Archive for December, 2019
Drug and Alcohol Detectors Could be in All Future New Cars
With the government already doing its best to regulate many parts of our lives, they may be just about to extend that one step further via drug and alcohol detectors in all future new cars.
Hot on the heels of speed limiters, which look set to become a standard item in the not too distant future, government officials are taking a liking to the guidelines set out by the United Nations for compulsory safety devices that should feature in all new cars.
Local interest comes as the European Union looks set to implement these guidelines as early as 2022. That’s right, in just a couple of years, drug and alcohol detectors may well become standard in every new car across Europe.
With the technology still under development, there is no ‘sure’ indication at this stage. However, with Australia often seen following in the footsteps of the international community for road safety practices, the odds are certainly pointing to a similar roll-out in Australia sooner or later.
Is there a societal dilemma?
Many motorists are likely to be shocked by the potential measure, with such requirements sure to draw the ire of those who value their driving flexibility and independence, without the state being required to intervene and tell them otherwise.
Sure, the intentions behind this sort of technology are positive. After all, as much as a quarter of all deaths on the road involve motorists under the influence of alcohol. No one is doubting the tragic circumstances that entail a vast proportion of road trauma connected to one form of illicit substance or another.
However, what is likely to be a point of consternation is the fact that law-abiding citizens will need to have the government effectively police them when they are already in control of their own actions.
How would the technology work?
Picturing the scene, by now you’re probably imagining some sort of breathalyser device that you would need to engage with every time you step into the car, right? Fortunately, the technology under development is expected to be far more sophisticated and ‘seamless’ than that.
It would rely on sensors affixed to the inside of the driver’s side door and on the steering wheel. These sensors, which would be configured to focus solely on the driver, would use infrared light to detect whether any ethanol or carbon dioxide is being picked up in the air from your breath.
But while this is the end goal, in the meantime, no one can say with any certainty that the government won’t instead opt for more ‘established’ technology in the form of those interlock systems, or sensor pads that assess the presence of illicit substances via ‘touch’.
But at the end of the day, with various pieces of technology under trial locally right now, it is looking less likely to be a case of if something will be done, and rather a case of when will the government intervene in our lives once again?
2019 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander: Car Review.
This Car Review Is About: The 2019 specification or MY20 Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander. It’s the top of the range and comes with a great equipment list and is definitely a family friendly vehicle. It’s a three model range, with the Active and Elite being the entry and mid-range options.
Under The Bonnet Is: A recently reintroduced 3.5L V6 or 2.2L diesel available across the range. The Highlander tested comes with the grunty 2.2L diesel and 8 speed automatic. It’s an all wheel drive system complete with diff lock for moderate off-roading. Peak power is a decent 147kW, and torque a stump pulling 440Nm. However, it’s a lightswitch delivery for that twist, with it on tap from 1,750rpm through to 2,750rpm. It’s not a progressive delivery from below 1,750 at all, with a press of the pedal getting that familiar pause before launch. It’s that transition from nothing to go that isn’t gentle.
Economy is superb on the highway for such a big machine. Kerb weight is anywhere between 1,870kg to 1,995kg. Our highway figure saw a best of 6.7L/100km, with an overall final consumption of 7.9L/100km. Hyundai quotes 9.9L/100km for the urban, 7.5L/100km for the combined, and 6.6L/100km on the highway from the 71 litre tank. Towing is rated as 2,000kg and the engine is EURO5 compliant.
How Much Does It Cost?: Hyundai’s website, at the time of writing, indicates a starting price of $62,425 driveaway for the Highlander petrol, $65,575 for the diesel. The test car was clad in an unusual hue named Earthly Bronze and takes the price to a $66,600 region. The range itself starts from around $47,200. That includes a seven year warranty until December 31, 2019 for vehicles delivered before that date. There are option packs available such as the Trek and Tow pack (two different versions) that offer heavy duty spring kits, electronic brake controller, and body additions. There is a price of over $2K for these. The Metro pack is floor mats, a fabric material rear bumper protector and a dashmat. That tickles the wallet at just $286.
On The Outside It’s: Undergone a notable change at both ends. Hyundai has gone for a similar look across its SUV range with “eyebrow” LED driving lights sitting above lower set headlights. The Highlander’s are LED powered as well. A pair of halogen globes sit at each corner. The rear lights have been trimmed and look much more streamlined than the previous model. The profile is stylish, and moves away from a blocky, squarish, three box design. Wheels were 19 inches and of a 5×2 spiral design. Rubber is 235/55ContiSport Contact. There is chrome garnish around the windows and along the lower doors and rear bumper. The rear also has the indicator clusters set separately to the tail lights, and they’re low down in the corners. This is a design issue AWT doesn’t subscribe to as they’re not in the driver’s eyeline.
On The Inside It’s: A dark beige colour (almost a light cocoa brown actually) for the seats and a speckled grey above. The fronts eats are both heated and vented (phew), and the steering wheel is also heated. Only the driver’s window is one touch up/down, oddly. The touchscreen is standard Hyundai and has DAB/Bluetooth/apps for connectivity. The sound is slightly off in that the voice stage comes across as centred behind the driver. And that’s with the settings having the stage centred for between the front seats.
In the centre console are the switches for the 360 degree camera, diff lock, parking assistance and sensors. Ahead of that is the gear selector with Sports shift and a nook for the wireless charging and connectivity via USB and Aux plus a pair of 12V sockets. These sit at the base of a very stylish looking dash console and a cool looking arch design for the uppermost section that also houses a HUD. The driver’s display changes colour depending on which of the five drive modes, such as Eco or Sport, are selected.
There are switches high up on the shoulder of the front seat to allow fore and aft movement of the seats, the middle row is 60/40 tilt and fold, and in the review car, there was the cargo cover over the folded down third row. cargo itself is good, ranging from 547L to 1,625L. Rear seats have their own aircon control too. Handy given the full glass roof. There is plenty of vision thanks to a good sized glasshouse.
On The Road It’s: A mix of confidence inspiring and could have been better. The ride on and off-road is superb, with beautifully balanced damping at both ends, precise steering, easily controllable handling, and a let down in the torque delivery and braking.
Taken onto some mixed grade gravel roads, the all wheel drive Santa Fe Highlander displays adequate manners up to a point. It’s definitely able to hand a good mix of gravel and clay style roads, and with some mild rocky surfaces thrown in for good measure. The centre diff lock is for those that may like a bit of softer surface running such as beach sand or a few inches worth of dragging mud.
The steering across the board is weighted just right, but it’s the light switch bang kapow wham of torque delivery from a standstill that really became irksome. Hit the Start/Stop button, fire up, head to a stop sign. Push the go pedal and there’s the diesel intake and…BAM, the engine is a free-spinner but god almighty the instant delivery of all 440 torques is just so overdone. There is nothing wrong with a flat torque curve, as it is between 1,750 and 2,750 here, however throwing the full bag in straight away is too much.
Highway cruising has the engine ticking over at just under 1,700rpm which means when acceleration is required, the torque coming in isn’t so violent as it does its thing. Because the engine is a free spirit it spins around easily and makes moving the two tonne plus machine down the freeway a smooth and painfree event.
The brakes are at the other end. Pedal travel is soft, spongy, and lacking in real stopping force. It feels even at what would normally be a real sense of the stoppers stopping that more pressure is needed to get bite on the 320mm and 309mm discs. Coming up to traffic lights and stop signs just doesn’t have the Highlander’s brakes feeling as if the required pressure is working.
What About Safety?: Hyundai‘s loaded the Highlander with as much as a car can handle. Advanced Smart Parking Assist System (ASPAS) Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist – Rear (BCA-R) Driver Attention Warning (DAW) Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) – City/Urban/Interurban/Pedestrian/Cyclist (camera & radar) High Beam Assist (HBA) Lane Keeping Assist – Line/Road-Edge (LKA-L/R) Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) – Advanced Safe Exit Assist (SEA) Smart Cruise Control (SCC) with Stop & Go Surround View Monitor (SVM) . Phew.
What About Warranty And Servicing?: There is a seven year warranty available for vehicles delivered before December 31, 2019. Servicing details can be checked for your car via Hyundai’s website.
At The End Of Drive. Hyundai’s Santa Fe is of the brand’s longer running nameplates. Its grown in size from a mid-sizer to a full sized family SUV. In Highlander spec it wants for nothing in trim and equipment levels, although the look inside is now fading in comparison to the Euro cars of a similar spec. It’s in the driving that the Santa Fe’s issues are exposed, with that wham bam torque delivery from a standing start and the “need more” from the brakes.
Sort those and the Santa Fe easily becomes an absolute standout in its class.
What Important Equipment Should I Keep in my Car?
Summer can be a prolific time for maintenance related breakdowns, what with the extreme temperatures around the country. Although we pray we’ll never find ourselves in a situation where we require roadside assistance, it’s wise to make sure that you are prepared for anything that could go wrong. Today we’ll cover some of the most important equipment you should keep in your car.
Dash cam: An increasingly common sight in vehicles across the board, dash cams are an invaluable item to record events on the road. In the event you find yourself in an accident, dash cam footage will prove crucial evidence as part of your insurance claim.
GPS: Although many cars these days will feature a built-in GPS, if yours doesn’t, then it is wise to invest in a standalone one to make your life a whole lot easier
First aid kit: Keep an up-to-date first aid kit in your car at all times. That might not be enough, however, as it also pays to be trained in administering first aid
Fire extinguisher: If you encounter a fire, even though your first actions should be to call emergency services, you may also want to have a fire extinguisher at hand as a precaution
Safety triangle: If you break down, safety triangles should be set up behind your vehicle to serve as a caution to other motorists, which also goes some way towards protecting yourself as well
Tyre kit: Flat tyres and punctures can be a major frustration, however, this is actually an easy job to tackle yourself. All you need is a spare tyre, and a tyre kit, which includes a car jack, wheel brace, tyre sealant and inflation pump.
Charging cables: Given everyone now depends on their mobile phone, you will want to ensure that you have charging cables at hand so that you don’t find your battery suddenly run flat
Spare tools: It is beneficial to have a basic took kit at hand, as well as water and coolant, spare petrol tank and pump, duct tape, jumper cables and more
Comfort items: Some of the most useful items you should keep are actually comfort items, including a blanket, umbrella, raincoat, sunglasses and the like. These are not only useful from one day to another, but in the event of a breakdown.
Peace On Earth – And The Roads, Specifically
Temperatures are soaring as we prepare for the Christmas and New Year holiday season. A lot of us are looking at the cliched images of snow and holly berries, and listening to so-called Christmas music that should really be called “winter music” with a certain level of cynicism and irony. Driving home for Christmas – whether it’s interstate or across town – can be a bit stressful as we get all hot and bothered. There’s a lot to do and a heap of places to go, and we’ve got to haul the kids around with us now that the schools are out for summer.
Before we blow a gasket (metaphorically and emotionally – not inside your car engine), maybe it’s time to take a deep breath and remember the reason for the season. Time for a bit of peace on the roads and goodwill towards our fellow motorists (and our passengers and ourselves). One way that you can do this is being a little bit kinder to everybody – and your car as well.
Be kind to your car, yourself and your passengers by making sure that you’ve topped up all the fluids that you’re supposed to (water, oil, etc.). If you can, book your car in for a service if it’s time or if you’ve noticed things getting a bit wonky. There are few things worse than having the car die on you during the holiday season when you’re miles from your planned destination and the mechanic’s garage is closed (been there, done that – at least it happened in a sizeable town and we found a nice place to stay the night and discovered a neat little café). However, bear in mind that your mechanic is probably worked off his or her feet at the moment because everybody’s trying to get their vehicle ready and the mechanic wants to go on holiday too. Book early and don’t leave it until the last minute!
Be kind to your passengers, especially if they’re children. It’s not realistic to expect kids to sit for hours on end doing nothing, especially when it’s hot. Make sure that your air con is working properly so people don’t get too hot during the journey. Staying well hydrated also helps prevent headaches, and cold water goes down a treat. Freeze a drink bottle overnight before your trip and it will slowly melt as the day goes by, staying deliciously cold. Keeping hydrated has the inevitable results, so make sure that you make frequent stops for the loo. Stick to water – it’s healthier, doesn’t make the seats sticky if they’re spilt and doesn’t leave you with sugar-amped kids getting fractious in the car seats.
If you’re going on a longer trip with children, then it can be a good idea to have a few special treats and toys that can be produced for the first time at the start of the trip. Make sure that you have a playlist (or CD or…) for everybody so the adults don’t go mad listening to twitty children’s tunes and the children don’t get bored with your Bruce Springsteen. As long periods in the car make for great bonding time, I don’t recommend kitting kids up with headphones and electronic devices; take the time to interact while you’ve got it. Don’t forget a few old-fashioned car games!
No matter what age of passenger you’ve got with you or even if you’re travelling alone, make sure you stop frequently to stretch your legs and get a bit of fresh air. This helps you stay alert, which is kinder to everybody else on the road, as you’ll be a better driver for it. It’s also kinder to your back and your overall health – go for a little walk as well as using the loo and/or filling up with fuel. Allow time for this and take your time. Enjoy the trip rather than merely focussing on getting to your destination.
While on the topic of health, it’ a good idea to pre-plan travel snacks and food. The sort of thing you pick up in most places tends to be stuffed with all the things you’re not supposed to eat (trans fat, sugar, additives). You can generate a lot of plastic waste as well, and spend a truckload while you’re at it. The good news is that fruit is in season, so it’s healthy and cheap. Maybe make a few sandwiches or take the doings for them in the esky.
Remember to be kind to your fellow motorists. Everybody is in a hurry, everybody is hot and everybody is a bit stressed with all the things they need to do. This means that you don’t need to always rush and cut in. Let people into the stream of traffic at intersections and on the way out of the car park. If we all did this, the roads would really be a more peaceful place. I’ve written on being a polite driver elsewhere – bear these tips in mind and don’t be that rude driver everybody hates.
Last but definitely not least, although it’s the season when we all indulge a little bit more, the rules about not drinking and driving still apply. Don’t ruin someone’s holiday by causing accidents, injuries or deaths. It’s just not worth the risk and if you’ve already spent a bit on pressies and food, then you don’t want to add a fine from the cops into it as well. There are loads of nice non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks out there, and it’s a lot more socially acceptable not to drink alcohol at parties. Given the season, a Virgin Mary (like a Bloody Mary but minus the hard stuff) is rather appropriate… Appoint a sober driver or plan to stay overnight if you want a tipple.
Whatever you’re doing over this Christmas, wherever and however you’re celebrating, we hope that you have a great one and that you stay safe on the roads. See you in 2020!
Level 2, 9 Help Street