2019 Toyota Yaris Sedan: Mid-Premium Goodness

2019 Toyota Yaris Sedan: Mid-Premium Goodness Here is the 2019 Toyota Yaris sedan . . . wait, they make a Yaris sedan? Why would you make a Yaris sedan? At this point, why would you make a Yaris? I keed! I keed! The Toyota Yaris is a perfectly serviceable car. No, it does not take you in Rolls-like comfort. No, it does not have Ferrari-esque power and agility. But it is a Yaris.
And at a certain point in time, maybe a Yaris is what a person needs. If you can get past the looks – and you’re going to have to, because this thing is gruesomely unattractive – but the Yaris is as dependable as, well, as a Toyota.
Mid-Premium Design
The Yaris sedan will come in three grades for 2019: L, LE, and XLE. The XLE is said to be more of a premium grade, although we here at Automoblog might call it “mid-premium.” The XLE offers up leatherette-trimmed front seats, which Toyota describes as “sporty” along with a leather-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob, and parking brake. The HVAC system has automatic climate control; there are automatic LED headlights, rain-sensing wipers, and illuminated entry on the mid-premium Yaris XLE.
There are newer styling touches to be found on the 2019 Yaris, like the front grille with a honeycomb insert, “upscale” piano black accents, and chrome trim. Fog lights are standard on the LE and XLE, and there’s also a new rear lip spoiler and a color-keyed shark fin antenna for the satellite radio. Power outside mirrors are standard on the L, and the LE and XLE get power outside heated mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators. And all this inexpensive yet practical goodness will come painted in seven colors.
Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Power & Performance
As you would expect, the 2019 Yaris sedan is as efficient as any other Toyota out there. It’s powered by a direct-injected, 1.5-liter engine mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Those equal up to 32 mpg in the city, 40 on the highway, and 35 combined. Nice! But if you opt for the six-speed manual box, those figures turn into 30 mpg in the city, 39 on the highway, and 34 combined, but you do get the fun and enjoyment of stirring your own gears. Which actually should be fun thanks to the compact, lightweight design, and short-throw shift changes.
That 1.5-liter DOHC four-banger pumps out 106 horsepower and 103 lb-ft. of torque, or about what a first gen GTI put out. So the Yaris should have some semblance of fun about it.
Chassis & Suspension
There’s a lot of high-tensile strength steel in the body and frame, so the chassis of the Yaris sedan should make for a rigid suspension platform. The ride is controlled via stiffer springs paired with MacPherson struts up front and a torsion beam suspension in the rear, and all you gearheads know: torsion beam rear suspension = three-wheeled corning around the AutoX course – yee-HAW!
The steering is provided by the now nearly-completely-ubiquitous electronic power steering unit. There’s a Sport mode for improved torque feel at the flip of a switch. Stopping is taken care of by ventilated discs up front and drum brakes in the rear. No, really: drum brakes and a torsion beam suspension out back. Ha!
Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Tech & Safety
The interior falls into the “modern car manufactured to a price point” category. Every Yaris has a seven-inch touchscreen multimedia system with voice recognition, remote interface, steering wheel controls, Bluetooth connectivity, and a standard backup camera. The speedo is analog, the tach digital, and cruise control comes standard. Every Yaris is standard equipped with an Active Safety System: Dynamic Stability Control, Traction Control System, Brake Assist, Electronic Brake-Force Distribution, Anti-Lock Brake System, and a Brake Over-Ride System.
The Low-Speed Pre-Collision System scans the road ahead for potential collisions. If the system sees something is up, an audio/visual alert and braking assistance are designed to automatically trigger. Should you be a complete dolt and fail to respond, this system may automatically apply the brakes.
Pricing & Availability
The new Yaris will hit Toyota dealerships this fall with pricing information due closer to that time.
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 
Photo: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Photos & Source: Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.



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2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Arrives: What You Need To Know

2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Arrives: What You Need To Know The 2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell is now at select Honda dealerships in California. The Clarity Fuel Cell joins a growing lineup of Honda electrified vehicles, including the 2018 Accord Hybrid and the recently announced 2019 Insight. The automaker says their goal is to have electrified vehicles represent two-thirds of their global sales by 2030.
Power & Performance
The Clarity series, which includes the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, Clarity Fuel Cell, and Clarity Electric, each have a low, wide aerodynamic body. The Clarity Fuel cell features a Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell, 346-volt lithium-ion battery, and an AC Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Electric Motor. Honda classifies the transmission as a fixed, single-speed, direct-drive transmission with Sport mode and shift-by-wire technology.
The EPA miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe) ratings come in at 69 city, 67 highway, and 68 combined, with a refueling time of approximately three to five minutes when using 70 MPa stations. Driving range is estimated between 360 and 370 miles on average. The Clarity Fuel cell produces 174 horsepower and 221 lb-ft. of torque.
The Honda Sensing suite of advanced safety features is standard.
2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell. Photo: Honda North America.
Pricing
With $2,868 due at signing, drivers receive their new Clarity Fuel Cell on a 36-month lease for $369 per month. While lease terms can vary, Honda is advertising a generous mileage allowance of 20,000 miles per year. The lease also includes roadside assistance, up to $15,000 of hydrogen fuel, and up to 21 days of access to a luxury vehicle from Avis, although the rental is only good in California. Golden State residents are also eligible for an additional $5,000 rebate.
Availability
Retail leasing of the Clarity Fuel Cell is available through a network of 12 approved Honda dealerships in select California markets, including six dealerships in Southern California, five in the San Francisco Bay Area, and one in the Sacramento area. Honda says as the network of public hydrogen fueling stations expands, the Clarity Fuel Cell will be more readily available.
The Automoblog Staff contributed to this report and can be reached anytime.
2018 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell Gallery








Photos & Source: Honda North America.



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Can The 2019 Kia K900 Compete Against The Europeans?

Can The 2019 Kia K900 Compete Against The Europeans? Here it is, the 2019 Kia K900. A car that un-ironically uses words like “classically drawn exterior” and “gravity of prestige” to describe itself. For more than four-thousand words, the Kia press release drags on and on, blah-blah luxury this, flim-flam high-tech that, worry-worry safety stuff over there. All that stuff is beside the point when you get to the part about the new K900’s powertrain and chassis.
You know what words I noticed? Albert Biermann. Yup, that Albert Biermann. The BMW tuner guy.
Kia states very flatly that the whole point of the K900 is to compete against its premium European competitors. And that phrase becomes more than marketing horse manure when you realize that Albert Biermann is the President of Kia’s Vehicle Test and High Performance Development. Yeah, the former Chief Engineer for BMW’s M performance cars with over 30 years of experience.
“The goal for the K900 was to achieve ‘confident comfort’ on the road,” he explained. “To deliver this result, we focused on four main categories: drivability, NVH, comfort, and steering precision.”
Power & Performance
The 2019 K900 is powered by a 3.3-­liter twin turbo V6, the same engine found in Kia’s much ballyhooed Stinger fastback. In the K900, it cranks out 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft. of torque, with the twin, single scroll turbos integrated directly into the exhaust manifold; Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing broadens out the power band. A cooling system described as “robust” is there to handle the increased thermal loading with a wider radiator and 600-watt fan motor.
This plant is mated to a second-gen, in-house built eight-­speed automatic operated by a Shift­-by-­Wire gear selector that allows for quicker shifts during more spirited driving. And on top of all that is full-­time “Dynamic Torque Vectoring Control,” or a standard all-wheel drive system in other words. It is electronically biased towards the rear but freely distributes torque to any and all four corners as the system sees fit. Up to 50 percent of the torque can be sent to the front and up to 80 percent of the power can be routed to the rear in Sport mode. The K900 is the second application of this in-house system with the Stinger being the first.
2019 Kia K900 on display at the 2018 New York International Auto Show.
Ride & Handling
The wheelbase is longer and the stance wider for greater control and stability; the chassis was strengthened over the previous K900 with increased front and rear lateral stiffness thanks to a greater use of structural adhesives. Torsional stiffness is up by 33 percent over the outgoing K900; the new model has four times more hot stamping than before to give the vehicle a more solid and premium feel.
The K900 utilizes a wheel air curtain to minimize vortices inside the wheel arches by introducing air from the bumper. The full underbody panels reduce drag as does an active air flap. The bottom line: a drag coefficient of .27 Cd. Noise, vibration, and harshness reduction measures are positively euro-like with enhanced insulation throughout the vehicle structure, including the firewall, under floor cover, and vibration pad behind the headliner. There’s even an acoustic film on the windshield for a quieter cabin.
A new “Quadric pattern” grille is found on the 2019 K900. There are 176 “jewel-like cells” within the grille that visually represent ripples that would result from the impact of a splash. Photo: Kia Motors America.
Steering & Suspension
The steering itself is an electro-mechanical, rack­-mounted power assembly designed for increased agility and comfort. There’s “slower” off-center feel, which provides a better sense of stability, especially during high-speed driving. And for anyone who has ever driven a BMW, this will feel quite normal. Huh, I wonder where Kia came up with that notion?
The four-wheel independent suspension delivers tighter and quicker turns via a new front multi-link design, and by increasing the stiffness of the front and rear axle assembly. An Electronically Controlled Suspension is available to boost ride comfort. The system reduces things like chassis motion using an internal damper system to modulate the suspension accordingly.
“Although the K900 prides itself as not being overtly luxurious, the one nod to the haute lifestyle is an analog clock specially designed and co-branded by Maurice Lacroix,” reads a statement from Kia. Photo: Kia Motors America.
Pricing & Availability
The new K900 will be built in Kia’s Sohari facility in South Korea, the same plant where they build the Stinger. Kia didn’t give any definite word on price but it will hit dealers in the fourth quarter of this year. In the meantime, it’s on display at the New York International Auto Show, now through April 8th at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.
I’d love to get my mitts on one of these and a good, used M3 and see what the similarities are.
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 
2019 Kia K900 Gallery

















Photos & Source: Kia Motors America.



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Scared of Nighttime Driving? New Ford Tech Can Help

Scared of Nighttime Driving? New Ford Tech Can Help

Among all those techno goodies like lane departure warning and automatic braking, some are actually capable of helping a driver in ways they cannot help themselves. Ford’s Pedestrian Detection system, for example, aims to help you see in the dark. Well, see pedestrians at night anyway.
Effectively, what we have here is a way to use on-board sensors that are already in place to do other things like look for, sense, and react to wandering pedestrians. In some ways, this strikes me as a good thing.
There are a ton of news stories out there about pedestrians too distracted by their smartphones, wandering obliviously into traffic and getting wham-o-ed into The Great Beyond.
Night Moves
Ford goes into great detail why, in the dark especially, this is not only difficult for even the most attentive drivers to counter, but also plays on the inherent fears built into our primitive brains. Ford says “night fears rooted in our pre-historic past cause stress behind the wheel,” and a new poll shows most people “worry about night blindness and many fear hitting pedestrians.”
And all of that makes sense, especially from a psycho-anthropological standpoint. And that’s Ford’s nice way of saying, “the stuff that scared the jeepers out of our Troglodytic ancestors still scares us.” So, yeah, fear handed down from cavemen causes stress on the road, and so does that Neanderthal in front of me who’s texting and driving at the same time. But that’s an opinion best left for another time.
Survey Says
Ford also points out how nighttime traffic accidents with pedestrians can be almost twice as likely to lead to a fatality. That is, statistically speaking, a pretty big jump. Ergo, it’s a jump worth paying attention to and trying to minimize. Ford surveyed thousands of drivers across Europe (this was a Ford of Europe study) and they found 81 percent admit to being scared on the roads at night. That’s both an impressive number and also noteworthy, considering what it takes to get a driver’s license in Germany. Getting a driver’s license in Germany is on par with getting a pilot’s license here in America. So they train and test the be-jeebers out of you, and “I am scared of driving on the road” is never an acceptable answer on the driver’s education test.
Ford goes on to say that more than half of the survey respondents say poor night vision is a source of stress, and more than a third worry they might be involved in an accident. Worries that they may mow down a pedestrian were mentioned by one in five drivers surveyed.
So, what can a car company do to help?
Research conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that in the United States in 2015, 3 in 4 motor-vehicle related pedestrian deaths happened after dark. Photo: Megan Krause.


For Dummies
If you’re Ford, you come up with improved Pedestrian Detection technology that works at night for the first time. After coming up with prototypes, Ford’s development team worked at night, sending life-sized dummies into the path of vehicles on closed tracks. And, c’mon, how much fun was that job? You’re out at the test track at night, you and a bunch of your engineer buddies. Along comes Heinrich, the macho factory test driver, and then you and your engineer buddies go, “Eins! Zwei! Drei!! Los gehts wieder, Dummy!!”
And they pay you to do this? Sign me up.
Anyway, by the end of all this fun and dummy ballistics, Ford is able to, for the first time, introduce new technology that detects pedestrians at night. The system automatically applies the brakes if the driver does not respond to initial warnings.
“We know some drivers find hitting the road at night a stressful experience. Especially driving in towns and cities, pedestrians – sometimes distracted by mobiles – can without warning step into the road, leaving even alert drivers very little time to avoid an accident,” said Gregor Allexi, Active Safety Engineer, Ford of Europe.
And how much do you want to bet that with a name like Gregor Allexi, that guy was in charge airborne dummy deployment?
2018 Ford F-150. Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Advanced Detection Technology
The Pedestrian Detection system processes information from a bumper mounted radar pinger, as well as a windshield mounted camera. Contained within Ford’s on-board computer is a database of “pedestrian shapes” so the car can tell the difference between people and objects, such as trees and road signs. The camera is firing off at 30 “snapshots” a second (which is a TV camera frame rate). This video feed and viewing angle enables the system to distinguish pedestrians, even in low-light conditions, illuminated only by the headlights.
If the system detects a pedestrian before the driver, it first provides audible and visual warnings. Should you be a complete chowderhead and fail to respond, the system automatically hits the brakes for you. Ford will roll out this advanced pedestrian detection technology later this year, when it is introduced on the next generation Fiesta in Europe. In North America, the new technology will debut first on the 2018 Ford Mustang and F-150.
For tips when it comes to nighttime driving, we recommend this advice from the National Safety Council.
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.
Cover Photo & Source: Ford Motor Company.



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Report: BMW wants to sell fully-autonomous vehicles by 2021

Report: BMW wants to sell fully-autonomous vehicles by 2021 As the industry trend for self-driving cars continues, BMW wants to ramp up their efforts as well.
What’s going on?
BMW announced some new plans for its lineup in the coming years. According to AutomotiveNews, the Bavarian automaker seeks to produce and sell fully-autonomous vehicles by 2021.
Speaking with BMW’s senior vice president for the brand’s autonomous driving division, Elmar Fickenstein, a new BMW will arrive with “Level 3, 4 and 5” stage autonomous vehicles.
Click here for more news on BMW. 
What does that mean?
Well, it doesn’t mean the 3-, 4-, and 5-Series will be the models to become self-driving capable. It means there’s a new classification system for autonomous vehicles, representing just exactly how autonomous capable they are. At the bottom, you have minimally to no self-driving capabilities. At level three and above, the more self-driving capabilities are equipped.
Beginning with level three, the car is semi-autonomous with assistants like lane departure correction, or Mercedes’ latest adaptive cruise control. Levels four and five are fully-autonomous capable, like Tesla’s Model S with AutoPilot.
When could we expect to see these cars begin testing?
BMW recently teamed up with Intel and Mobileye to help develop the new computers to run BMW’s autonomous driving programs. BMW engineers will focus more on developing the handling dynamics and safety systems.
The plan: have a fully operational fleet of autonomous 7-Series for real-world testing by the end of this year.
– By: Chris Chin
Source: AutomotiveNews
Self-Driving BMW 5-Series at the 2017 CES





















 
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2017 Lincoln Continental: Feeling A Little Blue

2017 Lincoln Continental: Feeling A Little Blue

Ah, Lincoln! Once the preferred brand of presidents (Kennedy) and mobsters (Corleone), Lincoln has slipped to being perpetually on the brink of joining Mercury in The Great Junkyard In The Sky. Once they were praised in rock songs by Charley Ryan, now they are mumbled about by Matthew McConaughey.
I like Lincolns. I like their big square style and almost anti-trend when it came to overall design. When Big American Cars were nothing but support systems for fins, Lincolns were big arched boxes with fantastically powerful engines.
Then again, I liked Mercury too, and thought the last genration Marauder was a great car, so what do I know?
Slate Gray Strategy
And now Lincoln, still inexplicably struggling to survive, is starting to talk seriously about color and style and fashion. There’s two things that come to mind: first, a lot of high end car companies are starting to do this. Cadillac, Rolls-Royce, even Mercedes-Benz (that staid bastion of German “style”) have taken to giving a lot of ink about color choices and semi-bespoke this and that. And secondly, I think about the Inter-Society Color Council.
Have you ever noticed that one day, usually in the spring, you see lots of consumer products that are all in similar colors? Say, slate gray for example. You see cars and toasters and sheet sets and furniture that all seem to be in the identical shade of slate gray, or in hues very closely aligned to it? That is because of the Inter-Society Color Council.
The Inter-Society Color Council is an cross-industry group that meets every so often (once a year I think) and says, “okay, what are the colors for 2023 going to be?” And then they settle that question and move on. It’s not as nefarious as you think. It’s mainly a way for companies from across the industry to figure out what paints and dyes to purchase by the rail car load so they can save money.
2017 Lincoln Black Label theme for Continental. Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Blue Shades, Black Labels
So when Lincoln says something like, “shades of blue are popular in fashion this spring – ranging from tranquil to refreshing and included as part of a palette based on nature,” and rhapsody is the signature Lincoln Black Label theme for the 2017 Lincoln Continental; the unique monochromatic interior offers rich, layered tones of blue in a multitude of textures,” that means two things:
First, Lincoln is following the lead of Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz et al. and making Fashion (with a capital “F”) a big part of what they sell, and second . . . well, about 8 years ago, a bunch of designers, color people from the Pantone Color Institute, fashionistas from Milan and Paris, design types from Silicon Valley and such were sitting around a table and said, “so . . . blue then? Blue’s gonna be it for 2017? Blue?”
And, unsurprisingly here we are when Lincoln flat out says, “versatile shades of blue, popular in spring designer collections, create the signature Black Label theme of the 2017 Lincoln Continental. Rhapsody uses a rich blend of materials to create a layered effect that complements the monochromatic tone in shades of blue. The materials are purposely arranged to flow like water: Glossier materials highlight the upper portion of the interior, while more lush touch points are lower, down to the softer, thicker carpet. Supple leather, rich Alcantara sueded cloth, mesh, and shearling combine to create an exceptionally diverse tactile experience.”
You better believe that blue is going to be a thing on upper end Lincolns for at least a year. And you’ll also start seeing lots of blues in Wal-Mart and Macy’s and such.
According to Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, blue is a very distinguished color. In her book “Color: Messaging and Meaning,” she writes, “blue has long been associated with serenity, respite and tranquility in nature, while industries have found the hue a perfect representation of quality and achievement.” Photo: Ford Motor Company.


Top Dollar, High Demand
But why? Why make a big, public point of following fashion for an upmarket American car company? And really, you should see Lincoln’s press release on this. It reads like a community college student’s Sophomore Artist Statement: “the range of colors evokes a spectrum of emotion and feeling . . . blue . . . blue is even considered a color of protection . . . blue is an incredibly versatile shade . . . evokes feelings of warmth and security . . . ”
Seriously, the whole corporate letter is riddled with declarations like that.
My hypothesis is that Lincoln has very little choice left at this point. Look at your “average” purchaser of an upper end luxury car. They can afford to buy a new Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Cadillac, or whatever every year. They can afford to take into consideration both the brand and whether it’s fashionable. If all of their friends in Gstaad this past winter were just stunning (simply stunning!) in that tone of Sage Green, and they see it as an Alcantara color option when they’re taking the S-Class in for an oil change, you know they’re going to be seriously considering it when it comes lease-end, trade-in time in 4 months.
These people can afford to be fashionable with their purchases.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Lincoln Lawyer
So if Lincoln can tap into that, if they can make the Continental not just a vehicular choice, but a fashion statement as well, then they might find a flowing money river and keep their company solvent. And, honestly, that would be just fine with me. Like I said, I like Lincolns. I like them precisely because they’re sort of the “anti-Cadillac.”
Any Lotto-winning yahoo from the trailer park can go and buy a Caddy, because Cadillac = money. It takes an effort of will and choice to say, “I’ll have what Matthew McConaughey’s driving.”
Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He means well, even if he has a bias towards lighter, agile cars rather than big engine muscle cars or family sedans.





Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company.



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Letter From The UK: Days of Thunder Gone Forever

Letter From The UK: Days of Thunder Gone Forever
If ever this writer needed a reason to move lock, stock, and barrel to the United States it is this: In Europe, very soon, the Subaru WRX STI will be no more. Thanks to the mealy-mouthed misery-mongers that dictate our European lives, the good old Scooby Doo (It’s a British thing. Cockney rhyming slang: Scooby Doo/Subaru) with its 2.5-liter boxer engine is finding it harder and harder to meet euro-emissions regulations in its current guise.
My all-time favorite car will no longer be imported here. It will, however, continue to be sold on your side of the pond so don’t be surprised if, like Eddie Murphy, I announce I am Coming To America.
I am bereft. I am so upset by this news that I have to turned to poetry for solace and have written this Haiku:
Please stop all the clocksMy Scooby is gone baby, goneDriving passion done
Never say that Automoblog doesn’t bring you true culture.
The Last Week
Over the years, your correspondent has driven all the versions of this iconic car, brought to the fore via the World Rally Championship in the hands of the late, great Colin McRae. Just recently, I spent a happy week with the last of this legendary line.
Much driving ensued. Vast quantities of fuel were consumed and many miles were covered in typically British weather. The main images show the actual vehicle after a run through some fast country roads (cover photo above and one below). This is a car that can leave you breathless. Not especially powerful, the (relative) lack of horsepower is made up for by a level of grip that laughs in the face of our muddy, broken roads and hairpin corners. I had a wonderful time but now that time has passed.
Soon, America, your time will come. I give you another year at best before you too say goodbye to this fabulous free-spirited samurai of the road. Then you’ll know how it feels to see the essence of automotive passion disappear like lifeblood sucked from the world by the authoritarian vampires of state, only to be replaced by some sterile substitute. True Blood for the road.
Subaru Viziv Concept. Photo: Subaru UK Ltd.
Will Lightning Strike Again?
No. Sorry to be so blunt but I can’t sugarcoat this. Subaru is offering up the Viziv, currently in concept form as an addition to the range and it, like all new vehicles from the Japanese company, will be based on the Subaru Global Platform. I have learned there may be a replacement for the WRX STI based possibly on this car or on the, in Europe at least, rather lacklustre Impreza hatchback.
Whatever comes next, the true horror will be under the hood. I can scarcely bring myself to write this without a wave of nausea sweeping over me, but whichever model is selected to provide the performance version it will be sure to have a smaller engine and could even be – a hybrid!  I know, I know. End of days.
Here’s the evidence: Chris Graham, Managing Director of Subaru UK said: “I’d never think it’s the final, final edition [of the WRX STI]. We don’t yet have any dates from Japan for a relaunch, but I think we could see it as a hybrid.”
And It Gets Worse
That same executive is on record as saying – the heretic – they may also be dropping the manual six-speed gearbox across the brand. All Subaru cars will be driven through an automatic, more than likely the current “Lineartronic” slush box because it is compatible with the “Eyesight” safety system but which, in my opinion, would be hopeless in a performance car. Perhaps this will not be so bad for you as it is for me, as I believe Americans are rumored not to like to drive stick.
No stranger to the thrills of driving, Automoblog feature columnist Geoff Maxted is confronting the end of an era – the loss of the Subaru WRX STI, or “Scooby.” The performance car, which will no longer be available in Europe, is Maxted’s most beloved. Photo: DriveWrite.
Days of Thunder
One of my great loves, on television and never witnessed live alas, is American NASCAR motor racing. We do not really have its like here and this is my point. The sight of hugely powerful, more or less recognisable vehicles thundering around an oval, fender to fender, is to this writer the essence of what we love about cars. No fancy fripperies, no over-regulation, just automotive power and driving skills. In a sense this is what the Subaru WRX STI means to me. Imagine how you would feel if NASCAR was suddenly banned or had the Nissan Leaf as the mandatory race car.
That’s what the loss of the Scooby means to me.
Geoff Maxted is a motoring writer, photographer, and author of our Letter From The UK series. Follow his work on Twitter: @DriveWrite



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AI & Auto Safety: Separating Reality From Fantasy

AI & Auto Safety: Separating Reality From Fantasy If you’re not tired of hearing the term “artificial intelligence” yet, you will be soon. That’s because few buzzwords have been so ubiquitous – or creeped into the public consciousness so quickly. Even “low-carb diets” faded away after a few years, but it looks like we’re stuck with AI for the next few years (or even longer).
The good news is it could actually save your life. Especially if you drive a car.
Staying Power
That’s because unlike the long-forgotten “information superhighway,” AI is actually built on the fundamentally sound principle that a computer, if given the correct inputs and instructions, can make calculations and decisions far more quickly and accurately than a human. So even though artificial intelligence may have sci-fi aspirations of delivering true sentience, what it is evolving into is a system that lets machines collect and collate data to improve outputs over time.
So what does this have to do with safety, especially behind the wheel? The short answer is absolutely everything. Most traffic accidents occur as the result of human error and poor reaction times. Look at any instance where a car was rear-ended: in those wrecks, the driver who was at fault wasn’t able to hit his or her brakes in time. Anti-lock braking systems have helped mitigate that problem over the last few decades, but AI is about to change the safety game in an even more fundamental way.
AI On Wheels
AI may have started out on the fringes of the auto industry, but it’s impossible to ignore today. IHS Markit predicts a jump in AI-based systems in cars from 8 percent today to 100 percent by 2025. And while most current AI tools are related to speech recognition (such as built-in systems for navigation), over the next decade they’ll cover just about every aspect of operating a motor vehicle.
One of these areas is advanced driver assistance systems, sometimes referred to as “ADAS” for short. This is a broad category that includes machine vision systems, LiDAR, and radar detection systems. This approach leverages one of the key aspects of this new paradigm – the rapid advancements in AI-driven 3D imaging. There are even tools that ensure drivers are fit to be behind the wheel. These may sound like incremental improvements over things like rear-view cameras, but they are fundamentally different because AI systems are designed to learn from experience, getting smarter as they are exposed to more data. Showing you a picture of what’s behind your car is cool; letting you know it’s a child running after a ball is transformative.
Sense Media Managing Director, Rob Stead gives the opening remarks at AutoSens Brussels, September 20th 2017. The two day conference, held at Autoworld Brussels, examines the many facets of automated driving including the role of artificial intelligence. The event attracted nearly 500 attendees, many of which hold senior engineering and leadership roles in the industry. Photo: Sense Media.
Drive My Car
If machines have better reflexes than humans, never stay too late at the party, never drive home tired after work, and always know when to brake in a matter of milliseconds, exactly why are people taking the wheel at all? In fact, some experts predict that a generation from now most “drivers” won’t actually be operating their cars. Three years ago, Toyota launched a billion-dollar AI company and more recently announced a new venture called the Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development or TRI-AD, with a goal to start testing their own autonomous, electric vehicles by 2020.
In 2016, GM spent the same amount to buy Cruise Automation, a San Francisco-based developer of autonomous vehicle technology. The first driverless cars are already on the road in a limited capacity, but it’s only a matter of time before they’re the norm, not the exception.
The Toyota Research Institute presented Platform 3.0 at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Platform 3.0, built on the Lexus LS 600hL, is Toyota’s latest autonomous research vehicle. Photo: Toyota Motor North America.
Lasting Impact
All of these innovations ultimately come back to one thing: AI-based 3D imaging – whether it’s using face authentication to determine if someone is able to drive safely or figuring out if another car is being operated unsafely. The first automated car tests (including a famous one funded by DARPA) were failures . . . until engineers replaced their 2D cameras with 3D ones that could actually capture images in a way that could prevent accidents.
As cameras get better and processors get faster, we are rapidly approaching the day when human drivers are so much less safe than their electronic counterparts that the only logical choice will be to get in, sit down, and let the car move you safely to your destination.
George Brostoff is the founder and CEO of SensibleVision, a leader in 3D face authentication technology, headquartered in Cape Coral, Florida. He has founded three successful tech companies, holds seven patents, and grew up working in a family business.



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2019 Mazda CX-3: Sign of The Times?

2019 Mazda CX-3: Sign of The Times? Mazda recently introduced its updated CX-3 subcompact crossover before journalists at the New York International Auto Show. The CX-3 looks just like the other Mazda CXs, only squashed into a much smaller package. I’m not saying it’s a bad look or that the 2019 CX-3 doesn’t work, it’s just that you can only smush something down so far. Other than that, the new Mazda CX-3 will work out quite well in urban environments.
Minor Upgrades
And that – urban environments – is what this is all about. Although you could nominally take a Mazda CX-3 off-pavement, you wouldn’t confuse it for a Jeep. And besides, 90 percent of CX-3 owners would never do that in the first place. The new CX-3’s interior has undergone a significant revamp with the most notable new bit being the electronic parking brake. Yes, that gives you more room and allows for a significant increase in storage space, but gone will be the joys of handbrake turns in snowy parking lots. Full-leather seating surfaces are now available and redesigned seats provide drivers a more comfortable position.
The SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine is said to be smoother, more efficient, and more refined. Also reduced, according to Mazda, are noise, vibration, and harshness characteristics.
2019 Mazda CX-3 on display at the 2018 New York International Auto Show. Photo: Mazda North American Operations.
Reactive Vs. Proactive
And all this is well and true and fine and good, but it’s another example of how automakers are all SUVs, all the time these days. Car makers have clocked to the fact that people love SUVs, so be it. But car makers will try and do the strangest things to try and accommodate those perceived needs. Automakers are, by and large, reactive organisms. They see a trend and respond to it. It’s hard to think of the times car manufacturers have shifted audience desires in a given direction. The only two I can think of is the Ford Mustang and the Chrysler minivans (both of which were done at the behest of Lee Iacocca, curiously enough). The Mustang started the pony car wars, of which we are still enjoying the fruits of today, and the minivan created the, er, well, it created the minivan.
But so be it. Automakers see that most Americans want an SUV – or something that can be sold as an SUV or a crossover or an “Urban Activity Vehicle” or something else condescending – and come perdition or high water, they’re going to sell it to us. This isn’t a problem. SUVs aren’t like disco music, something that was forced on the people. No, we want our SUVs, and nine times out of ten, we want them for all the wrong reasons.
Fashion Sense
So Mazda will make us a CX-3. A vehicle with limited non-pavement functionality and too small to haul anything practical. And people will buy them, and most of those people will be happy, and who am I to say they are “wrong” in their purchasing choices. People, the same slice of the market, actually, were joyously happy with minivans. Until those same people realized that driving a minivan marked you as a “suburban parent, 2.6 children, dog (small – medium), loves: Local Sports Team.” And the most practical, get-the-job-done conveyance ever devised by 1980s era man had to go.
And I should say that I am not just picking on Mazda here. A number of automakers released new SUVs during the New York International Auto Show; Acura, Lexus, Lincoln, Hyundai, and Maserati among them. It’s all about what is fashionable. Fashion. That’s why people buy SUVs, ultimately. And if the 2019 Mazda CX-3 suits your style, then have at it. It’ll work.
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. Follow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz. 
2019 Mazda CX-3 Gallery














Photos & Source: Mazda North American Operations.



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