Daily Archives: March 25, 2018
2019 Nissan Altima Will Have Semi-Autonomous Driving Option
The 2019 Nissan Altima midsize family sedan is slated to be revealed soon at the New York Auto Show. Though we don’t have a full idea of how it will look like, seeing as we only saw it in spy shots and early sketches, it’s still nice to know a little more details about it.
Reports said that the new Altima will have a ProPilot Assist option. It’s a semi-autonomous driving system, just in case you forgot what a ProPilot is. The system can provide steering, acceleration, and braking assistance on highways. It has the ability to bring the car to a complete stop and resume accelerating up to speed. It can also recognize other cars, adjusts speed, and keeps the car in its lane.
It is semi-autonomous because it requires the driver to continue paying attention to the road and to keep his hands on the steering wheel in case he needs to take control of the car. The system can manage some corners on highways, but it all depends on how tight the turn is. Certain turns cannot be managed.
Currently, the ProPilot Assist system is available on the Nissan Rogue crossover SUV, as well as the new Leaf EV. The Altima, then, is the third Nissan-badged vehicle that will get this innovative technology. Based on the Rogue and the Leaf EV, the ProPilot Assist system is simple and reliable. It is handy for long and boring highway drive since it will virtually allow you to rest during long drives.
This is a tempting new feature on a family sedan since who wouldn’t want to mingle and chat with the family while driving? There is no word yet on whether the ProPilot Assist will be available across all variants of the Altima. Expect to shell around $28,000 for it.
Spy Shots of the 2019 Nissan Altima
Here are some spy shots of the 2019 Nissan Altima from Carscoops:
6 Revelations About The 2018 Volkswagen Touareg
During a special ceremony in Beijing on Friday, Volkswagen released a redesigned Touareg, marking the very special relationship the European company has with China, which it considers its second home.
1. New Flagship Of The VW Brand
This third-generation Touareg is being put in the upmarket level seeing as it recently became the new flagship of the VW brand. Previously, that role was with the Phaeton but the full-size sedan was already discontinued in 2016. An electric successor is being planned, but that won’t come into fruition until the next decade.
2. Wider And More Dynamic Look
Compared to its predecessor, the outgoing model, the new Touareg has a wider look and it’s also bigger. It’s three inches longer than before, now standing at 192 inches. It’s also 1.7 inches wider at 78 inches and 0.3 inches shorter at only 67 inches.
3. MLB Platform
The curb weight has been reduced by as much as 233 pounds in some variants, thanks to VW’s version of the MLB platform, which features multi-material construction and used by Audi Q7, Bentley Bentayga, Lamborghini Urus and Porsche Cayenne. The main benefits are air suspension, roll stabilization, and rear-wheel steering.
4. Plush Interior
The cabin of the new Touareg is as luxurious as others in the game. It has a digital dash with a 12.0-inch screen that is now the instrument cluster. There’s also a 15-inch infotainment hub. For safety features, there’s the automatic emergency braking, driver fatigue warning, and a night vision camera. Overall, VW calls the cabin design “Innovision Cockpit.”
5. Drivetrain Options
The Touareg will go on sale this summer in Europe. Depending on the market, there will be choices of two 3.0-liter V-6 diesels, producing 228 and 282 horsepower, respectively, and a 3.0-liter V-6 gasoline delivering 335 horsepower. There will also be a plug-in hybrid setup with 362 horsepower for the Chinese market. There are also news that a 4.0-liter V-8 diesel producing 415 horsepower will come as another option.
Standard to these engines are an 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive with a center differential lock. Some extras are available, care of a special off-road pack that adds extra driving modes, a larger fuel tank, and under body protection.
6. Release Dates And Locations
The new Touareg won’t be coming to the United States. The local division of VW in the US dropped the model at the end of the 2017 model year because of low sales and the decision to focus on the Atlas.
3 Things To Know About The New Toyota Corolla Hatchback
There were huge expectations on the coming of a new Toyota iM, and though this is closely related to that, the new Toyota Corolla Hatchback still sits on its own little niche. According to the guys over at Toyota, this new hatchback is designed to be a “driver’s car,” and is set to make a huge impression.
Powertrain
The new Toyota Auris came with only one non-hybrid drivetrain—a 1.2-liter engine. The Toyota Hatch, on the other hand, will come with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter engine that has some “decent power on demand,” reports speculate. There are no details yet regarding the horsepower and the torque, but we’re pretty sure they’ll be at least decent.
Exterior And Platform
There’s a big improvement in terms of the overall size of the hatchback. According to reports, the hatchback has been lowered by one inch, stretched out by 1.5 inches, and widened by 1.2 inches. It has a longer wheelbase compared to the Corolla iM, and there are wider tracks in the front and rear. There are two options for the wheels—a 16-incher and an 18-incher. You can also have it either in manual transmission or in CVT but with 10 simulated gears, a launch gear, and a paddle shifter.
Toyota will use its TNGA platform for this hatch. They also added a host of safety features such as AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with steering assist, lane tracking assist, and radar cruise control. There will likely be additional features when the hatchback is released, but these are cool enough for a start.
The upcoming Toyota hatchback is being set up for a summer release as a 2019 model. There’s no word yet on how much this will cost, but we’re sure we’ll find out in a couple of months, so better ready those wallets.