also packaged well, with room in the back seat for three adults. The interior is among the more premium ones in Nissan’s current lineup, and was further improved by the Technology package, which bundles in oodles of goodies for $2,420. That outlay brings heated front seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated side mirrors, a leather-wrapped shift knob, proximity entry and start, and remote start. That’s just for starters.
On 2019 models, the Technology bundle also loads up the Rogue Sport with fog lights, navigation with voice recognition, NissanConnect services, cameras to enable a 360-degree view for parking, radar cruise control, and the ProPilot Assist function that will follow curves and handle stop-and-go traffic for you. As the only significant option (our tester also was fitted with a carpeted cargo area protector, floor mats, and a first aid kit for $275), the added tech, comfort, and convenience was welcome—and a good value, to boot.
My only gripe with the packaging is that there’s no handle on the inside of the hatch to make it easier to close, but the Rogue Sport does offer decent cargo room—certainly enough for a quick vacation or a load of weekly groceries. There are also handy “Divide-N-Hide” cargo compartments for stowing delicate goods you don’t want crushed.
I can’t say that I appreciated the size difference of the Rogue Sport against its lineup mates without them present, but it is petite enough to tuck into tight parking spots while also being roomy enough to accommodate the routines of daily life.
At an as-tested price of $27,480, the Nissan Rogue Sport SV is well-appointed and right-sized, even as it leaves plenty to be desired in the powertrain department. A lightly revised version is coming for 2020 model year with more equipment and updated looks. For those unconcerned with driving fun, it’s worth a look.
2018.5 Nissan Rogue Sport SV FWD Specifications
ON SALE Now PRICE $24,785/$27,480 (base/as tested) ENGINE 2.OL DOHC 16-valve inline-4; 141 hp @ 6000 rpm, 147 lb-ft @ 4,400 rpm TRANSMISSION CVT automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD hatchback EPA MILEAGE 25/32 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 172.4 x 72.3 x 63.4 in WHEELBASE 104.2 in WEIGHT 3,274 lb 0–60 MPH 10.0 sec TOP SPEED 112 mph
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The Roush Ford Mustang Stage 3 Blends GT500 Power with Finesse
The most powerful Mustang of all time debuted in January in the form of the Shelby GT500, but it won’t be on sale until late this year. Can’t wait to get your hands on a Blue Oval pony car packing more than 700 horsepower? Roush has a solution: The 2019 Stage 3 Mustang, which boasts a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 that churns out an immense 710 horsepower and 610 lb-ft of torque. That fusillade is routed through buyers’ choice of a 10-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual and on to the rear axle, which has been upgraded with Roush’s own upgraded half-shafts.
Roushin’ Is Racin’
The extra power comes courtesy of the longtime Ford tuner’s TVS 2650 supercharger, cold air intake, and engine recalibration. After three days living with the high-powered pony, I was impressed with how organic and integrated the modified powertrain feels. On one freeway interchange, I held onto third gear, let the tach wind, and fantasized about driving in NASCAR—it felt more or less appropriate to yell “I’m dropping the hammer!” Days of Thunder Cole Trickle–style. Clutch engagement isn’t overly heavy or aggressive, and a cheerful red knob with white lettering, available as a $95 extra, adorned the shifter in our test car.
When it was time to put the power down off the freeway, where the Roush will cruise comfortably in sixth gear, I headed to the twisting tarmac of Angeles Crest Highway, and the car delivered there, too. The company’s own forged 20-inch wheels, an option for $1,399, are wrapped in aggressive Continental ExtremeContact tires, and the Mustang hangs on tight whether under hard acceleration or fully loaded in corners. Our test car has Roush’s $1,899 three-way adjustable coil-over dampers, and they allow you to select as much—or as little—drama as you dare.
It’s hard to beat big V-8 power and torque on roads like that, or even in traffic. Lane changes and dives into holes between cars are a just quick flex of the ankle away. There is a downside to having all that might: poor fuel economy. While most people opting for a 700-hp super-Stang aren’t concerned with mpg, it is somewhat annoying to have to fill up every 200 miles or so, or even less if you’re doing heavy amounts of city driving. Roush also won’t talk top-speed and acceleration capabilities; while the Stage 3 certainly pulls hard, it would be nice to have some official quantification of its abilities.
Thunderstruck
Our car had the optional performance quad exhaust, and it’s totally worth the $1,045 buy-in. Under full-throttle acceleration, the sound is so deliciously ferocious it would be pretty easy to mistake it as coming from a much more exotic car; every time I approached a tunnel, I switched the exhaust to track mode, downshifted, and matted the throttle. Best tunnel pulls ever. Yet, as with the suspension, you can dial back the exhaust’s aggression. Given our car was painted a beautiful shade of Ruby Red that seemed likely to bait cops all on its own, I thought it prudent to pipe down on occasion.
The interior of our example was equipped with Roush’s silver-stitched leather seats for $1,750, which are supportive and still offer ventilation. Roush adds its own gauge cluster, including a readout for supercharger boost pressure, and, naturally, there are seemingly dozens of Roush badges and logos inside and out.
Getting GT500 power and track-car performance results in a hefty window sticker. The car we drove started as a Mustang GT Premium with Performance Package that ran $48,335 from the factory. The Stage 3 package starts at $22,925, and ours had an additional $6,863 in goodies, making its final price $78,123. This is one pricey pony, and with the GT500 on the horizon, it’s tempting to wait to find out how much that one will run. You can figure it will cost somewhere in this territory, though. If you just can’t wait, know that the Roush does offer a 5-year or 60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
If you want to spend a less and make similar power, Ford Performance offers a Roush supercharger for $7,699, but you won’t have all the other goodies that make the Stage 3 such a well-rounded package. It’s as easy to live with as any other variant of the Mustang GT I’ve driven, and the only thing I’d change are the fake scoops on the quarter windows; being under 30, they have no nostalgia factor for me and basically just make the Mustang’s blind spots even worse. But until the new super Shelby arrives, this remains one of the only ways to go Hellcat hunting for the money, and in a well-sorted package to boot.
2019 Roush Mustang Stage 3 Specifications
ON SALE Now PRICE $71,260/$78,123 (base/as tested) ENGINE 5.0L supercharged DOHC 32-valve V-8; 710 hp @ 7,250 rpm, 610 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual LAYOUT 2-door, 4-passenger, front-engine, RWD coupe EPA MILEAGE 13/20 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 188.5 x 75.4 x 53.9 in WHEELBASE 107.1 in WEIGHT N/A 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A
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All-Lexus Ice Racing Is a Thing, and We Did It
When one pictures cars racing across a frozen landscape, what most often comes to mind is something like a pack of bright-blue Subarus wailing away, all four wheels clawing for purchase in a swirling tempest of blown snow.
Likely far less common are mental images of automatic-transmission, rear-wheel-drive Lexuses drifting nose-to-tail around a corner, their battered bodywork bearing testament to both the realities of narrow-track, low-friction racing as well as their bargain-basement Craigslist origins. And yet here I am, 400 miles from home in Minden, Ontario, Canada, strapping into a stripped-out IS300 that I’ve rented for the day from Russ Bond, owner of the Lexus Cup Challenge.
“Remember,” Bond says as he cinches my five-point harness in the cockpit of Lexus, which has a stock passenger seat next to the racing seat I’m in. “Make sure that the traction-control is set to off, and that the transmission is set to snow mode.”
This advice is repeated on a pair of stickers set at eye level on the car’s sun visor. I dutifully push the “SNOW” button next to the automatic transmission’s gear lever—each vehicle in the series runs in the slush with a slushbox—and verify that the TRAC light is on. Finished with my belts, Bond leans in semi-conspiratorially.
“Listen to the studs, Benjamin,” he tells me, imparting a smidgen of his hard-earned wisdom as a seasoned ice racer. “And stay away as far away from that car as you can,” he continues, finger pointed at one of my fellow competitors for the day. “They’ve put two cars out for the season already this year.” He raises his eyebrows. I nod, the message received.
‘IS’ Is for “Ice”
This year marked the second campaign for Russ and his fleet of rent-or-buy first-gen IS ice warriors, and he runs the series as a complement to his national KartStart racing school. The cars are available for either a full season or a modest daily fee as turnkey racers to anyone willing to make the trek up to Minden and pay the $10 temporary licensing fee to the Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario Region.
This wasn’t my first time out on the ice, but it was my initial foray into door-to-door ice racing. I was also a studded-tire virgin, as my youth spent spinning wheels on frozen lakes and canals in Quebec had all been done on traditional winter rubber rather than the spiked Hankook IpikeRS tires the Lexus Cup cars feature (Hankook is also a series sponsor).
It was partially for these reasons that I brought along a co-pilot in the form of my father, himself an experienced time-trials driver but equally new to the world of studs. Given that the low speeds associated with ice racing made it friendly for passengers (in fact, they are encouraged), having his extra set of eyes spotting from the right seat felt like an excellent strategy. Also, what better witness to your potential failure in motorsports than the man who raised you?
Learning Curve(s)
The first two eight-lap morning heats are intended to serve as qualifiers for the four races later that afternoon. I am entered in two classes—Street Stud I and II—which gives me the most track time for my money, even though I won’t be sticking around for points competition on Sunday. The plan is to hang out near the back, keep an ear out for the studs as I had been advised, and get a feel for the car’s dynamics.
All of the above goes out the window almost immediately when, on the second lap, one of the Lexuses ahead of me tags another on the front fender, plowing them both into the snowbank and sending me pirouetting around the ensuing carnage in the nine-car field. It becomes clear that survival trumps all else, and for rest of the session—and the one that followed—I focus on threat mitigation as much as acclimatization.
I do learn a few things, however, most notably that the sound of both the studs and my father’s voice are effectively drowned out by the IS300’s 215-hp inline-six rattling the carpet-free interior. I also discover that two-foot, rally-school-inspired driving is effective at reducing push when rounding a corner in full drift mode, although my hefty winter boots aren’t exactly right-sized for the pedals.
Wet and Wild
One more thing: My butt ends up completely soaked after that first eight-lapper, causing momentary concern that each and every one of the sweat glands in my body have relocated to my posterior to celebrate my ice-racing debut. It turns out, however, that the seat cover had been covered in snow and frozen overnight, which meant I would have to run the four afternoon races in a bare metal seat, with the folded wad of the wet trousers I peeled off as my only cushion.
As I line up on the grid for the first race, sixth out of nine cars, I ignore the aluminum digging into my ribcage but flub the start when the green flag drops with my camera still in my hand trying to get a shot of the grid. ‘Stand on it!’ is not an effective recovery when digging in to ice—a gentle roll into the throttle after releasing the lightest of braking pressure is literally the only way forward—and I find myself losing position while marginally beginning to move.
Still, far back from the crowd ahead I’m able to explore the Lexus’s willingness to flick left to right, and I learn that a broad arc better preserves momentum than does an apex-focused approach. Despite the added traction afforded by an army of metal studs, it’s almost impossible to close the competitive gap on the ice unless the person ahead of you makes a mistake—as I do in the second heat when an unseen ice-hump under the snow launches the left side of the car skyward and causes my father to very vocally question his decision to ride shotgun.
The third session is a write-off. The track worn is slick after a previous street-tire session polished it to a sheen and I overdrive the studs enough to loop the car three times and elicit a helpful “whatever you’re doing, it’s not working” analysis from the man responsible for half my genetic code.
By the fourth stage, things have fortunately become more natural. I engage in some cat-and-mouse, bumper-on-bumper antics with a few of my fellow Lexuses, avoiding the car that’s high-sided itself on a snowbank at the apex of the fastest corner and turned the thing into a delicately approached touge.
Further shenanigans ensue when the car Bond warned me about—and which had yet to actually finish a heat without requiring an all-hands push from the snow—spins on the last lap just inches from my front bumper. This sends me and a fellow competitor into tail-wagging fishtails that would have been disastrous on a road course but which were drama-free on the ice—we’re traveling a mere 35 mph. “If you’re not sixth, you’re last,” I tell myself, having conceded no positions in my final session.
Leave Your Ego at Home
There’s little more humbling to an experienced asphalt driver than ice racing, where track conditions can change from lap to lap and being willing to allow the car to slide gracefully past the edge of traction is just as important clawing back onto the racing line once the corner is in the rearview.
Above all, having the patience to make methodical, smooth, and deliberate decisions behind the wheel and with the primary controls is key, although my mid-pack performance won’t see me signing any autographs for the surprisingly large crowd any time soon. Still, the car is in one piece—that’s always nice, especially when it’s not your own—and there’s a smile on my father’s face as he tells me that he regretted not renting his own IS as soon as we turned our second lap. I’ll take that over P1 any day of the week.
The post All-Lexus Ice Racing Is a Thing, and We Did It appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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Next-Gen Toyota 86 Is Definitely Coming, Says Company Exec
There were some rumblings that the Toyota 86 may not return for a second generation, but a new report says otherwise. Toyota’s European marketing boss has confirmed that the company will indeed build a new GT86, as it’s known in Europe.
Matt Harrison told Autocar that the 86 has been a successful halo model for Toyota, and he also reiterated that the new Supra was not intended to replace the GT86. “They are for different audiences and are different products,” he said. “We see a situation where they will sit alongside each other.”
Harrison said it was a “safe assumption” that the second-generation GT86 would maintain ties with Subaru. Originally co-developed alongside the Subaru BRZ, the GT86 features a Subaru-derived 2.0-liter flat-four engine.
The 86 isn’t a big seller here in the U.S.—Toyota moved just 4,146 copies in America last year, down 39 percent from 2017. We don’t know about Toyota’s plans for the 86 here, and a U.S. Toyota spokesman told us the company couldn’t confirm plans to introduce any new version on our shores. But Harrison makes it clear this car isn’t about sales: “Its role is not one particularly about volume globally. It’s about adding excitement to the brand and emotional appeal,” he said, adding the GT86 has achieved this goal particularly in markets like the U.K.
Earlier this month, we learned that Toyota wants three sports cars in its lineup, but it’s unlikely to make one smaller than the current 86. Toyota Gazoo Racing chief Tetsuya Tada told Evo, “I believe most people are looking forward to the smallest of the ‘three brothers,’ and when people say the smallest, they expect it would be the most affordable. But in reality coming up with a compact small sports car is quite difficult.”
The post Next-Gen Toyota 86 Is Definitely Coming, Says Company Exec appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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The 2020 Kia Telluride Is Classy and Comfortable
Remember the Kia Borrego from a decade ago? I didn’t think so, but that’s alright. Kia would likely prefer you forget its first (and last) foray into the full-size, body-on-frame SUV segment that lasted just one model year in the States. Even contemporary reviews were skeptical of Kia’s plan, questioning the decision to roll out the lumbering, thirsty Borrego as the market grappled with high fuel prices and shifted toward smaller unibody crossovers.
Today, Kia’s aim is far truer across its entire lineup, and the company took its time developing a new large three-row SUV. The result is the new 2020 Telluride, and it proves the Koreans remain thoroughly in touch with the times.
It Looks Fantastic
Though it is the largest Kia SUV ever, it’s still considered mid-size, albeit at the larger end of the segment. Underneath the square-shouldered exterior lie bones shared with the Hyundai Palisade, but where that model is styled with a sort of anodyne handsomeness, the Telluride has honest-to-goodness presence, even while prowling the Range Rover and Land Cruiser–filled streets of its namesake city in Colorado.
It’s a wide, muscular design, with one of the best implementations of Kia’s “tiger nose” grille to date. It’s decidedly upmarket in execution, reminding us more of the Cadillac XT6 or Volvo XC90 than segment mates like the Honda Pilot and Ford Explorer, especially around back with its inverted “L” taillights. It’s a cohesive, style-forward look that would be as welcome at the valet stand of a country club as in the muddy parking lot of a country-music concert.
The powertrain isn’t as high-society as the styling. Buyers have just one choice of engine and transmission, the 3.8-liter naturally-aspirated Lambda II V-6 and Kia’s in-house-developed eight-speed automatic transmission. Output of 291 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque is dead on for the competition, hustling the two-ton-plus Telluride to 60 mph in something like eight seconds. The transmission was a little busier than we’d have preferred while in traffic and along winding roads, but it settled down at highway speeds. We didn’t get a fully accurate read on overall performance thanks to the region’s power-sapping lofty elevation—which turbocharging can mitigate—but we’d imagine there shouldn’t be any problem shuttling a load full of ski bums between slopes.
Ride and noise isolation are excellent, especially for the Telluride’s size. Body control and rebound is well managed, even when slamming over moderate-size potholes ripped open during recent weather in the region. The first stretch cut through the curvaceous mountain passes between Gateway and Telluride, and despite the Kia’s overall softness, is handling is more competent than you might expect. It gets settled quickly after turning into a corner and stays that way while corner carving far beyond any reasonable expectations of a comfort-oriented three-row crossover.
Excellent Insides
It’s comfy inside as well. Kia always manages to make interiors assembled with cost in mind feel like money was close to no object, and things are even better in the Telluride. None of the wood or “metal” surfaces are real, but if we didn’t mention that, you’d be hard-pressed to notice. It’s good to be a passenger, too, especially with the option of cooled/heated second-row captain’s chairs in place of a standard three-person row. (That drops the eight-seater to a seven-person cockpit.) Kiddos and fidgety adults will be placated with two USB ports per row for their dying devices. Hopping in the back row is a button-press away, as the second-row seats move easily, and there’s acceptable room in the way back for any adult of medium build or under.
We spent all of our time in a loaded-out SX with the luxe Prestige package, replete with Nappa leather upholstery and a microfiber headliner, so we can’t speak on entry-level Tellurides.
But at least in those we drove, there’s plenty of tech to keep you satisfied and connected. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is standard on all trim levels, projected through either the standard 8.0-inch infotainment screen or higher trim’s 10.3-inch unit. Don’t worry about waking the sleepy passengers in the back thanks to the new Quiet Mode that can restrict infotainment audio output to just the front row. Conversely, if it’s getting a little rowdy, Driver Talk allows the front passengers to project their voices to the rear through an integrated microphone system.
Rough and Kinda Ready
Kia pushes the Telluride as a rough-and-ready ridge crusher, though we’re not so sure it’s as capable as it’s made out to be, at least out of the box. Before its full reveal in Detroit this past January, the Telluride stopped by 2018 New York Fashion Week wearing a full kit of 4×4 hardware, including knobby tires and an intake snorkel. Fast forward to SEMA in November, and four heavily modified trail-ready Tellurides gave demonstration rides around a closed off-road course. And in ads, the SUV is shown off the beaten pavement.
In front-wheel-drive models, driving modes are limited to Smart, Eco, Sport, and Comfort that modify steering, throttle, and shift points. All-wheel-drive Tellurides come with a Snow mode and AWD Lock setting that distributes power to all-four-wheels equally under 40 mph. Beyond that, you’re on your own out on the trails without a dedicated off-road driving mode or tools like hill-descent control. Regardless, 8.0 inches of ground clearance and locking AWD made short work of the brief off-road portion of our drive route. Although the path was scraped clean of any major obstacles, the Telluride slid through dusty sweepers and crashed through small rivulets slashing across the road without any shudders or other issues.
On-road assists are a different matter—there are tons of them. Blind-spot monitoring, driver-attention warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, cross-traffic avoidance, and automatic cruise control are all standard. Jump up to the EX and SX trims, and the Level 2 semi-autonomous (according to Kia) Highway Drive Assist appears, handling steering and adjusting to changes in the speed limit while on a highway.
Stick with the base LX trim, and expect to pay $32,735, which aligns with the base prices of the $32,495 Toyota Highlander, $32,970 Subaru Ascent, and $32,495 Honda Pilot, but is a smidge more than the $31,125 Chevrolet Traverse. Mid-level S and EX trims start at $35,035 and $38,135, while our fully loaded SX with Prestige package clocks in at $46,860, a hefty amount but the going rate for a heavily equipped non-luxury three-row these days. It’s a competitive market, but the 2020 Telluride is one of the best-looking models among its peers, and it offers up tons of interior comfort, amenities, and space. This particular three-row Kia is assuredly going to stick around for a lot longer than one model year.
2020 Kia Telluride Specifications
ON SALE May PRICE $32,735 ENGINE 3.8L DOHC 24-valve V-6; 291 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 262 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 7- or 8-passenger, front-engine, FWD or AWD SUV EPA MILEAGE 19–20/24–26 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 196.9 x 78.3 x 68.9 in WHEELBASE 114.2 in WEIGHT 4,112–4,482 lb (mfr) 0–60 MPH 8.1 sec (est.) TOP SPEED N/A
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Volvo Placing More of a Premium on Safety than Ever
In the blink of an eye, a 2019 Volvo XC90 with a man, woman, and child inside crashes into a pillar at 50 mph as a large crowd sipping sparkling wine collectively gasps and then cheer from above. It’s not a scene out of Death Race 2000; it’s a real-life simulation involving a sensor-strapped vehicle, crash-test dummies, and a gaggle of journalists inside the Volvo Car Safety Center. The state-of-the-art crash lab has been in operation for nearly two decades and the marque destroys hundreds of its own cars a year, a least one a day, in order to build safer vehicles.
Volvo’s reputation for being fanatical about safety took a step farther when the company pledged earlier this decade to eliminate passenger fatalities and serious injuries in its vehicles by 2020. Beyond developing its physical vehicles to be safer, Volvo also recently stated it will limit the top speed of all of its new vehicles to 112 mph and will introduce cameras and sensors into the cabin in order to monitor the driver’s eyes and face for distractions and intoxication. Eventually it would like to automatically control the speed of its vehicles in school zones and other high-traffic pedestrian areas.
The Swedish carmaker, which is owned by China’s Geely, is also introducing a “Care Key” that allows owners to set a speed limit for themselves, their family, or any others potential drivers. It will come as standard with all of Volvos in the 2021 model year. If this all sounds like a lot of Big Brother buzzkill to you, Volvo doesn’t want your business.
“We protect what’s import for us,” Håkan Samuelsson, Volvo CEO, explains. “I would rather attract a mother who wants to buy a car for her 17-year-old son, say, an XC40 with a Care Key with a speed limiter, than someone who wants to drive over 100 mph, zigzagging through traffic—they can take another brand and they probably already have,” he says. Samuelsson adds, “These are the guys who love V-8s and six-cylinders and we probably already have lost them”—Volvo has capped its engines at four cylinders—”so I am not so nervous that we will lose a lot of customers. But if we lose some, I am pretty sure we will gain more. It’s not just your life you are risking, you are risking other people on the streets.”
Volvo made these announcements during the 60th anniversary of its three-point safety belt innovation, which it was the first to introduce in 1959. The company believes that an industry speed cap will become standard eventually as we move toward a more autonomous driving experience in the coming decades. The brand is partnering with Nvida, Zenuity, and Luminar to help achieve its autonomous goals and build on its strong legacy of safety.
“We have always been on the forefront of putting new technology in our vehicles, which has some cost to it, before others [do],” said Henrik Green, Volvo R&D chief. “And other car companies have other core values that they prioritize, but we tend to spend more money on each vehicle in terms of safety functions and then the industry usually follows.”
The post Volvo Placing More of a Premium on Safety than Ever appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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The Ford F-150 Crashes Best in IIHS Passenger-Side Small Overlap Crash Test
The Ford F-150, Nissan Titan, and Ram 1500 earned top scores in the passenger-side small overlap test from IIHS. But the agency says most pickups need improvement according to the procedure, which involves a vehicle’s right front corner crashing into a rigid barrier at 40 mph. IIHS started issuing these ratings in 2017 over concerns that automakers were focusing more on driver-side safety.
IIHS has rated 11 crew cab pickups in the passenger-side test. The Honda Ridgeline and Toyota Tacoma scored “Average.” Five vehicles earned a lower score of “Marginal,” including the Chevrolet Colorado, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Canyon, GMC Sierra 1500, and Nissan Frontier. The Toyota Tundra was rated “Poor.”
Ford F-150.
The F-150 performed the best in the test, says IIHS. It earned “Good” scores in each of the injury measures tested. The structure held up well in the crash, and the seatbelts and airbags worked to control the movement of the passenger and driver dummies. Neither dummy recorded any potential injuries. In contrast, the Tundra was seriously compromised. The A-pillar intruded into the passenger’s space, and the passenger dummy’s head hit the grab handle attached to the pillar. In a real life crash of this severity, a dummy would likely injure his or her right lower leg, and injuries to the right hip would also be possible, according to the agency. The Tundra’s structure from 2007 is considered quite old, although the Frontier has the oldest structure, dating back to 2005.
Toyota Tundra.
IIHS says it isn’t surprised that pickups are falling a bit behind in this test. These vehicles took longer than other vehicle segments to master the driver-side small overlap test, which is the same type of test applied to the vehicle’s left front corner. That test has just one dummy in the driver’s seat, however, while the passenger-side test has both front seats occupied. Frontal crashes are more severe for heavier vehicles like pickups because the kinetic energy involved correlates to the weight of the vehicle.
“We commend Ford, Nissan, and Ram for providing state-of-the-art crash protection for both drivers and front passengers of their large pickup models,” said David Zuby, IIHS chief research officer, in a statement. “As a group, however, the pickup class still has a lot of work to do.”
Although it performed just OK in the passenger-side test, the Honda Ridgeline remains the only pickup to receive a Top Safety Pick award in part because it has a “Good” rating for its headlamps, unlike other vehicles in the category. To qualify for the award, vehicles only need an “Acceptable” rating in the passenger test. They must also score “Good” in the driver-side front overlap test, moderate overlap front test, side test, and roof strength and head restraint tests, as well as “Advanced” or “Superior” in front crash prevention and at least “Acceptable” in the headlight category.
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The New Hyundai Tucson N Line Looks Pretty Alright
We’ve heard rumors that Hyundai will introduce a high-performance Tucson N making as much as 340 horsepower. This story is not about that model, but rather the less aggressive N Line version rolling out in Europe now.
The Hyundai Tucson N Line gets some cosmetic and mild performance upgrades, including new fascias, a dark mesh grille with a dark chrome frame, and dark 19-inch alloy wheels. The darkened theme extends to the mirror caps, rear spoiler, lights, and window frames. Open the doors, and you’ll find sport seats outfitted in a mix of leather and suede, and branded with the N logo. Other touches include red stitching, alloy pedals, and an N shift lever.
Software changes promise more linear steering feel on top models, Hyundai says, which also have springs firmed up by eight percent up front and five percent at the rear. A power upgrade isn’t part of the equation. We’ve reached out to Hyundai to see if there are plans to bring the Tucson N Line to the U.S.; considering our market’s love for crossovers, including sporty ones, we can’t imagine it won’t make it here. Hyundai first introduced N Line to the U.S. with the Elantra GT.
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In Photos: Favorites from Nissan’s Zama Heritage Collection
In a nondescript building on the grounds of a large manufacturing facility, Nissan’s heritage collection of more than 300 vehicles gleams under bright overhead lights. It’s a stunning gathering of important cars from the company’s history, and it makes the somewhat confusing and chaotic journey very, very worth it.
The museum is located roughly 30 kilometers outside of Yokohama, Japan, and getting to the facility involves myriad alleyways, backroads, and battles with bicyclists. Once you pull inside the main parking area, another drive and keen eyes are required to locate a small lot with a small sign indicating you have arrived.
The reason the museum is difficult to find is simple: It was only made public quite recently. The staffers have been busy upgrading the facility to make it more accessible, and we are told things improve daily—perhaps by the time you visit, the signage will be more prominent. The collection encompasses row after row of restored and original-condition cars, trucks, race cars, and more, and it’s frankly hard to tell where to begin. But we made it through, and here we present our 10 favorites:
1938 Datsun 17T Truck
We started by viewing a row of early 1930s and 1940s Datsun trucks. The 1934 model was called the Datsun 13, and it was followed by the 14, 15, and 17; there was no 16 due to the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war. During Japan’s involvement in WWII, no cars were produced, with factories instead being instructed to make trucks and commercial vehicles. This meant the Datsun 17 was produced from April 1938 through January 1944. It was then replaced by the Datsun 1121 and 2124 trucks.
This truck was designed to be a two-seater and was powered by the same 15-hp, 722cc engine used in Datsun passenger cars. The T was really just a reworked version of the 17 with its build and specifications mandated by a lack of resources during the war, such as the use of one color for the body.
It has an overall length of about nine feet (3,020 mm) and an overall width of about four feet (1,197 mm)—compare that to a 2019 Ford F-150, which can be as long as 21 feet overall and just over seven feet wide. Go ahead, put this early Datsun truck in the F-150’s bed.
1961 Datsun Fairlady Sports SPL213
When people think of the Nissan Fairlady, some version of the Z car often springs to mind. This one, however, is really the Z’s granddaddy—it was the first U.S.-market Nissan sports car. It was launched in 1960 as the Datsun Sports 1200 (SPL212) and was only slightly revised for the 1961 model year. Both were called Fairladys and rumor has it Nissan President Katsuji Kawamata chose the name “Fairlady” after watching My Fair Lady while visiting the U.S. in 1961. Just 217 of this particular car were built, but it left an impression and the Fairlady name would carry on for decades.
1963 Datsun Fairlady 1500 (SP310)
Just a few years after its introduction, the Fairlady was entered into the first Japanese Grand Prix—it was held as a sports-car race, and then other types before F1 took over in 1976—in May 1963 at the Suzuka Circuit southwest of Nagoya. This race marked the beginning of racing interest in Japan, and the 1963 Datsun Fairlady 1500 won the B-II race and quickly cemented a reputation for being an authentic sports car even though the car featured a nonoriginal Cedric engine.
1966 Prince R380A-1
With large No. 11 stickers, the Prince R380A-1 was created to beat Porsche, the champion of the second Japanese Grand Prix in 1964. Developed by Prince Motors prior to it merging with Nissan in the same year as that race, it accomplished its mission and won the 1966 Japanese Grand Prix. It’s also worth noting the R380A-1 chief engineer was Shinichiro Sakurai, who became famous for engineering several generations of the Skyline.
1969 Fairlady Z432
Wearing a striking mustard color, the 1969 Fairlady Z was how it all began: This was the first of the Z sports cars Nissan would become famous for building. The mirrors on the fenders, the inset headlights, and the flowing roofline and rear end are all hallmarks of vintage Zs, which differed slightly for the U.S. and Japanese domestic markets. In Japan, it continued to be badged as the Fairlady to keep it in line with the prior-generation Datsun Sports roadsters. This particular model with its Z432 distinction was known as the high-performance version; the 432 refers to the S20 engine’s configuration (4 valves, 3 carburetors, and 2 camshafts).
1989 Nissan Pao
While the museum is filled with sports cars, there are some other more whimsical vehicles as well—like this 1989 Nissan Pao with a canvas roof. Often known as the “Pike car” due to its production at the Pike factory, this 51-hp hatchback was built from 1989 through 1991 as a retro-styled vehicle that featured external door hinges, a split tailgate, chrome luggage rack, and flip-up windows to evoke the simple European small cars of the 1940, ’50s, and ’60s. Power came from a 1.0-liter four-cylinder hooked to a three-speed automatic or five-speed manual. The first run sold out in just three months, and as part of Nissan’s retro car line of the early 1990s, it enjoys quite a cult following today.
1989 Nissan S-Cargo
Another vehicle from the same line as the Pao is the 1989 Nissan S-Cargo, which is actually taller than it is wide. The name is meant to stand for both Small Cargo and as a nod to the snail-like styling—escargot is the French word for “snail,” you see. The run of Escargots was small—8,000 or so—and each featured a 75-hp, 1.5-liter four-cylinder mated to a three-speed automatic. Other models in the retro line include the Figaro and Be-1.
1988 Nissan R88C
The 1988 Nissan R88C sits in a row labeled “Japan Sports Prototype Car Endurance Championship Group C” cars, all of which were produced from 1982–1991 for the World Sports-Prototype Championship series. Each of them, like the R88C, had requirements for vehicle dimensions, minimum weight, fuel-tank volume (100 liters), total fuel usage, and enclosed bodies. The rest was left to the designers and engineers.
This particular model was powered by a VRH30 engine developed for Le Mans racing. It was a twin-turbo, DOHC, aluminum-block V-8 producing 740 horsepower at 8000 rpm and 542 lb-ft at 5500. The engine and the R88C were only raced for two years by Masahiro Hasemi, coming in 15th in the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans and notching top-five finishes in both the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship (JSPC) races and World Sports Prototype Championship. It was replaced in 1990 when the new VRH35 engine was introduced.
1991 Nissan R92CP
Featuring the VRH35Z twin-turbo V-8, the 1991 Nissan R92CP also received slight design tweaks over the R91CP and R91VP to better compete with Toyota and Mazda in the JSPC. This car would make racing history for Nissan. Competing only in the JSPC after Nissan withdrew from the World Sportscar Championship, it would see Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Toshio Suzuki win the Driver’s Championship with three wins in seven races in 1991—and repeat the feat in 1992. It would also help Nissan capture the Constructor’s and Driver’s Championships for three years in a row (1990-1992) before the racing series folded after the ’92 season.
1989 Calsonic Skyline GT-R R32
Sitting behind the Group C prototype cars, the 1989 Calsonic Skyline GT-R R32 is part of the Japan Touring Car Championship (Group A) group of vehicles. This group was limited to four-seat automobiles with an annual production of 2,500 or more. The range of modifications was severely limited, making the base performance the deciding factor. None of these limitations mattered to the R32.
The Calsonic Skyline GT-R R32 collected 29 straight victories in 29 races from the model’s debut in 1990 to its last race in 1993. Its dominance is said to have killed the racing series, and led to its famous “Godzilla” nickname.
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Getting Peanuts in Our Long-Term Kia Stinger GT
It was a couple of decades ago that I started collecting Snoopy memorabilia, and for all my love for the coolest gang on earth, the Peanuts, I’d never been to the Charles M. Schulz Museum that honors their legacy and that of their creator. The long overdue visit required a 450-mile trip from my home in L.A., a distance both short enough to tantalize and far enough to make mustering energy for the drive difficult. Well, I finally made it.
If you’ve followed along with our previous updates on our long-term Kia Stinger GT, you know the car has an established fanbase among our staff. With the praise for the car in the front of my mind—as well as its roomy interior and capacious cargo area—I enlisted the Stinger for my mission to Santa Rosa in the North Bay with my sister and her two kids in tow.
On our way to Santa Rosa, we spent a good chunk of time on Interstate 5, where traffic flows at least 90 mph—it’s one of the two main arteries for which a California state senator has proposed adding lanes with no speed limits. That’s a bit faster than I normally drive, but the Stinger proves every bit as stable at those speeds—or even a bit higher—as it does at, say, 65 or 70 mph.
While driving at extra-legal velocities isn’t exactly boring, freeway slogs are, so to keep ourselves entertained, we made a quick stop for food at a Taco Bell (I’ll let you guess which two passengers made that choice), and then cruised on slower back roads as we wended our way north. We all enjoyed sightseeing from the rear seat, with the kids in particular having fun noting the names of the smaller towns until we finally made it to Santa Rosa.
Tucked away in picturesque Santa Rosa in Sonoma County, the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center opened in 2002. It’s home to the largest collection of original Peanuts comic strips and a recreation of Schulz’s personal studio, and features three galleries that are updated throughout the year.
Charles M. Schulz was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and grew up playing hockey. During his youth, Schulz owned two puppies named Snooky and Spike, and his beloved childhood dogs would inspire his most famous creation: Snoopy. In 1969, America’s favorite cartoonist opened the Redwood Empire Ice Arena (a.k.a. Snoopy’s Home Ice) in Santa Rosa, his adopted home.
We started our museum visit with a shopping spree at the gift shop across the street, then headed in, where I absorbed as much about the life of Charles Schulz as I could. Our visit ended in the art classroom where we colored in coloring sheets of Snoopy before unanimously deciding to grab pizza for dinner in San Francisco—it would be the kids’ first time to The City. We drove through downtown Petaluma on the way, and if you’ve never been, make it a point to do so: The city has an aura of romance, and at night is illuminated by decorative lights, storefronts, neon signs, and theater marquees. After grabbing slices at a no-frills joint on Bush Street, we hit Lombard Street—”the crookedest street in the world”—before pointing the Stinger south again for L.A.
Its well-appointed and spacious interior, standout performance from the twin-turbo V-6, and outgoing style made the Stinger an ideal road trip car, and it even proved more comfortable than I expected given its sporty mission. It’s surprisingly luxurious and fun to drive, and we haven’t had any more issues since our last report. With nearly a year in the books and 15,000 miles on the odometer, our Kia will be departing soon, and you can count me among those who will miss it when it’s gone.
Our 2018 Kia Stinger GT
MILES TO DATE 15,004 GALLONS OF FUEL 716.303 OBSERVED MPG 17.6 FUEL COST TO DATE $2,825.06 AVERAGE COST/GALLON $3.80 MAINTENANCE 2x oil changes, 1x tire rotation, $276.22 WARRANTY REPAIRS Blown fuse, front brake rotors resurfaced RECALLS AND TSBs Headlight software fix OUT OF POCKET None SPECIFICATIONS AS-TESTED PRICE $50,175 ENGINE 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged DOHC 24-valve V-6; 365 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 376 lb-ft @ 1,300 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, RWD hatchback EPA MILEAGE 19/25/21 mpg (city/highway/combined) LxWxH 190.2 x 73.6 x 55.1 in WHEELBASE 114.4 in WEIGHT 3,829 lb 0–60 MPH 4.7 sec TOP SPEED 167 mph (mfr) OUR OPTIONS Rear bumper appliqué, $75
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2020 Porsche Cayenne Coupe Slips Sleekly into the Spotlight
Do you like Porsches? Do you like coupes? Do you like crossovers? Well, friend, buckle your seatbelt and meet the 2020 Porsche Cayenne coupe, fresh from its debut at a private event in Stuttgart. It will hit American streets this fall.
Starting at $76,550 for the standard model or $132,350 for the Turbo, the sloped rear glass and rounder profile will command a fair premium over the commensurate versions of the more conventionally styled Cayenne, which cost $66,950 and $125,850. But the extra bucks bring a unique look and feel, as well as several upgrades to the standard equipment of all Cayenne coupes, including the inclusion of Porsche Active Suspension Management, the Sport Chrono Package, and 20-inch wheels.
The roofline is what makes a coupe a coupe these days, apparently—even if it’s a crossover with four doors and a hatch. Accomplishing that steeper roofline was a matter of shortening the A-pillar and lowering the roof by 0.8 inch, redesigning the rear doors, broadening the rear quarter panels, and moving the license-plate mounting area to the rear bumper. Despite the more raked roofline, Porsche will offer the adaptive rear spoiler launched on the standard Cayenne, which increases downforce at the rear axle by extending up to 5.3 inches at speeds above 56 mph.
That curvaceous crown isn’t just for looking at, either. It’s also for looking through, thanks to the panoramic glass roof included as standard. If you don’t want the panoramic glass, fear not, for there’s an optional carbon-fiber roof—a first for any Cayenne—that replaces all that light with lightness.
The Cayenne coupe continues the design-first theme with a range of packages, including the Sports Design package, which offers 22-inch GT Design wheels, fabric seat centers in Pepita (a houndstooth-like pattern that makes Porsche fans squeal), plus Alcantara and carbon-fiber accents. All Cayenne coupes have new eight-way adjustable Sport front seats, with the base model able to be upgraded to the 18-way Adaptive Sport seats that come on Turbo coupes.
Despite the sloped roof and sport-centric options, Porsche still wants the Cayenne coupe to be useful, and to that end has managed to fit 22 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats; fold them and the figure rises to 54 cubes. The Cayenne Turbo coupe sacrifices a bit of space to fit all that extra speed, with 21.2 cubic feet available behind the rear seats and 53.3 with the second row down.
Just two engine options will be available at launch, and both are familiar. The entry version of the coupe uses the same 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 found in its more squared-off sibling, rated for 335 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. That punchy V-6 scoots the Cayenne coupe to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds (or 5.6 with an optional lightweight sports package). The much hotter Cayenne Turbo coupe takes things beyond houndstooth to plaid with 541 horses, 567 lb-ft of torque, and a zero-to-60 sprint of just 3.7 seconds. Top speed for the standard Coupe is 151 mph, while the Turbo can rend atmosphere at a maximum of 178 mph.
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Audi’s Wicked New Turbo-Four Race Engine Pumps Out More Than 610 HP
Four-cylinder racing engines making big power is nothing new, but a four-banger designed to make big power and last an entire season is. Audi has unveiled its engine for the 2019 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) season: a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that it says produces more than 610 horsepower and can run for approximately 3,700 miles.
Unlike other series, DTM requires teams to use the same engine for an entire season. For 2019, that includes nine races each covering various distances, in addition to practice and qualifying sessions. That’s a lot to ask of an engine pushing as much as 50 psi of boost. To help ensure longevity and reliability, Audi says it spent two and a half years developing the powerplant, including 1,000 hours testing on a dyno.
“The format of the DTM is a great challenge,” Stefan Dreyer, head of powertrain development at Audi Motorsport, said in a release. “The long mileage, distributed to many events with short runs, is really tough. Plus, the four-cylinder engine’s vibration behavior totally differs from that of the V-8. That posed a huge challenge during the development of the engine and also to our dynamometers.”
The 2.0-liter replaces the old naturally aspirated 4.0-liter V-8 Audi previously ran in DTM. The switch largely comes down to the series’s bigger focus on fuel consumption for 2019. Regulations now require that cars consume no more than 95 kg (24.7 gallons) of fuel an hour, or 100 kg (26 gallons) per hour when using the short-term “push-to-pass” 30-hp boost. According to Audi, that’s comparable to what was expected of diesel engines in the past. To further challenge engineers, the new rules also allow engines to make 100 horsepower more than last year. Audi says moving to a four-cylinder allowed it to ride the delicate line between making huge power and achieving the required fuel efficiency.
As a bonus, the new engine is also significantly lighter than the V-8 it replaces. The whole powertrain weighs just 187 pounds, which brings the total dry weight of the RS5 DTM to less than 2,200 pounds. With 610 hp on tap, that means the car has a power-to-weight ratio of 1 horsepower per 1.6 pounds.
The new engine makes its debut on May 4 at the season opener at the Hockenheimring. Here’s hoping some of its tech trickles down to Audi’s production four-cylinders.
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Ford Pledges $850 Million Investment for EVs, Next-Gen Mustang at Michigan Plant
Ford Motor Company said on Wednesday it is adding production of a fully electric vehicle at a second North American plant as part of its $11 billion investment plan set last year. The number-two U.S. automaker said it is investing about $900 million in southeast Michigan and creating 900 jobs through 2023 as part of its electric-vehicle push. That includes a plan to invest more than $850 million to expand production capacity at its Flat Rock, Michigan, plant to build EVs.
“When we were taking a look at our $11 billion investment in electrification, it became obvious to us that we were going to need a second plant in the not too distant future to add capacity for our battery electric vehicles,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of global operations, said in a telephone interview. Ford is negotiating an alliance with Germany’s Volkswagen AG to work together on electric and autonomous vehicles. Hinrichs said those talks have been positive, but that there was nothing to announce. The two companies previously agreed to a partnership on commercial vehicles and pickup trucks.
Ford in January 2018 said it would increase its planned investments in electric vehicles to $11 billion by 2022 and have 40 hybrid and fully electric vehicles in its model lineup. That investment figure was up from the previous target of $4.5 billion by 2020. Automakers have been boosting investment in the development of EVs in part because of pressure from regulators in China, Europe, and California to slash carbon emissions from fossil fuels. They also are being pushed by electric carmakers like Tesla.
Of the 40 electrified vehicles in its plan, Ford said at the time that 16 would be fully electric and the rest would be plug-in hybrids. The Flat Rock plant, which currently employs 3,400 people, builds the Ford Mustang and Lincoln Continental cars. The plant investment includes adding a second shift and funding to build the next-generation Mustang, which will offer a hybrid model. Ford already was planning an all-electric sport utility vehicle in 2020 that will be built at its Cuautitlan, Mexico, plant.
Teaser of Ford Mustang-inspired electric SUV.
The Dearborn, Michigan–based automaker also said on Wednesday that it will build its first self-driving vehicles for use by commercial customers at a new manufacturing center in southeast Michigan starting in 2021, and will build its next-generation North American Transit Connect commercial and passenger van in Mexico starting that same year. The next-generation Transit Connect small van will be built at Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, plant and will have increased U.S. and Canadian vehicle content consistent with the proposed new North American trade agreement, the company said. The vehicle is currently built in Spain. Hinrichs said he is optimistic Congress will approve the proposed United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
(Reporting by Ben Klayman)
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Pininfarina Is Now Its Own Car Brand, with an 1,800-HP Hypercar—What’s Next?
In 2015, Indian carmaker and industrialist Anand Mahindra acquired a majority stake in the legendary Italian design house Pininfarina. Creators of hundreds of beautiful cars, including countless dozens of Alfa Romeos and Ferraris since its founding in 1930 by Battista “Pinin” Farina, the firm is now headed by his grandson, Paolo. Last year, the company lent the elder Pininfarina’s first name and the family’s famous surname to Automobili Pininfarina, a new Mahindra venture that came to this year’s Geneva auto show with the Pininfarina Battista. According to its makers, this $2 million, 1,800-hp, all-electric, all-wheel-drive rocket ship—with its four electric motors and powertrain supplied by Rimac, the unlikely Croatian leader in high-power electric-car technology—will make it from rest to 60 mph in less than two seconds. Our New York bureau chief Jamie Kitman spoke with the new company’s CEO, Michael Perschke, following the Battista’s official launch. The interview has been edited slightly for length and clarity.
Automobile Magazine: Explain where Automobili Pininfarina fits in with Pininfarina, the design house.
Michael Pertsche: We will continue to see Pininfarina SpA as a design and engineering house in its own right. It will still continue with its business model as a B2B [business-to-business] company. What motivated Pininfarina to do this? I would go one step further [and ask] what motivated Anand Mahindra after the acquisition of Pininfarina SpA to actually spin off this business and make it an independent, completely new company.
Because that’s what we are—we carry the same brand and the same name and we have the same heritage, but the difference is that this is a B2C [business-to-consumer] company. We are building a brand for future customers of Pininfarina. The Pininfarina family always had the idea but they needed a foresightful, strategic investor of his caliber to take it to that next level.
Tell us more about Mahindra.
It has a market capitalization of about $10 billion USD on the Mumbai Stock Exchange; it is the best performing Indian stock for the last 15 or 20 years. So it’s a real blue chip and it’s gone from strength to strength over the last 15 years, especially since Anand Mahindra became chairman. It’s the world’s largest tractor manufacturer. And you probably can compare our story to the JLR story [and its ownership by India’s Tata]. At the end of it, no JLR customer really cares who own the company. Mahindra is very much in the background here, but we definitely use a lot of its expertise and skills, and especially the connections of Anand Mahindra. Anand addressed World Economic Forum in Davos where he was on stage with Al Gore talking about climate change, for example. And he is a co-chairman of the California Global Climate Action summit.
Mahindra has invested in electrification for three reasons. The economic side, of course. Then it’s proving that the company’s ready for the next fleet on a global basis, and thirdly because the whole sustainability topic is very dear to him. And I think that makes it a perfect blend because we have a very foresightful investor with long-term thinking. It’s not a private equity or venture capital play; you know if you’re tied up with PE or VC kind of companies the thinking is short term. This ultra-luxury business we are in is a long-term one, yet we want to be profitable about five or five and a half years after inception. We would still be 10 years earlier than somebody like Elon Musk. So we have the confidence, we have a good investor, we have good technology partnerships with Pininfarina, with Mahindra Racing, with Rimac, and based on that we are developing a network of strengths to make sure this car [was finished] in record time. The brand was incepted on 13 of April last year. Within record time we came up with a supercar which can already drive on its own wheels. You wouldn’t be able to do that if you wouldn’t have access to exciting talents and resources.
Does Mahindra have an interest in Rimac?
No, we are partners, we are friends, and we are Rimac’s single biggest client.
How does one get your job?
I was born in Germany, in a mountain town, like Denver. (Laughs.) I led the Audi business in India, and made it number one against BMW and Mercedes. We came from a distant number three to number one position. During my three and a half years in India, I got to know Mahindra’s CEO Pawan Goenka and Anand Mahindra, the chairman. And we had a couple of ideas about what we could do together, which never materialized. I left India in 2013 and went back to Europe. But we stayed in contact and when Mahindra acquired Pininfarina I sent Anand a note and said “Congrats, great design house, if you have any plans let me know. I would love to be a part of that exciting story.” One and a half years later I got a call and somebody said, “Look, you know we bought a design house . . . Mr. Mahindra would like you to be a part of it.”
Right, that’s flattering. Your life at Pininfarina must be quite different than when you were with the Volkswagen Group.
Absolutely, though I don’t regret one single minute of my big corporate life. Here, it’s different. I sat with the team more or less just after board approval with a piece of paper, a PowerPoint presentation, an Excel spreadsheet, and a few design sketches. With four to six artisans and partisans—we put the plan together. I have probably the best job in the industry. It’s a combination of running Ferrari and Tesla in one. You can’t get better than that.
What are your goals for Pininfarina?
First and foremost being successful from a customer point of view. Fulfilling customer expectations, that people love the cars. Secondly, from my shareholder point of view, that we are going to make money in 2022, or 2023 at the latest. And that we have a portfolio of three to four killer products that not only in static but also in dynamics perform so awesomely that people start to say, “Well, they have to find a new benchmark.”
We want to be the first sustainable luxury car company, which created a new breed of vehicles for people who are beyond status, beyond 16-cylinder engines, beyond emissions. People who reach a point of what I call self-actualization: “I don’t need that anymore. But if I buy myself a luxury car, a hypercar, I buy Pininfarina because its luxury without guilt.”
So you’ll never make an ICE car?
No. We’ll never do a single ICE car. Will we have maybe one day, fuel cells? Maybe. Will we have different forms of zero emissions? Maybe. But definitely we want to go beyond the internal-combustion race. There are many reasons for that and Mahindra wouldn’t have invested into Mahindra Racing and the Formula E team if he would not believe that that’s the future.
What is your product portfolio going to look like? What comes next?
We call Battista our Bugatti Chiron fighter. So people who are today considering something like a Chiron or a Pagani or a Koenigsegg, this is going to be their first choice because nothing else is available which combines beauty, performance, and electricity. Then the intent is to have a Lamborghini Urus fighter. The single largest market for sure will be the U.S.; we saw that clearly in Pebble Beach, where the response was amazing. Our intent is to sell around about 50 Battistas in North America, including Canada. Our orders are now 60, 65 percent already for the North American allocation and that was even [before a running prototype was shown.] We’ll tour a running, but not final, prototype in the spring. I think by the time it reaches Pebble Beach this summer, we will surely have sold out for the North American market. There’s only going to be 150 made total, giving the car these three key ingredients: beauty, purity, and rarity.
I posted a picture and people were excited about it, but many said, “Kinda looks like a Ferrari to me.” Pininfarina has a glorious tradition of revisiting its own designs, but how do you respond to that?
Yeah, well, I think I would maybe, without sounding cocky, like to rephrase that statement. Pininfarina has designed 64 Ferraris; Pininfarina for a long time was a company who delivered the shovels for Ferrari to dig for gold. I think now we’re ready to dig our own gold, design our own cars, and sell it with our own brand. And I think that it will look Italian, but I think you will see a lot of things in the details that Ferrari would never do, which is the new interpretation of past and present. In the future I think Pininfarina-branded automobiles and Pininfarina-created products will be very different interpretations of classic Italian design. It will compare to Fendi and Prada Italian fashion design houses; they share things in common, and yet they are different.
Follow Jamie Kitman on Instagram and Twitter.
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What Do Real People Think of the New 2019 Ford Ranger?
Ford moved more than 900,000 F-series pickup trucks in the U.S. last year, and even before you begin factoring in the hundreds of thousands of GM and Ram trucks also sold, that makes it pretty clear America is crazy about trucks. But until only very recently, most of the newest and best options were full-size models. What about smaller pickups? We’re willing to bet many full-size buyers—and particularly those of the F-series—are former owners of the old Ford Ranger, which was discontinued in late 2011 but sold more than 350,000 examples annually at its peak.
Now the Ranger is back—more specifically an updated version of the model available globally since 2011—to contest the hot mid-size truck segment that includes the Chevrolet Colorado, GMC Canyon, and the bestselling Toyota Tacoma, which alone saw its sales leap by nearly 25 percent in 2018. I know our opinion of Ford’s newest truck, but I wondered what today’s truck shoppers think, so I took a top-spec Ranger Lariat SuperCrew and put it in front of three potential buyers.
Whitney | 34, owner of a horse-training business
Whitney loves trucks and uses them as intended; her working life with horses sees to that. And along with her husband, she’s a keen off-roader. Whitney recently (and reluctantly) sold her 1998 Ranger, as it had nearly 300,000 miles. Climbing into the new model, Whitney immediately asked questions about the controls. “It’s got a rear locking differential,” she said excitedly. “Most people don’t understand how those work.” That traction-enhancing tool is a $420 option or comes bundled with the $1295 FX4 Off-Road Package fitted to the test vehicle.
Once behind the wheel and on the move, Whitney noted, “I like the size. It’s bigger than my old Ranger. It’s refined and feels much newer, yet I really like the ‘trucky’ feel. Inside, it feels like an SUV. It’s very comfortable.” As she continued her drive, Whitney admitted, “I really miss my Ranger. I don’t want a full-size pickup due to [the difficulty] parking downtown.” She then squeezed the throttle closer to the floor. As our speed increased, I asked her what she thinks is under hood. “A V-6?” she wondered. Whitney was surprised to learn the Ranger uses a turbocharged four-cylinder, but it isn’t an issue. Nor is the standard stop-start system. “I notice it working but it doesn’t bother me,” she noted. “I like that it saves fuel.”
We arrived at a busy parking lot, where the Ranger’s maneuverability impressed but its rear seat did not. “I wish the backrest folded flat,” she said. “I really need a level surface for my dog and hauling stuff.” Flipping up the seat base reveals two not particularly large plastic storage bins. She’d prefer a flat floor. Plus, there’s no 60/40 split. GM and Toyota both have Ford strongly beat in this important area; there’s no trunk in a pickup and the rear seat serves as a versatile, secure storage area for many owners. Perhaps the next-generation Ranger will offer improvements.
Overall, Whitney is a big fan of the Ranger and it’s on her radar for a future purchase, although she may wait for a used example, she said, considering the as-tested price of $44,240. “If I were in the market for a new vehicle, I’d want a Ranger,” she said. “It’s easy to drive and easy to park. But it feels like a truck, which is a good thing.”
Ben | 30, real-estate developer
Ben has never owned a pickup, but he grew up on land with an apple orchard and has driven many trucks. He now lives in the upscale East Grand Rapids area and drives a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Previously, he owned a BMW 335xi. Ben’s now eyeing a new Jeep Gladiator, but he’s intrigued by the Ranger. “I like the idea of a four-door pickup for the SUV-like passenger compartment, but I’d use a tonneau-covered bed for stuff I don’t want inside the cabin.” Like Whitney, a full-size truck isn’t on his radar due to regularly parking downtown.
It took Ben just minutes behind the wheel of the Ranger to voice his disdain for the stop-start system and inquire about a Ranger Raptor. As he put on a few more miles in city traffic, he talked about the engine. “It’s not super-responsive,” he said. “There’s some lag and surging but it feels better at higher speeds. It sure has more power than my [V-6] Grand Cherokee”
Early in the drive, Ben thought the Ranger’s ride quality was SUV-like, but that was before we headed down a frost-heaved country road. “It reminds me of a Ford Super Duty!” he said. “Will a Gladiator ride similarly? Maybe I shouldn’t get a pickup truck! The Ranger feels like a truck, which isn’t ideal for me.” I explained the FX4 suspension setup as well as the heavier, stiffer optional LT tires, which both hurt ride quality. Over the course of the conversation, we both agreed on the Honda Ridgeline as the best option for his needs—if it didn’t look like a boring Pilot with a bed tacked on.
Ben continued to voice his eagerness to test drive a Gladiator, specifically an off-road-oriented Rubicon. “Would you skip the Rubicon if it meant a smoother ride?” I probed. “No,” he said. “The cool factor of the Rubicon—the off-road features and styling—is worth any sacrifices.”
“I like the Ford,” Ben said, “but it needs something. Maybe KC lights, a roll bar, or fender flares. But it’s still cool and I bet they’ll sell a ton. I think I’d consider a Ranger if there wasn’t the Gladiator. And if a Ranger Raptor were coming soon”—while one is sold elsewhere, we won’t get it until the next-generation model—“I’d maybe wait on the Jeep. But since that’s not happening, I’ll stick with a Gladiator.”
Jamie | 54, racing and fabrication shop owner
Jamie is a longtime truck buyer. He’s owned seven new Ford F-series since 1997 and currently drives an F-150 with a 5.0-liter V-8. “I thought about buying the EcoBoost,” he told me. “But a friend has one and he gets worse mileage.” Jamie is a larger fellow and likes the interior space of his full-size truck. But he doesn’t actually need a full-size truck, or a truck at all. “I drive my F-150 like a car. I occasionally put people in the back seat but use that area for my stuff.”
“I’d consider a Ranger, for sure,” he said. “I also thought about a diesel GM mid-size pickup.” He then asked about the output of the Ranger’s engine. “270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque,” I told him. That impressed him. As he drove the Ranger, he commented on the light steering but said it was fine. He had plenty of room in the driver’s seat, though the back seat was a tight fit. It didn’t take long for Jamie to explore the Ranger’s power. “It’s faster than my F-150,” he noted. “And I like the [10-speed automatic] transmission. It’s smooth when driving slowly yet shifts seamlessly under power.” Then the stop-start system kicked in. “I’d disable it if I bought a Ranger—permanently,” he said.
As Jamie drove on, he commented on the ride. “It’s harsher than my F-150, surely due to the shorter wheelbase.” We then talked further about EcoBoost. “The Ranger’s engine note is fine, but my hearing isn’t great from working on racing engines,” he noted. “I’m a bit old school and like bigger engines. But I’m open to downsizing. I’m fine with the engine setup in the Ranger.” He then merged onto the highway. “It’s effortless,” he added. “I’m going 82 mph and it feels like 70 mph.” He later kicked it up to 95 mph and was very happy. “Plus, the Ranger rides better than my F-150 on this stretch of highway,” he noted.
But then the inevitable financial chat began. “I’d consider a Ranger over an F-150, but pricing is key,” Jamie said. “If I could get a Ranger and save $7500, I’d go that route. Otherwise, I’ll just buy another F-150, as the extra space is nice.” A direct price comparison between the Ranger and F-150 is tricky due to content differences, but it’s around $10,000. Yet there are usually strong incentives on the F-150—think multiple thousands of dollars—and Ford has yet to offer much of anything back on the Ranger. Thus it’s unlikely the Ranger is going to steal a ton of traditional F-150 buyers like Jamie, but Ford is probably okay with that—it makes money when it sells either one.
***
All three members of my little focus group were impressed with the Ranger. It’s clearly a better fit for Whitney and Ben, but Jamie still sees the mid-size Ford as a proper truck. I like it, too, especially the power, transmission, profile, and footprint. Ride quality is a concern, particularly with the FX4 suspension and LT tires, and real-world fuel mileage isn’t fantastic—just under 17 mpg, according to the trip computer. That’s significantly thirstier than the EPA numbers (20 mpg city, 24 highway, and 22 combined). More downsides include a lack of interior flexibility and the lower-grade interior materials, plus it needs a factory trailer-brake controller option to complement its 7500-pound towing capacity. Despite these things, though, the Ranger has a lot going for it and it’s a competitive addition to the segment. Based on the execution of the 2019 Ranger, I’m eager to see where it goes from here.
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BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Confirmed for Fall Debut
BMW confirmed today it will debut its more practical version of the 2 Series, the four-door Gran Coupe, at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show in November. Although the current 2 Series coupe and convertible are rear-wheel drive, the BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe will sit on the automaker’s latest UKL front-drive architecture while also likely offering all-wheel drive. The UKL bones are used under various Mini models as well as BMW’s 1 Series, X1, and X2; the 1 Series will be redesigned later this year but isn’t expected to be offered in the U.S. For its part, BMW says the 2 Series Gran Coupe will share “a multitude of technological developments” with the new 1 Series.
BMW also showed off the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s back end in a new teaser image. We can’t tell much from the photo, but it looks like it sports a different set of taillights than those on the current 2 Series coupe and convertible. A small spoiler is fitted to the trunklid. Engine options haven’t been confirmed, but expect the U.S. model to use a 2.0-liter turbo-four as standard equipment. The sedan will compete with the Mercedes-Benz A- and CLA-classes and the Audi A3 when it goes on sale globally in the spring of 2020.
The post BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe Confirmed for Fall Debut appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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Volvo Plans In-Car Sensors to Detect Drunk Driving
Swedish automaker Volvo hopes to reinforce its reputation for safety by installing cameras and sensors in its cars that will monitor drivers for signs of being drunk or distracted, and then signal the vehicle to intervene to prevent accidents. The safety features were detailed at a briefing in Gothenburg on Wednesday and mark another step by Volvo toward its pledge to eliminate passenger fatalities by 2020.
Volvo, which in the 1950s was the first carmaker to introduce the three-point seatbelt, had previously said earlier this month it would introduce a 112-mph (180-kph) speed limit on all its new vehicles. As for the new system, the cameras and sensors will be installed on all models built on Volvo’s SPA2 platform for larger cars. The architecture currently is used for vehicles such as the XC90, S60, and V90, and the company plans to deploy it underneath its driverless cars starting in the early part of the next decade.
The company states that intervening steps taken by the vehicle if the driver is found to be drunk, tired, or distracted by checking a mobile phone—among the largest factors in accidents—could involve limiting the car’s speed, alerting the Volvo On Call assistance service, or slowing down and parking the car. Development of technology that would support such maneuvers has accelerated in the past year as the industry increasingly focuses on electric and autonomous cars.
Volvo Chief Executive Håkan Samuelsson told journalists the technology developments meant carmakers had the responsibility to take on the role of ensuring safety on roads. While the speed-limiter strategy means Volvo, owned by China’s Geely, might lose some customers keen on high speeds, it also opens opportunities to win parents who want to buy the safest car to carry their children, he said. Volvo’s performance electric-vehicle brand Polestar says it will not have speed limiters.
Volvo also announced Care Key, which will allowing owners to set a speed limit for themselves or before lending the car to younger or inexperienced drivers, will be standard on all its cars from 2021. Samuelsson said Volvo was talking to insurers to offer favorable terms to what it termed as “club max 180” customers who were using the safety features. “If we can encourage and support better behavior with technology that helps drivers to stay out of trouble, that should logically also have a positive impact on insurance premiums,” Samuelsson said.
Reporting by Esha Vaish
The post Volvo Plans In-Car Sensors to Detect Drunk Driving appeared first on Automobile Magazine.
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