Daily Archives: June 5, 2018
All You Need To Know About The New 2019 Subaru WRX And WRX STI Series.Gray
Subaru wants to keep the aging WRX and WRX STI models and it came up with a tricky way to do so. Enter the 2019 Subaru WRX and WRX STI Series.Gray. The two vehicles are coated with a coat of Cool Gray Khaki paint and finished off with black-painted mirrors, black wheels, and black badges.
The WRX Series.Gray is based on the current-generation WRX Premium. Priced at $30,380, the car has a six-speed manual transmission and the optional $2,050 Performance package that will come with Recaro front seats, power driver’s seat, sunroof delete, and high-performance brake pads. The WRX Series.Gray will be sold for $33,480, and it will include all those plus a proximity key with push-button start, LED lights, and fog lights.
The WRX model underwent previous experimentations from Subaru, including special edition colors such as orange, black, and white.
On the other hand, the WRX STI Series.Gray is priced at $41,465. It comes with silver brake calipers, microsuede seats and steering wheel, and Bilstein dampers. And like the WRX, it also has Recaro seats and a proximity key with push-button start.
Aside from these limited-edition Series.Gray WRX and WRX STI, the lineup includes a slew of upgrades for the 2019 model year. The entry-level 2019 WRX is now priced at $28,080 and comes with a larger 6.5-inch infotainment screen rather than the previous 6.2-inch unit. The WRX Premium and Limited trims will come standard with a 7.0-inch screen.
It’s the 2019 WRX STI that came with a lot of upgrades. There’s a new intake and exhaust setup and the turbocharged 2.5-liter flat-four engine can now produce 310 horsepower, up five horses from last year’s model. It sells for $37,480.
There will only be 750 units of the WRX Series.Gray and 250 units of the WRX STI Series.Gray, so better get your hands on them fast.
Next-Gen Jeep Grand Cherokee Will Be Based On Alfa Romeo Stelvio Platform
The Jeep Grand Cherokee, together with the Dodge Durango, has been using a premium platform gifted by Daimler since 2011. But that’s about to change now as the next-generation Grand Cherokee will underpin the same platform used on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
This was confirmed by company CEO Sergio Marchionne during the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles investor conference in Italy last week. Marchionne confirmed reports that the Grand Cherokee is using the same platform used by the Stelvio and the Giulia sedan.
The original architecture has been modified and extended to accommodate both the two-row and the three-row Grand Cherokee, Marchionne said. The Jeep plans to release both five-seater and seven-seater for the new iteration of the Grand Cherokee. But more than that, the company CEO also revealed that Jeep is planning to come up with a three-row E-segment mid-sized SUV by 2022. That vehicle might be called the Grand Cherokee as well, though we’re not exactly sure where it will sit in the lineup.
Based on the company’s plans, the new Grand Cherokee will be the first vehicle in the lineup to have Level 2 self-driving capability. That means it will be able to brake, accelerate, steer, and change lanes on long highway drives, similar to what the Cadillac Super Cruise system can do. That semi-autonomous driving capability may arrive in 2020, though a Level 3 self-driving technology is slated to appear sometimes by the end of 2021.
There is no specific timeline yet for the next-generation Grand Cherokee, though the work on the new platform has already started. That means that the new vehicle might arrive by 2019 or 2020 at the latest, which is at the end of Jeep’s ambitious five-year plan.
The self-driving technologies might appear on this next-generation vehicle. At least, that’s what makes sense to us. It’s going to either be a 2020 or 2021 model.
Apple CarPlay Is Finally Getting Google Maps And Waze
Here’s the thing, Apple, no one likes Apple Maps. It is terrible and it confuses rather than helps. But news is coming in that you are now getting Google Maps and Waze to work on the Apple CarPlay. That’s great. Thank you. It is about time we stop putting our smartphones on the dashboard, on the cup holder, in front of the aircon vents, or let the front passenger hold it where we can see Google Maps or Waze. It is unsafe and it defeats the purpose of having the Apple CarPlay in our cars.
The latest iOS 12 update will finally bring Google Maps and Waze to the Apple CarPlay. These apps’ superior traffic reporting data, re-routing information, and general direction capabilities will now be available right on your car’s main display screen. It’s a safe way to navigate and use the technology provided by our cars.
Google Maps and Waze are also more superior than OEM integrated navigation systems. What’s great about these two apps is the comprehensive address and points-of-interest searches, accurate traffic reporting (since it collects information from users), and it offers multiple routes based on travel time. Waze, in particular, alerts the users about the presence of traffic officers, speed cameras, and police speed traps.
Like many smartphone apps (and unlike the integrated Apple Maps in the car’s system), the functions of the Google Map and Waze diminish when you don’t have service.
This step is a small but important advancement for Apple as the company tries to take over the vehicles’ main dashboard and increase the presence and usefulness of the Apple CarPlay.
iPhone users won’t get the Waze and Google Map working on their cars right away because the iOS 12, which will bring these two apps, won’t be available until fall. The new operating system will be compatible with iPhone 5s up to the latest models. It will also work on the sixth-generation iPod touch devices and a number of iPad models.