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aliciabuncle · 3 years

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Carmakers See Sales Drop Due to Low Inventories During August

Shrinking inventories created by shortages of key components undercut sales during August, according to carmakers reporting sales figures for August with manufacturers such as Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Hyundai and Kia reporting year-over-year declines in sales.

While Toyota’s overall sales fell in August, Lexus managed to post a very small increase.

Toyota Motor North America said sales slid 2% in August with the Toyota division sales falling 2.4 percent. But Lexus reporting 0.5 percent increase from August 2020 when the industry was climbing out of the hole created by the pandemic-related lockdowns, which brought the industry to a standstill during the previous spring.

American Honda said its sales fell 15.6% last month with sales by the Honda division dropping 17.9% while the Acura division posted a 4.7% increase as sales of Acura branded passenger car climbed 11.5 percent.

The Honda HR-V and Passport set monthly sales records for the seventh straight month in August. The CR-V Hybrid powers Honda electrified vehicles to best August sales mark; Honda has set a new electrified vehicle sales record in every month of 2021, while demand for the new Civic sedan was “off the charts” with dealers quickly selling every unit they received, Honda reported.

Demand for the all-new Acura TLX Type S resulted in a strong month and driving the Acura sedan’s sales to its best August since 2017.

South Korean brands also took a hit

Hyundai’s sales were down last month as its SUV sales slumped enough to offset a rise in car sales in August.

Hyundai Motor America reported total August sales of 56,200 units, a 4% decrease compared with August 2020. Hyundai total car sales increased 8%, but sales of utility vehicles dropped last month.

Genesis Motor America Inc. sold 4,975 vehicles, a 266% jump from a year ago. SUVs led sales for the luxury automaker with the with the new GV80 paving the way.

Kia also reported a drop of 5.3% from a year earlier and blamed parts shortages trimming inventories.

“Kia continues to see record demand in 2021 with sales up 35% year-over-year, and an average of more than 62,000 sales per month, despite challenges facing the industry regarding parts availability and overall inventory,” said Eric Watson, vice president, sales operations, Kia America.

“Further proof of Kia’s appeal came when the brand earned the highest number of J.D. Power Initial Quality Awards for the third straight year. Looking forward, we are confident that Kia will continue to outperform the industry in the third quarter and beyond,” he said.

Mazda defied the odds in August, posting a 4% increase on a year-over-year basis.

Not all makers suffering

Mazda North American Operations reported sales of 27,262 units up 4.6% from the year-ago period with the CX-5 accounting for more than half the company’s sales during August. So far this year, Mazda’s sales are up 39.2% from a year ago, the company said.

Subaru of America Inc. reported sales of 49,373 vehicles for August, a 15% decrease compared with year-ago results. The brand pointed to inventory constraints caused by the global microchip shortage as the primary reason for the falloff.

However, the automaker also reported year-to-date sales of 420,748, a 12% gain compared with the same period in 2020.

“Sales remain steady despite battling the ongoing microchip shortage, and our retailers continue to deliver strong results,” said Thomas Doll, president and CEO, Subaru of America Inc.

Last week, analysts predicted U.S. auto retail sales were expected to decline in August, as the global semiconductor shortage coupled squeezed inventory at dealerships.

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scorpio0930 · 4 years

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2020 Honda CR-V Crossbreed obtains 40 mpg city

The 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid will certainly have EPA fuel-economy ratings of 40 mpg city, 35 freeway, 38 incorporated when it arrives on dealer lots March 1, the car manufacturer revealed Thursday.

The first hybrid variation of Honda's very successful design in the U.S. is a bit of disappointment. [tesla model 3 side view]Three of the very successful compact crossovers come as crossbreeds this year, and the CR-V routes the pack for efficiency. The 2020 Ford Getaway Crossbreed is rated at 44/37/41 mpg with front-wheel drive, and four-wheel drive just sets you back 1 mpg city as well as combined. Like the CR-V Hybrid, the 2020 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid comes standard with AWD and gets 41/38/40 mpg. Even by Honda's standard, the CR-V Crossbreed falls a bit brief. It shares its two-motor 212-horsepower 2.0-liter inline-4 powertrain with the Honda Accord Crossbreed, which obtains 48/47/48 mpg, however the CR-V Crossbreed adds AWD Nonetheless, the 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid's benefits over its competitors are a lower beginning rate as well as a broader availability across trim degrees. Beginning at $28,870 (all prices include the $1,120 location) for the base LX, the CR-V Crossbreed is about $500 less than the competitors. Like the RAV4 Hybrid, the CR-V Crossbreed is provided in four trim levels; the Retreat Crossbreed is provided just in two trims.

Along with conventional AWD, the CR-V Hybrid comes criterion with automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, active lane control, and also adaptive cruise control.

The $31,380 Ex Lover trim hits the sweet area by upgrading from a 5.0-inch central display screen to a 7.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Car compatibility, warmed front seats, a 12-way power-adjustable chauffeur's seat with 4-way lumbar support, one-touch power windows, dual-zone environment control, push button beginning, and also blind-spot monitors. Wheels get swole, brother, from 17-inch alloys to 18-inch alloys, and also it adds a moonroof. We would certainly suggest the EX-SPOUSE.

The $33,870 EX-L trim includes more refinement with leather-trimmed seats, a leather-wrapped wheel and change handle, a 4-way power-adjustable guest's seat, an 8-speaker sound system, and a power tailgate with programmable heights.[online]

The $37,070 Touring trim completes the lineup with navigation, a costs stereo, wireless phone charging, ambient lighting, LED headlights, roof rails, as well as 19-inch alloy wheels.

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dipulb3 · 4 years

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2021 Nissan Rogue review: Playing it down the middle

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/2021-nissan-rogue-review-playing-it-down-the-middle/

2021 Nissan Rogue review: Playing it down the middle

The Rogue is currently Nissan’s best-selling vehicle by a long shot, and consumer demand for compact crossovers shows no sign of slowing down. Needless to say, the “don’t screw it up” factor is pretty high with the redesigned 2021 Rogue, which rolls into dealerships later this year.

Quiet, comfortable cabin

Decent fuel economy

Available digital gauge cluster

Enhanced ProPilot driver-assistance tech

Don’t Like

Weak engine performance

Styling isn’t for everyone

Best tech features are only available on the most expensive trim

Smartly, Nissan opted to take a conservative approach to the Rogue’s redux, though you might not think so upon first glance. The boldly styled front end certainly isn’t for everyone — I’m not a fan, personally — but it’s at least expressive, which isn’t something I could say about prior Rogues. The rest of the crossover’s appearance is unsurprisingly conventional, although new two-tone color options are available to give that upright, two-box shape added visual interest. All told, the 2021 Rogue is about an inch shorter in both length and height than its predecessor.

Inside, 2021 Rogue loses half an inch of headroom and 1.5 inches of legroom up front. Rear-seat occupants, on the other hand, enjoy slightly more headroom and legroom than before — 0.7 and 0.6 inches, respectively. A third row of seats isn’t available, and while that might seem like a given considering the Rogue’s small size, keep in mind that Nissan offered a holy-crap-that’s-cramped option from 2014 to 2017. Trust me, the Rogue is better off without it.

The SUV’s back doors now open to a full 90-degree aperture, which makes getting in and out easier and gives you more space when finagling car seats or other bulky items. A similar bit of helpfulness is found in the cargo area, where there’s an adjustable divider in the two-tier load floor. Only available on SL and Platinum grades, this two-piece partition gives you a maximum of 36.5 cubic feet of storage space behind the second-row seats, while the Rogue S and SV make do with 31.6. Regardless of model, folding the back seats flat results in 74.1 cubic feet of room, which puts the Rogue ahead of the Toyota RAV4 (69.8) but behind the Honda CR-V (75.8).

Generally speaking, the Rogue’s interior is perfectly nice. Nissan’s comfy and supportive Zero Gravity seats are standard for both front and rear passengers, came wrapped in leather on my SL tester and is available with quilted, semi-aniline hides on the bougie Platinum. All of the plastics and wood appliqués are nicely grained and none of the vehicle controls feel cheap or flimsy. Well, mostly.

The new electronic gear selector is a particularly lousy part of an otherwise well-built cabin. It looks cheap and feels cheaper. On the other hand, no mechanical linkage to the transmission frees up space beneath the console for added storage, but considering how cavernous the compartment aft of the cup holders is, I don’t imagine needing that extra space all that often.

Most Rogues will roll out with an 8-inch color touchscreen display in the center of the dash, running the newest version of the NissanConnect infotainment system. A larger 9-inch high-definition screen is optional on the SL and standard on the Platinum, with the same NissanConnect software inside. This system isn’t my favorite, with its occasionally laggy response times, but the graphics are nevertheless colorful and crisp — on the HD display, at least — and it’s a step up from the Display Audio and Entune systems offered in the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, respectively.

If you want the mega-tech experience, go for a Rogue Platinum, which comes with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and 10.8-inch head-up display, as well as a wireless charging pad. It kind of sucks that you have to spring for the most expensive Rogue — $36,525, including $1,095 for destination — to get these niceties, but so it goes. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across the board. What’s more, wireless CarPlay is optional on the SL and standard on the Platinum, and every Rogue save for the most basic S has an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot as well as four USB outlets (two A, two C).

The Rogue’s interior is clean and modern.

Steven Ewing/Roadshow

A whole bunch of driver-assistance technologies come standard on every Rogue, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, a driver alertness monitor, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning and automatic emergency braking. Nissan’s excellent ProPilot Assist joins the standard roster on SV trims and higher, combining adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assist for easy-breezy highway commuting. A newly enhanced version of this tech, ProPilot Assist with Navi-Link, is optional on the SL and standard on the Platinum. It uses navigation data to adjust the Rogue’s speed for things like tight highway curves and busy intersections, and it can even keep the steering assist active on freeway exit ramps. The uplevel ProPilot software also includes speed-limit adaptation, which is something normally reserved for higher-end luxury cars.

Unfortunately, the rest of the Rogue’s driving experience isn’t so techy; you won’t find turbochargers or electric assistance under the hood. Buyers looking for more punch should check out a Mazda CX-5 with the 2.5-liter turbo, and if you’re all about fuel-sippin’, the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 can be had with hybrid powertrains. The Escape and RAV4 even offer plugin options.

The Rogue, meanwhile, uses a reworked version of Nissan’s long-standing 2.5-liter I4, making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, increases of 11 hp and 6 lb-ft over the 2020 model. A continuously variable transmission is mandatory across the board, and buyers can choose between front- and all-wheel drive on every trim level.

The more upright shape results in increased rear-seat headroom.

Steven Ewing/Roadshow

Nissan’s CVT is one of the better transmissions of this type, largely fading into the background without roughness or loud droning during acceleration. But the Rogue definitely isn’t quick, and it occasionally suffers on steep grades. Climbing California’s notorious Grapevine on the I-5 freeway at 75 mph requires a heavy right foot, especially since the 2.5 has a dearth of low-end torque. The experience would be worse with passengers and/or more cargo onboard, too. This is where the low-end torque from a turbocharger or added electrification can really help, but competitors generally also make you pay extra for their more-powerful engines. Nissan offered a Rogue Hybrid previously, so perhaps a more powerful engine option will come along in the future.

Fuel economy ratings of 27 miles per gallon city, 35 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined are on the better side of average for the compact crossover class. Opting for all-wheel drive reduces those figures by one to two mpg depending on trim level, but again, that’s not uncommon for small SUVs. After several days of testing in mixed conditions, my Rogue’s onboard computer shows 28.5 mpg.

The engine itself may be pretty mediocre, but overall, the Rogue drives with confidence and composure. The redesigned rack-mounted electronic power steering is a lot better than in old Rogues, with improved weight and more natural turn-in that doesn’t feel overboosted. Even so, as far as steering feel is concerned, the Rogue, like most other small SUVs, is as dead as your childhood dreams.

Of all the compact crossovers on sale today, the Nissan Rogue is definitely one of them.

Steven Ewing/Roadshow

A new, stiffer frame gives the Rogue a solid on-road demeanor, and the suspension is nicely tuned to soak up the sort of rough pavement and occasional pothole you’ll experience in everyday driving. The base Rogue S rides on 17-inch wheels, but 18s and 19s, like the ones on my tester, are available. Brake feel is solid and easy to modulate, and if you hustle the Rogue through a corner you’ll find predictable amounts of body roll. But for the key missions of a Nissan Rogue — running errands, commuting to work, taking the kids to the lake — this vehicle is appropriately tuned.

Pricing for the 2021 Nissan Rogue starts at $26,745 including destination and all-wheel drive is a $1,400 upcharge on every trim. Like every other aspect of the Rogue, this puts Nissan’s CUV squarely in the middle of the compact crossover class.

It’s hard to fault Nissan for playing it straight with the 2021 Rogue. The current model is doing really well for the automaker, and it’s the segment’s third best-selling model behind the Toyota and Honda. Frankly, considering Nissan’s big-picture troubles, it’s probably not a good idea to shake up a winning formula. Is the Rogue the most attractive, most fun-to-drive small SUV? No. But it’s comfortable, spacious, economical and priced right, and those are pretty strong laurels on which to rest.

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jeffrey2garner · 4 years

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The Best Compact Crossovers—No Matter Your Budget

What are the best compact crossovers? That’s precisely the question we’ve attempted to tackle here, highlighting 10 different models across a range of budgets.

It’s a long and meandering road that has brought us to the current trend for these compact crossovers. The desire for truck utility and car comfort isn’t new, and the first attempt to fill that niche came nearly a century ago in the form of the station wagon, which served families well for decades. But folks are fickle, and the ‘80s saw the wagon fall out of favor, as first the minivan, then the SUV became the go-to choice for families needing to haul kids, groceries, and gear.

Crossing from SUV to Crossover

But SUVs have some drawbacks to go along with their rugged appearance and capability. A vehicle that does well off-road doesn’t usually ride well on pavement, and heavy trucks with aggressive 4-wheel-drive (4WD) systems generally don’t get great mileage. Those are big compromises when the vast majority of SUVs never leave the pavement, and they provided the perfect opportunity for the arrival of a new station wagon in disguise—the compact crossover.

If you want to cross over to crossovers, the market currently offers so many that it can be a daunting prospect. Here, we’ll recommend great buys at a number of price points, so you can ensure you’ll get the most for your crossover cash.

$10,000 and Less

Fourth-generation Kia Sportage (2015 – present)

If you want to grab a compact crossover for less than 10 grand, you’re going to have to go back a few years, making a warranty more important than ever. With its impressive 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, you’re guaranteed to get more than a few years out of even a well-used Kia Sportage. And while the Sportage can be a little cramped when it comes to cargo space, your passengers will have more than enough room.

Search for a 4th-gen Kia Sportage on CarGurus

Second-generation Nissan Rogue (2014 – present)

The Nissan Rogue has been chastised for its lackluster engine and transmission, but things aren’t as bad as they seem. Auto journalists are notoriously picky about drivetrains, but if you give the Rogue a spin and aren’t bothered, you’ll be rewarded with a crossover that does nearly everything else right.

Search for a 2nd-gen Nissan Rogue on CarGurus

$10,000 – $20,000

Fifth-generation Honda CR-V (2017 – present)

The Honda CR-V might be the most well-balanced crossover on this list. It’s easy to find vehicles that get better gas mileage, handle better, haul more, or drive faster, but finding one that does all those things as well as the CR-V is a challenge. Look to the turbocharged 1.5-liter engine for a little extra oomph, as the base engine prior to 2020 isn;t strong, especially with a full load.

Search for a 5th-gen Honda CR-V on CarGurus

First-generation Infiniti QX30 (2017-2019)

A Mercedes GLA in disguise, the Infiniti QX30 wraps a Mercedes platform and powertrain in a unique and attractive shape. Its unusual design can make for a tight fit for passengers and interesting rear visibility, but the QX30 slips effortlessly through city traffic and looks great doing it. Discontinued for 2020, deals can be found on some examples from this car’s three model years, but pay special attention to the transmission. It seems neither Mercedes nor Infiniti got the shift points just right.

Search for a 1st-gen Infiniti QX30 on CarGurus

$20,000 – $30,000

Second-generation Mazda CX-5 (2017 – present)

No crossover at this price point drives better than the Mazda CX-5, but that’s not why it’s being recommended. Mazda has been consistently updating its interiors lately, resulting in cars that look much more expensive than their price. Handsome on the outside, classy and comfortable on the inside, the CX-5 will make you feel like you’re lapping at the edges of luxury.

Search for a 2nd-gen Mazda CX-5 on CarGurus

Fourth-generation Subaru Forester (2012 – 2018)

Subarus have always prioritized safety, from their impressive visibility to their standard symmetrical all-wheel-drive (AWD), and the Subaru Forester is one of the few vehicles available that has maintained the ability to see out the back. That alone would warrant a spot on this list, but the Forester’s ground clearance and capable AWD make it a smart pick for foul-weather journeys.

Search for a 4th-gen Subaru Forester on CarGurus

$30,000 – $40,000

First-generation Jaguar F-Pace (2017 – present)

One of the bigger entries on this list, the Jaguar F-Pace pushes the limits of what can be called a compact crossover, but that means your passengers and cargo will have plenty of room. The fact that your passengers and cargo will get to enjoy one of the best driving experiences you can get in one of the most attractive crossovers on the market is just a bonus.

Search for a 1st-gen Jaguar F-Pace on CarGurus

Second-generation Volvo XC60 (2017 – present)

Volvo’s commitment to style and safety culminates in its XC series of crossovers. The Volvo XC60 offers a wealth of engine options that are largely unrestricted by trim level, meaning the used market should offer lots of potential candidates. The XC60 is one of the best-balanced options on this list, with a level of design often missing outside the luxury segment.

Search for a 2nd-gen Volvo XC60 on CarGurus

$40,000 – $50,000

First-generation Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class (2016 – present)

The fact that the Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class has been winning awards shouldn’t surprise you. It has the combination of style, safety, performance, and tech you expect from luxury crossovers. What should surprise you is that it manages to win while competing with the likes of Audi’s Q5 and BMW’s X3. Technology buffs should take note—if you want to sample the new MBUX, you’ll need to go with a 2020 model.

Search for a 1st-gen Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class on CarGurus

First-generation Porsche Macan (2015 – present)

Some dismiss the Porsche Macan as a vehicle for those who prioritize performance over practicality, but if compact crossovers were created for those wanting SUV utility and a car-like driving experience, the Macan may be the ultimate vehicle. Take a drive and you’ll see that Porsche concentrated on more than just performance, with top-notch materials, fit, and comfort. Be savvy when shopping, though, as the options list can make two seemingly similar cars have very disparate prices.

Search for a 1st-gen Porsche Macan on CarGurus

For more auto news, check out these articles:

The Range Rover Sport HST Hits the Sweet Spot

The Jaguar F-PACE SVR: A Modern-Day Supercar

2019 LA Auto Show: Vehicles for Every Lifestyle

The post The Best Compact Crossovers—No Matter Your Budget appeared first on The CarGurus Blog.

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bidgodrive · 5 years

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Some of the best cars for snow driving available on BidGoDrive.com

“Baby, It's Cold Outside ” plays (in the background) as you watch cars slide all over the ice and crash into each other, folks are skidding through red lights left and right, and everybody is ice skating in their cars, even when they don’t want to be. It’s finally snowing. You don’t have to be one of those people, but how? We can help!!

Honda’s compact crossover, the CR-V, has been in production since 1995 and is currently in its fifth generation. CR-V stands for comfortable runabout vehicle, but it was termed as a compact recreational vehicle in a British car review that was then republished by Honda. With an optional third row of seats that can fit up to 7, the standard AWD version puts out 190 horsepower and 179 lb-ft of torque through a 1.5 liter turbocharged I4 engine. Older versions are available with a 2.4 liter, naturally aspirated engine that puts out 184 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque. The NHTSA gave the Honda CR-V 5/5 stars for its overall safety rating, so it’ll keep you and your family safe when you head through the snow with a ground clearance of 7.8 inches to avoid getting bogged down. You can get it as a hybrid in 2020, too.

The Toyota RAV4 is arguably the aforementioned CR-V’s biggest competitor. Introduced in Japan and Europe in 1994 and in North America in 1996, the RAV4 started off putting out 119 horsepower. The 2019 gas-powered RAV4 now puts out 203 horsepower, while the hybrid version puts out 219. While both come standard with FWD, all trims have AWD available making them perfect for driving in the snow. 2019 AWD iterations have a new feature: Rear Drive Disconnect. That means that only the front wheels are powered when AWD isn’t necessary, improving fuel economy for models that are equipped with AWD. The 2019 Toyota RAV4, like the CR-V, got 5/5 stars for its safety rating as well, making it an excellent contender for mountain trips with the family, or just commuting to work when nobody else seems to be able to because of the snow with an impressive 8.4 inches of ground clearance.

Subaru Outback is one of Subaru’s most reliable models, and now in its sixth generation as of 2020. The standard Boxer engine puts out 182 horsepower, 176 lb-ft of torque, and comes with Auto Start-Stop Technology for better fuel economy around town. Equipped with standard AWD and a ground clearance of 8.7 inches making it ideal for snow driving, the Subaru Outback also earned a 5/5 safety rating from the NHTSA. Spacious, comfortable, and with excellent off-road capabilities, you won’t get stuck anywhere in a Subaru Outback.

It’s no surprise that Subaru holds two spots on this list, as they’re known for their sporty and outdoorsy nature. If you’re looking for something a little bit bigger than an Outback, Subaru’s crossover-SUV is a fantastic choice. Originally the XV Crosstrek, as of 2016 the Subaru Crosstrek has become its own entity. Every trim comes equipped with AWD, and the gas-fed iterations put out 152 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. The Crosstrek is also available as a plug-in hybrid, which puts out 137 hp and 134 lb-ft of torque. All variations come with Active Torque Vectoring and Traction Control Systems for the best experience in the worst conditions. As with all the other vehicles on this list, the Crosstrek got a 5/5 star safety rating from the NHTSA, so you and your family will be taken care of during the winter months. Those 5 vehicles are our top picks for winter and snow driving. Be it to the mountain or just to work, you want to make sure you’re commuting safely. With top safety ratings and excellent capability in inclement weather, those cars are sure to make winter life much easier. If none of the vehicles on this list suit your requirements or style, we have lots of other options available. Happy holidays, be safe!

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perksofwifi · 4 years

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2021 Ford Bronco Sport’s Fuel Economy Falls Short of Key Rivals’

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport returns fuel economy figures as high as 25 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 26 mpg combined. This rating applies to models with the turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine. At first glance, the Bronco Sport’s fuel economy looks rather weak next to other small SUVs, even when accounting for the fact that the Bronco Sport is only available with all-wheel drive.

The Bronco Sport’s street-bred sibling, the 2020 Ford Escape, returns 26/31/28 mpg with the same 1.5-liter engine and all-wheel drive, per the EPA. Here’s a look at a few other key entries in the segment:

2021 Toyota RAV4 AWD: 27/34/30 mpg 2021 Honda CR-V AWD: 27/32/29 mpg 2021 Subaru Forester AWD: 26/33/29 mpg 2021 Jeep Compass AWD: 22/30/25 mpg

Keep in mind the Bronco Sport has a different mission than many of these other models. Although it shares the same architecture and most of its mechanical bits with the Escape, the Bronco Sport features squarer styling and more off-road-friendly features. Although we haven’t experienced the base engine yet, we did ride in a Ford Bronco Sport with the more powerful turbocharged2.0-liter four-cylinder and were impressed by its capabilities off the beaten path. Models with this engine are even less fuel-efficient and the EPA rates so-equipped Bronco Sports with fuel economy figures of 21/26/23 mpg.

2021 Ford Bronco Sport EPA-Rated Fuel Economy

1.5-liter: 25/28/26 mpg 2.0-liter: 21/26/23 mpg

*city/highway/combined

The post 2021 Ford Bronco Sport’s Fuel Economy Falls Short of Key Rivals’ appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2021-ford-bronco-sport-mpg/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

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enginerumors · 5 years

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2020 Honda CR-V Release Date, Cost, Dimensions

2020 Honda CR-V Release Date, Cost, Dimensions – The actual growing 2020 Honda CR-V Release Datesignify each of the fifth methods in your really perfectly-appreciated crossover SUV series by Honda. On profile of exceptional performance, lower and luxurious, usefulness, in addition to strong performance, any CR-V has created into probably the most generally looked at crossovers inside the American…

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hafid21com · 4 years

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Honda Motor Company Middle East office unveils the new 2020 Honda CR-V

The 2020 CR-V comes with new updates:

New exterior front and rear design that includes a new front bumper and a redesigned front grille.

New design headlamp

LED strip fog lights

Electric hands-free tailgate control with height adjustment in standard (EX) and higher grades

Wireless Charger (Touring)

18-inch alloy wheels with a new design

February 5, 2020: Honda Motor Company – Africa and the Middle East Office – today announced the launch of the (CR-V) 2020 model to consumers in its new outfit. The new model for 2020 features a new exterior design and redesigned 18-inch alloy wheels in the EX and higher grades, as well as modifications to existing features and the addition of more exterior color options for the car. The CR-V comes in four grades: DX and LX in two-wheel drive (two-wheel drive), and EX and Touring all-wheel drive (all-wheel drive).

Exterior design:

The Honda CR-V’s premium presence for the year 2020 is thanks to the new dimming bumper, front grille and new wide fog lamp openings. The advanced technical touches did not stop there, but extended to the rear, where the dark-colored backlight lenses, and the headlamps with a bold design surrounded by the LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) with LED lighting in the form of wings in all categories. The CR-V’s powerful new front profile also includes signature Honda LED headlights (touring class only). The EX and Touring grades feature redesigned 18-inch alloy wheels. The CR-V is available in three new exterior colors – Glow Metallic Gray, Vivid Metallic Red, and Shimmering Sparkle Red.

Interior design and amenities:

The 2020 Honda CR-V has a new, easy-to-use center console with more flexible storage options, while the CR-V Touring comes with a wireless mobile charger.

The wireless charger for the phone provides a dedicated charging area that is easy to access and use. This feature can be used with phones that support Qi charging technology.

Other technologies include a central color TFT display for the driver information interface, the DX and LX grades contain a 5-inch color audio screen, the EX and Touring grades contain a 7-inch touch screen audio interface with a key to control the volume, as well as the availability of a navigation system . The 7-inch audio touch display is compatible with Apple CarPlayTM and AndroidAutoTM platforms, allowing customers to conveniently use the main features and functions of smartphones with the screen, including smartphone GPS navigation and search by Voice control.

Some of the key features and amenities include: remote engine start-up on the LX and higher grades, dual-zone temperature control in the EX series, i-Dual temperature control in the Touring trim, and rear air conditioning vents in the All grades, electronic handbrake (EPB), USB rear charging ports, in addition to the front passenger seat that can be electrically adjustable in 4 directions, the driver’s seat that can be electrically adjustable in 8 directions and the back support in the Touring trim.

One of the new comfort features on the 2020 CR-V is the electrically hands-free tailgate control with height control on the EX and Touring grades. This feature allows you to open and close the tailgate with a simple kick under the rear bumper when your hands are busy. The EX and Touring grades also have steering wheel-mounted paddles that allow you to change gears with a simple push.

Advanced safety measures:

The 2020 CR-V builds its bodywork on Honda’s latest generation Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE). The CR-V targets the highest levels of safety in crashes, with a 5-star rating from NCAP, the highest rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the highest safety rating (+) from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. (IIHS).

Other active safety features from Honda include: standard front airbags on all grades, side curtain airbags on the Touring grade, Electronic Brake Assist (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Traction Control Systems (TCS), and the brake system. Anti-lock (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Rapid Control Assist, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), Smart Stop, Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Rear Park Sensors are standard on LX and EX grades, the Touring trim level comes with front and rear parking sensors.

Powertrain and Chassis:

The heart of the 2020 CR-V is the 2.4-liter i-VTEC Twin-Camshaft (DOHO) engine, with a direct injection and mated to a Honda G-Shift Sport Fluid Continuous Shift (CVT) transmission. The 2.4-liter engine delivers 184 hp at 6,400 rpm and 244 Nm of torque at 3,900 rpm. The fuel economy stats for the CR-V are 15.5 km / liter for the DX and LX grades and 14.7 km / liter for the EX and Touring grades.

The all-new chassis and chassis design in the CR-V provides more flexible and confident handling and handling, as well as an improved driving experience and an overall high-quality versatility. The suspension – consisting of a MacPherson strut front and a multi-link rear suspension – uses specially tuned low-friction dampers, with all-wheel-drive (FWD) and all-wheel-drive (AWD) models including the front and tubular rear stabilizer bars. Which promotes traffic on fast turns and makes it easier to pass. The dual-gear electric power assist steering (EPS) also contributes to the driving satisfaction and comfort of the CR-V.

Available colors:

The all-new CR-V comes in the following interior and exterior colors for all grades:

Exterior colors:

White pearl platinum

Lunar silver metallic

Modern shiny silver

Black shimmering frosted

Sparkling blue obsidian

Shiny metallic

Glow Shimmer Gray (New)

Vivid metallic red (new)

Shimmering red shimmer (new)

Interior colors

ivory

black

source https://hafid21.com/index.php/2020/08/14/honda-motor-company-middle-east-office-unveils-the-new-2020-honda-cr-v/

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perksofwifi · 4 years

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2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid Interior Review: A Look Inside the Hybrid SUV’s Cabin

If you like the interior of the 2020 Honda CR-V, then you will like the CR-V Hybrid because, quite frankly, they are not much different. That is not a bad thing. After all, the CR-V was named the 2018 MotorTrend SUV of the Year. It was a winner for the way it put the whole package together, including a well-executed and swanky interior.

The CR-V Hybrid has been available in other markets such as Japan and Europe, but for the U.S. it just started arriving in dealerships March 1. It becomes the fastest, most powerful, and most efficient CR-V in the lineup.

There may be some buyers who expect leafy greens to sprout inside their new eco-friendly hybrid, while being vegan and gluten free. Sorry to disappoint, but the CR-V Hybrid is none of the above. But it is well done, functional, comfortable, and attractive.

Let’s take a closer look.

There are some cosmetic changes and badging on the outside to show the world your CR-V is the hybrid. Inside, there are also a few telltale changes in a five-passenger crossover that is well packaged, logical in its layout, and has the prerequisite tech.

The model we crawled around has comfortable gray leather seats with lighter gray perforated inserts. The bucket seats up front are comfortable with sufficient padding and light bolstering. Heated seats are available. Honda uses a nice grain on the plastics so it doesn’t look cheap, and surfaces are soft where they need to be, such as the middle armrest and the portions of the door that arms and legs come in contact with. The dash also has padded leather on this trim level. The mix of materials includes attractive simulated wood trim on the door, dash, and center console, and a piece of glossy black trim across the dash. The headliner is cloth, and the stitching is fake, but none of it looks cheap or cheesy. The fit and finish is top notch.

Thoughtful Touches Inside the 2020 CR-V Hybrid

The interior feels like it is loaded with amenities, and everything is well placed, thoughtful, and functional. There’s plenty of storage space up front in the doors and center console. Honda changed the storage bin between the driver and passenger with a sliding shelf that flips forward and up, making room for a large purse or bag. The electronic parking brake frees up space and is conveniently placed to the left of the push-button shifter. Easy to find and use.

Rear doors open wide to get in and out, and there’s ample head- and legroom in the second row as well as vents in the center console. Although it is a five-passenger vehicle, the short straw goes to the narrow middle seat in the back.

Honda did not scrimp on materials for those in the second row, although the top of the door is hard whereas it is padded for the front-seat passengers. The CR-V is one of the few vehicles in the segment to offer a 60/40 split second-row seat that folds flat. You can pull handles on the backrests or go to the cargo area and grab one of the two levers there. That might sound trivial, but it’s truly convenient. A cargo cover is now standard.

The batteries for the hybrid are under the low cargo floor so they don’t impede interior space. There is an impressive 39 cubic feet of space behind the second-row seat and 75.8 cubic feet when the seat is folded down. No compromise for having batteries on board.

Crisp Graphics but Not a Benchmark Infotainment Screen

Whereas the base model has a tiny 5.0-inch screen, most trims have the 7.0-in touchscreen integrated in the center of the dash with a combination of touch pads and real knobs for controls. Sort of. There is a knob for volume but not tuning. All are within easy reach, and additional controls on the steering wheel are intuitive and unobtrusive.

It does not come across as the most modern infotainment system, but it’s compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and you can get a navigation system on top models. No auxiliary input, but there are four USB ports: two up front, positioned nicely above the wireless phone charging pad, and two more for those travelling in the back.

The infotainment screen is not stuck atop the dash—a personal pet peeve—but it could be better integrated. The graphics are bright and crisp, and the home screen is not overcrowded or overwhelming and is relatively easy to use.

The digital gauge cluster in front of the driver provides the normal array of information like fuel, time, temperature, whether the driver needs a coffee break, and driving range, but also a hybrid-specific power-flow meter for those who like to gauge whether they are consuming or regenerating electricity at any given moment.

Two Powertrain Options

The hybrid has Honda’s latest generation of its two-motor hybrid technology, which has been further refined and offers more range in pure electric mode. The hybrid powertrain is similar to the one in the Accord. It combines a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with two electric motors to produce 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard on the hybrid.

The conventional CR-V has dropped the base 184-hp, 180-lb-ft 2.4-liter naturally aspirated inline-four, leaving the 1.5-liter turbocharged I-4 that generates 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a continuously variable transmission. It drives either the front or all four wheels.

Switching Up the Transmission Shifter

While the conventional CR-V puts the shifter on the dash at the bottom of the center stack, the hybrid has a new push-button transmission shifter and steering wheel paddles to increase or decrease the regenerative braking power. The new shifter requires you to push for park, push down for reverse, push in for neutral, and push a big button for drive.

To the right of the buttons for gears are more buttons for drive modes that can be manually selected, or you can let the vehicle make the selection for you to optimize performance and efficiency. Modes include Sport, EV, and Econ, which essentially dictates whether the vehicle is using EV drive, hybrid drive, or engine drive.

Left of the steering wheel is the panel of buttons for liftgate release, parking aid, stability control, and lane keep assist. There is an old-school little compartment to tuck coins. It is a contrast to the modern, brightly lit red button to start the car that says “power” instead of “start.”

Overall, the interior of the CR-V Hybrid duplicates the masterful packaging of the conventional crossover with a few nods to the electric propulsion it brings to the equation. Pricing of the hybrid starts at $28,897 for the LX with the top-trim Touring starting at $37,070. It makes it a formidable competitor to its main rival, the Toyota RAV4, as well as others in the field (hybrids and non-hybrids) such as the Ford Escape, Nissan Rogue, Kia Sportage, and Volkswagen Tiguan.

The post 2020 Honda CR-V Hybrid Interior Review: A Look Inside the Hybrid SUV’s Cabin appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/honda/cr-v/2020/2020-honda-crv-hybrid-interior-review/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

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dipulb3 · 4 years

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2020 Lexus UX 250h review: Space is at a premium

New Post has been published on https://appradab.com/2020-lexus-ux-250h-review-space-is-at-a-premium/

2020 Lexus UX 250h review: Space is at a premium

The UX is quite an attractive little thing.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

The 2020 Lexus UX 250h makes a very strong first impression. The sharply styled exterior design looks amazing — especially in my example’s cadmium orange paint — and the hybrid’s generous fuel economy claims are worth a double take. Yet it’s hard to fall in love with Lexus’ smallest model.

Stylish design, high-quality interior materials

Excellent suite of standard driver aids

Android Auto joins Apple CarPlay for 2020 model year

Don’t Like

Very little cargo space, even for a compact

Lexus Remote Touch controller isn’t great

While efficient, the powertrain is a bit breathless at speed, and there’s surprisingly little room for cargo, passengers or car seats in the UX’s cramped cabin. And even with the 2020 model year tech updates, the littlest Lexus’ cockpit tech can be a bit confusing to use.

Sharp design

Gorgeous and angular, the UX is probably the best execution of Lexus’ SUV design language and, in my opinion, one of the best-looking vehicles in its class. The sharply creased sheet metal plays better with the UX’s subcompact proportions than those of the larger RX and NX models. I particularly enjoy the chunky, RAV4-esque wheel arches and the three-dimensional design of the taillamps, which protrude a bit from the body like little aerodynamic diffusers.

Measuring 177 inches from nose to tail and standing just 60.6 inches tall, the UX isn’t that much larger than the CT 200h that it technically replaces as the entry point Lexus’ US lineup. The slightly elevated ride height and all-wheel drive are basically the only traits of its design that define the UX as a small SUV rather than hatchback. To be fair, that’s usual in this class.

That said, even among its Lilliputian peers, the UX’s cabin feels particularly claustrophobic. There’s not much legroom to be found in the cramped second row and precious little volume for cargo. Between the sharply raked roof and the hybrid’s battery pack, which raises the rear hatch floor, the UX 250h only offers 17.1 cubic feet of cargo space, about 4.6 cubes less than the non-hybrid. That’s total cargo space with the seats folded flat. That puts the UX hybrid among the worst in its class, with less cargo capacity even than the liftback Hyundai Ioniq.

The UX has a lot less cargo capacity than you might think, less even than some similarly sized hybrid sedans.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

What’s more, the high load floor and small hatch opening make it difficult to load bulky items. Squeezing a not-too-big 8.25-cubic-foot box in the back even proves to be a challenge.

Fortunately, the front row is fairly comfortable with a reasonable amount of head- and legroom, as well as supportive seats. The UX’s dashboard features high-quality materials that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the hand. Despite a few puzzling design choices for the tech, I really like the Lexus’ cabin aesthetically and ergonomically.

Lexus Enform with Remote Touch

The dashboard is home to the only real changes for the 2020 model year. The UX now features Android Auto smartphone connectivity via USB. Of course, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility also carry over from last year. Like the larger Lexus RX, Android Auto makes full use of the UX’s optional 10.25-inch ultrawide screen, filling the display with a split-screen interface that showcases navigation and audio data at the same time.

Beyond the third-party tech, Lexus’ Enform infotainment system with Remote Touch controller is… not great. The console-mounted touchpad is easy enough to understand, but can be imprecise and awkward for fine selections or when driving. That may be one reason why Lexus blocks all but the most basic infotainment interactions when the car is in motion, but it also means you can’t have a passenger input a destination for you.

The addition of Android Auto is a small change that makes a huge improvement to the UX’s tech.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

The UX also boasts what has to be the most awkwardly placed volume dial that I’ve ever seen. You’ll find it — after some searching — slotted into the side of a palm rest aft of the Remote Touch pad along with shortcut buttons for audio source selection and radio tuning. The tiny knob requires multiple swipes for quick volume adjustments and can be hard for passengers to reach without contorting.

It’s a little ironic that a vehicle called UX has such poor user experience (UX) design.

Lexus Safety Suite 2.0

Thankfully, the UX’s advanced driver-assistance tech makes a more solid showing with standard Lexus Safety Suite 2.0 for all models. That means standard forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist, lane-departure warning and very decent lane-tracing assist — checking all of the boxes out of the box. The UX also features standard automatic high beams and road-sign detection, which showcases posted speed limits in the navigation and instrument cluster displays.

2020 Lexus UX 250h: Efficient style in a very small package

See all photos

My example also features the optional park assist with automatic rear cross-traffic braking ($595), the upgraded triple-beam LED headlamps ($1,660) and a full-color head-up display ($500). Other creature comforts adding to the bottom line: a heated steering wheel, all-weather floormats and a few more odds and ends.

Hybrid Synergy Drive performance

The Lexus UX 250h features a version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive with standard all-wheel drive. Matching a 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder engine with an electric motor sends a total of 181 horsepower (and an unspecified amount of torque) to the crossover’s front wheels. Meanwhile, a dedicated 7-hp electric motor-generator on the rear axle splits 40 pound-feet of torque between the rear wheels on demand at speeds up to 45 mph. This is basically the same low-drag AWD-e setup you’ll find in the updated Prius.

The UX features Normal, Sport and Eco drive modes, accessible via stubby stalks above the instrument cluster, and a limited EV drive mode button on the center console. Though the hybrid can technically slip into EV operation at up to 71 mph, such speeds are only really attainable when coasting downhill. In practice, the EV mode is for creeping in and out of driveways or around parking lots.

A pair of drive mode selection stalks protruding from the instrument cluster hood is an odd detail, but a nice homage to the exotic Lexus LFA.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

Around town, the UX 250h feels pretty good with decent thrust off the line and a responsive accelerator backed up by electrified torque. The UX’s suspension and steering are taut, which makes the tall hatchback feel fairly nimble around urban obstacles. You’ll need that nimbleness to dodge potholes; the UX’s slightly too-firm suspension can be punishing over rough patches of road.

At higher speeds, unfortunately, the UX’s hybrid powertrain seems to run out of juice. Highway passes and merges lack the oomph that you feel around town, while spirited driving — where you’d want to capitalize on the responsive steering and suspension — are met with wheezy, laggy acceleration. The optional F Sport trim may prove to be more fun with its sport-tuned suspension and paddle shifters but, without any extra power, I doubt it. This isn’t a sports car; it’s an eco car with sporty leanings.

The UX hybrid is pretty good at being an eco car, returning an EPA estimated 39 miles per gallon combined, 38 highway mpg and up to 41 mpg in the city. That’s not bad for an all-wheel drive hybrid SUV, essentially matching the Ford Escape AWD Hybrid and Toyota’s own RAV4 Hybrid AWD. Expand your net to include front-driven models, though, and the Kia Niro’s 49 combined and 51 city mpg blow pretty much everything else in this class away before the plug-ins join the fray.

The UX’s hybrid all-wheel drive system is similar to (but more powerful than) the Toyota Prius AWD-e.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

Pricing and competition

The 2020 Lexus UX 250h is available in base ($34,500), F Sport ($36,500) and Luxury ($39,700) trim levels. The base model nets you most of the creature comforts and the Lexus Safety Suite 2.0 technologies; with a few extra options, there isn’t really a need to go beyond that. F Sport models feature some suspension and chassis tweaks, more aggressive styling and paddle shifters. Finally, the top Luxury trim rolls in creature comforts like memory seats, steering wheel and mirrors, a power moonroof and improved audio. As tested, my Luxury model with premium paint, triple-beam LED headlamps, HUD, parking assist and other features rolls out at $44,700 including a $1,025 destination fee.

The UX is an odd little bird. Its precarious balance of style, luxurious appointment and efficiency comes at the expense of any real utility. Toyota’s own RAV4 Hybrid is more powerful, more spacious and equally efficient for much less money. Honda’s CR-V Hybrid, despite its quirks, is a more engaging drive. The frumpy-looking Kia Niro is far and away the most efficient SUV I can think of without a plug. And yet, those aren’t “luxury SUVs” like the UX; none offers the top-end creature comforts or quality of materials that Lexus does.

Some people with a little extra cash seeking a stylish urban runabout that stands apart from the crowd may find the UX 250h to be exactly what they’re looking for. For most, I think, the tech annoyances, the cargo space compromises and the luxury tax may not be costs they’re willing to pay.

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drivesuvs1 · 4 years

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Some of the Best SUVs

Not sure if you should buy an SUV? Here are five of the most common reasons people give for buying a sports utility vehicle. Whether are not they are good reasons is for you to decide.

Listed below are some of the Best SUVs of 2020.

Compact: Volkswagen Tiguan There's such a great amount of similarity in the midst of the huge number of conservative hybrids that it's reviving to discover something—anything—generously extraordinary among them. Yet, the 2020 Tiguan prevails with regards to separating itself in an exceptionally helpful manner: an accessible third column. Between the Tiguan's seven-traveler ability and adaptable inside (the second-column seats slide front and toward the back, and they crease in three segments instead of the run of the mill two), VW's littlest SUV utilizes its bigger outside impression than the fragment standard by conveying outsized common sense. Compact: Honda CR-V It's not hard to perceive any reason why the 2020 CR-V is one of the brand's top-selling items: It's refined, commonsense, and all around planned. Beside offering one of the biggest payload straights in its section, the CR-V additionally offers two eco-friendly powertrains—including a half and half—to assist it with clashing with its primary opponent, the Toyota RAV4. All CR-Vs come well-furnished with common luxuries and innovation includes that SUV purchasers need, in addition to it has earned superb accident test evaluations, which will speak to families. Our grumblings are not many—and for the most part based on the CR-V's unremarkable increasing speed execution—yet it's far-fetched that normal purchasers will locate similar shortcomings. Compact: Toyota RAV4 Perpetually a smash hit SUV, the 2020 RAV4 offers a trim for each spending plan. The value driving LE trim is truly fundamental, yet the top of the line Limited can challenge the Lexus NX with its numerous extravagance highlights. The new TRD Off-Road model guarantees improved ability when hitting the path, and its tough styling makes it take a gander at home nearby the Toyota 4Runner SUV and the Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. The ute's driving elements incline toward the ordinary side of the range, however most buyers will locate the 2020 RAV4's ride agreeable and its dealing with pleasant. On the off chance that it's mileage you're after, think about the RAV4 Hybrid, which we audit independently. Minimal Luxury: Porsche Macan The 2020 Macan sits on the little side of the minimal extravagance SUV portion, however it is a conclusive contrast to the reasoning that every utility vehicle are exhausting to drive. Amazing execution and unflappable balance, without trading off its everyday decency, have earned the Porsche a few correlation test triumphs in our testing throughout the years, just as a spot on our 2020 10Best rundown. While a portion of its rivals are increasingly reasonable and pragmatic, the 2020 Macan stands apart as an appropriate driver's machine the manner by which Porsche exceeds expectations. Smaller Luxury: Porsche Macan Turbo Porsche has effectively sifted drawing in driving qualities into a smaller hybrid, and the 2020 Macan Turbo speaks to the model's presentation zenith. Flaunting an alluring plan, it figures out how to look energetic and refined. Its inside has a brilliant seating position and various personalization choices, however its confined back quarters aren't incredible on long excursions. In like manner, the Turbo is pricier than lesser Macans that convey less excites in the driver's seat. All things considered, the speedier twin-turbocharged model is an encounter that well-to-do fans will appreciate. The Porsche Macan Turbo is effectively one of the most instinctive hybrids available and it earned a spot on our 2020 10Best rundown.

#drivesuvs #suvs #suv2020

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actutrends · 5 years

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Comma.ai launches Comma Two, a $999 kit that imbues cars with assisted driving features

Two years ago, analysts predicted that upwards of 10 million self-driving cars would hit the road by 2020. They weren’t the only ones — in 2015 and 2016, respectively, The Guardian and Business Insider proclaimed that people would become “permanent backseat driver[s],” riding in fully autonomous cars from 2020 “without needing any interaction from [drivers].”

Fast forward to today. Despite assurances that as many as 8 million driverless cars will be added to the road in 2025, even operations like that of Alphabet’s Waymo have yet to expand beyond selected metros. The reasons are regulatory as well as technological in nature, but expense plays a role. Conservative estimates peg the cost of outfitting cars at between $100,000 to 250,000 per car.

So why not go the do-it-yourself route? That’s the question George Hotz posed five years ago — he’s the American hacker best known for developing exploits that targeted Apple’s iOS operating system and reverse-engineering Sony’s PlayStation 3. In September 2015, Hotz founded Comma.ai with the goal of developing a semi-automated system — OpenPilot — that would improve cars’ visual perception and electromechanical motor control. Unlike most full-stack solutions in testing, it’s intended to replace OEM advanced driver-assistance systems, effectively imbuing cars with self-driving capabilities.

For the first time in its history, Comma.ai has an official presence at the Consumer Electronics Show. The company this week invited members of the press (including VentureBeat) to test-drive the latest version of its system — and to show off the Comma Two.

OpenPilot

OpenPilot’s development had a bit of a rocky start. The first version’s reveal in a Bloomberg article and video prompted a cease-and-desist letter from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which accused Comma.ai of testing a self-driving car in the state without a license. Subsequently, OpenPilot was packaged into a shippable device dubbed the Comma One, which again ran afoul of the authorities because of noncompliance with U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Under pressure from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration, Comma One was canceled, and Comma.ai open-sourced OpenPilot on GitHub.

Much has changed. In the roughly three years since Comma.ai made OpenPilot available to the public, over 1,500 users have racked up more than 14 million autonomous miles collectively, half of which were driven autonomously. (That’s up from 10 million miles as of May 2019.) Moreover, they’ve forked the GitHub repository over 2,300 times, adding features like automatic lane change and support for older Tesla, Chrysler, and Jeep models.

Comma Two

Comma.ai previously sold the Eon Devkit, a self-contained and windshield-mounted modified OnePlus phone. It started at $599, and once OpenPilot was installed to it, it automatically recognized car models by analyzing CAN network traffic. (The presence of certain CAN messages and their lengths is an indication of the model year, car brand, car model, and trim.) Companion devices dubbed the Panda and Giraffe plugged into cars’ OBD-II ports to track RPMs, MPG, cornering G-force, battery life, and more, and to provide access to the communication buses and enable the Eon to interface with the car.

The Comma Two replaces the Eon, but it retains all of the Eon’s features and then some. That said, it ditches the Panda for a single-cord solution, and it’s slightly pricier at $1,000 (though it’s available on a payment plan through Affirm).

The first batch of 300 units are available for purchase today. They’ll begin shipping later in the month, Hotz says.

The Comma Two is powered via OBD-C as opposed to by battery, which Hotz says was a top complaint among current Eon owners, and it has a larger mount as well as a custom fan-based hardware cooling solution. Like the Eon, which used a camera to recognize drivers’ faces and decelerate if it detected those drivers were distracted, the Comma Two performs facial recognition. In point of fact, it’s in improved in that it leverages two infrared sensors as opposed to an RGB sensor, enabling it to work during nighttime.

Other highlights include front and back cameras, as well as a fourth CAN bus to connect the OBD-II port and a low-power mode that automatically shuts off the Comma Two after three days to save car battery.

The Eon was equipped with cellular service and a SIM card supplied by Comma.ai. Data was unlimited (though capped to 512Kbps), and users could spring for Comma Prime if they so chose, a $24 per month service that enables remote access (via T-Mobile) from anywhere and online storage of 14 days’ worth of drive data (compared with the standard three days). The Comma Two also taps cellular for connectivity and plays nicely with new and existing Comma Prime subscriptions, and it comes with a year’s worth of storage.

By default, OpenPilot uploads driving data in real time from the road-facing camera, CAN, GPS, inertial measurement unit, magnetometer, thermal sensors, and operating system to Comma.ai’s servers for machine learning training and development purposes. Much of this data can be accessed locally through the Comma Connect app for iOS and Android or through Explorer, an online dashboard of recent drives from which disengagements (i.e., instances when a driver took control from OpenPilot) can be annotated to help improve the system.

From within the app, Comma Two owners can remotely wake up the Comma Two and snap a picture from either the front- or rear-facing cameras. Additionally, they’re able to switch among multiple units on the fly and to view their real-time geographic locations.

Compatibility

OpenPilot isn’t compatible with every car under the sun. It only works with these models and model years:

Acura ILX (2016-2018) and RDX (2016-2018)

Buick Regal (2018)

Chevrolet Malibu (2017)

Volt (2017-2018)

Cadillac ATS (2018) and Pacifica (2017-2018)

GMC Acadia Denali (2018)

Holden Astra (2018)

Honda Accord (2016-2019), Civic (2017-2019), Civic Hatchback (2017-2019), CR-V (2015-2019), CR-V Hybrid (2017-2019), Fit (2018), Odyssey (2018-2019), Passport (2019), Pilot (2016-2019), and Ridgeline (2017-2019)

Hyundai Elantra (2017-2019), Genesis (2018), and Santa Fe (2019)

Jeep Grand Cherokee (2016-2019)

Kia Optima (2019), Sorento (2018), and Stinger (2018)

Lexus RX Hybrid (2016-2019) and ES Hybrid (2019)

Subaru Crosstek (2018) and Impreza (2019)

Toyota Avalon (2016-2018), Camry (2018-2019), C-HR (2017-2019), Corolla (2017-2020), Corolla Hatchback (2019), Highlander (2017-2018), Highlander Hybrid (2018), Prius (2017-2019), Prius Prime (2017-2020), Rav4 (2016-2019), Rav4 Hybrid (2017-2018), and Sienna (2018)

Equally critically, OpenPilot isn’t capable of fully autonomous driving on all road types in all conditions. It can currently handle lane centering on roads without clear marking thanks to machine learning algorithms trained with user data, and it can maintain a safe follow distance and drive in stop-and-go traffic without supervision.

But it’s complicated. On all supported cars, OpenPilot’s automated lane centering and lane keep assist replace the stock systems. Only on specific supported cars does the system’s adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning slot in for default, however, and on no model does OpenPilot take over things like auto high-beam, blind spot warning, and side collision warning.

Driving experience

So how’s the driving experience with the Comma Two? “Smooth sailing” sums it up. OpenPilot indeed maintains its lane position even when the markings aren’t obvious — or aren’t visible. In a construction site with cones on either side and on an unpaved road without dividing lines, we watched OpenPilot deftly keep centered and maintain a comfortable following distance from the car in front of it.

It doesn’t much matter whether the road ahead is straight or severely curved. OpenPilot used to scrape OpenStreetMap for road curvature and traffic data, but it doesn’t any longer — now, it’s smart enough to calculate the trajectory in real time and to ensure it doesn’t speed along that trajectory too violently.

In this respect, OpenPilot is akin to Nissan’s ProPilot Assist, Volvo’s Pilot Assist, and GM’s Super Cruise, the last of which is one of the few systems that offers hands-free driving thanks to an eye-monitoring infrared camera. But in contrast to Super Cruise, which only engages on about 130,000 miles of U.S. and Canadian highway that GM has mapped, OpenPilot theoretically works anywhere there’s a discernible road.

OpenPilot can change lanes automatically, but it requires signaling from drivers before it does so — they have to first switch on a turn signal and nudge the steering wheel in the direction they’d like to go. It smoothly merging while keeping pace with the traffic ahead in our brief experience. But Hotz noted that OpenPilot won’t prevent lane changes when cars are to the immediate left or right, in the Comma Two’s blind spot.

Of course, Comma Two and OpenPilot can’t anticipate every situation. An SUV rear-ended a hatchback during our driving demo, forcing Hotz — who was behind the wheel — to tap the brake and disengage the system. And OpenPilot doesn’t handle things like red lights or stop signs — at least not yet.

Safety

Whether OpenPilot can be considered truly safe is a semantics question, in part. The driverless car industry lacks an agreed-upon metric for safety — Noah Zych, head of system safety at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group, told Wired in an interview that miles traveled isn’t a particularly insightful measure without context like location. Derek Kan, U.S. secretary for policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation, echoed that sentiment in remarks at a conference two years ago.

Companies like Intel’s Mobileye and Nvidia have proposed mathematical models that aim to codify good habits like giving other cars the right of way. Essentially, they’re decision-making policies in a motion-planning stack that monitor unsafe actions by analyzing real-time sensor data.

Comma.ai has a safety model of its own, which Hotz said involves several forms of regression testing. Commits aren’t merged to the OpenPilot codebase before they’ve met the test suite’s muster.

This aside, Comma.ai problematically hasn’t committed to regularly publishing any sort of statistics beyond miles driven, like disengagements or accidents. California’s Department of Motor Vehicles mandates that all companies testing autonomous cars report disengagements, but because Comma.ai doesn’t have a permit to test cars, it’s exempt from this requirement.

Hotz for his part asserts that the infrared sensors in Comma Two will improve safety substantially, as will the onboarding video customers are required to watch before they launch OpenPilot for the first time. On the subject of the former, a warning appears on the Comma Two’s screen if a driver diverts their eyes from the road for four seconds, and after six seconds, OpenPilot disengages and begins to slow down. (Unclicking the driver-side seat belt or opening the car door also disengages the system.)

For what it’s worth, we encountered only one disengagement — Hotz’s stop to avoid the accident — over roughly 7 miles and 25 minutes of driving “We pushed on nuance [with this latest version of OpenPilot],” said Hotz. “Intersections have no lane lines — it’s unclear where you should go. [OpenPilot] follows the path that the human would follow.”

Backend improvements

On the backend side of the OpenPilot equation, new is a simulation environment called the Small Offset Simulator that loads in real-world routes and simulates deviations of them. “You can’t just take a lot of data and train a model to mimic the data, because that model doesn’t realize that if it takes action, the world will change,” said Hotz. “The only way to really do that is to build a simulator.”

Using a technique called projected geometry and generative adversarial networks (GANs), or two-part AI models comprising generators that synthesize data samples and discriminators that attempt to distinguish between the synthesized samples and real data, the simulator redraws scenes meters to the left or right or with curvature and other perturbations. Hotz said that the models within the Small Offset Simulator are now training on 200,000 minutes of driving data collected by Eon users.

It’s similar — but not quite the same — as the simulation environments deployed internally by Uber, Waymo, and others. GM’s Cruise, for instance, leverages a replay approach that involves extracting real-world sensor data, playing it back against the car’s software, and comparing the performance with human-labeled ground truth data. Cruise also engages in planning simulation, which lets the company’s data scientists create up to hundreds of thousands of variations of a scenario by tweaking variables like the speed of oncoming cars and the space between them.

Future developments

Going forward, Comma.ai plans to release new hardware on roughly a yearly cadence — Hotz believes its business model of selling devices at profit and eating the cost of software development is sustainable. (Comma.ai has raised $8.1 million in venture capital to date across two funding rounds, the most recent of which closed in April 2018.) As for OpenPilot, achieving a better end-to-end driving experience remains an acute area of focus for the engineering team.

“What we want to do is move away from [lead car following] and move to an end-to-end longitudinal [model],” he said. “One of the problems we as a company have trying to convey is, when it works well, you don’t even notice it. Our company mission is to solve self-driving cars while shipping intermediaries.”

But Comma.ai isn’t discouraging rivals from cloning its hardware and piggybacking off of OpenPilot. In fact, Hotz encourages it, just as he encourages those with proprietary solutions to compete with Comma.ai.

One such challenger — former Yahoo CTO John Hayes’ Ghost Locomotion — emerged from stealth last November promising an aftermarket self-driving kit to retrofit existing cars. Another — Cambridge, U.K.-based Wayve — claims its driverless cars self-improve by learning from safety driver interventions. Mobileye doesn’t sell a consumer product, but like Comma.ai, its driverless tech leans on cameras for autonomous decision-making. And then there’s Tesla, which recently release a preview of an active guidance system (Navigate on Autopilot) that navigates a car from a highway on-ramp to off-ramp, including interchanges and making lane changes.

Hotz is unconcerned. “Mobileye is the Windows [of autonomous driving] that’s going to do Microsoft-style business development deals with big companies, Tesla’s the Mac that’s going to ship sexy hardware to consumers, and we’re the Linux,” he said. “Everybody should use us for whatever they want.”

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