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Archive for May, 2020

New Protocols for Euro NCAP Crash Testing

Moving Barrier in new Euro NCAP tests.

‘Euro NCAP’; so what do all these letters mean?  Euro, obviously, means ‘European’, and NCAP means ‘New Car Assessment Programme’.  So what this team at Euro NCAP does is test out new cars by putting put them through a stringent crash test to see how they perform.  New cars need to meet a set of standards in order to get marked as having a certain level of crash safety.  This is really handy for the likes of you and me because it provides new car, and second-hand car, buyers a good informative test standard whereby we can satisfy ourselves that a car we’re about to buy meets levels of crash-test safety that we’re happy with.

This crash test safety rating, given by authorities like Euro NCAP and ANCAP (but not restricted to), stands up well in the real world, where cars involved in a crash keep the occupants safe according to the rating given in tests.  When a car is involved in a severe crash, the higher the car’s safety rating (approved through testing) is seen to offer a better chance of survival for its occupants.  The opposite is also true, where the lower the safety rating the higher the chance of severe injury to the car’s occupants.

Every two years, Euro NCAP updates and toughens its test protocols.  Recently, the crash testing bar at Euro NCAP headquarters has been raised for any new cars that get tested.  This is always a good thing because it drives new car manufacturers to improve their cars safety capability.  This year sees Euro NCAP  addressing some issues in occupant protection, providing an improved post-crash protection test and delivering a push for the new cars to have the latest advanced driver assistance technology.

Leading the new protocols is one major change in the offset crash test; and that is the introduction of a new moving barrier to moving car frontal crash test.  This replaces the current moderate offset-deformable barrier test, which has been used by Euro NCAP for the last twenty three years. The barrier will now move at around 50 km/h toward the car to better replicate what happens in the real world.  Even the thought of it suggests that manufacturers will have to strengthen their car’s safety cell to score highly!

This new crash test will evaluate the protection of the car’s occupants in the crash, as well as assessing how the cars’ front-end structures contribute, or not, to occupant injury in the collision. The new regulations also include the world’s most advanced mid-sized male crash test dummy called “THOR”.  Thor will provide lots of extra information on how well ‘he’ has been protected during the new crash testing regime.

Side impacts are never pretty, and they account for the second highest frequency of death or serious injuries. New adjustments to the near-side barrier test’s speed and mass has resulted in an increase in the severity of the test. Strengthening protection down the sides of new cars will have to be on the agenda if manufacturers want to score well in this side impact test.

Also, Euro NCAP will begin evaluating far-side impact protection that focuses on driver protection and the potential interaction between the driver and front-seat passenger during the collision. New protection offered by new-to-market countermeasures such as centre airbags between driver and passenger will be adequately scrutinised.

New driver-assist technologies will be looked at, and to score highly new cars will need to use competent accident emergency braking technology in the cars to protect vulnerable road users.  These would include road users behind the car in a reversing-back-over situation, as well as road users in the path of the car turning at a crossing. Also, evaluations on Driver Status Monitoring systems, designed to detect driver fatigue and distraction, will be part of the Safety Assist assessment run by Euro NCAP.

Manufacturers will be rewarded when any rescue information is accurate after a crash which has happened in the real world becomes easily available for scrutiny. Euro NCAP also checks ease of rescue after an accident has occurred, electric door handles, softness of materials in the cabin etc. and will endorse any technology that calls for help in an emergency situation.

These are some of the major changes we’ll see employed by Euro NCAP’s new 2020 protocols. Our local ANCAP testing will be sure to follow similar protocols so as to give the best information for us lot – the car buyers. http://credit-n.ru/about.html

Looking Smart: 2021 BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo.

BMW has the wherewithal to build a car for all segments, potentially even a segment or two that don’t exist. The 6 Series Gran Tourismo could be considered to be a segment creator. An update has just been released and here’s what we know.

Outside there has been a redesign of each end. BMW’s fixation on enlarging the kidney grille, its signature part of the frontal view, has been applied here. Slimmer headlights accentuate these, making them look even larger. On either side are new Adaptive LED Headlights with matrix technology fitted as standard, and latest version of BMW Laserlight can be ordered as an option.There are new exterior colours and additional BMW Individual paint finishes to allow personalisation. There is a M Sport package with new parts, particularly a striking front apron and large diffuser element at the rear. Optional M Sport brakes now with a choice of blue or red-painted callipers. These will sit inside 18-inch light-alloy wheels fitted as standard on the most powerful petrol and diesel engines, and there are new light-alloy wheels in 19- and 20-inch formats available as an option.

BMW offer their optional Integral Active Steering which now offers greater assistance in low-speed manoeuvring. There is rear-axle air suspension with automatic self-levelling fitted as standard. Also available as an option: adaptive two-axle air suspension, adaptive suspension, and BMW’s Executive Drive with active roll stabilisation.

Two petrol and three diesel engines will be available. All engine variants now come with 48V mild hybrid technology and there is more rapid response and greater efficiency thanks to 48V starter-generator that provides up to an extra 8 kW/11 hp to boost the combustion engine’s power and ease its workload. All diesel engines now arrive with two-stage turbocharging. All four- and six-cylinder petrol engines now comply with the Euro 6d emissions standard. Power hits the ground via an eight-speed Steptronic transmission which is standard for all model variants. BMW’s xDrive intelligent all-wheel drive system is either standard or optional for three engine variants.BMW’s excellent Live Cockpit Professional is fitted in the new BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo as standard. The BMW Operating System 7 optimises intuitive operation, and opens up a wealth of new application and connectivity possibilities. BMW also fits their Intelligent Personal Assistant digital companion and now has extended functions with optimised interaction that uses new graphics in the Control Display. There is also now the premiere for BMW Maps. This cloud-based navigation system enables extremely fast and precise calculation of routes and arrival times whilst updating real-time traffic data at short intervals. The human touch comes from a free choice of words to select navigation destinations. A vivid 3D visualisation of the surrounding area shows traffic situations and possible inputs from driver assistance systems in the instrument cluster. BMW’s Optional Parking Assistant with additional reversing assistant is available and the BMW Drive Recorder shoots up to 40 seconds of video of the area around the vehicle.
Model variants at launch are: BMW 630i Gran Turismo with 2.0L four cylinder petrol engine. There are 190kW and 400Nm with a 0-100 time of 6.5 seconds. Consumption will be around 6.0L/100km.
BMW 640i Gran Turismo with 3.0L six cylinder petrol. Peak power is 245kW, peak torque is 450Nm between 1,600 to 4,800 rpm. 0 to 100 is 5.5 seconds and consumption is around 6.9L/100km.
BMW 620d Gran Turismo packs a four cylinder diesel with 140kW and 400Nm between 1,750 to 2,500rpm. 7.9 seconds is the time to 100kph from zero and will average around 4.5L/100km.
BMW 630d Gran Turismo runs with a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine, mild hybrid technology,and has 210kW plus 650Nm of torque between 1,500 to 2,500rpm. Economy is 5.0L/100km.
BMW 640d xDrive Gran Turismo goes up a notch with 250kW and 700Nm. That’s between 1,750 to 2,250rpm and sees a 0-100 time of 5.3 seconds. Consumption is 5.5L/100km.

Pricing for the Australian market is yet to be confirmed. http://credit-n.ru/avtokredit.html

Should I Apply for Car Loan Pre-Approval?

As part of the car buying process, you’ll typically hone your new car search to a specific model before then applying for finance. All the while, you’ll be left in an uncertain state wondering if the car will still be available by the time you secure finance. Fortunately, however, car loan pre-approvals can help you overcome this uncertainty.

Car loan pre-approval relies on the financier providing its conditional approval for you to buy a car within a certain budget. The lender will take into account your financial position based on the information you supply them. On top of that, as a buyer you are under no obligation to go ahead with the purchase or the loan itself, which is only a pre-emptive step.

It is possible to extend a car loan pre-approval by a month if you need additional time. Just make sure that the vehicle you are considering fits within the conditions set down by the financier as part of their pre-approval.

 

 

Extra power to negotiate

Car loan pre-approval gives you extra scope to negotiate the purchase of a new car. At the dealership you will give the impression that you are a ready and willing buyer. In addition to this, your fixed budget also removes much of the tip-toeing around offers and bartering. Seeking finance would generally be a hurdle in any major purchase, so securing this in advance also relieves some of the concerns on the dealer’s part that the deal might collapse.

 

Scope for a budget

One of the difficult aspects of searching for a new car is not knowing how much you’ll be willing to spend. This might be due to uncertainty over your credit rating, ability to repay the loan or other considerations. However, with car loan pre-approval, buyers establish a set budget they can work with while concluding their negotiations with the dealer.

 

Simplicity and convenience

The convenience with which a pre-approved car loan helps buyers during the search for a new car cannot be measured. Not only does car loan pre-approval save you time on calculating your budget and conducting negotiations, but you can also rest assured that you are giving yourself the best possible chance to secure the exact car that you wan’t before it’s too late. http://credit-n.ru/electronica.html

Why You Should Think Twice About Buying a Car with Hail Damage

In the ACT, new car sales have remained remarkably resilient amid the COVID-19 lockdown. One of the driving forces behind the steady showing has been the significant hail storms that damaged a large amount of cars earlier in the year.

Since then, new car sales have been up year-on-year throughout February, March and April in the nation’s capital. Such an event raises an interesting consideration for many – that is, whether it is a wise decision to buy a car with hail damage. While the prospect of saving thousands in dollars can be appealing, there are definitely troubles that you can run into.

 

What issues come with hail-damaged cars?

In the event that an insured vehicle costs more to repair than the value of the car itself, it will be written off by the insurer. The reality is, if the economics don’t stack up, then the car, even if in otherwise functional state, will face obstacles making it back onto the road.

This is because the car will be added to the government’s list of vehicles deemed repairable. While this is better than it being declared a statutory write-off, the process still requires a myriad of inspections, certifications, paperwork and hoops to jump through. Importantly, some lenders won’t provide money for a hail-damaged car.

Assuming you are fortunate to receive loan approval, in terms of insurance coverage thereafter, you will also need to declare the damage as part of the vehicle’s existing condition. In some instances, insurers won’t provide coverage for cars with pre-existing damage, or will extend limited coverage such as third-party, fire and theft.

Arguably the biggest hurdle you’ll likely face in terms of buying a car with hail damage is down the line when it comes time to part ways with the car. If it hasn’t been repaired, you are going to face an almighty struggle to find a buyer who is prepared to purchase the car.

On the other hand, fork out money for repairs and you probably won’t see any return at all. This of course will depend on which route you pursue in terms of repairing the damage, be it panel replacement, panel beating or paintless dent removal. This sort of work is also highly technical, so not only is it costly but you need to find the ‘right’ person for the job.

 

Final thoughts

At the end of all this, it’s worth asking yourself – do the up-front savings justify the inconvenience and burden later on? With a wide range of dealers currently trying to clear brand new stock in perfect condition at large discounts, don’t be fooled by the promise of additional savings from hail-damaged cars in the second-hand market. http://credit-n.ru/offers-zaim/4slovo-bystrye-zaymi-online.html