Automotive

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Heading To Dealerships

2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Heading To Dealerships The 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid arrives in dealerships this week (Friday, March 23rd) as a pinnacle vehicle of sorts for the automaker. With the new Accord Hybrid, Honda is promising a list of class-leading features, including performance, interior room, and cargo space. As the latest in Honda’s growing portfolio of electrified vehicles, the 2018 Accord Hybrid will likely appeal to a wider audience with its five distinct trim levels.
Standard Equipment
At just shy of $26,000 for a starting MSRP, the new Accord Hybrid offers a nice array of standard items: 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and taillights, dual-zone climate control, push-button start, a seven-inch TFT digital driver’s display, multi-angle rearview camera, and the Honda Sensing package of safety technologies. The latter includes things like Adaptive Cruise Control with Low-Speed Follow, Collision Mitigation Braking, Road Departure Mitigation, Lane Departure Warning, and Traffic Sign Recognition.
Power & Performance
The heart of the new Accord Hybrid is a two-motor powertrain system, which pairs a 2.0-liter inline-4 engine (DOHC i-VTEC Atkinson-cycle) with an electric propulsion motor creating 232 lb-ft. of torque. Total system output is 212 horsepower, which Honda says is class-leading. The powertrain operates by shifting between three distinct drive operations: EV Drive (electric motor), Hybrid Drive (electric motor and gasoline engine [driving the generator motor]), and Engine Drive (gasoline engine).
Honda also notes the steering wheel-mounted Deceleration Selectors, which are similar to transmission paddle shifters and help increase efficiency. The Deceleration Selectors allow drivers to toggle between four levels of regenerative braking. The right selector increases regenerative braking and the left selector reduces it. Honda says this minimizes stress on the brakes while increasing battery charge via regeneration.
Photo: Honda North America.
Interior Room & Cargo Space
The 2018 Accord Hybrid rides on a wheelbase 2.16-inches longer when compared to the outgoing model. The car’s intelligent power unit is 32 percent smaller and mounted under the rear floor versus the trunk. These design changes allow for a 60/40-split rear seat for easier people and cargo hauling. Honda says the figures are class-leading with cargo space at 16.7 cubic feet, interior space at 122.3 cubic feet, and rear legroom at 40.4 inches.
Trim Levels & Pricing
The 2018 Honda Accord Hybrid comes in Hybrid, EX (new), EX-L, EX-L Navi (new), and Touring. Starting MSRP is $25,990 for the entry-level Hybrid and $35,600 for the Touring trim. The starting MSRP actually represents a $4,505 drop compared to the previous Accord Hybrid.
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.
2018 Honda Accord Hybrid Gallery

Photos & Source: Honda North America.

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Nissan Celebrates Production Milestone In Mississippi

Nissan Celebrates Production Milestone In Mississippi Nissan’s Canton assembly plant has achieved a milestone, recently surpassing 4 million vehicles produced. With an annual capacity of 450,000 vehicles, the plant currently builds the Nissan Altima, Murano, Titan and Titan XD, Frontier, NV Cargo Van, and NV Passenger Van. To commemorate the achievement, Nissan presented the 4 millionth vehicle – a 2018 NV Cargo Van – to Our Daily Bread Ministries, a nonprofit organization that provides hunger relief to the local community.
Second Shift
Nissan also announced the addition of a second shift that promises to create or retain 250 hourly jobs. The second shift will support the increasing demand for Nissan’s commercial vans.
“Adding a second shift for NV Van production underscores our employees’ hard work and dedication to building world class, quality vehicles for our customers,” explained Steve Marsh, Vice President, Manufacturing, Nissan Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant.

Photo: Nissan North America.
Continued Growth

Nissan has grown the Canton Vehicle Assembly Plant from a regional manufacturing facility to a global one, investing $3.4 billion in the facility since its opening in 2003. Nissan employs 6,400 at the Canton plant currently, with more than 1,500 jobs added since 2013.
“The City of Canton congratulates Nissan on this outstanding achievement,” said Dr. William Truly, Mayor of the City of Canton. “Milestones like these are not easily achieved, and we applaud the hardworking men and women of this facility who build great vehicles for the citizens of Canton and customers around the world.”
Power & Performance
For 2018, the NV Cargo and NV Passenger vans are available with a 5.6-liter Endurance V8 engine and heavy-duty seven-speed automatic transmission. Both models are also offered with a smaller 4.0-liter V6 and five-speed automatic transmission. The engines create 375 and 261 horsepower respectively.
Photos & Source: Nissan North America.

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Range Rover SV Coupe: The Perfect Fit That’s Way Too Over The Top

Range Rover SV Coupe: The Perfect Fit That’s Way Too Over The Top Range Rover has just released their latest model, the SV Coupe. Yes, indeed it is a coupe version of their full-size luxury SUV. My first thought was, “why on Earth would anyone make a two-door version of an SUV?” And then of course I realized the all-too-obvious answer: Money. If Range Rover went to all this trouble to make it, they must know there’s enough people out there willing to buy it.
Perfect Fit
In a lot of ways, a Range Rover is the Perfect SUV. Since 99.9% of SUV buyers will never take theirs off-road, and since they are mainly used as a way to convince others of their superiority when compared to all other mobility options, what better vehicle choice than a full-zoot Range Rover? Sure, you could go with that Bentley thing, but isn’t that a little on the ostentatious side, old sport? The new Lamborghini what-zit? Come-come now. That’s an Italian car. No, the Range Rover is it.
Range Rover SV Coupe (European Model). Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Extensive & Personalized
And sure, you do get a lot, even with this demonstrably lame Range Rover SV Coupe. For one thing, it’s a limited-run piece. They are only making about a thousand of them. And, it’s a two-door, indeed the world’s first full-size luxury SUV Coupe. And since it’s a Rangey, and limited in numbers, they thoroughly went over all the appointments one will find within. Range Rover says there are “beautifully curated interiors” that “set new standards for materials and craftsmanship, with extensive personalization options for SV Coupe clients.” Curated. They really used that word.

Interior Treatments
The whole interior design option palette is right out of a Savile Row tailor. SV Coupe buyers (Range Rover refers to them as “clients” obviously since “buyer” is so nouveau riche and low class) can choose from any of four front-to-rear contrast interior selections. Rover (can I just use the single name?) calls them “colorways,” and I have no idea why. If the front-to-rear fade is a little too avant garde for you sir, there is also a range of single-tone interior colors from which to choose.
Of course, whichever you choose, they will be complemented by your choice of three elegant wood veneers, including a first for Range Rover, the Nautica veneer. Nautica veneer seeks to sensitively balance heritage and craftsmanship with new technology by fusing walnut and sycamore together. Obviously, this Nautica stuff might be too much for some buyers. Best to play it safe.
And if the interior is that dolled up, you can rest assured the exterior is just as affected. There are new optional exterior paint finishes named Liquesence (no, really) that join the “suite” (ugh) of available paint options. And yes, the paint names are as equally conceited and senseless: Constellation, Parallax, and Obsidian, along with Ethereal, Flux, Valloire, and Desire.

Power & Performance
On the upside of the balance sheet we find the engine. The SV Coupe is the fastest-ever, full-size Range Rover, so there’s that. This brick on wheels tops out at 165 mph, which is impressive given its shape. That top speed comes by way of a lovingly overpowered V8 plant: 557 horsepower worth of a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 powertrain lies beneath the big flat-ish hood. And that is, in case you’re wondering, the most powerful engine currently offered on the full-size Range Rover.
So you can blow your own horn about that tidbit too. This means the SV Coupe can hasten from zero to 60 mph in a scant five seconds. Pretty good for a truck that tips the scales at slightly more than the HMS Ark Royal.
Interesting References
And here’s an odd bit that jumped out at me from the company’s press release: “Noble Chrome metal side vents with Brunel Metallic mesh and Satin Indus Silver metal surrounds complement frameless doors with Power Close functionality and Bright Chrome embellished body color door handles.”
Brunel Metallic mesh? Is that a reference to Isambard Kingdom Brunel? They make no mention as to why they call some of the brightwork that, but it is a nice flourish and it’s probably a reference to one of the most interesting and oddest people England produced in the 19th century. And yeah, I’m including Jack The Ripper in that list.
Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
Pricing & Availability
The SV Coupe will be hand-built at Range Rover’s SVO Technical Center in Warwickshire, UK, their in-house custom department. There will be no more than 999 examples available worldwide and they will start at $295,000 in the United States. $295,000! Cor’ Blimey!!
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.
Photos & Source: Jaguar Land Rover.

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Autonomous Cars: Future Mobility & Market Growth

Autonomous Cars: Future Mobility & Market Growth

Perhaps we have failed to realize just how far along some technologies are. Vehicles that drive themselves are a good example, and may be on the road in large numbers by 2020. It’s unbelievable that experiments have been conducted with regard to cars and automation since at least the 1920s. Although recently, the automobile industry has seen tremendous growth in the designing of driverless cars.
The successful trials, contests, and launching of autonomous cars are proven evidence that this concept is no longer an imagination.
Types of Autonomous Vehicles
As per the global autonomous market, vehicles will be segmented according to automation level: Driver Assistance, Partial Automation, Conditional Automation, High Automation, and Full Automation. Applications include everything from passenger cars, public transport, industrial vehicles, and agricultural machines.
Benefits of Autonomous Vehicles
The benefits are numerous and include increased safety, reduced stress, easier parking, better fuel efficiency and pollution control, and a decrease in traffic jams. Furthermore, proponents believe there will be a significant reduction in traffic collisions and resulting injuries, as the majority of accidents are caused due to human errors.
Autonomous cars can even offer mobility for elderly and disabled persons.
Global Market
If we examine geographically, the first major areas that will accommodate autonomous cars will be North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East, and Africa. That means an ample amount of self-driving cars will be on the world’s roads before long and represent a tremendous growth in the autonomous vehicle market.
Leading Manufactures
The first self-sufficient cars appeared with Carnegie Mellon University’s Navlab and ALV projects in 1984, and Mercedes-Benz and Bundeswehr University’s Eureka Prometheus Project in 1987. Since then, numerous companies have developed working prototypes, including Nissan, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, Audi, Volvo, Google and many more.
Below is an Infographic from Get Off Road, showing the history of and relevant data relating to autonomous cars. The infographic also includes the challenges involved in engineering an autonomous car, the technology behind the vehicles, and how DARPA has been involved in testing driverless cars.
Toby Dean works on behalf of Get Off Road in content creation and marketing. Over the past 7 years, he has worked with dozens of SME’s in both an agency and freelance capacity.

Cover Photo: Ford Motor Company

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2017 Jeep Compass Aims To Satisfy All SUV Drivers

2017 Jeep Compass Aims To Satisfy All SUV Drivers

Boy is Jeep proud of its 2017 Jeep Compass. The superlatives from the press office are flying thick and fast, and really, who can blame them. Jeep, after all, did invent the entire idea of the Sport Utility Vehicle.
Still, the press release headline is hysterically over written: “An All-new Global Compact SUV Delivering Unsurpassed 4×4 Capability, World-class On-road Driving Dynamics, Advanced Fuel-efficient Powertrains, and Premium Styling.”
Yes, the Jeep Compass is solid, but don’t try and over-sell it before we even get to find out why it’s such a good little off-roader.
Road Warrior
For example, there’s the Compass’ 4×4 drive system. Jeep says it’s the “most advanced,” and why doubt them? The 2017 Compass comes with two drive modes to choose from: Jeep Active Drive and Jeep Active Drive Low. This is the proverbial high/low gearing mix that actually allows you to go off road, rather than just thinking you can go off road. A crossover looks like you can tackle a rock filled defile, a Jeep can actually drive up there – and usually with ease.
Jeep says the Compass’ “small wide 4×4 architecture” merges best-in-class abilities with exceptional on-road driving dynamics. Which is, again, a nice way of saying that even though this guy looks pretty square from above, it actually drives okay on highways and pavement in general.
The upper body structure and frame were engineered as a single unit for a stiffer and more mass-efficient design. 65 percent of the vehicle is high-strength steel, which maximizes vehicle dynamics, crash performance, and efficiency. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Styling & Design
On the outside, it still looks like the Jeeps of old. It’s one of those designs, like the Porsche 911, that worked well from the outset and became iconic seemingly overnight, so Jeep would be very foolish to mess with it. And with the 2017 Compass, Jeep didn’t mess with it much, but they did add an open-air, dual-pane sunroof.
It’s a nice touch – works on giving you that top down feeling, but helps you keep civilized on inclement days.
The inside is highlighted by what Jeep calls “sculptured forms,” which is a nice way of saying they don’t just glue gauges onto any piece of sheet metal they find handy. And speaking of, the inside is replete with high-quality materials and state-of-the-art technology. So far gone are the days of bare metal dashes and door panels, un-insulated interiors, and Spartan driving conditions.
Safety and security were paramount in the development of the all-new 2017 Jeep Compass, which offers more than 70 available active and passive safety and security features. Photo: FCA US LLC.
Powertrain & Fuel Economy
Powertrain wise, there are 17 fuel-efficient options to choose from, but that’s worldwide – some of those are not available in the home market. The North American models do get the 2.4-liter Tigershark engine, which is a rather charmingly named throwback to days when cars had features like the Firedome and Go-Devil and stuff like that. The Tigershark plant gives you over 30 miles per gallon, which is pretty impressive considering these things have the aerodynamics of the crate they’re shipped in, and weigh a lot more than you’d expect.
The Jeep Compass also has an engine stop-start (ESS) system, so that gives you increased fuel efficiency as well.
Jeep says the Compass gets best-in-class 4×4 highway fuel economy with the Tigershark Multiair Engine, paired with the six-speed manual transmission. Speaking of transmissions, the available three are pretty impressive. Probably the most remarkable is the class-exclusive nine-speed automatic transmission for 4×4 models. There is this growing trend of auto-boxes with more and more ratios, but it’s quite interesting to see them turning up in a Jeep. Other options include a six-speed automatic for 4×2 models, and a six-speed manual for 4×2 variants.
Obviously the manual gearbox will be the one chosen by serious off-roaders. It has a 6.68 ratio spread and a 4.438 final-drive ratio for fuel efficiency at faster speeds; a first-gear launch ratio of 18.4:1 means the 2017 Jeep Compass will deliver quick acceleration.
Efficiency and refinement also are hallmarks of FCA‘s 16-valve, 2.4-liter Tigershark I-4 engine with the MultiAir2 electro-hydraulic, fully variable valve-actuation system. The engine produces 180 horsepower and 175 lb-ft. of torque. Photo: FCA US LLC.

World Class
And, since this is 2017, and not 1947, the Jeep Compass comes with all sorts of tech goodies. The Uconnect system is already into its fourth-generation and includes Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and the choice of a 5.0-, 7.0- or 8.4-inch touchscreen with pinch-and-zoom capability. It’s nice to have the options, but it still strikes me as rather odd. Why choose one over the other? Why not just get the biggest one you can?
Another interesting aspect to the Jeep Compass – you can’t really call it a feature – is how it will be manufactured in four different countries, making it sort of a world vehicle, in a way. Jeep builds the things in Brazil, China, Mexico, and India, and sells them in more than 100 countries.
The 2017 Jeep Compass comes in four different trim configurations: Sport, Latitude, Limited, and Trailhawk and should be in your local dealer showrooms as you read this.
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.
2017 Jeep Compass Gallery

Photos & Source: FCA US LLC

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Ford GT Competition Shed Pounds, Adds Performance

Ford GT Competition Shed Pounds, Adds Performance

Ford has decided to up the stakes of its already high performance GT by droping weight, and tweaking some of the performance goodies here and there. And, as we all know, less weight is always a good thing. Always, always, always, always.
Always.
Look, in case you’re new to the game, or just don’t get the concept, let me ask you a question: How many fat jockeys do you see riding in the Kentucky Derby? Exactly. If you want your horse, or, in the case of the gearhead, your car to be faster, make it lighter.
To wit, Ford is heading down this path to make its GT even better.
Racing Blood
After a resounding win at this year’s Rolex 24 Hour race at Daytona, Ford decided to hang around the Florida beach town and show off the new, ultra-lightweight Ford GT Competition Series for North America. As the name implies, it’s intended for track and racing use, which is fine, but also rather a pity. My personal preference is that I like to see track cars also roaming around the streets, but that’s just me.
Ford says the GT Competition Series is the “ultimate production car” for track fans, and it does this (be ultimate) by removing weight higher up in the vehicle and, therefore, moves the center of gravity lower down, getting it closer to the track for even better road-holding. They also point out the “duh, obvious” benefit of reducing weight in maximizing the car’s 647 horsepower engine.
“The Ford GT has racing in its blood,” said Raj Nair, Ford Executive Vice President, Global Product Development, and Chief Technical Officer. “The Competition Series was developed with the most hardcore track enthusiasts in mind, providing a tailored set of lightweight features and unique livery to match.”
And really, I’m not going to argue with him on any of that.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Gravity & Glass
As an example, look no further than the rear deck lid. It now sports an innovative, lightweight, and race-inspired Perspex acrylic engine hatch cover with manual latch and carbon fiber prop rod. This reduces the weight near the roof and shifts the balance of the weight lower in the car. Perspex is the same stuff they use in fighter plane canopies, and, although it scratches easier (a down side to every day road use) it is much, much lighter than glass. Besides, it’s the same stuff they use in fighter planes, how cool is that? The manual latches do away with all the cabling and interior pulls, saving a few pounds, as does the carbon fiber prop rod.
The “glass” between the driver and the engine compartment, which is known as bulkhead glass, is now made of reduced thickness Gorilla Glass. Gorilla Glass is the same stuff that’s on the face of an iPhone/iPad and is already very light and pretty darn tough. As rolled out in the Ford GT Competition, it’s about half as thick when compared to other models.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.
Dressed For Success
Ford has not, thankfully, monkeyed with any of the existing performance features on the GT. The FIA-certified steel roll cage and active aerodynamic system are still there, mercifully. Items not vital to performance are eliminated. So, gone to the parts shelves are the air conditioning, the radio, the stowage bins, and the cupholders. The cupholders Martha! See what Ford is willing to sacrifice?
The Competition Series also features, as standard, previously available weight-reducing optional equipment. Carbon fiber wheels (hubba), and titanium lug nuts (hubba-hubba), and a titanium exhaust (hubba-hubba-hubba) are standard.
Carbon fiber? Oh yeah, lots of it.
Photo: Ford Motor Company.

Carbon Covered
The GT Competition Series gets a unique gloss carbon fiber stripe, carbon fiber mirror caps and A-pillars, and exposed carbon fiber lower body trim with a matching gloss finish. The interior matches the lightweight intentions of the car, but it keeps the same driver-oriented elements of other models, such as the F1-styled steering wheel and its functional controls. There is Ebony Alcantara suede on the seats, instrument panel, and headliner, which is pretty and lighter than leather, but also a pain to maintain.
There’s exposed carbon fiber on the console, registers, and door sills. The shift paddles are anodized red (which is pretty boss) as is the instrument panel badge. There’s a unique center console plate and steering wheel fascia in place of the deleted infotainment controls and screen. The Competition Series comes in six colors: Shadow Black, Frozen White, Ingot Silver, Liquid Blue, Liquid Grey, and Triple Yellow.
No word on price and availability, but the proverbial “a lot and not many” will most likely apply.
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.
Ford GT Competition Gallery

Photos & Source: Ford Motor Company

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The Range Rover Sport SVR Just Topped A Ferrari

The Range Rover Sport SVR Just Topped A Ferrari An SUV has not only matched but outperformed a supercar on a notable road in China. The new Range Rover Sport SVR has taken the record for negotiating the 99 corners of the famous Tianmen Road. A standard production Range Rover Sport SVR set a new unofficial record of 9 minutes 51 seconds for the seven mile ascent, at an average speed of 42.8mph, beating the previous record of 10 minutes 31 seconds, set by a Ferrari 458 Italia in 2016.
Tackling Tianmen Road is the latest challenge completed by the Range Rover Sport PHEV, following a climb to the Heaven’s Gate natural rock arch last month. The PHEV made its debut in a race against two-time open-water swimming world champion Keri-anne Payne and endurance athlete Ross Edgley in Devon, UK.
Photo: Jaguar Land Rover.
The new Range Rover Sport SVR is the fastest Land Rover to date with its 567 horsepower supercharged V8. The SUV hits 60 in 4.3 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 174 mph. It’s considered a flagship for the brand with design revisions and lightweight materials to enhance performance, handling, and agility. Engineers focused on controlling pitch under heavy acceleration and braking, and changes to the damping hardware have improved turn-in, mid-corner grip, and body control.
It must have worked, at least according to Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver Ho-Pin Tung, who again piloted the Range Rover Sport SVR for the record-breaking feat.
“I am used to the high speeds of racing but these 99 turns were something unique. Maintaining concentration was the biggest challenge as the road twists and turns constantly, with huge drop-offs to the side,” he explained. “The consequences of getting it wrong would have been really serious so I focused on establishing a rhythm and the Range Rover Sport SVR made this easy – it may be an SUV but it has the performance and agility of a supercar and can take you to places a supercar can only dream of.”
Range Rover Sport SVR – Tianmen Road Challenge Gallery

Photos & Source: Jaguar Land Rover.

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Pre-Ordering Open For Polestar 1

Pre-Ordering Open For Polestar 1 The Polestar 1, the first car from the new electric performance brand Polestar, is now available for pre-ordering in 18 countries. The news follows Polestar making its first public appearance at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show, and so far the response has been positive.
“With over 7,000 people interested in owning a Polestar 1 since its reveal, we are extremely encouraged by the passion shown for our product,” explained Thomas Ingenlath, Chief Executive Officer, Polestar. “We will now take the next steps towards delivering this beautiful car to our first customers.”
The Polestar 1, an Electric Performance Hybrid GT, produces 600 horsepower and over 700 lb-ft. of torque. Photo: Polestar.

Pre-ordering involves a fully-refundable deposit, which serves as a placeholder for the car. During the selection process, a configuration tool allows prospective buyers to visualize their Polestar 1 before placing an order. The 18 countries where ordering is open include the United States, China, Sweden, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Portugal, Poland, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Canada.
In October, Geely Holdings, parent of Volvo Cars, announced a $756 million dollar investment to bolster the early phases of Polestar’s product lineup and industrial footprint. Much of the Polestar 1 (about half) is based on Volvo’s Scalable Product Architecture; the rest is entirely new technology developed by Polestar engineers working within Volvo’s R&D department.
Source: Polestar.

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Nissan IMx KURO Concept: You Connect Your Brain To This One.

Nissan IMx KURO Concept: You Connect Your Brain To This One. The Nissan IMx KURO concept is a zero-emissions crossover that aims to investigate Brain-to-Vehicle technology. No. Really. Brain-to-Vehicle technology. I have no idea either, but I do hope they get it right. This car, the Nissan IMx KURO, is both a crossover concept and somewhat of a demonstrator platform for making vehicles even more predictive and safe with what Nissan calls Intelligent Mobility.
Concept Versus Reality
And apart from the overall crossover-ish design, it’s that Brain-to-Vehicle, or B2V, stuff that makes the Nissan IMx KURO so interesting. The overall design is simultaneously lumpy yet with protuberant edges, and none of it holds together well. The whole things screams “concept car” because you know there’s no way Nissan would make this.
Before You Know It . . .
This B2V technology has the potential to speed up reaction times for drivers, leading to cars that can keep adapting to make driving more enjoyable. Nissan says all this comes from “research into using brain decoding technology to predict a driver’s actions and detect discomfort” which sounds pretty creepy to me.
Nissan hopes by catching signs that a driver’s brain is about to initiate a movement, say turning the steering wheel, reaching for a control knob or pushing the brake pedal, driver assist technologies can begin the action more quickly. Ergo, reaction times improve and manual driving is enhanced. Or to put it more plainly, the car can see you reach for the control panel, think for itself (in a limited way) and say ‘A-ha! You’re going to turn the radio down, I’ll start doing that for you.’ But, you don’t have to be Marvin Minsky to see how this might not work.
The IMx KURO was first revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2017. Kuro is the Japanese word for black. Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Autonomous Vibes
The other, more subtle way that Nissan’s B2V stuff could work is while in full autonomous mode. If it detects you are feeling some level of discomfort, the artificial intelligence system can evaluate that and change the driving configuration or driving style.
Not to be gross about this, but here’s a concrete example: Suppose you’re in full autonomous mode, and decide to read some reports on the way into work. You’ve already told the IMx KURO to hurry along, so it’s driving rather rapidly and trying to make up time. But now the B2V system notices you’re looking a bit green around the gills, and decides to dial back on the abrupt lane changes to help you out. Get it?
Photo: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

Getting Connected
All this is achieved by you wearing a device that measures your brain wave activity, which is then passed on and analyzed by the autonomous system. Then, by anticipating the intended movements, the vehicle takes action, for example turning the steering wheel or slowing down. The system can do that 0.2 to 0.5 seconds faster than you or I could – Nissan also adds “while remaining largely imperceptible” which I would have to feel to believe.
Smart Transportation
The IMx KURO also has other clever tricks up its sleeve, aside from coiling itself into your brain. Since it’s an EV, it has some party favors to make it a good citizen. For example, after getting you to the airport, the IMx KURO can then go park itself and find a spot where it can connect to the local power grid, and act as a “virtual” power plant by returning electricity to the grid. Slick, no?
Oh, and once you return to the airport, the IMx KURO can pick you up at the terminal and drive home with little to no input from you. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy.
The Nissan IMx KURO on display at the 88th Geneva International Motor Show.

Power & Performance
And, and just in case you think the IMx KURO will be zero fun along with being zero emissions, keep in mind it’s driven by a pair of high-output electric motors living at each end of the car, giving you all-wheel drive capability. Combine that with the 320 kW of power and an astonishing 516 lb-ft. of torque (more than the Nissan GT-R kids) and this thing could really scoot. There is also a high-capacity battery redesigned and re-engineered for increased energy density that supports a driving range of more than 370 miles on a single charge.
In some ways, Nissan could be onto something, but in others, I’m not sure your average customer wants to literally, physically connect their brain to a car.
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.
Nissan IMx KURO Concept Gallery

Photos & Source: Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.

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