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Archive for September, 2016

Q3 2016: Partnerships and Technology Signal the Beginning of a New Era

While some of the issues from earlier this year continue to hold the attention of the industry, partnerships and technology took on a large role this quarter following numerous developments.

 

Manufacturing

The biggest talking point still concerns Volkswagen, which has plunged into legal disarray around the world. Numerous governments have now taken action against the auto-maker for its Dieselgate saga, while locally a class action was instigated and the ACCC took the company to court.

Volkswagen have argued the local government is delaying them from implementing fixes to Australian-delivered vehicles, while the Federal Court cited frustration with the way the manufacturer is cooperating with proceedings. In August, Volkswagen’s operations were further impacted after contractual disputes with its suppliers in Germany and Brazil.

Brexit has resulted in several manufacturers weighing their ongoing operations within the UK, illustrated most by the Japanese government issuing strong advice concerning its contribution to the UK economy.

July 29 marked the final local production run of Ford Falcons, which was recently followed by engine production ceasing on September 26. For now, Holden will shut its engine plant in December this year, a year ahead of the scheduled conclusion of the Commodore range.

Numerous partnerships were also forged during the quarter. Ford signed an agreement with ridesharing business Carhood, which offers motorists free airport parking in exchange for renting out their vehicle. Apple was rumoured to be in discussion with McLaren regarding an acquisition, however this was later denied. Autonomous vehicle partnerships included Volvo and Uber, as well as Hyundai and Google, while Volkswagen will partner with Chinese company Anhui Jianghuai Automobile to develop electric vehicles in China.

Source: Fortune.com

Safety and Environment

Driverless vehicles encountered their first major hurdle during June, with one of Tesla’s vehicles involved in a fatal accident after it was unable to distinguish between a white truck and brightly lit sky.

The AAA announced that it would begin to conduct real-world testing for vehicle tailpipe emissions, coinciding with research from Beyond Zero Emissions, which illustrated the potential for a 6% reduction in greenhouse emissions if all Australians converted to 100% renewable electric vehicles. Supporting the momentum were reports that state governments may soon offer motorists’ incentives to take up renewable electric vehicles, with the federal government also mulling whether to scrap the Luxury Car Tax for such cars.

 

Technology

Despite Tesla’s autonomous vehicle incident, manufacturers still continue to make preparations for self-driving vehicles. Just one example, BMW, in partnership with Intel and Mobileye, are aiming for a 2021 release. Framework preparations are also under way around the world – Australia’s current road network is being mapped for machine-reading; black boxes will be required for such vehicles in Germany; and the US released driverless vehicle safety guidelines.

Meanwhile, other technology developments during the quarter included:

  • Honda developing a car that can detect a driver’s emotions
  • Hyundai and Toyota pushing for hydrogen technology within Australia by 2018
  • Airbus assessing the viability a flying vehicle
  • Audi are currently looking into: in-car Wi-Fi; electric vehicle sales being 25% by 2025; vehicles that communicate with traffic lights; and energy recuperating shock absorbers
  • Infiniti unveiled the world’s first market-ready, variable compression ratio engine
  • The first driverless bus was unveiled in Perth in late August

Audi led the way with innovative technology this quarter

Regulatory Issues

Locally, the NSW government made the controversial decision to boost its support of E10 petrol, which has thus far failed to gain any material traction within the market.

At a broader level, the government’s plan to tackle emissions through stricter standards have led motoring groups to caution drivers about the prospect of cost increases associated with new cars.

Lastly, legal and motoring bodies made renewed calls for the introduction of “lemon laws” to protect new car buyers.

 

 

 

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Private Fleet Car Review: 2017 MY Kia Optima Si

Kia’s big mid sized car, or mid sized big car, the Optima, has proved to be a stayer in recent years. For 2017 Kia has streamlined the range, with it now compromising the Si and GT, with the latter now packing a turbo engine and replacing the Platinum nameplate. A Wheel Thing takes time with the entry level Kia Optima Si.2017-my-kia-optima-si-profile-smpThere’s a good reason why the range is now just two: the Si gets crammed full of standard equipment found as options elsewhere. Apart from the standard, mandated, safety equipment such as ABS, airbags and the like, there’s Hill Start Assist, the flashing brake lights Emergency Stop Signal, parking sensors front & rear with dash display, rear view camera with guidelines, Lane Departure Warning, Autonomous Emergency Braking, auto headlights and with auto levelling. Straight up, that’s an impressive features list from a $38500 driveaway (no options or metallic paint) priced car.2017-my-kia-optima-si-engineWhat you’ll get up front is Kia’s 2.4L, with 138 kilowatts and 241 torques at 4000 rpm put to the front wheels via a six speed auto. It’s an engine that needs a rev to get the 1540 kg car going and that’s reflected in the consumption. The combined figure is quoted as 8.3L/100 km on standard unleaded, with an urban figure of 12.0L. That’s simply too high in today’s eco aimed environment and has been the Optima’s weak spot since the current shape was released in 2013. Take it out on the freeway and expect just over 6.0L/100 km from the huge 70 litre tank.2017-my-kia-optima-si-profileIt weighs a bit because it IS a big car but not as much as similar sized competitors. It’s big car in length at 4855 mm, big car in width at 1860 mm but has a low 1465 mm to show why in profile it’s seen as slinky and sensuous. It’s a good sized wheelbase, too, at 2805 mm, which translates into plenty of internal space, including a huge 510 litre boot space that is more than adequate for a family shop or a holiday away.2017-my-kia-optima-si-wheelDesign wise there’s subtle but crucial changes, keeping the Si’s looks fresh. It’s a more defined tiger nose grille, the LED lights in the lower quadrants of the intake inside the reprofiled bumper, the slimmer tail lights, extended boot lid, and the Continental rubber on the 17 inch alloys. A good looker? Absolutely. The test car came in Clear White, one of five colours available for the Si, with Silky Silver, Platinum Graphite, Gravity Blue and Temptation Red also available as an optionable cost (check with your dealer for pricing).2017-my-kia-optima-si-front-seatsInside it’s black cloth for the Si, on well sculpted, supportive and well bolstered, manually operated seats. For the Si, that’s the sole trim choice available. The driver and front seat passenger see a fluid, flowing, dash, with an ergonomically smart layout. The upper section, nearest the window, has a curve not unlike that seen in a premium British brand and the dash plastic has an almost leather look to the texture.2017-my-kia-optima-si-dashTabs have a soft feel and are of Kia’s semi matte finish. The overall effect is of quality and presence and wouldn’t be out of place in some more expensive Euro spec cars. And although the window line is high in proportion to the sides, there’s still plenty of all around vision. If you have portable devices or smartphones, there’s four 12 Volt sockets; two front and two for the rear seats, mounted at the rear of the centre console.2017-my-kia-optima-si-centre-dashEntertainment is courtesy of a 7 inch touchscreen with navigation, complete with USB/Auxiliary/Bluetooth streaming and a Speed Dependent Volume Control. It’s AM/FM only with limited RDS (Radio Data Service) capability, leaving the Si Optima behind some competitors. Sound quality in FM is good enough, however, with tuner sensitivity only rarely showing a dropout.2017-my-kia-optima-si-bootWhere the Si further shines is on the road. Think of the suspension tune as “sporting luxury”. Punted over a broken up tarmac surface at Sydney Motorsport Park, there’s plenty of absorption, compliance, plushness before firming up rapidly but not uncomfortably. Kia Australia works very closely with Kia’s headquarters to work on suspension tune for Australia and again that effort shows and pays off. Even being front wheel drive there’s barely a hint of that, with no torque steer yet an appreciable weight and heft to the steering feel. Speedbumps? Not a problem? Dive under brakes? Not enough to worry about. Dealing with undulations? C’mon, why ask!2017-my-kia-optima-si-rear-seatsPushed hard into a certain roundabout which has a direction of travel change of over 180 degrees, there was no understeer and the rear followed the front around without question. Nope, no tyre squeal either, before you ask. The electrically assisted steering is not overdone in how it works with the three steering modes, and the Motor Driven Power Steering Module is steering column mounted, allowing Kia to tune towars the more luxury side as opposed to the GT’s rack mounted setup.

It’s quiet, too, on the road, with the 2.4 litre engine only intruding slightly and that only when pressed hard. Wind and tyre noice are negligible at best and only mildly noticed at worst. Combined with the seating, you will emerge from a long drive without the subconscious stress outside noise brings in.

At The End Of The Drive.
At the time of writing, the Optima Si was priced at $34490 plus ORCs. Along with the seven year warranty, Kia offer capped price servicing over those seven years, starting off with $331.00 for the first service at one year or 15000 kilometres, with a maximum of $769.00 at the 60000 kilometre service for the Optima Si.
What a new buyer gets for their hard earned is a thoroughly well sorted car, with plenty of Australian input, a huge boot, plenty of standard features and astoundingly good value for money.

For more information on the Australian spec2017 MY Kia Optima go here: 2017 model year Kia Optima http://credit-n.ru/zaymyi-v-ukraine.html

That New Car Smell

lotus_girl_aroma_eyes_closed_white_background_76447_1920x1200The poet and writer Rudyard Kipling once said that “Smells are surer than sounds or sights to make your heartstrings crack,” and “”The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.” (the one who wrote the Jungle Books and tons of poetry that is rather neglected today, possibly because some of it’s too much fun for an English class).  He would probably have sympathised with those who find the smell of a brand new car intoxicating.

Just what is that new car smell?  Why does it press our buttons so much?  And is it possible to bottle it so we can spray it in our old faithful Toyota Corollas so they smell like new machines?  If we can, should we?

For a start, some of the pleasure that we get from smelling a new car is partly down to pure primitive psychology and associations.  The place in our brain where we process smells is right next-door to the memory department, so the two are pretty closely linked.  The first time most of us smelt a new car would either have been when we were buying something brand new or when we were drooling around the car yards, admiring the machines we love.  In the first case, the smell of a new car would probably thus be linked with the feelings of excitement, success and the joys of ownership.  In the second case, the smell of a new car would be linked with the machines we dreamed of but could never afford.  With such strong links between that smell and those strong feelings (aspiration and longing or else success), it’s no wonder that we love new car smell.

There’s a chance that we would love the new car smell even if it was awful, the same way that some people like the smell of tobacco because it reminds them of a beloved grandparent.  The relationship between smell and emotion is a very complicated one, like emotions themselves.  Scents that might put a smile on one person’s face might break the heart of another and vice versa. If you were abruptly and rudely dumped in the middle of a fragrant rose garden by the person you wanted to spend the rest of your life with, the scent of roses would probably conjure up the feelings of bitterness for some time to come.  Similarly, if you met the love of your life out on a fishing boat that stank of diesel and fish guts, the smell of diesel and fish guts would make your heart sing with the memory.

So what’s the case with new car smell?  Is it something that we’d find delicious if we smelled it in isolation from the car itself, rather like roses or cinnamon, or is it a fish-guts-and-diesel thing that we find pleasant because of the associations?

Just what is new car smell made up from?  Skipping the complex chemical names, most of what you can smell inside a new car comes from off-gassing from the materials inside the vehicle – the leather, the plastics, the vinyl, the glues, the rubber, the seat material and the paint.  In a new car, all the volatile chemicals will still be off-gassing; in an older one, they’ve all been used up.  OK, to be fair, some of these notes are likely to be found in actual perfumes: Chanel No. 5 uses a lot of aldehyde notes and heaps of old-school aftershaves use leather notes.  So it could be that new car smell is indeed intrinsically nice and it’s not just the associations.

new car headacheHowever, there’s a sinister force at work.  Back in 2000, research published by Australia’s very own CSIRO (Brown and Cheng 2000 ) found that all those volatile organic compounds that make up new car smell are pretty bad for you.  All the gases and compounds ending in –ene, -yl and –ane with random Ns in the middle of things you can’t spell that get blamed for “sick building syndrome” are found in brand new cars… and there you are, sitting inside that new car, breathing in that famous smell with the windows closed.  If you feel a little light-headed and intoxicated, it’s not just because you’re excited.  You’re not just getting a high from the thrill of purchasing a brand new vehicle – you’re also getting a chemical high like a common or garden glue sniffer, possibly from the same sort of glue.  Those headaches you get after driving around for a week or so in the new set of wheels aren’t some sort of buyer’s remorse or a result of worrying about putting a dent in the shiny new paint – it’s the new car smell making you feel a bit woozy and out of sorts.This puts a rather sinister twist on the technique of salespeople that involves getting you to sit in the car and breathe in the new car smell as a way of convincing you to buy a particular vehicle.  If the smell is getting you a little bit high, your sales resistance and some of your common sense may dissolve…

So what is to be done?  You need to buy a brand new car, so what now?  Now, I’m no killjoy.  I like the scent of a new car myself, and I also like Chanel No. 5 and all those aldehyde-note perfumes that are probably also bad for you.  I’m also aware that some of that research is well over 10 years old and car manufacturers may very well have changed their ways in this department, same as they’ve done better in the fuel efficiency department.  Buy that new car if it’s what you’ve planned on doing.  Take a sniff of the new car smell and enjoy it. However, after that, open the windows as much as possible to let all those headache-causing glue gases out; in a new convertible, get that top open!  After six months, the nasties will have got down to safe levels and you’ll still have a great car!

As for those sprays you can buy to make your beloved old car smell like a new one, they (a) don’t work and (b) are probably best avoided.  Grab a bottle of essential oil and make your own customised spray that’s actually good for you.

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Preparing Your Teenager For Their Learner Licence Test

driver ed 4A lot of parents look forward to the day when their teenager can finally drive him/herself.  However, before you can enjoy the relative freedom of the P-plate days, you have to do through the L-plate stage – and the stage before the L-plates.  You may already have a few ideas up your sleeve about whether you’re going to be the one to teach your teenager how do drive, whether you’re going to sign him/her up for professional driving lessons or whether you’re going to go for a combination of the two.

But what about the stage before that? How are you going to help your teenager prepare for that?  They certainly do need your help preparing for this, as you’re the expert driver that they see driving on a daily basis (and don’t you just know it!).  What’s more, this is usually a time of life for them when the homework from school increases like nothing else (Talk about stressful for them! I wouldn’t want to go back to my teen years).

Here’s a couple of things that will help your teen get ready for that first test.

  1. Help him/her become familiar with a car and its controls. Although your teenager can’t drive legally on the road, he or she can still crawl up and down the driveway. Getting your teenager to start the car, back it out of the garage, drive it up the driveway and the like is a good way to introduce them gradually to the basics of clutch, brake, gear stick, steering wheel and accelerator.  After all, once they’ve got that learner’s permit, you want to make the most of your time on the road.  Those of you who have access to farm paddocks and other places that are legally considered to be off the road can give your teens more opportunity to practice before they hit the road.  If you don’t have much of a driveway and don’t have access to a nice big field, then letting your teen sit in the driver’s seat and learn where all the controls are and what they are called is a good start.  If you want your teen to learn in a manual car – which is a very good idea – let him/her practice doing gear changes in a stationary car with the engine switched off.
  2. Buy him or her a copy of the road rules. Quiz him or her on it as well as encouraging your teen to do online tests or mobile phone testing apps.  If you are brave, get him or her to test your knowledge.  You may get caught out!
  3. Discuss car-related topics. Talk to him or her about what sort of car they would like to have, car shows and the like.  Talk about safety issues, driver aids and whether they’re a good idea or not. Read car reviews  and blogs (like this one!) and discuss them.
  4. Teach him or her basic maintenance skills. This is something that isn’t covered in the licencing programme but is still very important for your teens to know. After all, you don’t want your P-plater to get stranded with a flat tyre and no clue as to how to change the tyre.  Let them know the basics about what’s under the hood.  Get him or her helping you to change the oil, change the air filters, fill up with fuel, etc.
  5. Limit or ban those computer games that feature driving. I may be alone here, but I have a theory that these programmes, while fun, desensitise teens to the consequences of bad driving.  In one of these programmes, bushes, road signs and the like go down like they’re made of polystyrene if your computer car hits them. In reality, a road sign will put a serious dent in the front end and is likely to take out the front windscreen as well.  As for cars that crash at 200+ km/h and go end over end a couple of times through the air but still drive away at the end of it with the damage meter going up just a little bit… The reality is that you and the car would be totally unrecognisable and very, very dead. I’ve seen the other half’s driving quality drop and silly risks get taken after an evening of playing driving games (and the other half is a grownup).  If you can’t ban these games completely, then at least limit them or discuss what would really happen if you drove like that in the real world.
  6. Talk about road safety and driving safety when you’re on the road. This is important for building awareness. However, it’s important to balance this with discussions about the fun of driving. If you always talk about the potential hazards non-stop and stress the importance of anticipating danger to a teen who is already a bit on the nervous side, you could end up making him/her paranoid and almost too frightened to get behind the wheel.  Driving safely is important but you don’t want to give the impression that every other driver is a potential drunken idiot who is out to Get You.  Scared inexperienced drivers make just as many mistakes, if not more mistakes, than overconfident, cocky know-it-alls.

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