ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed

SUPPLEMENT EDITORPramod Prabhakaran

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid M Al-Shafi

ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATORMuhammad Shammas

DESIGNAbraham Augusthy

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTWEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020PAGE 02 PAGE 03

Honda Pilot comes with new technology

Mazda campaign is ‘designed to delight’

Apple targets car production by 2024 with ‘next level’ battery technology

REUTERS

Apple is moving forward with self-driving car technology and is tar-geting 2024 to produce a passenger vehicle that could include its own breakthrough battery technology, people familiar with the matter told

Reuters.The iPhone maker's automotive efforts,

known as Project Titan, have proceeded une-venly since 2014 when it first started to design its own vehicle from scratch. At one point, Apple drew back the effort to focus on software and reassessed its goals. Doug Field, an Apple veteran who had worked at Tesla, returned to oversee the project in 2018 and laid off 190 people from the team in 2019.

Since then, Apple has progressed enough that it now aims to build a vehicle for consumers, two people familiar with the effort said, asking not to be named because Apple's plans are not public. Apple's goal of building a personal vehicle for the mass market contrasts with rivals such as Alpha-bet's Waymo, which has built robo-taxis to carry passengers for a driverless ride-hailing service.

Central to Apple's strategy is a new battery design that could "radically" reduce the cost of batteries and increase the vehicle's range, according to a third person who has seen Apple's battery design.

Making a vehicle represents a supply chain challenge even for Apple, a company with deep pockets that makes hundreds of millions of elec-tronics products each year with parts from around the world, but has never made a car. It took Elon Musk's Tesla 17 years before it finally turned a sustained profit making cars.

"If there is one company on the planet that has the resources to do that, it's probably Apple. But at the same time, it's not a cellphone," said a person who worked on Project Titan.

It remains unclear who would assemble an Apple-branded car, but sources have said they expect the company to rely on a manufacturing

partner to build vehicles. And there is still a chance Apple will decide to reduce the scope of its efforts to an autonomous driving system that would be integrated with a car made by a traditional automaker, rather than the iPhone maker selling an Apple-branded car, one of the people added.

Two people with knowledge of Apple's plans warned pandemic-related delays could push the start of production into 2025 or beyond.

Apple has decided to tap outside partners for elements of the system, including lidar sensors, which help self-driving cars get a three-dimen-sional view of the road, two people familiar with the company's plans said.

Apple's car might feature mul-tiple lidar sensors for scanning dif-ferent distances, another person said. Some sensors could be derived from Apple's internally developed lidar units, that person said. Apple's iPhone 12 Pro and iPad Pro models

released this year both feature lidar sensors.

Reuters had previously reported that Apple had held talks with potential lidar suppliers, but it was also examining building its own sensor.

As for the car's battery, Apple plans to use a unique "monocell" design that bulks up the individual cells in the battery and frees up space inside the battery pack by eliminating pouches and modules that hold battery materials, one of the people said.

Apple's design means that more active material can be packed inside the battery, giving the car a poten-tially longer range. Apple is also examining a chemistry for the battery called LFP, or lithium iron phosphate, the person said, which is inherently less likely to overheat and is thus safer than other types of lithium-ion batteries.

”It’s next level," the person said of Apple's battery technology. "Like the first time you saw the iPhone."

Apple had previously engaged Magna International in talks about manufacturing a car, but the talks petered out as Apple's plans became unclear, a person familiar with those previous efforts said. Magna did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

To turn a profit, automotive

contract manufacturers often ask for volumes that could pose a chal-lenge even to Apple, which would be a newcomer to the automotive market.

"In order to have a viable assembly plant, you need 100,000 vehicles annually, with more volume to come," the person said.

Some Apple investors reacted to the report on the company's plans with caution. Trip Miller, managing partner at Apple investor Gullane Capital Partners, said it could be tough for Apple to produce large volumes of cars out of the gate.

"It would seem to me that if Apple develops some advanced operating system or battery tech-nology, it would be best utilized in a partnership with an existing man-ufacturer under license," Miller said. "As we see with Tesla and the legacy auto companies, having a very complex manufacturing network around the globe doesn't happen overnight."

Hal Eddins, chief economist at Apple shareholder Capital Investment Counsel, said Apple has a history of higher margins than most automakers.

"My initial reaction as a share-holder is, huh?" Eddins said. "Still don’t really see the appeal of the car business, but Apple may be eyeing another angle than what I’m seeing."

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 20202

BLOOMBERG

Russian-born entrepreneur Denis Sverdlov wants to revolutionize automaking, replacing Henry Ford’s century-old con-veyor-belt assembly lines with tiny fac-

tories that cost far less.While most of the industry aims for big sales

numbers that will keep huge plants busy, his Arrival Ltd., which will start producing electric buses and vans next year, is betting that doing just the opposite will help reduce production costs. Its microfactories need about $50 million in investment, compared with $1 billion for conven-tional ones, and 10 of of them could make as many vehicles as a traditional outlet for half the capital expenditures and in a 10th of the space, it says.

"Arrival has spent the last five years devel-oping our unique model and proprietary tech-nology and is now laser-focused on delivery,” Sverdlov, who’s founder and chief executive officer, said in a Zoom interview. "We are not using metal stamping, welding and paint shops. Instead, we are using aluminum for chassis, pro-prietary composites for bodies and structural adhesive.”

The company already has two microfactories -- one northwest of London in the town of Bicester, and the other in Rock Hill, South Carolina -- and aims to have 31 plants by 2024. While EV startups commonly burn cash for years or never get in the black, Arrival said it hopes to start gen-erating a profit by 2023.

Arrival’s approach got backing from com-panies including Hyundai Motor and BlackRock earlier this year, while United Parcel Service agreed to buy the first 10,000 vans equipped with advanced driver-assistance systems.

Arrival, which is combining with CIIG Merger Corp. to raise cash and get a Nasdaq listing, has an enterprise value of $5.4 billion. With more than 600 million outstanding shares after the tie-up, its valuation stands at about $15 billion, based on the trading of the blank-check firm since last month’s announcement.

With a post-merger stake of 75%, Sverdlov’s holding is worth about $11 billion. The 42-year-old is richer than some Russian commodity tycoons including Lukoil PJSC co-owner Leonid Fedun and Alexander Abramov, chairman of steelmaker Evraz Plc, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He declined to comment on his net worth.

Founded in 2015, Arrival now employs more than 1,400 people. It recruited top talent from the auto and tech industries: Avinash Rugoobur,

its president, used to be the head of strategy for General Motors’s Cruise self-driving unit; Mike Ableson, head of the automotive business, was GM’s vice president of EV infrastructure and global strategy. Some of its engineers previously worked at Tesla, Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, Apple and Google.

Thanks to the cheaper microfactories, the company is aiming to sell its electric vans and buses at around the same price as diesel equiv-alents. In the US, where Joe Biden’s administration wants to fully switch to EVs by 2030 for buses built there, a vehicle that’s 12 meters (39 feet) in length would cost less than $450,000, Sverdlov said in a conference call last month.

The concept is credible and "rock solid,” said Sandy Munro, founder of consulting firm Munro & Associates, which gained notoriety by tearing apart Tesla models and analyzing how they’re built. As long as the company can manage supply lines to many plants, the plan is low-cost and puts it close to customers’ needs.

Tesla’s surging share price this year has boosted appetite for investments in EV companies, including Arrival, Fisker and Nikola. The new entrants have yet to report meaningful revenue -- let alone profits -- leading some to question whether there’s a bubble. Nikola, whose stock more than doubled in just three days in June, has struggled recently to address concerns that it

overstated the capability of its early prototypes.But for now, things are looking good for

Sverdlov, who studied engineering in St. Petersburg before heading a Russian mobile-internet startup sold for $1.5 billion and serving as the nation’s deputy communications minister. He’s also backing Roborace, a competition of autonomous, electric vehicles.

"There are more than 560 cities in the world, which have a population of over 1 million people, and each of these cities could have a microfactory producing 10,000 vehicles specifically tailored for the needs of that market,” Sverdlov said. "This model can be as scalable as McDonald’s or Starbucks.”

Billionaire aiming to reshape automaking one microplant at a time

The award winning 8-seat SUV, the Honda Pilot comes with a lot of lovable and usable features. It has an aggressive exterior styling,

a hands-free power tailgate, a substan-tially refined powertrain, latest con-nected-car technology, a Display Audio touchscreen system and a volume knob. The Pilot also adopts the Honda Sensing® suite of advanced driver- assistive and safety technology in Touring Trim. In Qatar, Honda is rep-resented by Domasco, an Al-Futtaim Automotive company and one of the leading players in the passenger and commercial vehicles segment.

The Pilot reinforces its capabilities while emphasizing the state-of-the-art technology and family-friendly character that has made it one of the most popular midsize 3-row SUVs. Pilot also now offers 8 seats with three-person capacity in both the second and third rows, and with third row access made simple and easy by the available One-Touch Walk-In feature.

All variants of the Pilot feature more aggressive front and rear styling to compliment the Pilot’s robust off-road and all-weather driving

capabilities, supported by Honda’s available intelligent Variable Torque Management system (i-VTM4) with true torque- vectoring. Standard on all AWD trims, i-VTM4 uses an electron-ically-controlled, hydraulically-actuated rear differential to apportion engine torque between the front and rear axles, and dynamically distribute torque between the left and right rear wheels. The benefits are superior all-weather handling, and neutral, accurate steering under power.

In addition, the Pilot’s 6 -speed automatic transmission, available in all trims, gets new tuning for enhanced drivability and smoother shifts.

Exterior and Interior Design

The Honda Pilot’s exterior reflects its off-road capabilities without losing what makes Pilot a perennial favorite in the midsize SUV segment. The front fascia comes with standard LED low-beam headlights, while the rear fea-tures new taillights, a new bumper, and chrome accents.

The front bumper incorporates a large fog light housing, fully integrated into the bumper, giving the Pilot a more aggressive look. A redesigned

grille features a bold interpretation of the Honda “flying wing” grille design, with its chrome band extending above the headlights. Further emphasizing the off-road aggressiveness is a “skid” garnish on the lower portion of the front bumper. Available fog lights are now LED, the turn signal is thinner, and Pilot Touring models benefit from multi-element full LED headlights, including high beams. The rear receives new taillights with amber turn signals and LED backup lights. A chrome strip on the rocker extends along the side of the vehicle, wrapping around the rear bumper and high-lighting the lower bumper’s skid-type design. Wheels are ruggedly styled, with 18-inch designs on EX (2WD), EX (AWD) and EX-L, and an aggressive new 20-inch design on Touring trim.

A hands-free power tailgate is available for the first time on Pilot on Touring grade. With the remote key fob in their pocket or handbag, the driver simply kicks their foot under a designated area of the rear bumper. The tailgate then opens without the owner needing to use their hands, very useful for occasions when their hands are full.

In addition to its numerous tech-nology advancements, updates to Pilot’s interior include new trim around the vents, available way heated and ventilated front seats (touring grade only), and wider fold-down armrests for the driver and front passenger, tri-zone Automatic Climate Control System, Rear A/C duct and integrated rear door sunshades. LX and EX have fabric seats whereas EX-L and Touring

have Leather seats.

PowertrainThe Pilot got a number of refine-

ments to the 6-speed automatic trans-mission (6AT), available in all grades. When in Drive and under light-to-moderate throttle, the 6AT will now start in second gear for smoother launch and lower speed acceleration. The transmission also defaults to second-gear launches when the Intel-ligent Traction Management (ITM) switch is in Snow mode. At full throttle, with steep grades, in Low Gear mode, or with the ITM in Sand or Mud, the 6AT will start in first gear. The power of the Pilot is 280 hp @6000 rpm and a torque of 355Nm @ 4700 rpm.

TechnologyThe Pilot benefits from a variety of

enhancements and upgrades to its audio/connectivity and driver conven-ience features. The Pilot’s new instrument cluster now uses a 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) with a wide range of information content. Not only does it display typical vehicle functions such as vehicle speed and RPM, the TFT includes a Multi-Information Display (MID) with driver-selectable customizable features, such as audio system information, a detailed trip computer, phone information, and turn-by-turn route guidance on Pilot Touring Grade. Drivers navigate the new TFT using a new steering wheel with enhanced controls, redesigned for more intuitive operation such as Bluetooth® phone buttons that are

more easily distinguished by touch.Pilot’s Display Audio system com-

prises of an 8-inch touchscreen and uses gestures common to smartphones and tablets, such as swipe, tap and pinch, to control the vehicle’s audio system, display settings and other advanced features, while also adding a volume knob. Intuitive and easy to use, with a simplified menu structure, it also offers customizable shortcuts for commonly used features and cus-tomizable app locations.

In addition, Pilot Touring Grade offers a 10.2 inch Rear Entertainment System (RES) that can play CDs in the same drive that plays DVDs and Blu-ray™ media. The Rear Entertainment System can play audio via Pilot’s speaker system, or through a pair of included wireless headphones.

Two additional headphone jacks are also provided. It also includes a fun, kid friendly, puppet-themed “How Much Farther?” app. It func-tions as a “flight tracker” with a colorful on-screen animated mario-nette play that counts down time and distance to the destination that has been set into the navigation system. Multiple backgrounds with animation give the app a fun feel that’s engaging for children.

Cabin Talk has also been added to for easier communication with the rear passengers, via the speaker system or the wireless headphones. Also Available for the first time in Pilot is wireless smartphone charging, using the Qi and PMA charging standards. Large enough for even plus-size smart-phones, it’s standard on Touring Trim.

Honda Pilot comes with fresh styling and new technology

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 2020 3

National Car Company (NCC), sole agent for Mazda vehicles in Qatar, have announced the most customer friendly sea-

sonal offer for purchase of Mazda SUVs and sedans aimed at delivering the “Joy of Driving” a Premium Mazda, a hassle free and delightful experience.

The recently launched promotional campaign by NCC has ensured that buying and owning a premium Mazda remained a unique and hassle-free experience as retail customers could enjoy the attractive prices and exclusive value-added offers on 2020 models of Sedans and SUVs.

The buy and own offer for Mazda CX9 (3 row, 7 seat) family SUV includes free comprehensive insurance, free service for 3-years/50,000 kms (whichever comes first) and free reg-istration besides 5 Years unlimited Km warranty along with 5 years roadside assistance.

Customers purchasing Mazda 3, Mazda 6 and Mazda CX3 models can

take advantage of the free compre-hensive insurance and registration besides 5 Years unlimited Km warranty along with 5 years roadside assistance.

Select grades of 2021 models have been introduced for sale with free insurance and registration besides the value added benefit of 5 Years unlimited Km warranty along with 5 years roadside assistance which has a significant effect on the re-sale value of Mazda vehicles.

Besides the regular modes of payment, customers can also opt for flexible in-house finance schemes which are subject to credit approval

The new generation of Mazda sedans and SUVs are currently on display at the state-of-the-art showroom located in Al Nasr. Mazda team in Qatar is eagerly waiting to share the excitement by inviting the discerning customers to test drive and experience the Mazda difference.

Feel Pure Driving Pleasure: Sky-activ Technology

Mazda’s path breaking Skyactiv

family of technologies that lifts per-formance to new heights and delivers sheer driving pleasure at the same time. Effortless joyful driving makes one feel alive!

Ingenious Solutions Spark Breakthroughs

Mazda’s engineers design their cars to a feeling, not a spec sheet. They know they got it right when the car feels like it has come to life. And at the heart of every Mazda is its engine – its life force.

Mazda is constantly looking for ways to increase the efficiency of its engines without sacrificing per-formance. While most of the auto-motive world has given up on inno-vating the internal combustion engine, Mazda believes there is still room for improvement. It is this obsession with squeezing more efficiency through continuous improvements that has led to some of Mazda’s most prolific breakthroughs.

Mazda 6: Crafted to Inspire, Ele-gantly Matured!

New 2020 model year Mazda 6 which embodies maturity with style through a multitude of design and detail enhancements that together elevate the whole Mazda6 expe-rience, right from the first impression.

Mazda’s exclusive technology, Sky-activ-Vehicle Dynamics with G-Vec-toring Control, helps achieve a smoother, less fatiguing drive for the driver as well as the passengers. While cornering, the system works seamlessly by adjusting power delivery, shifting vehicle weight on initial turn-in and throughout the corner. The effect is subtle, but the feeling after a great drive is something else.

The most important changes are found under the long hood. The 2.5-liter inline-four cylinder naturally aspi-rated engine has been further refined to deliver an extra ordinary power output of 187 HP. It along with the

six-speed automatic transmission offers an effortless brand of power that’s sure to elevate the driver’s and passenger’s mood alike.

Mazda CX-5 - New Dimensions of Driving Pleasure

The 2020 model year next gener-ation Mazda CX-5 is now available in Qatar re-emphasizing Mazda’s dream of delivering an SUV which breaks through the traditional trade-off between driving pleasure and pas-senger comfort.

Mazda is the unique Japanese brand which thrives to create an emotional connection with customers and become an essential part of their lives. To achieve this, Mazda has worked to strengthen the feeling of connection between car and driver, creating human-centered cars that operate in harmony with human sensibilities.

Mazda Cx9 Signature Grade - Refined Premium

Most adorable and time-tested

Mazda CX-9 is the ultimate blend of stunning sophistication and family SUV. It’s the very first Mazda to feature the breakthrough SKYACTIV-G 2.5T petrol engine. Delivering class-leading performance with real-world effi-ciency, the turbocharged engine offers driving excitement felt never before in a seven-seat SUV.

The innovative Dynamic Pressure Turbo adjusts boost pressure and airflow according to engine speed to overcome traditional problems such as turbo lag.

Newly introduced Mazda CX-9 High Plus grade comes with sophisti-cated and luxurious interior having Auburn Nappa Leather seating sur-faces, a hand-stitched, leather-wrapped "chidori" steering wheel, new Santos rosewood interior trim and sup-plemental interior lighting around the transmission shifter.

For more information, visit Mazda showroom, call 44435965/44417859 or visit www.mazda-qatar.com

Mazda new year campaign is ‘designed to delight’

WEDNESDAY 23 DECEMBER 20204

GMC has announced that the all-new 2021 Yukon and Yukon XL are now on sale across the Middle East. The next generation SUVs offer class-leading1 technology, more spa-cious interior and bolder design,

complemented by state-of-the-art engineering and performance. This year the Yukon lineup is headlined by two of GMC’s high-performing sub-brands: Denali and the first-ever AT4.

“We are extremely proud to present to our loyal customers in the Middle East the next gen-eration of our flagship SUV – the all-new 2021 Yukon. Not only is it more practical, thanks to increased cabin space, but it is packed with a range of premium features and technologies that we know our customers will love. Despite its modern convenience features, the 2021 Yukon retains its indomitable off-road credentials. Designed all-new from the ground up, we are confident the all-new Yukon range will exceed customer expectations and continue to dominate the roads like never before,” said Luay Al Shurafa, President and Managing Director, General Motors, Africa and Middle East.

Representing the pinnacle of GMC crafts-manship, the all-new 2021 Yukon exterior styling is more striking than ever, with bold and dis-tinctive lines made with the Middle East customer in mind. The Denali’s trademark Galvano chrome grille, for instance, is larger and more detailed. In fact, it features a precise dimensional pattern with over 10,000 individual reflective surfaces. The all-new 2021 Yukon also benefits from advanced lighting technology - GMC’s C-shaped front lighting signature is conveyed through a prominent “light blade” that delivers uniform LED illumination for the daytime running lamps.

Inside the all-new Yukon, the interior has also been completely redesigned across the range, highlighted by a Denali-exclusive interior and a new, class-leading1 available Center Console Fridge as well as a choice of four unique color themes, giving customers unparalleled person-alization options.

When it comes to power, the all-new 2021 Yukon offers drivers a choice of two engines to meet the requirements of differing lifestyles. The most powerful engine in the full-size SUV segment, an all-new 6.2L V8 with Dynamic Fuel Management (standard on Denali) delivers an estimated 420 horsepower, which is higher than any competitor. The standard engine is an all-new 5.3L V8. Both engines feature stop/start tech-nology and new Dynamic Fuel Management that enables the engine to operate on two to eight cyl-inders, to optimize power and efficiency. Fur-thermore, both engines are mated to an advanced

10-speed automatic transmission with GMC’s Electronic Precision Shift push-button gear selector.

At the pinnacle of the all-new 2021 Yukon lineup is the more upscale Denali and the first-ever Yukon AT4. The Denali offers customers a first-class

experience thanks to its bold design, refined interior appointments and capable features. Whereas the first-ever Yukon AT4 brings with it a whole new character for Yukon and fulfills GMC’s promise to bring the AT4 sub-brand across the entire lineup. The AT4 melds premium driving experience and

unrivalled off-road prowess, making the vehicle unlike any other vehicle in its segment when it comes to outdoor adventures.

In addition, the Yukon benefits from available first-in-class1 four-corner Air Ride Adaptive Sus-pension that delivers the optimal ride quality and can raise the body by up to 2 inches (50 mm) for additional ground clearance when traveling off-road.

On the technology front, the GMC Yukon is available with up-to nine camera views, the most in the segment. These increase driver awareness and include High Definition Surround Vision and Rear Camera Mirror. But that’s not all, the Yukon also packs a segment-leading1 available 15-inch-diagonal multicolor Head-Up Display projects speed, navigation, safety features and other driver-centric information when fully equipped.

Naturally, being a family vehicle first and foremost the all-new 2021 Yukon offers a range of enhanced connectivity and active safety tech-nologies2 and can warn a driver of an impending collision, and in some cases, even avoid them. These include Rear Pedestrian Alert, Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist and more.

The all-new 2021 GMC Yukon line up is now on sale across the Middle East. For more infor-mation, visit https://www.gmcarabia.com/.

GMC’s flagship SUV, all-new 2021 Yukon, now on sale in Middle East