Automotive

Chevy’s 2.7L Turbo Silverado: Does It Pass Muster?

Chevy’s 2.7L Turbo Silverado: Does It Pass Muster? Chevy’s turbo Silverado will hit the market before the end of the year.
The new 2.7L Turbo, according to Chevy, tops comparable Ram and Ford engines.
How will the new turbo hold up in a product line long dominated by 5.3 and 6.2 V8 engines?
While the 6.2 V8 is the biggest and baddest rooster in the Silverado barnyard, Chevy is showcasing a new spring chicken for their 2019 1500 lineup. It’s hard to imagine General Motors – with the mighty 6.2 and evergreen 5.3 – going smaller. And turbo. But alas, as Garfield once observed, the times are always changing.
Meet the new 2.7L Turbo four-cylinder for the 2019 Chevy Silverado.
By The Numbers
When the 2019 Silverado debuted, new engine technologies, advanced manufacturing, and “mixed material strategies” were the core of the discussion. Earlier this year, we received further insight into how the new Silverado came together, after sitting down with Scott Damman, Lead Development Engineer for the 2019 Silverado.
“The engineering team was actually tasked with going and looking at every single part for weight savings,” he explained. “To do that we actually went to our suppliers and our supply base to begin pulling on new technology, which included new processes for building things.”
A 2019 Chevy Silverado with the 2.7L Turbo is 380 lbs. lighter than a current model with the 4.3L V6. As a bonus, the turbo Silverado is still lighter, despite increased interior and cargo space. Standard on LT and RST, the new turbo offers a 14 percent torque increase and a 13 percent bump in city fuel economy versus the 4.3 V6. It’s also a full second quicker when sprinting to 60 mph (6.8 seconds).
EPA fuel economy ratings come in at 20/23 city/highway for rear-wheel drive models. Max towing is 7,200 lbs. with a 2,280 lbs. max payload when properly equipped.
“With up to 23 mpg on the highway, the truck is efficient while still offering plenty of capability to tackle weekend projects and trips to the lake,” said Tim Asoklis, Silverado Chief Engineer.
Chevy’s 2.7L Turbo endured 475,000 validation tests and a million miles of real-world testing. Photo: Chevrolet.
While the 6.2 V8 is the biggest and baddest rooster in the Silverado barnyard, Chevy is showcasing a new spring chicken for their 2019 1500 lineup.Click To TweetBarnyard Brawl
On the nitty-gritty end, Chevy is swinging heat at their fellow Detroit rivals. The bowtie brand says the turbo Silverado delivers 310 horsepower and 348 lb-ft. of torque, topping Ford’s 3.3L V6 and Ram’s 3.6L V6 mild hybrid by 31 and 29 percent respectively. With the 2.7L Turbo, peak torque runs between 1,500 and 4,000 rpm; the engine reaches said peak quicker than the aforementioned Ram and Ford mills, according to Chevy.
Chevy’s 2.7L Turbo should not be confused with Ford’s 2.7L EcoBoost, which is a V6. Same displacement yes, but different class. That engine generates 325 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque by comparison. Ford’s 3.3 V6, which is naturally-aspirated, creates 290 horsepower and 265 lb-ft. of torque.
Still, with Chevy having such an extensive history with the 5.3 and 6.2, how will – or how can – the 2.7L Turbo Silverado find its place? Granted, Ford’s EcoBoost engines are in a different class, but does GM now look like Johnny Come Lately? Is turbocharging half-ton trucks best left to Ford, considering the EcoBoost F-150 launched in 2011?
Hard to say.
Given the extensive number of options and price ranges, it may ultimately boil down to personal preference. One thing for certain though, trucks today are pulling their weight. And not just in payload but in efficiency. As manufacturers stack their truck lines with more advanced powertrains and lighter materials, the long-term benefits are likely more than we realize, according to this recent Detroit Free Press report.

Chevy’s 2.7L Turbo is paired with an eight-speed automatic. Photo: Chevrolet.
With Chevy having such an extensive history with the 5.3 and 6.2, how can the 2.7L Turbo Silverado find its place?Click To TweetPhysical Chemistry
The 2.7L Turbo’s genetic makeup includes a dual overhead cam valvetrain system. This enables high- and low-lift valve profiles, continuously variable valve timing, and Active Fuel Management – or cylinder deactivation. The combination helps strike an optimum balance between performance and efficiency.
The 2.7L Turbo is also Chevy’s first application of Active Thermal Management, which uses heating and cooling advantageously across the entire powertrain system.
Translation: this helps with fuel economy, recovering otherwise wasted exhaust heat so the engine and transmission warm up quicker. Finally a dual-volute turbocharger housing improves response and cuts lag.
“The new Silverado 2.7L Turbo delivers impressive performance and fuel efficiency,” Asoklis added. “It’s fun to drive every day – quick from the start, and pulling hard under acceleration.”
When the 2019 Silverado debuted, new engine technologies, advanced manufacturing, and mixed material strategies were the core of the discussion.Click To TweetAvailability
The 2019 Chevy Silverado 1500 features eight trims and six engine/transmission combinations including the new turbo. Expect the 2.7L Turbo at dealers before the end of the year.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan. He studies mechanical engineering at Wayne State University, serves on the Board of Directors for the Ally Jolie Baldwin Foundation, and is a loyal Detroit Lions fan.
Photos & Source: Chevrolet.

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Scare Everyone With This Free Nissan Leaf Pumpkin Carving

Scare Everyone With This Free Nissan Leaf Pumpkin Carving Nothing more terrifying than poor gas mileage . . .
It’s Halloween! A time of sweet treats, costume parties, and repeated spins of Jim Stafford’s Spiders and Snakes and Warren Zevon’s Werewolves of London on local radio. The trick-or-treaters will soon dress up and seek out their respective trove of candy treasures. Some of those trick-or-treaters will even be kids.
College students in Detroit. You know who you are.
Scream For Green
Revving up a big muscle car to rattle the bolts of lesser machinery certinately has its allure. However, equally as terrifying is the bill to keep such a muscle car: fuel, tires, washes, fuel, accessories, performance parts, fuel, insurance, tires, fuel, tires, storage, and the list goes on. Did we mention insurance?
Instead of painting black marks onto the pavement, might we suggest a little more green for Halloween? Like Nissan Leaf green. Instead of doing the same old Jack-o-Lantern patterns – dark castle, scary kitty, freaky spider, flying bats, funky trolls etc. – why not transform this year’s gourd into a green machine?
NissanPartsPlus.com and StoneyKins have created a free, first-generation Nissan Leaf pumpkin carving pattern.
“Sure, you might be able to scare some kids with carving big, jagged teeth or whatever, but what if you make this sensible electric vehicle look really cool to a 10 year-old,” said Steve Ferreira, Director at NissanPartsPlus.com. “This Halloween decoration holds up to tradition while giving a nod to the future.”
The Nissan Leaf. Leafs? Leaves? Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Battery Packs & Raisin Boxes
The 2019 Nissan Leaf has an estimated 150 miles of range with its lithium-ion battery pack. Total output stands at 147 horsepower and 236 lb-ft. of torque, an increase of 37 and 26 percent respectively. Among the top features: ProPILOT Assist, which includes safety tech like automatic braking, and the e-Pedal system to bolster more efficient driving.
According to Nissan, the individual structures of the laminated lithium-ion battery cells have improved, representing a 67 percent increase in energy density versus the original 2010 model. Incidentally, the new Leaf was named “2018 World Green Car” by the World Car Awards in March.
“Beyond this being a cool decoration, it is a way to celebrate your environmental side,” Ferreira said. “I’d like to encourage everyone’s love of nature, but please don’t be the house that gives away raisins.”
Well said. And the part about the environment was good too.
Where To Find The Leaf Pattern
You can grab the free Nissan Leaf carving pattern here.
And if you just can’t shake that performance car vibe, here are two others for you. Both free. Happy Halloween!
2018 Chevy Camaro ZL1 1LE pattern.
2018 Subaru WRX STI pattern.

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Famed Automotive Artist Draws Beautiful Acura NSX Cutaway

Famed Automotive Artist Draws Beautiful Acura NSX Cutaway Acura is showcasing a new cutaway sketch of the NSX, hand-drawn by famed automotive illustrator Shin Yoshikawa. Yoshikawa’s cutaways represent, in fine detail, the powertrain, chassis, and mechanical components of a given automobile. This Acura NSX cutaway sketch took months of perpetration and research, but it was drawn mostly from notes and memory.
Which, given the depth of the NSX, is incredible!
Details Are Everything
For reasons like this, Yoshikawa is among the greatest living automotive artists. However, creating this Acura NSX cutaway sketch was hardly a walk in the park.
“The NSX’s innovative power unit was extremely challenging to draw, making the second-generation NSX the most difficult vehicle I have sketched,” Yoshikawa explained.
The 2019 Acura NSX produces a total system output of 500 horsepower and 406 lb-ft. of torque. The 24 valve, twin-turbo V6 features forged steel connecting rods, a dry sump system, and cast aluminum pistons with integrated cooling channels. Acura measures the turbo boost at 15.23 psi. With a compression ratio of 10.0:1, the NSX cranks out more than 140 horsepower per liter of engine displacement.
“Everything comes down to the details,” Yoshikawa continued. “If you don’t understand the technology that goes into building vehicles, you won’t be able to build them, and you certainly can’t draw them.”
2019 Acura NSX. Photo: Acura.
New & Improved
The 2019 Acura NSX made its global debut during Monterey Car Week. Updates include a new body-color front grille garnish and high gloss treatment for the front and rear fascia mesh. A Thermal Orange Pearl paint, an Indigo blue leather interior, and two new brake caliper colors complete the styling treatments.
Performance enhancements include stiffer stabilizer bars and new software tuning. Acura says the NSX now has a time nearly two seconds faster around the Suzuka Circuit.
Below is a clip of Yoshikawa on Jay Leno’s Garage, along with a full-scale image of his NSX sketch. Yoshikawa has been an automotive artist for the last 50 years.

Acura NSX cutaway sketch by Shin Yoshikawa.
Source: Acura.

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2017 Toyota Yaris iA 6-Speed Manual Review

2017 Toyota Yaris iA 6-Speed Manual Review

There’s lots of choices in the compact sedan market with affordable and fuel-efficient models across the segment. But what if you are searching for one that’s also packed with features and surprisingly fun-to-drive? The new 2017 Toyota Yaris iA is a car you should have on your shopping list.
What’s New For 2017
Formerly known as the Scion iA, the 2017 Yaris iA comes under the Toyota umbrella now that Scion has been axed. It’s essentially unchanged compared to last year’s model.
Features & Options
Our 2017 Toyota Yaris iA tester came with the 6-speed manual transmission ($15,950) which is $250 more than the Scion version from last year. It comes well-equipped for a subcompact car with its abundant features. It offers up keyless entry, push-button start, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, power mirrors, a 7-inch touchscreen, and 6-speaker sound system with music streaming. It also comes with steering-wheel controls, voice recognition for audio and phone, Bluetooth, a USB port, plus compatibility with Aha, Pandora, and Stitcher.
A 60/40 fold-flat rear seat was also included. Total MSRP including destination: $16,815.
Interior Highlights
We were impressed the moment we stepped into the Yaris iA’s cabin. The upright touchscreen and circular vents come right from the page of a Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. It’s unusual to find this kind of material quality and fit and finish in a subcompact, costing less than $17,000. There’s lots of soft touch materials used throughout and the infotainment system features the kind of connectivity a high-tech generation wants.
The 7-inch touchscreen sits on the dash. It caught and kept our attention with its easy to read display. Room up front is typical for a subcompact and rear passengers will feel a bit cramped on longer jaunts around town. For cargo, the rear seats fold flat and open up to the sedan’s trunk.

Engine & Fuel Mileage Specs
The 2017 Toyota Yaris iA is powered by a 1.5-liter engine producing an ample 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft. of torque. The iA engine comes from Mazda, using direct injection with a high 12:1 compression ratio. The four-cylinder powerplant is tuned for fuel efficiency and achieves an EPA-estimated 30/39 city/highway and 34 combined with the 6-speed manual gearbox.
If you don’t want to shift yourself, a 6-speed automatic is available and gets better fuel mileage at 33/42 city/highway and 37 combined.
Driving Dynamics
There’s a lot to like about the Scion iA sedan with the manual gearbox. It’s a driver’s car from the start and offers plenty of fun for enthusiasts. We had the car for the weekend and had a chance to drive it in the city and mountains west of Denver.
The Yaris iA hugged the mountain curves with ease and little body lean. The manual gearbox is a joy to shift with crisp changes up and down in the gears. The 6-speed manual is more fun-to-drive than the automatic Scion iA we drove last year by a mile!
On the open road, we had to downshift into 5th on the mountain hills as 6th gear is tall and more of an overdrive. It was easy to find the right gear, however, as we motored through the city streets and made the commute through town. Handling is sporty and the suspension is just right with MacPherson struts in front and the torsion beam in the rear.
Conclusion
If you want a more engaging driving experience, we like the Toyota Yaris iA manual over the more serene automatic. For fuel mileage and city commuting, the Yaris iA automatic is the way to go. Our personal preference would be to sacrifice one or two mpg and go with the sportier driving machine, the 6-speed manual. It’s fun-to-drive, offers a more engaging experience, and still gets excellent fuel mileage overall.
Denis Flierl has invested over 25 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. Follow his work on Twitter: @CarReviewGuy
2017 Toyota Yaris iA Gallery

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2017 Toyota Yaris iA Official Site.
Photos: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

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Unexpected Car Shows Are Always Worth Visiting

Unexpected Car Shows Are Always Worth Visiting

For me it has turned into an immutable fact that you should always, always head to a car show, especially if you are in a strange setting or you didn’t know about the car show in advance. About a month back, I found myself in just such a time and place, when an unexpected car show appeared out of nowhere.
It turned out to be a gloriously affirming good time of car related gearheadedness.
Quintessential Community
I was recently in Port Townsend, Washington on a working vacation. Port Townsend is a cute little Victorian-era town on the banks of Puget Sound. Back when it was founded, before the Civil War, they thought Port Townsend was going to be the San Francisco of the north. And they were nearly right, since at that time, Seattle was a brine-soaked series of mud flats and Tacoma was, uh, a brine-soaked series of mud flats (it’s amazing what a lot of rain will do to a place). But Port Townsend got outpaced by both Seattle and Tacoma and now exists, mainly, as a weekend getaway spot, artist colony, ex-hippie refuge and, somehow, a place for retired Californians to live.
Port Townsend was also a place where I stumbled onto a local car show that was pretty impressive; the Port Townsend Kiwanis Classic Car Show. Sure, there were the tastefully done up hot rods (I refuse to call them street rods) more than a few immaculate antique cars that looked showroom fresh 75 years on and, surprisingly, more than a few outright sports cars, plus interesting older cars and even – gasp – something French! Here are a few of my favorites, or at least the cars that caught my eye, followed by a photo gallery of the other rides assembled.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
First up, let’s get my biases out of the way. This is a rather nice and tastefully modified Triumph TR3. It had all the period goodies like wire wheels and that factory grille bar with the driving lights, but it had also been seen-to here and there.

The interior was redone with new materials but retained that old style look; even the dash was redone, and just as tastefully. “But what’s this,” I asked as I walked around the front and took in the engine bay . . . that, my dear friends, is a Roots-type scroll supercharger. I never found the owner so I couldn’t tell you how much power this thing puts to the tarmac, but that’s an upgrade after my own heart.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
Just aft of that Roots blower was this, the nearly impenetrable stronghold of Lucas, The Prince of Darkness.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
Many a times have I stared, knuckles bleeding, tears welling up in my eyes, at just that fuse block. Many, many times have I looked on, feeling like an Old Testament prophet that God had decided to test. That fuse block, right there, is one of the biggest reasons why I drive a Miata.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
Next up, we have this pickup, an older Chevy; I didn’t really pay attention, but what jumped out at me was the car club plaque screwed into the front bumper.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
Badge of Honor
See, back in the 1950s, if you were in a car club, one of the things your dues got you, in addition to that totally cool Car Coat and the secret blood initiation, was some sort of identifying marker. In SoCal, they tended to be these stand-up things you put on the parcel shelf in your rear window. In other places, it was a bumper plaque like this one.
Check it out closely, it is exemplary of the art: up top, your car club; in this case The Rakers (and how cool of a club name is that?) and down at the bottom, where you hail from, in this case, Port Townsend. In other words, this guy was a Port Townsend gearhead waaaay back in the day, and he still is. Like I said, cool, no?
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
Red Hot
Ah, the Shoe Box Ford. Why they got called that I never knew, but that’s what everyone knows them as now. This is a particularly fine example that also hews very close to what cruiser cars were like back then. The modifications were usually subtle. This guy sported a very nice, deep wine red paint job; it was lowered a little, and was running on what looked like Gotti wheels (an odd choice, but they worked).
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
But what’s this? This would be some rather nice pinstriping flourishes up front, a la Von Dutch. And if you think, even for a second, that Von Dutch is that clothing line Justin Timberlake wears, I swear I will hunt you down with dogs and show you just how wrong you are.
Photo: Tony Borroz for Automoblog.net.
I Fought The Law
But wait, it gets even better! What’s that, you might ask? That, my young Padawan, is a “Blue Dot.” That thing, right there in the center of the taillight, is an aftermarket item you could buy back in 50s and 60s. They are these faceted pieces of dark blue plastic about the size of a nickel, surrounded by a chrome bezel. And the deal was, you’d drill a hole in your taillight and mush them in there, and when you’d hit the brakes, you’d give off this purple-ish glow. Putting Blue Dots on your car back then was like rolling up your Pall Malls in your t-shirt sleeve, and turning up the collar on your Car Coat; it showed in no uncertain terms that you were A. Bad. Boy.
I know, it doesn’t seem like much until you consider that, for some reason lost to me, the local cops hated seeing them. You’d get pulled over and ticketed for some sort of penny-ante equipment infraction. But you didn’t care! You were a gearhead! The bulls could kiss it! Hand me a match, will ya? I am still personal friends with older guys that got hassled by cops because of this. See, when you’re a gearhead, there’s always something the cops are going to dislike. You get used to it, I suppose.
Here’s the rest of the cars that were at the show. Like I said, a pretty impressive turn out; everything from fabulous Hudson Hornets to Citroen Maseratis – and what sort of masochist owns a French car powered by a 70s vintage Italian engine way out in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula? My kind of gearhead, that’s who.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias toward lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Port Townsend Kiwanis Classic Car Show Gallery

Gallery Photos: Tony Borroz.

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Global Summit In Brussels, Belgium Examines Autonomous Driving

Global Summit In Brussels, Belgium Examines Autonomous Driving

Autonomous driving is one of the headline topics today in the automotive industry. A conversation on autonomy can include everything from technology and infrastructure, to legalities and testing. Sometimes, people will even voice apprehensions about an autonomous car, expressing their fears about life in an autonomous world. Recently, a new study highlighted that safety is still the main concern among consumers.
AutoSens organizers are in tune to this, understanding that collaboration is necessary for the successful implementation of autonomy.
Challenges & Opportunities
AutoSens returns this week to Autoworld in Brussels, Belgium, their second summit this year, following a successful event in May in Detroit, Michigan. The Detroit event marked the North American debut for AutoSens, with over 350 engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs, and other automotive industry experts in attendance. AutoSens is built on the visions these professionals share on vehicle perception technology, ADAS systems, and autonomous driving. Like in Detroit, AutoSens Brussels examines OEM requirements for developing these systems, and provides arenas for engagement, idea sharing, and collaboration.
“AutoSens has a strong following, backing within the industry, and is building a community of dedicated and passionate automotive engineers and technologists,” said Robert Stead, Managing Director, Sense Media. “That same community has a powerful desire to see through the roll out of autonomous vehicle technology.”
Photo: Sense Media.
Active Participation
AutoSens Brussels will see an influx of over 400 technical experts and engineers, each with a thorough understanding of connected car systems. The biggest topics in Brussels include camera developments, functional safety testing and validations, sensor fusion, image processing, imaging standards, and benchmarking. LiDAR, radar, computer vision, in-car networking, and the challenges facing each will be prime talking points as well.
Organizers are dedicated to providing the ideal environment for industry professionals to better understand what is talking place in these key areas. The strongest aspect of AutoSens is how attendees participate in the conversations, bring ideas to the table, identify problems, and even implement solutions. In Brussels there will be ample opportunity: the 4-day program includes 6 expert workshops, vehicle demonstrations, over 60 keynote-style conference sessions, 40 plus booth exhibitions, 8 industry awards, and a gala ceremony.
“Keeping engineers at the core, AutoSens in Brussels will see an international awards program and gala dinner in Europe, extended learning through an enhanced series of workshops, continuation of the IEEE P2020 working group activities, and vehicle demos to showcase the latest technology as we develop the ADAS and autonomous vehicle technology community this year,” Stead said.
Photo: Sense Media.
Accomplished Voices
The speakers at AutoSens Brussels are as diverse as they are distinguished. Collectively, the panel has experience in everything from robotics and computer vision, to automotive electronics, digital imaging, and functional safety. Each speaker was handpicked and selected based on their contributions to functional safety, driver assistance systems, autonomous cars, and their overall passion for the topics. Speakers at AutoSens Brussels include:
Philipp Hoffmann, Research, New Technologies and Innovation, Project Leader, BMW Group.
Heiko Hirschmueller, Co-Founder, Roboception.
Erich Ramschak, Sensor Product Manager, ADAS Engineering, AVL.
Markus Heimberger, System Architect; Senior Expert, Valeo.
Chris Davies, Head of Technical Superiority, Belron.
Saskia de Craen, Senior Researcher, SWOV.
Paul Jennings, Professor, University of Warwick.
Sheldon Russell, Senior Research Associate, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.
Junmuk Lee, Senior Research Engineer, Hyundai Autron.
Erik Vinkhuyzen, Senior Researcher, Nissan Research Center.
Photo: Sense Media.

Historic Appeal
AutoSens Brussels will be held in two different venues, the first of which is the Autoworld private museum. Organizers believe Autoworld’s architecture, car collection, and history make it the ideal location. During World War l, Autoworld served as the German army’s garage, while the Mundaneum, created by Belgian lawyers Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine, was installed there in 1920. The AutoSens Awards will take place on September 20th at the Atomium.
AutoSens Brussels begins on Tuesday, September 19th and runs through Thursday, September 21st. Registration is currently open and the full schedule can be found here.
“We have some really exciting things in store so the team and I are looking forward to seeing how the industry responds,” Stead said.
Carl Anthony is Managing Editor of Automoblog and resides in Detroit, Michigan.

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Polestar Spaces Are NOT Traditional Dealerships, Company Says

Polestar Spaces Are NOT Traditional Dealerships, Company Says Polestar, a new electric performance band from Volvo Car Group, is establishing their retail network.
The company wants a look, feel, and experience different from traditional car dealerships.
The first “Polestar Space” will open next year in downtown Oslo, Norway on Øvre Slottsgate.
Polestar Spaces
Don’t call them dealerships, don’t even think of them as such. “Polestar Spaces” are anything but traditional dealerships, according to the automaker. The new electric performance brand, fresh off the North American reveal of the Polestar 1, will begin establishing its retail network.
“Polestar will be a fully digital brand, but a Polestar Space is where customers will be able to come into direct contact with us,” explained Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer, Polestar. “In a Polestar Space, they’ll meet and interact with a Polestar brand and product expert, see the engineering under the skin as well as be able to take a test drive.”
The first Polestar Space will open in the middle of 2019 in Oslo, Norway, a key market according to the automaker.
“As Norway is one of the world’s most important electric vehicle markets, it is logical to begin the Polestar Space story in Oslo,” Ingenlath said.
Museum Exhibits & Multiple Channels
Polestar wants a minimalist approach, with a showroom space that closely mirrors the design and philosophy behind Polestar cars. The locations will have a museum-like feel. Wheels and carbon-fibre sections will stand like exhibits, complimented by material finishes, paint colors, and leather samples.
“A visit to a Polestar Space will be a very different experience to today’s typical car dealership,” Ingenlath said. “We aim to surprise and delight our customers, removing the hassle that comes with traditional car ownership.”
Representatives and employees will also embody the company’s retail philosophy.
“As the customer will order the car online, they won’t experience hard-sell, commission-based salespeople in a Polestar Space. Our customers will never feel pressure to sign a contract,” Ingenlath continued. “Polestar is a multi-channel brand which is why it must be supported by a unique retail experience.”
Polestar Spaces will feature elements of the company’s design language and philosophy, according to the automaker. Photo: Polestar.
Forward Looking
Polestar opens their portfolio with the Polestar 1, a 600 horsepower, low-volume performance hybrid. The aptly named and higher-volume Polestar 2 and 3 will follow as full battery-electric vehicles.
“By the middle of 2020, we aim to have opened up to 60 Spaces around the world to support the key launch markets for the brand,” Ingenlath said. “As we progress, we will open Spaces in more locations to support our retail development, making the brand more accessible with the opening of each new Space.”
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
Photos & Source: Polestar.

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Texting & Eating: New Documentary Examines How Badly We Drive

Texting & Eating: New Documentary Examines How Badly We Drive 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel Overview
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is a new documentary and podcast series.
The film shows how frequently distracted driving occurs by following eight different individuals.
Boyd Productions and Connecticut Public Television gathered hundreds of hours of footage.
Leading minds showcase how new technology may help curb distracted driving.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is available now.
An interesting documentary landed on my desk recently titled 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel. Three seconds is the time it takes to travel a football field while driving. Coincidentally, that’s the amount of time it takes the average driver to do something like look at a text message, choose a song or, even worse, reply to a text message.
The movie states up front that it is not here to scare you, and in that they are right. This is not one of those horrid driver’s education films from 1964 with lots of rock-a-billy and misspent youths and screeching tires and regrets.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is 55 minutes of exploration of not only distracted driving, but also trends in smartphone usage, autonomous cars, and augmented driving. That’s a fairly nice way of saying, narrative-wise, 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is rather meandering and has a hard time getting to any one point. And, most crucially, it seems to not fully understand the point it is ultimately hoping to make.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel follows the lives of eight people, ages 18 to 65, over six months using in-car cameras and tracking technology to monitor their driving habits. Photo: Jonathan Olson.
Honest & Intimate
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel is divided into three critical chunks. The first is a look at a data analysis firm that conducted a study of rather delicious deviousness. They mounted a bunch of cameras inside the cockpits of various cars, and pared that footage with accelerometer data from the driver’s phones. And not just any drivers, but a lot of teenagers. Those that have driven with or recall what you drove like as a teenager will readily know it can be frightening.
But I’m not just talking about hot-rodding reprobates out looking for cheap thrills and jazz music, oh no. I’m talking about drivers of all ages that are constantly on their phones or are constantly distracted. Everyone in 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel spends a terrifying amount of time reading texts and responding to them, plus full-on jamming to tunes with both hands off the wheel for long stretches. We’re talking Neil Peart-level air drum solos!
And eating food while driving . . . even eating it off plates with plastic utensils!
“While many of these driver’s habits will shock you, this is a very honest and intimate look at human behavior,” said Executive Producer Jennifer Boyd of Boyd Productions.
Katie, a young mother and photographer, is one of the subjects in film 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel. Photo: Boyd Productions, CPTV.
The Things We Do Instead of Driving
All of this accompanied by some juicy rationalizations: “Oh! The reason I was eating that was because I got the food like that, on a plate, at a birthday party. Swedish meatballs.” I’m not sure what the mitigating factor is here: the fact that she got the entire plate of food at a birthday party or that it was Swedish meatballs.
Nevertheless, all of this in-car footage makes you wonder, “Do I really pick my nose that often?”
“You’re in kind of a private space that is typically reserved for just the driver, and now you get to observe a lot of these things that are going on – that we all do,” explained Eric Jackson, Director of the Connecticut Transportation Safety Research Center at the University of Connecticut. “But you don’t think about it until you start watching the videos and you’re like ‘I do that.'”
Global Concern
It’s not just in the United States either. A survey conducted by Carzoos found that 75 percent of Australians eat while driving and another 55 percent use a mobile device. The same study found that 25 percent of women, aged 25 to 34, apply makeup while driving.
“We don’t have a distraction epidemic; we really have an attention epidemic,” said Bryan Reimer, Research Scientist, MIT. “I think that we really need to begin asking the question: What is distraction? Could it be that the act of driving has become the distraction from the communication and infotainment world that we all live in?”
The European Transport Safety Council reported last year on surveys conducted by Ipsos and Dekra. Ipsos found that 36 percent of drivers in the Czech Republic use their phone behind the wheel; Dekra found around 25 percent in Spain and Ireland did the same. And in a bizarre yet tragic case two years ago in Japan, the Pokémon Go game was a factor in a fatal accident.
“In today’s electronic digital age, it seems impossible for some people to resist answering phone calls or responding to text messages or Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook posts even while behind the wheel,” said Special First Lieutenant and Traffic Safety Specialist Jim Flegel of the Michigan State Police. “When a person drives distracted one time and nothing bad happens, they think they can do it all the time with the same results. This is not true! It only takes being distracted for a brief moment before a tragedy can occur.”
In the film we meet Aubrey who often checks social while driving. Photo: Boyd Productions, CPTV.
Just Google It
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel then drifts towards talking about automated driving. There’s no real clean break when they move from act one to act two, so it doesn’t work all that well. Still, the producers talk with people at Google working on better strategies for UIs (user interfaces) in the automotive world. Things like where the yes tap should be versus the no tap versus the go back tap on a smartphone screen.
Google has a very nice driving simulator rig with multiple screens and umpteen ways of tracking the driver being tested; facial expressions, eye movement, eye gaze, how long your eyes linger on a given point, body language, head motion, and speed – just thousands of data points to draw from. Curiously, the Google folks make no mention of voice recognition or voice control.
The producers give some passing time to talking about Tesla’s Autopilot, although they (like Tesla) point out how it’s not a real “set it and forget it” autopilot.
Possible Solutions
Ultimately, 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel tries to show what industry experts and entrepreneurs are doing to improve road safety. Recent data from the National Safety Council suggests roadway deaths this year may climb as high as 40,000.
It is at this point the film gets to what I’m guessing is the whole point: augmented driving. This segment has the most narrative and methodological oomph behind it, but the producers never really come out and state it. As a matter of fact, the film never uses the term “augmented driving” but that’s what it is. They talk with a National Transportation Safety Board accident investigator about autonomous versus augmented systems.
We also meet a Swedish automotive engineer from Autoliv who backs up what the NTSB guy says.
In so many words: taking humans completely out of the loop is a bad idea.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel examines new technologies that may offer solutions to rising crash statistics. Photo: Jonathan Olson.
Human Intervention
The logic presented in 3 Seconds Behind the Wheel goes something like this: we don’t want the machine doing everything, because machines are bad at thinking on their feet during random, chaotic events. What we want is the machine doing most of the thinking, and then, if things go all cock-eyed, the human intervenes and solves the problem.
Other experts share similar views, and even offer real-world situations where human involvement might be the better option.
“When a driver approaches a ball in the street, they can determine that perhaps a child is following. Of course you can tell a computer this simple script, but a human can determine many different types of balls that could be in the road,” said Saskia de Craen from the SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research during AutoSens Brussels last year. “The point is that people are very good at adapting in situations like this and computers do make mistakes.”
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel examines how airline manufacturers have the ability to automate the entirety of a flight, but don’t. Human pilots control the take off and climbing to altitude. Once the plane is cruising eight miles high, then they switch on the automatic systems. Autoliv is working on something similar. The car can and does drive itself, but urges you to take the wheel when it feels you’re the better option.
Key Considerations
This film should present very few (if any) surprises to us grease-stained gearheads. We already know this. We already know we’re not driving a phone booth or a diner or a beauty parlor. When driving a car, we are doing so with the appropriate levels of care, dedication, and skill that our love for cars demands.
3 Seconds Behind the Wheel, in short, is not for us gearheads. It for those other lack-wits out there we are forced to share the road with. Let’s hope they’re watching this movie and paying attention.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle format. His forthcoming new book The Future In Front of Me, The Past Behind Me will be available soon. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz

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2020 Range Rover Evoque Price and Release Date

What’s new from 2020 Range Rover Evoque will we discuss on the article this time. Land Rover about one of his luxury car manufacturer certainly not everyone can afford to buy this car. Crossover attracts more customers than we expected this may be supported by sales data from this car from year to year is always increasing. the new machine like his will be present such as diesel and plug-in hybrid Variant. But this new rumor.

2020 Range Rover Evoque Price

2020 Range Rover Evoque : Interior and Exterior

The new 2020 Range Rover Evoque will be the new generation model and will bring lots of alterations. It will eventually ride on the revised edition of your recent LR-MS architecture and it is actually likely to be somewhat wider and can obtain a longer wheelbase. In addition, it is actually anticipated to get lighter in contrast on the preceding model. As for that exterior design and style, the Range Rover Evoque will characteristic numerous equivalent styling cues together with the larger Range Rover Evoque. The similarities will largely be viewed from the front fascia together with the same narrow grille and angular headlamps. Also, it’ll get the bigger air inlets for far better cooling. On the rear end, we’ll recognize a new black bumper.

Within the cabin, 2020 Range Rover Evoque will get the additional room due to the bigger dimensions. So, this time the passengers will get pleasure from added space and for that reason a lot more comfortable. Furthermore, it’s going to come with two rows of seats as ahead of and can have the ability to welcome up to 5-passengers. The second row of seats is going to be split-folding which if wanted for more cargo area. Usually, the cargo space is additionally expected to get bigger because the Evoque is now wider compared to the former model 12 months. In addition, the products will even be upgraded and we can anticipate much more metallic and purely natural trims. The dashboard may also be revised with an upgraded infotainment display which will be much easier to use. Likewise, it’ll obtain an entirely digital gauge cluster and upgraded buttons around the center console.

Trims of the vehicle : SE, SE Premium, Landmark Edition, HSE, SE Dynamic, HSE Dynamic, Autobiography

2020 Range Rover Evoque Engine

As we stated, you will find prospects of hybrid powertrains while in the future, but for now, there isn’t any. The 2020 Range Rover Evoque includes the single 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged 4-cylinder unit which has 230 hp. For those who go for SE, SE Premium, HSE, Convertible, and Landmark Edition you’re going to get this output. The Evoque HSE Dynamic and Autobiography trims get the same powerplant but by using a distinct output of 286 horsepower. With both engine variants, you receive the identical 9-speed automated transmission.

2020 Range Rover Evoque Price and Release Date

For the price of what would be the same as the model before him, certainly not. 2020 Range Rover Evoque will be on the value of $43,000 for the highest trim. For more information about the release date as his Range Rover will issue his products at the beginning of the year 2020. Car competitors include the Audi Q5, Volvo XC60, the BMW X 4.

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