The Cadillac Celestiq—the hand-built electric vehicle that has a price in the $340,000 vicinity—is a lot of things, but one that’s surprising is, in effect, a test-bed for road maintenance personnel.
That is, the Celestiq is fitted with Smart Chassis Sensor technology developed by ZF.
Sensors—two in the front wishbones and two in the rear—are permanently mounted into the ball joints of the suspension system.
An important part you cant see are the algorithms. (Image: ZF)
These sensors and associated algorithms are used to do a variety of things, like control damping and provide headlight leveling.
Steffen Reichelt, Head of the Chassis Components Product Line at ZF, says, “With the help of evaluation algorithms, our sensor not only replaces conventional height sensors, it also significantly outperforms them in terms of the quantity and reliability of the data collected.”
It is that last bit—the data collected—that is germane to the beyond-Celestiq applications.
Reichelt: “The data collected by the sensor allows additional conclusions to be drawn about the vehicle, its surroundings and the road surface. These findings are particularly attractive for commercial vehicle users and fleet owners, but also for the maintenance of road infrastructure.”
So while most of us will never experience the smooth ride that is undoubtedly offered by the Celestiq, conceivably those who do could benefit the rest of us with the data that their vehicles can collect about the road surfaces.
“This vehicle will be a real American – large, attractive and with many high-tech features on board. Above all, the midsize SUV will be made by real Americans.
“From 2016, this vehicle will roll off production line at the Chattanooga plant – as second core model in addition to the Passat.
“This major decision was taken by the Board of Directors of Volkswagen Group of America last Friday.
“So: Our midsize SUV will be a car “made in Chattanooga”!
“A car ‘made in the US’!”
While that might sound like something you’d hear someone say nowadays as the tariff situation (there is a 25% tariff on imported vehicles that is based on Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962; Section 232 deals with national defense: who knew that things like a midsize SUV would have military implications?), that was actually from July 14, 2014, in a speech by Dr. Martin Winterkorn, who, at the time, was CEO of Volkswagen. (He resigned the following year as a result of the Dieselgate scandal.)
The vehicle he was talking about is the VW Atlas, a seven-seat SUV that went into production late 2016 as a model year 2018 vehicle.
Yes, it was, and is, built in Chattanooga. (The Passat, however, ended production there in 2021.)
The Atlas gave rise to the model year 2020 Atlas Cross Sport. It is a five-passenger vehicle.
And the plant has been cranking out Atlases of both configurations ever since. (In addition to the electric ID.4.)
VW Atlas Cross Sport: A sporty utility vehicle. (Image: VW)
A faster roofline and more generous cargo capacity (40.3 cubic feet in the present version with the rear seat ready to accommodate people; in the standard Atlas, with the rear seatback up the cargo is 20.6 cubic feet*, but it should be noted that the Atlas version of the Atlas has a third row, so that explains the delta in space for stuff) are key differences, as are an overall, well, sportier appearance. Like a diffuser on the rear hatch that isn’t found on the Atlas.
Under the Hood
The vehicle is powered by a turbocharged, direct-injected four-cylinder engine, the “Evo4” TSI EA888, mated to an eight-speed automatic. The engine produces 269 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, which is good for a vehicle that is 195.5 inches long, 78.3 inches wide, 67.8 inches high, has a wheelbase of 117.3 inches and a curb weight of 4,171 pounds. Merging onto a freeway and then driving on it are no problem with the vehicle.
There are sporty stainless-steel pedal caps—but one need not get too carried away thinking that this is a vehicle that will allow you to crush it on a gymkhana course.
The vehicle is EPA rated at 19 mpg city, 26 mpg highway and 21 mpg combined. Helping that is a feature of the 4Moiton with Active Control all-wheel-drive system (not all Cross Sports have this; there is a front-drive version, too).
Inside
On the inside, as this is the top-of-the-line there is good leather seating surfaces. (Lower trims offer leatherette.) The overall execution provides a sense of substance, as one would hope to get from a German car, even if it is one built some 4,600 miles away from Wolfsburg.
There is a 12-inch infotainment display. The Atlas has VW’s App-Connect system, though which things like CarPlay and Android Auto are accessible.
And there is what VW calls the “Digital Cockpit Pro,” a 10.25-inch screen that stands in for the gauge cluster. One advantage of this is that it provides things that are actually useful, like navigation information so the driver can keep eyes forward.
From the points of view of styling, content and powertrain, this is midsize that can hold its own against others in the category.
While there is a bit of a sacrifice to get that style, unless your needs are all about utility (which would then shift a look to the Atlas version of the Atlas), it is worth it.
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*It is interesting to note that while the seats-in-position cargo capacity of the Cross Sport is about twice that of the regular Atlas, through Q1 2025 the sales of the regular Atlas were about twice that of the Cross Sport: 16,902 to 8,689. Guess people either have more than five passengers on a regular basis or they anticipate that they will so they give up some sportier style for potential utility.
While there is a lot of attention being paid to Tesla’s rollout of some 10 vehicles in Austin that are operating autonomously—with a safety driver on board and apparently people back in Tesla HQ monitoring the fleet, ready to kick in with teleoperation help if needed—there is virtually no attention being paid to what is happening in Cambridge, UK.
This week an autonomous Mellor Orion E electric midi bus—a low-floor transporter that can be configured to accommodate a maximum 16 passengers—equipped with a CAVStar Automated Drive System started rolling through the streets of the university town.
Bus is operating autonomously in the streets of Cambridge, England. (Image: Fusion Processing)
The CAVStar system is engineered by Fusion Processing. It comprises an AI processing unit, radar, LIDAR, optical cameras, and ultrasonic sensors.
The Cambridge vehicle is said to meet the requirements of SAE Level 4 autonomy.
The bus is running as part of the Connector project, which is led by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, which is supported by Innovate UK and the Centre for Connected & Autonomous Vehicles.
The bus initially ran though the areas in Cambridge where it is now operating without passengers to determine fitness for use.
“People may have already seen the bus going around Eddington and Cambridge West from Madingley Park & Ride recently, as, after the extensive on-track training with the drivers, we’ve been running the bus on the road without passengers to learn more about how other road-users people interact with the technology. We’re now moving gradually to the next stage of this trial by inviting passengers to use Connector.
“As with all new things, our aim is to introduce this new technology in a phased way that balances the trialling of these new systems with safety and the passenger experience. This will ensure we can learn more about this technology and showcase the potential for self-driving vehicles to support sustainable, reliable public transport across Cambridge.”
Somehow this seems more substantial than the reports out of Austin about the performance of some of those Tesla vehicles.
In addition to which: if, as Musk has proclaimed in his various “Master Plans,” his goal is to reduce overall energy use (yes, targeting fossil fuels, but even renewable energy systems are far from being zero-emissions), then doesn’t a mass transit vehicle that can transport plenty of people make more sense than autonomous passenger cars?
Fox Racing QS3 internal-bypass shocks, front and rear, with rear piggyback-style remote reservoirs
Independent double-wishbone front suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar
Multi-link rear suspension with coil springs and stabilizer bar
33-inch Toyo Open Country III tires
18-in. matte-black alloy wheels with 33-in. Toyo all-terrain tires
Stabilizer Disconnect Mechanism (SDM)
Multi-Terrain Select (MTS) and Crawl Control (CRAWL)
Electronic locking rear differential
TRD Pro aluminum front skid plate with underbody transfer case and fuel tank protection
Part-time 4-Wheel Drive (4WD)
Electronically controlled 2-speed transfer case (high/low range) and Active Traction Control (A-TRAC)
Rigid Industries LED fog lights
If those things make you shrug, as in “I don’t exactly know why these things are of particular importance,” then the 4Runner TRD Pro is not for you.
Which is not exactly the sort of thing you ordinarily see this early in a description of a given vehicle.
2025 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro: Who needs pavement? (Image: Toyota)
But the point is, the 2025 4Runner TRD Pro, a mid-size SUV, is engineered to drive on terrain and in ways that if you aren’t an enthusiast of the great outdoors you are likely never to appreciate.
Here’s another thing to know about this model—as well as the other 4Runner variants: It has body-on-frame construction.
Again, if you shrug, then maybe there should be the consideration of something like a Grand Highlander.
The TNGA-F platform the 4Runner is built on is also used for things like the Toyota Tundra and Tacoma—both pickup trucks. (It is also found on the Toyota Land Cruiser.)
This is a fully boxed ladder frame that is constructed to provide high levels of torsional rigidity. Another thing Toyota has done is use tailor welded blanks, which means there is additional strength in areas that need it so the structure is ready to handle the hard stuff, like when crawling over rocks.
The vehicle is powered by an i-FORCE MAX 2.4-liter, turbocharged (twin-scroll turbocharger) 4 cylinder hybrid engine.
Yes, that’s right: this is a hybrid, a parallel hybrid system with a permanent magnet synchronous motor/generator. The system—as in the combustion engine and the electric motor—produces 326 hp @ 6,000 rpm and 465 lb-ft of torque @ 1,700 rpm.
There is an eight-speed automatic.
And if you’re curious: it is rated at 23 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, 23 mpg combined.
The TRD Pro offers seating for five on SofTex-covered seats: this is material that resembles leather, but which is formulated to be able to handle serious wear and tear. It also cleans up nicely, because if you’re going to have a vehicle that you may take literally off-the-grid on weekends (which goes back to the point of the TRD Pro), odds are you’re going to want to get rid of the mud and muck that may be brought unintentionally back into the cabin. (Leather is used for the heated steering wheel and on the shift knob.)
The 4Runner offers beefy knobs, dials and buttons that make making adjustments far easier than is the case of vehicles that have switched to digital interfaces for changing things. But this is not to say that the vehicle is in any way behind when it comes to tech, as there are a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 14-inch infotainment screen. There is a 14-speaker JBL audio system. The 4Runner has wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
But let’s go back to the list that started this and the claim that if you aren’t impressed, the 4Runner TRD Pro is probably not the one for you.
It is worth knowing there are eight other 4Runner trims. And while there is something of a bias toward the rough and ready (e.g., TRD Off-Road Premium; Trailhunter), there are configurations that are better for those who are unlikely to beat the stuffings out of their vehicle on a somewhat regular basis.
If you’re interested in reserving an AC GT Roadster, know that the starting MSRP of the V8-powered, carbon fiber-skinned two-seater is $276,792.
You will not, however, have the problem of seeing a whole lot of other people driving around in “your” car. The company, founded in 1901 (heritage matters, right?), which has operations in both the UK (where it is headquartered) and Germany, will build 250 of the vehicles annually—for the global market.
Classic design for a car with a specialized price. (Image: AC Cars)
It is worth noting, however, that for customers in the U.S. things have gotten a bit easier as AC Cars has announced the launch of AC Cars America.
David Conza, CEO of AC Cars England:
“AC Cars America is poised to play a critical role in the next chapter of our global journey. The US is AC Cars biggest single market, and establishing a dedicated company ensures that clients will receive the best possible care while we continue to reach a greater audience for our exclusive models.”
The American outpost is headquartered in West Palm Beach, Floridia. Of course it is.
Arguably it is a good thing that the whole tariff regime between the U.S. and the UK—the “Economic Prosperity Deal”—has been worked out.
It includes a provision that has it that the first 100,000 cars manufactured in the UK will face merely a 10% tariff.
On that AC GT Roadster would be a mere $27,679.20—which is a whole lot better than the $69,198 that the original “Liberation Day” 25% tariff on cars imported from the U.K.
Even the denizens of West Palm Beach would notice that.
Acura, the premium division of Honda, had its start in 1986 in the U.S.
That was before Toyota launched Lexus and Nissan Infiniti.
Both of those arrived in 1989.
When Acura started, there were two vehicles on the showroom floor:
The Legend. This sedan, with a rather ostentatious name (c’mon: somebodies else decide whether something is a legend or not), was actually developed by Honda and the now-non-existent Austin Rover Group.
The Integra. This was something of a polar opposite of the Legend. It was a sporty three- or five-door. A more affordable vehicle.
The Legend went into the history books after the 1995 model year. In 2001 the Integra was replaced by the RSX. The RSX had a short run: until model year 2006. There was a bit of a hiatus in this car space: the ILX replaced the RSX in 2012. It had a run until model year 2022, when it was replaced by the current-generation Integra.
The point of this is that Acura has consistently maintained what can be considered an affordable, entry-way vehicle in its lineup. Of late it has been the Integra. That car has a starting price of $33,000.
And Now This
But the interest in cars has cooled*, and Acura has stocked the showroom floor with an array of SUVs. Until lately, the least-expensive Acura SUV was the RDX, with a starting price of $44,700. (In case you’re wondering; the starting price of the most-expensive is the ZDX, an electric vehicle, that begins at $64,500.)
So in order to, in part, get people into an affordable SUV Acura, the company has launched the ADX.
Acura’s new entry: the ADX. (Image: Acura)
It has an entry price of $35,000.
The top-of-the-line ADX A-Spec Advance AWD takes the MSRP to $44,000.
But the ADX has a bit of a problem. The problem is a good one for American Honda (the overall company). But not a good one if your job is moving Acuras.
Too Good for Its Own Good
The problem is the Honda CR-V.
The 2026 CR-V LX FWD starts at $30,920. The top-of-the-line CR-V AWD Sport Touring Hybrid starts at $42,250.
Yes, there is a difference between a “Honda” and an “Acura” badge.
But there are some similarities between the two models.
Like in the ADX there is a 1.5-liter, turbocharged four that produces 190 hp. In that CR-V LX there is a 1.5-liter, turbocharged four that produces 190 hp.
Whether it is the entry ADX or the top model, there’s the same engine.
In the top-of-the-line CR-V AWD Sport Touring the powertrain produces 204 hp. And not only is it more powerful than the ADX powertrain, it gets better fuel efficiency (40 mpg city/34 mpg highway/37 mpg combined vs. 25 mpg city/30 mpg highway/27 mpg combined).
But one might point out that when it comes to that powertrain, there’s less mass to move: the AWD ADX has a mass of 3,611 pounds and the AWD hybrid CR-V is at 3,926 pounds. But there is that additional horsepower in the CR-V, so at the very least it is a wash.
Sized Right
It should also be pointed out that dimensionally the two vehicles are fairly similar, with the ADX being 185.8 inches long and the CR-V at 184.8 inches; the ADX 72.5 inches wide and the CR-V at 73.5 inches wide. The big difference is in the height, with the ADX at 63.8 inches and the CR-V at 66.5 inches, which I suppose goes to the point of the ADX being a sport utility vehicle and the CR-V a sport utility vehicle. (And on the subject of utility, the ADX A-Spec Advance offers 23.2 cubic feet behind the second row and 53.9 cubic feet with the second row folded; the CR-V Sport Touring has 34.7 cubic feet behind the second row and 76.5 cubic feet with it folded.)
Of course, comparisons are not typically made of vehicles from the same company so perhaps the above is inappropriate (though not if you’re in the market for a new vehicle).
So just to look at the ADX A-Spec Advance driven here, it provides:
A 10.2-inch digital gauge cluster
9-inch touchscreen
A 15-W wireless charger
15-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system
Built-in Google and Alexa
Adaptive cruise control
Ventilated front seats (i.e., cooled as well as heated)
Leather for seating surfaces and wrapping the steering wheel
Sport pedals (i.e., metal)
Powered liftgate
19-inch alloy wheels
Panoramic moonroof
And more
And it has that stylized “A” on the Diamond Pentagon grille.
But still, even if there wasn’t economic uncertainty in the world at large at the moment due to everything from tariffs to roiling in the Middle East, anyone who is looking to get the most for their money would be hard pressed not to consider the Honda rather than the Acura.
The company that encompasses Acura and Honda simply makes great products.
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*In addition to the Integra, Acura still offers the TLX. It seems as though that model may not be long for this world.
If you had an NVIDIA-powered system you could pull off that basement remodel without a hitch.. .
By Gary S. Vasilash
If you are, say, redoing your basement, you might think you’ve got everything planned out to the final light fixture but discover along the way that there happens to be something that isn’t going to allow it to happen as anticipated, such as a support pole being in the “wrong” place. (It, of course, is in the right place. Your plans are off.)
You might think that this is something that couldn’t happen during professional projects.
Like when modifying an existing factory to accommodate a new vehicle or to add capacity.
Turns out, factories can be just like basements.
While half of those robots are where they need to be, the question is whether the other half will be able to do what needs to be done. So simulation lets BMW engineers know. (Image: BMW)
Only the consequences can be greater when it turns out the support beam is the way.
BMW plans to launch more than 40 new or updated vehicles between now and 2027.
It has more than 30 production sites to prepare.
To do this with as minimal a hitch as possible it is using its “Virtual Factory.”
That’s a simulation system that’s based on the NVIDIA Omniverse.
Inputs to the simulation include everything from building data to vehicle metrics, equipment information to manual work operations.
Simulations are run in real time.
Potential collisions (e.g., banging into a column) are automatically determined.
What’s surprising is that pre- this digital twin approach it was sometimes necessary to manually move a vehicle through the plant to make sure everything fit.
And in some cases it was necessary to drain the dip tanks in the paint shop, which is not only time-consuming, but expensive.
And speaking of costs: BMW says the Virtual Factory approach will save as much as 30% in production planning.
Back in 1959 advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach initiated a series of ads for a then largely unknown automotive company, a series of ads that are now legendary.
It was the “Think Small” campaign for Volkswagen. In a time when cars were both enormous and ostentatious a diminutive, rounded vehicle was certainly something that was itself out of the ordinary.
Arguably that “Think Small” campaign did more to establish VW in the minds of Americans more than any campaign for any car line, period.
Although this is something that occurred some 60 years ago, arguably it is a two-edged sword for Volkswagen in America.
That is, the New Beetle hasn’t been available in the U.S. market since 2019. While enthusiasts might say “GTI” when asked to name a Volkswagen model, the average person would likely answer “Bug.”
VW = SUV
But the thing is: Volkswagen in America is largely an SUV brand. In 2024 the company sold 290,824 SUVs and 88,353 cars. (The GTI, incidentally, had total sales of 11,072.)
The Volkswagen Tiguan, a compact SUV, has been available in the U.S. since 2008.
Early on the sales were nothing to write to Wolfsburg about.
And that was the case for several years.
Perhaps one reason was that people “Thought Small” when they thought “Volkswagen,” so even though during the first decade you could get in Tiguan in the U.S. there was also the sizable VW Touareg SUV in the showroom. (It stopped being available in 2018.)
Tough Crowd
But there has been a bigger issue for the Tiguan.
Even though it was VW’s best-selling vehicle in the U.S. last year (94,372 units; the Atlas came in second at 75,516), it faces a phalanx of redoubtable competitors.
As in the Toyota RAV4, the Honda CR-V, the Ford Escape, and many more.
One fairly contemporary model with the Tiguan in the U.S. is the Hyundai Tucson, which first became available in late 2004.
The Tucson will be on its fifth generation later this year.
The third-generation Tiguan has just launched.
The point of this comparison is simply that Hyundai has been aggressively improving the Tucson in order to catch up with some of its competitors in that space.
And with the 2025 Tiguan, Volkswagen has really gotten into the race because this third-generation model is really quite competitive.
It is not like the second generation was bad. But it was the case that the competitive set were generally better.
Gamer
But now the Tiguan is really in this game.
The exterior design is more substantial without being truck-like. The front fascia has a slim lighting signature that sits above a large lower grille that signifies business. There are subtle fender flairs to provide a more-planted stance. Around back the taillamps also have the slim look that is becoming more characteristic of VW design.
Overall, the exterior design is one that doesn’t mimic other vehicles in the class.
Inside the materials seem to be a class-above.
In the late 1980s, early 1990s the craftsmanship of German vehicle interiors were the envy of other OEMs. Either the others got better or the Germans became complacent because the advantage passed.
But with the Tiguan it seems they’re paying attention again.
An issue is that while there is a nice 12.9-inch center infotainment display (it is 15 inches on top-of-range SEL R-Line models), the infotainment interface is less intuitive than in other brands. (Guess this is why you don’t see people walking around with German smartphones.)
The turbocharged 2.0-liter engine produces 201-hp. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic. The FWD SE model as driven here provides estimated fuel economy numbers of 25 mpg city/32 highway/28 mpg combined. This is a competitive set of numbers as a 2025 FWD Honda CR-V with a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine that produces 190 hp has numbers of 28/34/30 mpg, so a few more horsepower for the VW means a few fewer miles per gallon.
Which brings me back around to positioning.
There is currently a clever TV spot created by agency Johannes Leonardo for the new Tiguan.
The tagline is: “Now anybody can drive like Somebody.”
Which goes to the point that the new Tiguan, which has a starting MSRP of $29,495 (the MSRP for the SE driven here is $32,295) seems much more special yet is accessible.
Which is as true now as “Think Small” was true then.
Even if it wasn’t an electric vehicle it would be a most-impressive three-row vehicle. . . .
By Gary S. Vasilash
Roomy for Folks
The IONIQ 9 seats ether six or seven people in its three rows. And any way you configure it it is roomy: as in having passenger interior volume of 163.54 cu. ft. in the seven-passenger configuration. But like any vehicle, the third row is not as roomy as it is in the front or second row, but the IONIQ 9 has sufficient roominess in that third row such that the people who are back there won’t feel as though they are being punished, as is the case more often than not.
The seats are comfortable and that interior volume is such that occupants have a sense of space, as though they are in a room, not an SUV.
In fact, Hyundai interior designer Gary Lin uses a neologism to describe the cabin: “Aerosthetic Lounge.”
Speaking of Seats
What Hyundai calls “Relaxation Seats” are available for the first and second rows in the six-seat setup. These are seats that resemble those found in the First Class cabin of a transoceanic aircraft: They offer full recline—including leg rests.
Now here’s the clever part of the Relaxation Seats: People talk about how to kill time when having to recharge their EVs. But let’s face it: there are only so many nonperishable items you’re going to be buying in that Walmart that has a charging area.
So Hyundai is cleverly allowing people in the IONIQ 9 to get a comfortable place to wait it out.
Not a Long Wait
The IONIQ 9 has a 110.3-kWh lithium-ion battery.
According to Hyundai, using a CCS adapter and a 350-kW DC fast charger, the battery can go from 10% of charge to 80% in 24 minutes. If you go to a Tesla Supercharger, the same can be done in 41 minutes. At a 50-kW DC fast charger it is up to 109 minutes.
Presumably the choice might be predicated on how much you want to lounge.
When You’d Need to Recharge/Relax
There are three powertrain setups for the IONIQ 9.
The Long-Range RWD model features a 160-kW motor in the rear.
The Long-Range AWD model adds a 66.1-kW motor in the front. (This is something that EVs do that gasoline-powered vehicles can’t: want AWD, just add a motor. In gas-powered vehicle there are driveshafts and transfer cases or center differentials involved. Much simpler in an EV.)
Finally, there is the Performance AWD model, which has a pair of 157.3-kW motors.
So in that order the ranges are an estimated:
335 miles
320 miles
311 miles
All of which is to say that the driver may not get to enjoy the full recline for a while.
The Utility Factor
Not only do people get big sport utility vehicles (and this vehicle is certainly sizable, measuring 199.2 in. long, 78 in. wide, 70.5 in. high, and having a 123.2-in. wheelbase) to move people, but also to move stuff.
So if all the seats are folded it can swallow 86.9 cu. ft. of stuff. 46.7 cu. ft. if the second row is in use. 21.9 cu. ft. behind the third row. (To provide some perspective: the trunk of a Sonata sedan measures 15.6 cu. ft., and it isn’t stingy on space.)
Yes, there is a frunk. For RWD models it measures 3.1 cu. ft. For AWD it is a diminutive 1.84 cu. ft.
Slippery, Too
One of the surprising things about the IONIQ 9 is that because it is large, you might think of it like pushing a large box through the air.
But, again, design and engineering have achieved a coefficient of drag that is nothing short of incredible.
That is, the coefficient of drag for a 2025 Corvette ZR1—the “fastest, most powerful Corvette ever,” according to Chevy—is widely reported to be 0.279.
The coefficient of drag for the IONIQ 9: 0.269.
Lower is more slippery.
In an Uncrowded Space
Back in 2023 Ford, which knows more than a little about such configurations, announced it planned to build a three-row electric SUV. A year later Ford announced that the vehicle planned to be launched in 2025 would be delayed. 2027, perhaps.
There aren’t a whole lot of EVs in this space.
Hyundai compares the IONIQ 9 to the Rivian R1S, which is reasonable. Except that the starting price for the Hyundai is $58,955 and the Rivian at $75,900. Not a trivial difference.
Hyundai also compares it with the Tesla Model X. Odds are Hyundai intends to sell more than the ~21,000 Model X’s that Tesla sold in the U.S. last year.
There is the Mercedes EQB that can carry seven, assuming that those who are relegated to row three are on the diminutive side.
And then there’s the Kia EV9. It is on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Just like the IONIQ 9.
Hush
Compared with vehicles powered by internal combustion engines, EVs tend to be quiet.
After all, there isn’t that series of explosions that occur as gasoline combusts in the cylinders because there are no cylinders, no gasoline in an EV.
But in some EVs there is a noticeable sound of whirring. And what’s more the case, there are noises from the outside of the vehicle, whether it is caused by the wind or the tires on the tarmac.
Hyundai engineers have addressed those noises in an impressive manner.
For one thing, there is acoustic glass used not only for the front side windows, but for the second row, as well. Many companies just opt for using the acoustic glass (which consists of a sandwich: glass/acoustic film/glass) in the front.
There are pads on the insides of the tires to absorb sound.
There is an array of foams and pads and insulation to mitigate unwanted sounds.
And if that’s not enough there is an active noise control system that uses the audio system to cancel out what you don’t want to hear.
Attainable
Let’s face it: electric vehicles are more expensive than vehicles that have gasoline engines.
According to recent numbers from Kelley Blue Book, the average transaction price for an EV was just shy of $60,000 while it was below $50K for a gas-powered vehicle.
Now make no mistake: the IONIQ 9 is—even if you look at it from the perspectives of size and amenities alone—an above-average vehicle.
Yet the starting MSRP for a RWD model is $58,955. (The vehicle is built at the amazing Metaplant outside of Savannah, Georgia, so it can qualify for the $7,500 tax credit.)
For all that it is and offers—nothing short of impressive.
Since its establishment in 2011, the Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center has been working with an array of North American intuitions on making things better for drivers and pedestrians. And it has just completed its 100th project
By Gary S. Vasilash
Toyota has a suite of driver-assistance systems and alerts—based on hardware and software—that it calls “Toyota Safety Sense” (TSS). Elements of the system include a pre-collision system, lane departure alert with steering assist, dynamic radar cruise control, and more.
Other OEMs have their TSS-like systems.
But what other OEMs don’t have is the Toyota Collaborative Safety Research Center (CSRC), established in 2011 by Akio Toyoda and funded (through 2026) to the tune of $115 million.
CSRC has collaborated with a number of organizations, from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to Virginia Tech, from The Ohio State University Biomechanics Research Center to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
CSRC has announced the competition of its 100th research project, a study with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab on the “Non-Driving Related Tasks” (NDRTs) performed by drivers while, ostensibly, driving.
Things like interacting with steering wheel controls, center stack interaction, using a phone (known in the research world as a “PED”: Personal Electronic Device), eating or drinking, interacting with passengers, fixing hair, singing to self. . . .
A whole lot of things that are not directly related to the task at hand (i.e., driving).
The researchers had some 450 hours of driving data—video and digital information—and in it they annotated more than 145 hours of NDRT behavior.
Dr. Bryan Reimer, research scientist at the MIT AgeLab and founder and co-director of the Advanced Vehicle Technology Consortium (of which Toyota is a founding member), explained that an objective is to determine the impact of SAE Level 2 driver assistance technologies on driver behavior when it comes to engaging in NDRTs.
Dr. Bryan Reimer of the MIT AgeLab says he has worked with dozens of OEMs on projects and is impressed with Toyota’s commitment to safety research. (Image: gsv)
Although every driver knows that they are not to do many of the things that are within the NRDT sphere, Reimer says there’s what he calls “the Cheeseburger Equation.”
You are hungry. You stop at a fast-food place and buy a cheeseburger. If you don’t eat inside the restaurant, you take the cheeseburger into your vehicle. And if you don’t remain parked, you drive your vehicle. And eat the cheeseburger.
That’s just going to happen, Reimer says.
Now the objective isn’t to create cheeseburger-facilitating vehicular automation.
Rather, it is to determine the methods to discourage drivers from performing NDRTs, thereby enhancing vehicular safety.
(Reimer says that positive suggestions can help reinforce correct behaviors in a way that telling people what not to do doesn’t do.)
In addition to announcing the completion of the 100th, CSRC announced 10 new projects:
“Analysis of Speed Assist Implementations and Context-Aware Improvements.” with Touchstone Evaluations
“Driver behavior adaptation to L2 automation,” with MIT AgeLab
“Evaluating driving performance and behavior across varying vehicle specifications and driving contexts,” with Virginia Tech Transportation Institute
“Safety benefits of in-vehicle alerts and notifications,” with Oregon State University
“User Acceptance Factors for In-Vehicle Safety Systems Targeting Impared Driving,” with Impact Research
“Comparing applicability of global ADAS testing scenarios in the U.S. context,” with University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
“Skeletal data for anthropometry and posture,” with University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute
“Biological sex in ankle bone material properties,” with The Ohio State University Injury Biomechanics Research Center and University of Waterloo
“Interacting While Driving: Evaluating Attentional Demands of In-Vehicle Interfaces,” with Auburn University
Much of the information developed has been and is shared with other interested parties throughout the vehicle environment and some have contributed to the development of standards.
At a time when budgets are being not merely cut but chopped, it is laudable that Toyota continues to do safety research.
It doesn’t simply result in better vehicles, but there have been more than 400 students, postdocs, and researchers from collaborating institutions that have worked on CSRC programs, and that experience is proliferated throughout industry for the betterment of all involved parties.
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