Issue 2 | Jun-Sept 2015

Industry News

FEATURES

Honda CR-V V

Toyota RAV4

Effect of tyre size on fuel economy

The future of Manual Transmission

MotorHub

magazine

InsideDriver-less Cars RR Pick-Up F1 Report

TH SN

SSUE2

3

4

6

7

9

10

14

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Is the manual Transmission doomed?

7 Cars, 7 days

Traffic Jam: Turn it into a party

Choosing the right tyres

Checks to perform before buying a used car

Global trends: Driverless Car

H2H: Toyota RAV4 V Honda CR-V

Industry News

Top innovations in the industry

Formula 1 ReportMo

torH

ub

Edmond Atto

LETTER fromTHE EDITORDear reader,Greetings and a warm welcome to the second issue of MotorHub Magazine. We are happy to have you on this journey with us.

In this issue, we bring you two all-new sections, the Formula One report and the Industry news sections. We believe these will keep you informed in the world of motorsport as well as industry news.

In the MotorHub arena, we bring you the Toyota RAV4 up against the Honda CR-V. We’re very excited to see how that plays out. You will find a point-by-point comparison highlighting all the main features and information we believe is important and actionable.

In our global trends section, we look at the Google driverless car, how it was developed and the timeline regards commercial production.

We hope you will have as much fun reading this as we did putting it together.

Editor in Chief

ON THE COVER:

EDITOREdmond Atto | 0777968699

ADVERTISING/SALESJohn Kagga | 0789525579

CONTRIBUTING WRITEROdongo David | 0704522873

CONTRIBUTING WRITERAshaba Tinah | 0774169484

Copyright © 2015 Capitol Media. All rights reserved. No part of this pub-lication may be reproduced or trans-mitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, in-cluding photocopying, scanning or information storage or retrieval sys-tem without prior written permis-sion from MotorHub Magazine.

QUESTIONS & FEEDBACKCapitol MediaKampala, Uganda.Phone: 0777 968699 0789 525579motorhubug@gmail.com

this issue

MotorHubug @MotorHubug

Issue 2 | Jun-Aug 2015

Industry News

FEATURES

Honda CR-V V

Toyota RAV4

Effect of tyre size on fuel economy

The future of Manual Transmission

MotorHub

magazine

InsideDriver-less Cars RR Pick-Up F1 Report

2

MOTORHUB MAGAZINE

ISSUE #2 Jun - Sept

shift

ing

trend

s

IS THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION DOOMED?

Fewer cars should be available with a manual transmis-sion. The public have spoken, and they want to use their left hand and leg less frequently.

The rise of automatic transmissions that relay code quicker than humans can send directives from brain to limb – and ones that know their engine partner more intimately than you or I ever could and can therefore be more efficient – means having a third pedal is simply redundant.This sort of logical argument doesn’t exist in the minds of car enthusiasts with an old-school love of manual gearboxes. But before you go dousing me in transmission oil, hold up: I’m with you; I’m one of you. But I also know that history dictates that the slow death of the manual needs to continue. In the 1990s and early 2000s, power was king. Manufacturers kept throwing more kilowatts at cars that were getting increasingly larger and heavier.Do you see where I’m going with this? The manual needs to be on death’s doorstep before it can be rescued. By the time so few are available, it will be up to the inspired, innovative manufac-turers to capitalise on them.All the traditional advantages of a manual transmission are no longer applicable. With continuously variable transmissions (CVT ) - which are basically a rubber band, belt or a chain that seamlessly changes ratios but irritatingly keep the revs high while the speed climbs, automatics can enjoy good fu-el-economy, and dual-clutch transmissions give precise con-trol and lightning quick shifts, usually associated with manual transmissions. Thanks to these more advanced transmissions, manual-equipped cars are hard to find, and are selling in in-creasingly small numbers.We have made our way from 1 speed, 2 speed, 3 speed, 4 speed, 5 speed all the way through to 6 speed, with it now being the norm for automatic transmissions nowadays. We have auto-matic transmissions with 7 speeds and a torque convertor. We have them with 7 speeds and a dual clutch gearbox (DSG). We have 7 speeds without a torque convertor but with a comput-er-controlled wet clutch (by Mercedes in its AMG SL63 model).Of course, all these extra gears in an automatic would mean an end of an era is coming soon. The traditional manual stick shift gearbox with a clutch will be replaced by the automatic due to the rising number of gears feasible in an automatic, the ulti-mate pursuit for smoothness in shifting, fuel and performance efficiency and also emissions control. Even if car manufactur-ers make a 10 speed manual transmission for a supercar, the revs climb so fast until you’d hit the rev limiter so quickly that you’ll be trying to change gears more than you have the time to clutch or de-clutch or row through those gears.And that is why we will then have automated clutches with flappy pedals behind the steering to change gears in a manual; or something supposedly manual but with an electronic motor or solenoid replacing the need for your left foot to do all the clutch work for you. Thus, the basic manual will be dead pretty soon in all but the cheapest and most basic means of transport. Right above walking and cycling.

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ISSUE #2 Jun - Sept

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7dayscars

...the perfect car for each Day of

the week

Just like clothes, certain cars should be driven on certain days. If you cannot wear shorts to the office, then what

makes you think you can drive a truck to party? Different days are generally associ-ated with different events so it would make sense to posit that different days call for different cars. Chances are that you can-not afford seven cars, one for each day of the week, in which case, it would be wise to buy one all purpose car. Suffice to say, it would be very unwise to have say a two seater open roof car as your only car...what happens when you have company or loads of things to move? Now, in my opinion, the average working person should ideally cy-cle through cars in this manner

Monday - FridayMonday is widely regarded as the most dreaded day of the week. It marks the end of a relaxed fun filled weekend and the be-ginning of a stress filled week abbreviated by deadlines and brain numbing meetings. So, how do you pick a car, a car that makes it a little better? Simple, Monday - Friday are SUV car (such as the RAV4, Prado, CR-V, Kluger) days. Now, there are a couple of reasons you should have an SUV handy for weekdays:Weekdays are synonymous with traffic jam, and if you live in and around Kampa-la, then you have learnt to accept jam as a way of life. As such, you need to make sure the car you drive is spacious and comfort-able, ergo, an SUV.

Kids, kids and more kids. If you’re as for-tunate as i am and you have kids, the you know how troublesome those little mon-sters can be in a small space. As such, that Duet or Vitz you’ve been thinking of buy-ing won’t do the trick. You are going to have to drop and pick them up on a daily and them having their own space at the back would go a long way towards keeping you sane at the end of your day. If you can afford it, you should probably get a screen installed at the back to keep them occupied with their favorite cartoon or animation on that long ride home,

The SUV is the perfect mid-ranger i.e. can handle a broad spectrum of tasks with just the right intensity. Whether you are the kind to just drive around the city or in and out of the city for work, most SUV’s will do this with ease and an acceptable fuel econ-omy. Again if you have a car such as the fun cargo, then you probably wont be able to travel long distances for work.

The WeekendFor most of you, these are filled with fam-ily inclusive events such as shopping, par-ties, school events, church and so on. That said, only one car class with can handle this many tasks, the minivan. There is a vari-ety of these on Ugandan roads such as the Toyota Noah (the best selling car in Ugan-da for 2014), the Regius, Elgrand, Voxy. Again, this won’t make sense unless you have a family.

A minivan is ideal for shopping as you get to take the whole family with room left over for the groceries and whatnot. This way, you get to bond as a family and spend the weekend together. Also, if you the church going kind, then a minivan ensures the en-tire family can go as a unit and not in shifts.

If however, you are not a family man or woman, by all means, get a convertible, a 2-seater, a motorbike, because for you, the weekend is all about having fun and relax-ing. One day though, you might have to trade it in for a minivan.

SUV’s are versatile and can handle a broad spectrum of tasks.

MiniVans such as the Noah, Elgrand and Voxy Offer Spacious Cabins

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TRAFFIC JAM!It does not have to be a nightmare…make the most of it

If you live or work in and around Kam-pala city, then traffic jam is a disease you know about all too well. It is the motorist’s

most dreaded part of the day and perhaps the only time of day you’ll ever look out the window and envy the pedestrian walking past your car with no care in the world. Even when you sit in a taxi, you will suffer as well. There’s no two ways about it, traf-fic jam sucks. If you are fortunate enough to be your own boss, then you should

leave the office before 4pm but if you’re not, then here’s a few things you can do to make the whole ordeal a bit more bearable.

Buy a Comfortable CarThe only thing that’ll make sitting in

traffic worse than it is supposed to be is do-ing so in an uncomfortable car; probably with no air conditioning, head rests, arm rests and the like. You can always invest in a few things like cushions and padded seat covers to try and make sitting in one spot for hours more bearable.

Get entertainment accessoriesAgain, you need too keep busy and

distracted all through. buy yourself an MP3 player (those things work in pret-ty much any car) and load up on all your favorite music. You can have your phone (smart-phone) with you and use that to play games, listen to music, watch that trailer everyone’s been talking about; but whatever you do, you cannot let yourself sit still for a moment. There are a number of shops that deal exclusively in in-car ac-cessories.

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Get yourself Some literature Load up on all your favorite books

and magazines. You probably will not get time to read them so use the traffic to your advantage. Read the latest install-ment of your favorite book, today’s news-paper edition, the latest issue of Moto-rHub magazine. If you have some work to catch up on, then by all means, read those reports and be done with that. However, be sure to keep the reading light and fun lest you frustrate yourself and task you brain unnecessarily.

Browse Social MediaPeople have been posting in Face-

book, twitter, instagram all day and you probably lost track at some point. You might as well use this time to catch up on all your feeds, reply those messages, ac-cept those piled up requests and whatnot.

Do puzzles!If you’re into that kind of thing, then

stock up on all sorts of puzzles like Su-doku, word searches, crosswords or if you an extremist, you could always have you

jig-saw puzzle with you. The puzzles will keep you engaged and awake.

Do your Make UpSounds crazy, I know, but if you are head-

ed somewhere, say for drinks with friends af-ter work, you might as well capitalize on the acres of time you have while in traffic to get your affairs in order. You move around with all your make up, you might as well use it.

Radio, Radio and more RadioEvery radio station worth listening to

has a drive show of some sort around 5pm. Find a frequency, lock on and the hosts will keep you company. If you pick a good enough drive show, you won’t notice time fly by. Be part of the show, sing along, call in...the jam will be over soon.

Catch Up on overdue work If you have pending deadlines, you could

set up a mobile office in your car, get a mobile desk and get cracking. Get all your work done before you return home so your loved ones don’t have to compete with your work for your time. This could increase your produc-tivity by far, with the added benefit of taking the annoyances that come along with traffic jam away.

Catch Up on Calls and e-mailsPeople have been calling you all day, so

the traffic jam gives you a chance to return all those missed calls, check in on a few friends, check your e-mail and all that.

Stare at other drivers and passen-gers: Now, personally, I neither under-

stand nor recommend this one, but I do know that you might like to observe the ‘human condition’. So, by all means, you could use that time to look around, observe the people around you. The things you notice will amaze you.

Take the chance to browse car models. If there’s anything good about

Ugandan roads, it the variety in car models that it provides. Look around and you’ll see a wide spectrum of car models from the Vitz to the G-Class alike. Who knows, you could even get some ideas for the next time you are out to buy a car. The bottom-line is that you won’t be able to avoid traffic jam entirely, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare either, these are just a few of the ways people can keep busy during jam. In this technology age, a lot of it is centered around having smart devices and having ac-cess to the Internet.

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: Go b

ig or

go s

mal

lTY

RES

the effect of tyre size on fuel economy fuel economy. In addition to pressure, many mo-torists wonder whether tyre size is also a factor.The impact tyre size can have on performance, including fuel efficiency, was examined in the article, titled Plus-Size Models: Testing the per-formance effects of upsizing wheels and tyres, was written by Tony Quiroga. The findings in the article were based on tests involving “nearly identical Goodyear tyres in all five sizes, inflated to manufacturer-recommended pressures.” In addition, they “used the stock steel wheels for the 15-inch test and went to the aftermarket for the larger wheels, as most owners would do.” One sentence offers a succinct summary: “What’s im-mediately apparent from the results is that as the wheel-and-tyre packages get larger and heavier, acceleration and fuel economy suffer.” Specifi-cally, the author cited a “10-percent drop in fuel economy … from the 15s to the 19s.”Changing the diameter of a vehicle’s tyre can drastically affect every aspect of its performance, from acceleration, to braking, to fuel economy. From one extreme to the next, a vehicle can gain or lose as much as 25 percent of its fuel economy, just by changing tyre diameter. There are two things to consider when thinking about tyres and their effect on fuel economy; wind and rolling resistance. When a car is driv-ing at higher speeds, it experiences higher wind resistance; this means lower fuel economy. Roll-

ing resistance is the impact the road has on the tyres. If you change the features (size and width) of your tyres, it will then influence the interac-tion it has with the road; thus affecting the fuel economy. This is where tyre width can begin to influence fuel economy. Many people believe by changing the height of a car’s tyres, they can increase its fuel economy. This is not a reliable idea as speedometers are specifically calibrated to the number of revolu-tions a set of tyres makes per mile while driving. If the original set of tyres is replaced, the cali-bration will be off and changes in fuel economy will be blurred. Shorter tyres calculate at higher fuel economy because they make so many more revolutions per mile. This negatively affects fuel consumption because it makes the car’s engine work at a higher rpm to achieve the same speeds. Taller tyres do the opposite while still offering an inaccurate reading. Tyre width is one of the only tyre size factors that can improve fuel economy. A narrow tyre will have less wind resistance, rolling resistance, and weight; thus increasing fuel economy. If choosing a narrower tyre, be aware that they can diminish the car’s handling characteristics. It is best to al-ways install the proper size tyres for your partic-ular vehicle. A mechanic will have no problem helping you figure this out. Also, keeping your tyres fully inflated can improve fuel economy

“What’s im-mediately ap-

parent from the results is that as the wheel-and-tyre packages get larger and heavier, accel-

eration and fuel economy suffer.

Tyres can play an im-portant role in making cars more fuel efficient.

Many motorists are familiar with the concept of maintain-ing proper tyre pressure to attain optimal fuel economy. Overinflated or underinflated tyres will not be able to main-tain proper rolling resistance, which will reduce the vehicle’s

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Exterior checks• Check the bodywork for a consistent paint finish – the paint should be the same shade all over the car; if not, it’s probably had some damage and a respray• Make sure the gaps between the panels are the same width – if not, the car could have been crashed and repaired• Check the doors and the boot open and close smoothly, and examine the rubber seals for paint – it could point to a respray• Press down carefully on the car at each corner and release; the car should return smoothly to its normal height – if it bounc-es before settling the suspension could need work• Bubbling paintwork indicates rust and is most common around the wheel arches, bumpers and window frames – check ev-erywhere, particularly areas regularly in contact with water• Check the car’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) for signs of tampering. The VIN is recorded on a metal strip at the base of the windscreen, under the bonnet or be-neath the carpet on the driver’s side.• Check the tyres and the spare wheel with a tread depth gauge, which are available from car accessory shops. The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm across the width of the tyre, but more is better• Make sure the tyres have even wear – more wear on one side of the tyre indi-

cates the suspension or tracking alignment needs adjusting – it could also point to crash damage• If the car is a convertible, make sure the roof moves up and down smoothly and locks fully into place, check the material for tears, and make sure the rear window is free from cracks and discolouration

Under the bonnet• Check the car’s VIN is the same as re-corded in the logbook• Check for oil, water or other fluid leaks around the engine and other mechanical components, as well as on the ground un-derneath• Remove the engine oil dipstick, wipe it with a cloth and replace it. Remove it again and check the oil is on or around the ‘max’ level; the oil should be golden and free from debris – if not, the oil will need changing and could indicate neglect• Check the top of the engine (you may need to unclip the plastic engine cover first) and underneath the engine oil cap for a white, mayonnaise-like substance which could indicate a damaged engine head gas-ket and often-irreparable engine damage• Check the fluid levels for the engine cool-ant (large, often round tank with a screw cap filled with pink fluid) and brake fluid (small bottle, often attached at the rear of the engine bay) are at the correct indicated

level when the engine is cool• Check the battery terminals and connec-tors on top of the battery are rust-free and in good condition

Inside the car• The mileage on the odometer inside the speedometer should be consistent with the advert and car’s documents• Check wear on the seats and steering wheel are consistent with the car’s mileage – high mileage cars will often show wear on the side bolsters and the steering wheel may have a shiny appearance• Check the VIN for signs of tampering. The VIN is recorded on a metal strip at the base of the windscreen, under the bonnet or beneath the carpet on the driver’s side.• Make sure everything works, including the air conditioning, all electric windows, sunroof, adjustable seats and even the fu-el-filler and bonnet release• Look for damage to the steering column and ignition – damage could indicate the car has been stolen at some point• Check the seat belts, the passenger side of the dashboard and the steering wheel cov-er – frayed seat belts could indicate they’ve been activated in a crash and damage to the dashboard and steering wheel could mean the car’s airbags have been activated in a crash.

Buying a Used Car?

How to make sure you don’t get ripped off.

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ISSUE #2 Jun - Sept

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ISSUE #2 Jun - Sept

GOOGLESELF DRIVINGcar

The age of Driver-less Cars

THE

The Google Self-Driving Car is a project by Google that involves developing technology for au-

tonomous cars, mainly electric cars. The software powering Google’s cars is called Google Chauffeur. Lettering on the side of each car identifies it as a “self-driving car”. The project is currently being led by Google engineer Sebastian Thrun, former director of the Stanford Artificial Intel-ligence Laboratory and co-inventor of Google Street View.On May 28, 2014, Google presented a new prototype of their driverless car that had neither a steering wheel nor pedals. On December 22, 2014, Google unveiled a fully functioning prototype of their driv-erless car and planned to test it on San Francisco Bay Area roads beginning in 2015.

TechnologyGoogle’s robotic cars have about $150,000 in equipment including a $70,000 LIDAR system. The range finder mounted on the top is a Velodyne 64-beam laser. This laser allows the vehicle to generate a detailed 3D map of its environment. The car then takes these generated maps and combines them with high-resolution maps of the world, producing different types of data

models that allow it to drive itself. As of June 2014, the system works with a very high definition inch-precision map of the area the vehicle is expected to use, including how high the traffic lights are; in addition to on-board systems, some computation is performed on remote computer farms.

Road testingThe project team equipped a test group of at least ten cars, including six Toyota Pri-us, an Audi TT, and three Lexus RX450h, each accompanied in the driver’s seat by one of a dozen drivers with unblemished driving records and in the passenger seat by one of Google’s engineers. The car tra-versed San Francisco’s Lombard Street, famed for its steep hairpin turns, and through city traffic. The system drives at the speed limit it has stored on its maps and maintains its distance from other vehicles using its system of sensors. The system provides an override that allows a human driver to take control of the car by stepping on the brake or turning the wheel, similar to cruise control systems already found in many cars today. In April 2014, the team announced that their ve-hicles had logged nearly 700,000 autono-mous miles (1.1 million km).

LimitationsAs of August 28, 2014, the latest prototype had not been tested in heavy rain or snow due to safety concerns. Because the cars rely primarily on pre-programmed route data, they do not obey temporary traffic lights and, in some situations, revert to a slower “extra cautious” mode in complex unmapped intersections. There are limita-tions on identifying objects such as trash and debris as harmless, causing the vehi-cle to veer unnecessarily. Additionally, the lidar technology cannot spot some pot-holes or discern when humans, such as a police officer, are signaling the car to stop. Google projects having these issues fixed by 2020.

CommercializationIn 2012 Google founder Sergey Brin stat-ed that Google Self-Driving car will be available for the general public in 2017. In 2014 this schedule has been confirmed by project director Chris Urmson indicat-ing a possible release from 2017 to 2020. While Google seems to have no plans to become a car manufacturer, the company hopes to develop a business which would market the system and the data behind it to automobile manufacturers.

H2HHEAD TO

H2HHEADTO

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PriceEngine Capacity

CylindersDrive Type

Fuel CapacityFuel Econ. (C&H)

HorsepowerTransmission

SeatsWheelsAirbags

Body StyleTowing Capacity

Torque

PriceEngine Capacity

CylindersDrive Type

Fuel CapacityFuel Econ. (C&H)

HorsepowerTransmission

SeatsWheelsAirbags

Body StyleTowing Capacity

Torque

The Honda CR-V ranks 1 out of 27 Affordable Compact SUVs. This ranking is based on analysis of published reviews and test drives of the Honda

CR-V, as well as reliability and safety data.Reviewers praise the 2015 Honda CR-V for its abun-dance of standard features and spacious cabin, and it gets excellent fuel economy.The CR-V isn’t just a great value, however. Its safety and reliability ratings, interior space and available fami-ly-friendly features make it our 2015 Best Compact SUV for Families. The 2015 CR-V comes standard with a four-cylinder engine, and most test drivers write that it has sufficient power, but a few point out that some rivals are more powerful. The CR-V has a new automatic transmission for later models, and critics report that it is responsive and smooth. At an EPA-estimated 27/34 mpg city/high-way, the CR-V uses less fuel than many SUVs in the class. The CR-V gets updated suspension and steering systems for 2015, and most critics agree that these revisions result in secure handling and responsive steering. However,

some also write that compact SUVs like the Mazda CX-5 are more athletic when the road gets twisty.Test drivers agree that the new Honda CR-V’s updated cabin has better materials quality than the older models did. They also praise its roomy front seats and remark that the rear seats are incredibly spacious for the class. The CR-V’s cargo hold offers up to 70.9 cubic feet of space, which is more space than you’ll get in most com-petitors. Some critics are also impressed that the CR-V comes with more standard features than many compet-ing compact SUVs. The base CR-V comes with a rear-view camera, Bluetooth, hands-free text messaging, a USB port and Pandora integration. A power moonroof, navigation, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a pow-er-adjustable driver’s seat, a 7-inch touch-screen display, a seven-speaker stereo system, satellite radio, dual-zone automatic climate control, forward collision warning with automatic braking, lane keeping assist, a passen-ger-side blind spot camera, push-button start and adap-tive cruise control are available.

“Back on top Honda’s numerous upgrades to the popular CR-V have resulted in a compact crossover that’s better po-sitioned than ever to do battle in this competitive segment. The refreshed Honda CR-V checks all the boxes for com-pact-crossover shoppers, and no other competitor offers such a well-rounded package as this more efficient, more refined, and better-equipped CR-V does.” -- Automobile Magazine

“Honda’s CR-V is already known for its efficiency and utility and the new CR-V enhances those qualities. The refreshed Honda CR-V gets a new engine and transmission aimed at further improving efficiency plus new safety, comfort and convenience features. If you’re shopping for a compact SUV, the CR-V remains one of your best bets.” -- Edmunds

“Even though the Honda CR-V lacks seductive lines and even nuances of excitement, it’s one of my favorite crossover SUVs. Sure, it lacks the agility of the CX-5, or cabin refinement of a Ford Escape; but the engine, chassis and suspension are di-aled in to velvet-smooth satisfaction. Top that with everyday practicality, and it’s one of the highlights of Honda’s lineup.” -- Yahoo Autos

hond

a CR

- V

what others say…

$23,0002.4L44WD15.3 gal27 mpg & 34 mpg185 @ 6400 rpm6-Speed Auto5Steel Wheels5Sports Utility1500 lbs181 @3900 rpm

car profile

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PriceEngine Capacity

CylindersDrive Type

Fuel CapacityFuel Econ. (C&H)

HorsepowerTransmission

SeatsWheelsAirbags

Body StyleTowing Capacity

Torque

The Toyota RAV4 ranks 22 out of 27 Affordable Compact SUVs. This ranking is based on anal-ysis of published reviews and test drives of the

Toyota RAV4, as well as reliability and safety data.Relative to some of its competitors, reviewers note that the Toyota RAV4’s engine is underpowered, but this compact SUV has a spacious cabin, plenty of cargo room and numerous standard features.Toyota RAV4 reviewers point out that some of its rivals offer engines with more power. Still, they say, the stan-dard four-cylinder engine generates sufficient power for normal driving. Test drivers note that the standard six-speed automatic transmission is slow to change gears in some situations, though it is generally smooth-shifting. With up to an EPA-estimated 23/30 mpg city/highway, the Toyota RAV4’s fuel economy is slightly above av-erage for the class. The RAV4’s steering is sharp and it remains composed through turns, critics add. Review-ers are pleased with the RAV4’s ride, which they say is smooth and comfortable for long highway commutes. However, critics agree that Limited models, which are

equipped with larger wheels, exhibit a more jarring ride.Critics are impressed with the Toyota RAV4’s cabin design and sturdiness, but some point out that several competitors’ interiors are constructed with better ma-terials. Adults in the front and rear seats, reviewers say, will find plenty of room. Standard equipment in the RAV4 includes a 6.1-inch touch-screen Entune audio system, a rearview camera, Bluetooth and a USB port. Dual-zone automatic climate control, push-button start, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring with rear cross traffic alert and an upgraded Entune audio system with navigation and smartphone app integra-tion are available. Reviewers like that the RAV4 comes equipped with lots of features. They say its dashboard controls and the standard Entune audio system are easy to use. However, some complain that the upgraded touch-screen system can be slow to respond to inputs. With 73.4 cubic feet of cargo space, the RAV4 has one of the largest cargo holds in the class. Reviewers find its flat load floor and available height-adjustable power liftgate make it easy to load cargo.

“The Toyota RAV4 offers very good interior materials and ergonomics, and we especially like the Entune infotainment system and the standard rearview camera. However, while the RAV4 remains a top seller, other compact crossover SUVs have surpassed it in some key areas. Fuel economy, while good, is bested by competitors like the Mazda CX-5, the all-wheel-drive Subaru Forester, and the RAV’s long-time rival, the Honda CR-V.” -- Kelley Blue Book

“Although the Toyota RAV4 isn’t a standout in any one area, its combination of features, passenger space and everyday utility warrant a closer look if you’re shopping for a small crossover.” -- Edmunds

“The latest version of the RAV4 - that’s short for Recreation-al Active Vehicle with 4WD - isn’t the most stylish or ex-citing CUV around, but it does provide the space, comfort and efficiency that buyers prize.” -- Left Lane News (2014)

“As ever, its on-road ride and handling are competent but not sporty, the powertrain is smooth and efficient and the price is reasonable.” -- Autoblog (2013)

toyota RAV4what others say…

$23,0002.4L44WD15.3 gal27 mpg & 34 mpg185 @ 6400 rpm6-Speed Auto5Steel Wheels5Sports Utility1500 lbs181 @3900 rpm

$23,0002.5L44WD15.9 gal24 mpg & 31 mpg185 @ 6400 rpm6-Speed Auto5Steel Wheels5Sports Utility1500 lbs172 @ 4100 rpm

car profile

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indu

stry n

ews

We saw the concept three years ago and now, say insid-ers, a Range Rover Evoque Convertible will go into production and debut in Q3 2015.

Unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, there’s since been strong interest in the US market, prompting LR to take it into production phase. Like the concept pictured here, the roof will be fabric rather than any fancy steel contraption that folds away – it works too, still managing to keep the Evoque’s sleek coupé-like lines. There will also be a Roll Over Protection System that will pop up when needed.It’s likely the Convertible will coincide with a mid-cycle refresh to the range – the Evoque is nearly four years old already. The major change here is likely to see the current 2.2-litre diesel replaced by the new 2.0 Ingenium diesel found in its new Land Rover

Autonomous Truck

If you like the luxury offered by a Range Rover but not the smell of wet dogs then Start-

ech has just the thing for you. Set to debut at the Shanghai Auto Show is the Startech Range Rover Pick-up.An arm of the well-known Ger-man tuning firm Brabus, Startech created no less than 100 body-work components from alumi-num, carbon fibre and steel in order to create the luxurious pick-up. The plastic lined loading bin offers a length of 1 100 mm, with the electrically operated tail-gate closed.Inside the extremely expensive pick-up has the hallmarks that Range Rover owners are privy to, including leather-clad seats and electronic everything. As if a Range Rover with a load bin isn’t already unique, Startech has add-ed a wide-body aero kit and 23-inch alloys. Power is still provid-ed by a supercharged 5,0-litre V8

Range Rover Pick Up

Volkswagen want their suc-cessor to the Veyron, the Bugatti Chiron, to do the

0-100 km/h sprint in just two sec-onds – that’s a half a second quicker than the Veyron Super Sport WRE. Scheduled for a 2016 launch, the Chiron, as it’s rumored to be called, will use the Veyron’s existing W16 8.0-litre engine reworked to put out a monumental 1 103 kW, while re-taining the Veyron Super Sport’s torque output of 1 500 N.m. Its top speed is likely to be in the region of 460km/h should anyone ever get the chance to try it.VW are reportedly targeting a fuel consumption of 20 L/100 km.

bugatti chiron

Evoque Convertible

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We’ve all been hearing a lot about the au-tonomous car, but now comes news of an autonomous big rig. Meet the Daim-

ler Freightliner Inspiration Truck.The Daimler Freightliner Inspiration Truck - the first autonomous commercial truck licensed by the state of Nevada -can drive itself without any hu-man intervention and is due to provide a demon-stration tomorrow along with the release of its specifications.The technology behind the Inspiration Truck is said to be based on the Adaptive Cruise Control system that we see in many cars today. In this appli-cation, it has been combined with the front radar and stereo camera systems to help identify public roads and motorways, traffic signals and other mo-torists as a human driver would, only better.The aim of the Inspiration Truck is to promote a more efficient and safe means of commercial transportation along motorways and, although the truck is fully autonomous, it still requires a driver/supervisor to take charge. The responsibility of the driver will be to ensure that the truck’s operational systems are in check and to provide assistance if the truck were to malfunction.Although beta testing of this truck will only take place in the state of Nevada, the Freightliner In-spiration Truck points to the future of commercial trucking worldwide. A quick search on Twitter shows a surprising number of people already call-ing it the future of trucking.

Daimler AG said it would expand its cooperation with partner Nis-san Motor Co Ltd to develop a mid-sized pickup truck for Mer-cedes-Benz as the German premium automaker seeks to narrow

its sales gap with rival BMW.“Thanks to our well-established partnership with the Renault-Nissan Al-liance, we are able to drastically reduce the time and cost to enter this key segment.”Mercedes announced it will build a medium-sized pickup truck for cus-tomers outside North America, entering a new vehicle category which has been dominated by lower-priced brands.Mercedes, Nissan and Renault have shared engines, plants and vehicle un-derpinnings for small cars since an alliance was struck between the car makers in 2010. Since then, collaboration has expanded from three com-mon vehicle projects to 13.The Mercedes-Benz 1-ton pickup truck will be built by Nissan in Cordoba, Argentina, along with the Nissan NP300 and a Renault-branded truck, for Latin America, Daimler said. The three trucks will also be built in the Nissan plant in Barcelona, Spain, for other markets, excluding North America. Production of the trucks at the two plants will start by the end of the decade, the companies said. The Barcelona plant will produce about 120,000 vehicles annually for the three partners, while the Cordoba plant will produce nearly 70,000 vehi-cles a year.

mercedes to start making pick up trucks

Autonomous Truck

The arrival of Lamborghini’s first SUV can be expected in 2018. The new model will be produced in Sant’Agata Bo-lognese, Italy, and represents an opportunity for growth

and during the lifecycle of the vehicle.A joint commitment of several parties including Volkswagen, Audi, the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, and the Lamborghini team, will ensure that the project is realized.The factory at Sant’Agata Bolognese will be upgraded with the construction of new facilities such as a new production line, warehousing and expansion of the R&D department. Lambo-rghini will also look to employ at least 500 new employees.With its SUV, Lamborghini will seek to exploit the fast growing luxury SUV segment while increasing its clientele. About 3 000 units will be produced annually and distributed to markets such as the USA, China, Middle East and Europe.

New Lamborghini SUV

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Automated Manual Transmission.

In the 2014 Delhi Auto Expo, where more than 70 vehicles were launched, one that pundits hailed as the most important was

Maruti Suzuki’s Celerio, the first affordable mass segment gearless hatchback. Celerio comes with AMT (automate manual trans-mission) sourced from Magneti Marelli, component arm of Fiat. AMT is an elec-tro-hydraulic mechanism for automating manual transmission, which derives from F1. It has a hydraulic system and an electronic system. The electronic transmission con-trol unit helps in engaging and disengag-ing the clutch and gear through an elec-tronic actuator. It also has a sports mode, which enables drivers to move to the man-ual shifting of gear to increase and decrease the gear ratios with plus and minus either through gear knob /joystick or the steer-ing. In India, AMT is currently available in three cars — Celerio, Alto K10 and Tata Zest.

In April, Tata -owned JLR introduced a new technology to give drivers a digital vision of the terrain ahead

by making the front of the car ‘virtual-ly’ invisible. The technology — named Transparent Bonnet — enables a driver climbing a steep incline or manoeu-vring in a confined space to see an aug-mented reality view capturing not only the terrain in front of the car but also the angle and position of the front wheels. The cameras located in the vehicle’s grille capture data used to feed a head-up display, effectively creating a ‘see-through’ view of the terrain through the bonnet and engine bay, breaking new ground in visual driver assistance.

Top Automobile Innovations In the

past year

Land Rover’s Invisible Car

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Start- Stop Technology

Hero MotoCorp introduced its first bike with start-stop technology, Splendor iSmart, in March 2014. The company calls it i3s technology which is

also known as Idle Start and Stop System. i3s is a green technology that automatically shuts the engine when idling and turns it on, when needed, with a simple press of the clutch, giving more mileage in congested cities.

Google Driverless Cars.

On December 23, Google announced its first fully functional  driverless car, which is ready for testing on public roads. Prior to this, the

Internet giant developed various prototypes that lacked on different fundamental and functional aspects. The latest prototype has all the important elements like headlights, steering and brakes. The company have also created a self-driving system with sensors and computers that can be fitted to SUVs like Lexus. This new technology will not only be a breakthrough in tough traffic congestion but sensing technology can also increase road safety. Countries such as the UK and US are working on laws to allow driverless cars.

V2V Communications .

In February, US National Highway Traffic Safety Admin-istration announced that it will begin taking steps to enable vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication

technology for light vehicles. This technology would allow vehicles to “talk” to each other and ultimately avoid many crashes altogether by exchanging basic safety data, such as speed and position, ten times per second, to improve safety. It uses ‘ad hoc network’, where every car is free to asso-ciate with any other car available in the network and share equal status. V2V, which is also known as VANET (vehicular ad hoc network), is a variation of MANET (mobile ad hoc network). Many automobile manufacturers including are BMW, Audi, Honda, General Motors, Volvo and Daimler working and developing this technology to improve safety, overcome blind spots and avoid accidents.

Pre-Collision Technology.

Top carmakers such as Ford and Hyund-ai have developed a pre-collision assist and pedestrian detection technology.

Besides helping the driver detect blind spots, this technology also alerts the driver when he/she is not paying attention on the road. And if the driver falls asleep and does not respond to the warning, then the system applies the brakes on its own. The driver assist system has two types of sensors. One is millimetre-wave radar located inside the front grille, and the other is a monocular camera mounted on the upper, inside part of the windshield. Its collision mitigation braking system delivers an audio and visual warning when there is a risk of a head-on collision. If the driver fails to react, the car will automatically begin break-ing itself to prevent or reduce the severity of a crash. This technology will debut this year with Ford Mondeo in Europe. Hyundai would introduce it in the new Genesis sedan.

Smart Cars

After smartphones, we will soon have smart cars around. In June 2014, Google launched its ‘Android Auto’, a telemat-ics software that can be connected to car dash board for

infotainment. It also enables the driver to access GPS, maps, streaming music, weather, and a host of other applications. A slew of carmakers including Abarth, Acura, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Ford, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Maserati and Volvo will offer Android Auto in their cars Earlier, at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2014, Apple announced its ‘CarPlay’ software, which allows devices running on the iOS operating system to function with built-in display units of automo-bile dashboards. Carmakers like BMW, Daimler, JLR,  Honda  and Hyundai have installed it in their cars. Infotainment manufacturers like Pioneer & Alpine too have shown interest in Carplay from Apple.

Toyota’s Hovering Car

Toyota  is developing a future airborne car. Media reports the managing officer at Toyota as saying the company has been toying with the idea of flying cars.

The concept car being developed won’t be actually flying around, but instead would be floating slightly above the road like a hovercraft to reduce friction. This is just a case-study and the actual Toyota hover-ing car may not make it to the showrooms anytime in the near future.

Bus Powered by Human Waste.

In November, the world witnessed the first ever bus to run on human waste on the roads of Britain. According to research-ers, the bus can provide a sustainable way of fuelling pub-

lic transport — cutting emissions in polluted towns and cities. The 40-seater Bio-Bus, which runs on gas generated through the treatment of sewage and food waste, helps to improve urban air quality as it produces fewer emissions than traditional diesel engines. The bus can travel up to 300 km on a full tank of gas.

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Sebastian Vettel Moved to Ferrari From Redbull Racing

The 2015 F1 season is the 66th sea-son of the F1 World Championship, a motor racing championship for

Formula One cars recognised by the sport’s governing body, the Fédération Internatio-nale de l’Automobile (FIA), as the highest class of competition for open-wheel racing cars. Twenty drivers representing ten teams were scheduled to contest each of nine-teen Grands Prix, starting in Australia on 15 March and ending in Abu Dhabi on 29 November as they compete for the World Drivers’ and World Constructors’ Champi-onships.Lewis Hamilton is the defending Drivers’ Champion after securing his second title at the 2014 Abu Dhabi GP. Mercedes, began the season as the defending Constructors’ Champion, having secured its first champi-onship title at the 2014 Russian GP.

Team changes•Honda returned to F1 as an engine suppli-er, providing McLaren with a V6 engine and Energy Recovery System package.•Lotus changed their engine suppliers to Mercedes.•Following the 2014 Russian Grand Prix, Marussia went into administration. The team was saved from liquidation in Febru-ary 2015 when new investment was secured and the team left administration.. The team re-entered as Manor Marussia..

Driver changes•Fernando Alonso replaced Kevin Magnus-sen at McLaren..•Sebastian Vettel left Red Bull Racing after 15 years with the team and its wider junior development programme to join Ferrari in Alonso’s place. Daniil Kvyat was promoted to Red Bull from Toro Rosso to fill the spot.•With Kvyat joining Red Bull and Jean-Éric Vergne leaving the team to become a Ferrari development driver, Toro Rosso signed reigning Formula Renault 3.5 Series champion Carlos Sainz Jr., and European F3 third-place finisher Max Verstappen, who became the youngest driver to make his For-mula One début (17 years, 164 days) when he started the 2015 season. •Esteban Gutiérrez and Adrian Sutil were released from Sauber and replaced by Ca-terham’s Marcus Ericsson and GP2 driver Felipe Nasr. They joined Ferrari and Wil-liams respectively as reserve drivers. •Manor F1 hired former Caterham driver Will Stevens to drive for his first full season, while former Caterham test driver Roberto Merhi was signed to a short-term deal. For-mer Marussia drivers Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi relinquished their seats; Bianchi re-mained in an indefinite coma as a result of a brain injury suffered in an accident at the 2014 Japanese GP.

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Lewis Hamilton won the opening race of the 2015 season in Melbourne ahead of team mate Nico Rosberg

with what few of their rivals finished a long way behind. By the end of lap one just 13 cars were left in a race that 18 drivers qual-ified for.A back injury prevented Valtteri Bot-tas from starting, and two more drivers failed to reach the grid after problems on their way to the grid. Kevin Magnussen’s McLaren failed spectacularly, and Daniil Kvyat stopped with a gearbox fault.Lotus’s race ended within moments of the

lights going out. Romain Grosjean got away slowly from the grid and then pulled into the pits to retire. Meanwhile Pastor Maldonado lost out in a first-corner tangle and was dumped into the barriers.Following a brief appearance from the Safety Car, Hamilton quickly re-estab-lished his lead as Rosberg reacted slowly to the resumption of the race. A single mid-race pit stop was the only time Hamilton lost the lead.Sebastian Vettel jumped ahead of Felipe Massa in the pit stops to claim third on his debut for Ferrari.

AUSTRALIAN GP REPORT

CHINESE GP REPORT

Lewis Hamilton dominated the Chi-nese Grand Prix to take his second win of the season and his fourth

career victory in Shanghai. It was anoth-er Mercedes 1-2 with Nico Rosberg taking second, but there were suggestions of re-newed tension between the team mates.Ferrari kept the Mercedes duo under pres-sure throughout the race in third and fourth, but Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were unable to mount a serious challenge on the Silver Arrows for the lead.After both Mercedes and Ferraris had pit-ted for another set of Soft tyres, Rosberg

began to eat into his team mate’s lead.Despite being just over two seconds adrift of Hamilton, Rosberg was heard on team radio complaining about the leader’s pace and encouraging his team to hurry the world champion up after concerns over his tyres should he have gotten any closer to his team mate.Hamilton cruised around to secure his sec-ond win of the season, ahead of team mate Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari.Raikkonen took fourth for Ferrari, with the two Williams of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas fifth and sixth.

Lewis Hamilton has won 4 of the

first 7 races and re-mains on top of the

driver standings.

Lewis Hamilton and a team engineer discuss strategy

Nico Rosberg Cel-ebrates win at the

Monaco GP

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SPANISH GP REPORTNico Rosberg won the Formula 1 Gran Premio de Espana Pirelli 2015 in some style, defeating Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton by 17.5s in Barcelona to reinvigorate his world championship campaign. For Ferrari, finishing 45s back from Rosberg was a major disappointment, particularly as they’d come to Spain with a raft of changes that they hoped would enable them to take the fight to Mercedes. Worse still for the Scuder-ia, Kimi Raikkonen could not displace fellow countryman Valtteri Bottas, who drove a sterling race to fourth.

Outside of the squabbles at the front, there was plenty of action in the mid-field, where Daniel Ricciardo hauled his Red Bull to a lapped seventh and Ro-main Grosjean survived a brush with Lotus team mate Pastor Maldonado, and then an overshoot during a pit stop, to take eighth.The other Spaniard in the race - Fernan-do Alonso - fared worst of all, retiring his McLaren with brake problems after dramatically overshooting his pit stop mark and almost running down his front jack man.

Round Grand Prix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning constructor1 Australian GP Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes2 Malaysian GP Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Sebastian Vettel Mercedes3 Chinese GP Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton Mercedes4 Bahrain GP Lewis Hamilton Kimi Räikkönen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes5 Spanish GP Nico Rosberg Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg Mercedes6 Monaco GP Lewis Hamilton Daniel Ricciardo Nico Rosberg Mercedes7 Canadian GP Lewis Hamilton Kimi Räikkönen Lewis Hamilton Mercedes

Sebastian Vettel took his first victory with Ferrari in the Malaysian GP, lead-ing the two Mercedes drivers home.Vettel held second place at the start be-tween the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, but both the silver cars pitted during an early Safety Car period. Vettel stayed out, and by running a long first stint was able to make just two pit stops.The Mercedes pair had to come in three times, and didn’t have the pace to make up the time lost in the extra pit stop. Hamilton was also forced to keep using

the hard tyres, having used up his medi-um tyres during qualifying, while Vettel used another set for his second stint.But the Ferrari was also far stronger at Sepang – a fact underlined by Raik-konen’s recovery from 11th on the grid and a first-lap puncture to finish fourth.The Williams drivers finished fifth and sixth after Valtteri Bottas put a late pass on Felipe Massa. The two Toro Rosso drivers also exchanged places late in the race, Max Verstappen becoming the youngest-ever points scorer with sev-enth place.

MALAYSIAN GP REPORT

Grand Prix Circuit DateBritish Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 5 JulyHungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring, Budapest 26 JulyBelgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 23 AugustItalian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza 6 SeptemberSingapore Grand Prix Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore 20 SeptemberJapanese Grand Prix Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 27 September Russian Grand Prix Sochi Autodrom, Sochi 11 OctoberUnited States Grand Prix Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas 25 OctoberMexican Grand Prix Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City 1 NovemberBrazilian Grand Prix Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo 15 NovemberAbu Dhabi Grand Prix Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 29 November

Vettel Celebrates Malaysian GP win

Nico won the Spannish Grand Prix

cale

ndar

Winner’s Table as of 19th June, 2015

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