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SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTTUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019
Step-by-step guide: How to detail a car
PAGE 04 PAGE 8
ACTING MANAGING EDITORMohammed Salim Mohamed
EDITOR-IN-CHIEFDr. Khalid M Al-Shafi
DESIGNAbraham Augusthy
SUPPLEMENT EDITOR Pramod Prabhakaran
ADVERTISING CO-ORDINATORMuhammad Shammas
AFP
US auto sales may be slow-ing, but carmakers have high hopes for luxury vehicles, which are imbued with increas-ingly sophisticated
gadgetry and sex appeal to seduce a new generation of millionaires.
Luxury car companies brought their "A" game to the New York International Auto Show, which had a mix of new mod-els, some featuring envelope-pushing technology and others pitched as green vehicles, to grab attention of new custom-ers who grew up with technology and are sensitive to climate change.
In both cases, these are luxury mod-els with price tags to match.
Mercedes-Benz' new generation of sport-utility vehicles has voice command and answers to "Hey Mercedes" as its arti-ficial intelligence programs adapt to its user's habits.
That feature brings to life something like the experience from the 1980s hit television show "Knight Rider" when David Hasselhoff's character addressed
his vehicle as "KITT.""Voice recognition is absolutely some-
thing customers want," said Dietmar Exler, chief executive of Mercedes-Benz USA.
"It's much more convenient. The cars can read your emails or texts and you don't need to take your hands from the steer-ing wheel," he added. "It's safer. You don't look down and try to find something, you can just say it and you control it."
Although many millennials still face heavy college loans, the US economy is also churning out adults who make seven figures and up who were born in the 1980s and 90s.
So far this month, there have been successful initial public offerings by tech companies Lyft, Pinterest and Zoom, all led by (now-rich) millennials. And more youth-led ventures are expected to go public soon, including Uber.
Eyeing this rarified niche popula-tion, the Italian company Pininfarina stands out. The company introduced its "Battista" electric, zero-emission vehi-cle at an art gallery in Chelsea, the trendy Manhattan district.
The sleek vehicle has 1,900 horse power and can sprint to 60 miles per
hour in less than two seconds. The price? $2.27 million!
A future prospect in this ultra-expensive, ultra-environmentally friendly category is the Genesis Mint, which was shown as a concept car by Hyundai.
"The wealthy clients want just the best of the best," said Brian Miller, a New York dealer for luxury brands, includ-ing Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Bugatti, whose latest offering is the ultra-pow-erful Chiron sports car.
Porsche's 911 Speedster, which also boasts dynamic drive, plays on the lure of exclusivity. Fewer than 2,000
versions of the car will be produced worldwide.
Sales for the German luxury car-maker rose 7.5 percent in the first quarter of 2019 even as the overall mar-ket sagged. "It's absolutely healthy and things are very positive for us," a Por-sche spokesperson said. "Our sales are growing."
And Nissan plans to produce just 50 of its GT-R 50, the car used in the action film saga, "The Fast and the Furious."
"Every detail is made by hand," said Nissan's global sports car program direc-tor Bob Laishley.
All the materials on the car are
authentic. "If it looks like carbon, it is car-bon. It's the real deal; it's not synthetic."
Mercedes-Benz's Exler sees three "dimensions" in the drive for luxury per-fection: design, driver experience and technology.
"All three dimensions are becoming more and more important for the over-all driver experience," he said. "It's about the whole package."
In 2018, sales of luxury cars dipped 0.3 percent to just over 2 million in the United States, a contrast to the 0.6 per-cent gain in overall US sales. But some experts think that trend will reverse in 2019.
Tech, green features, power mix to boost luxury car sales
A startup tries remote-control trucks
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 201902
Delivering on its promise to introduce trendsetting vehicles that meet and exceed customer expecta-tions, AAB has unveiled the
stylish, all-new 2019 Toyota RAV4 in the Qatar. Bringing a new era of improved performance, capability, and safety, the fifth generation RAV4, the compact SUV trend-setter, is poised to, once again, change the game.
The all-new RAV4 is, in essence, dis-rupting the segment it created. It is bringing more sport and more utility back while further enhancing the agile handling, everyday comfort and exem-plary fuel efficiency that established the RAV4 as a firm favorite among motoring enthusiasts in the region. The all-new vehicle is designed to tackle urban, sub-urban, and great outdoor adventures with equal finesse. The look is tougher, and there’s greater capability with a new all-wheel-drive system, yet the ride is smoother and quieter, with new comfort touches inside.
One of two major additions to the all-new RAV4 is the hybrid electric model, which combines two power sources consisting of a petrol engine and two electric motors. The class-leading model, which offers the lowest fuel con-sumption value of 22.2km/L, enables customers to contribute to a more sus-tainable future while enjoying increased driving satisfaction and engagement provided by its advanced technologies and cabin quietness, as well as its accel-eration smoothness, especially when accelerating from a stand-still.
The second addition to the RAV4 is the Adventure model, which was estab-lished as a symbolic model to appeal to active users through enhanced Waku Doki – the equivalent of “heart-pumping excitement” in Japanese – and a more powerful image. It is distinguished by a more aggressive bumper, grille design and fog light surrounds, larger over-fenders, high-rise roof rails, a retuned suspension, and exclusive 19-inch, split five-spoke wheels with matte-black accents.
Yoshikazu Saeki, Chief Engineer for the Toyota RAV4, said: “The RAV4 has held a strong market presence since its introduction 25 years ago. It has gained a loyal following the world over, con-tinually evolving to respond to changing customer needs. For the new RAV4, we set out to create a product that appeals to the next generation of customers. At the very beginning of the design process for the all-new vehicle, we thought about how best to evolve the original idea, building on the two over-arching views of the RAV4 – ‘driving per-formance suited to any road’ and a ‘user-friendly interior suited to any situation.’ This led us to the new concept of Adventure and Refinement. We have also improved the RAV4’s performance to meet the demands of any road. Whereas a conventional SUV suspension makes for an uncomfortable,
unresponsive ride in off-road conditions, the RAV4 provides sedan-like comfort and an enjoyable ride.”
Yugo Miyamoto, Chief Represent-ative, Middle East and North Africa Rep-resentative Office, Toyota Motor Cor-poration, said: “We are excited to launch the all-new RAV4 in the region, setting a new benchmark in the compact SUV segment and presenting our customers with a vehicle that has evolved over five generations, to offer them an unparal-leled ownership experience.”
Miyamoto added: “Owing to its stylish design, ride comfort, dynamic performance and superior value, the all-new RAV4 will make a deep con-nection with the region’s motoring enthusiasts whose needs and aspirations evolve constantly. We would like to extend our gratitude to our valued cus-tomers for their continued support and inspiration, which motivate us to develop ‘ever-better’ cars that exceed their expectations.”
Enabling the all-new RAV4 to express its distinct personality and brawnier stance is its robust design. The exterior lines and detailing in the cabin are influenced by regular, polygonal shapes, communicating strength and coherence. Following the guiding themes of Adventure and Refined, designers created an athletic, chiseled appearance especially in the front-end and grille design. Stunning LED head-lamps, which are available with the automatic leveling function, and unique
signature LED daytime running lamps produce a more premium light source while also contributing to the vehicle’s bold look.
Owing to its polygonal motifs, the wheel arches appear to hold the tires from a high position, emphasizing the lifted-up body and drawing attention to the vehicle’s capability. Meanwhile, the side mirrors are positioned lower on the doors for increased forward vis-ibility around the A-pillar. Side visi-bility is increased thanks to a lowered beltline and the redesigned and enlarged rear-quarter glass. Form and function combine in taillights and exterior door handles, which have been shaped to contribute to aerodynamic stability.
The RAV4’s distinct personality is completed by its expansive and com-fortable cabin, which displays excep-tional quality and finish throughout. The Refined theme guided interior design and the word “premium” will come to mind, as well. The instrument panel’s horizontal layout has a slimmer profile and a lower position than before to enhance forward visibility. Solid material used for the upper and lower parts of the instrument panel and door trim grip conveys strength and dura-bility. Soft padding has been added to areas that passengers frequently touch, while stitching that enhances the con-tinuity from the door trim to the instrument panel adds a sense of quality. The center console is wider and more
versatile than before, and the console storage has been expanded. Fur-thermore, front and rear seats are more supportive, and with the improvement in seat cushioning, they are more com-fortable in the all-new vehicle.
With an exciting interior featuring a distinctive design, and offering con-venience and comfort, the bold new car’s cabin is accentuated with a range of advanced features, including Multi-terrain Select (MTS), wireless charging system for smartphones, dual-zone automatic air conditioning system with Smart-flow (S-FLOW) control to provide air conditioning to only occupied seats, achieving comfort and enhanced fuel efficiency, 7-inch color multi-infor-mation display (MID) in the cluster gauge, 7-inch multimedia infotainment display, ambient illumination, six-speaker sound system, multi-adjustable power driver seat, front ventilated seats, and 60:40 split-folding rear seats.
Complementing the all-new RAV4’s daring looks is a thrilling drive person-ality imbued by two powertrain options. A new 2.5-liter four-cylinder Dynamic Force engine with D-4S fuel injection system, which produces 204 hp and 243 nm of torque, is mated to a new eight-speed Direct-Shift automatic trans-mission (8AT), resulting in a quicker and smoother acceleration. On the other hand, a new electrified hybrid system combines two power sources consisting of a petrol engine and two electric motors producing 176 hp and 118 hp,
respectively, with a combined power of 218 hp, and delivering 221 nm and 121 nm of torque, respectively. It is also mated to a Direct Shift Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that pro-vides the lowest fuel consumption value of 22.2km/L while delivering a new level of driving pleasure.
The all-new RAV4 hybrid electric model can be driven entirely on elec-trical power with zero-fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions, or by combining the power generated from both the petrol engine and two electric motors, depending on the vehicle’s speed and customer’s driving behavior. Its hybrid electric batteries are continuously charged by either the petrol engine or when decelerating and braking, elimi-nating the need to plug in a power cord. Furthermore, the hybrid electric model features a host of advanced technol-ogies, yet drives like any other conven-tional vehicle and does not require special fuel.
The launch of the all-new RAV4 hybrid electric model comes in line with Toyota’s continuing commitment to playing a leading role in constantly inno-vating and developing technologies that protect the environment, which is also a strategic imperative that forms the cornerstone of the company’s business. Electrification of vehicles has been an indispensable focus for Toyota since 1997 and the company has launched a variety of Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) in the past two decades, leading to a steady rise in the adoption of its envi-ronment-friendly vehicles and pushing its cumulative sales of electrified vehicles to over 12 million. This enormous sales record represents a reduction of more than 94 million tons of CO2 compared to the sales of equiv-alent conventional vehicles and under-scores the tremendous support received from customers.
As with any other Toyota model, safety remains a top priority for the all-new RAV4 that comes with an advanced safety system, which is com-plemented by Toyota Safety Sense, an advanced safety technology package that includes Pre-Collision System (PCS), Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Lane Departure Alert (LDA), and Auto-matic High Beam (AHB).
Available in nine distinctive exterior colors, the all-new RAV4 provides cus-tomers the opportunity to express their individuality. Four new colors, Cyan ME, Dark Blue MC, Attitude Black MC, and the newly-developed Urban Khaki, further express sophistication and strength. On the other hand, the interior is available in a total of three colors, such as Light Gray, Beige and Black. Drawing inspiration from the polygonal motif, the all-new RAV4 has been rearmed with new 17-inch and 18-inch alloy wheels, wcreated with a strong shape and a sense of precision, emphasizing the modeling theme present throughout the vehicle.
New RAV4 sees huge demand in Qatar
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019 03
All-new Hyundai Santa Fe named Best Design Mid-Size SUV
The All-New 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe, dis-tributed in Qatar by Skyline Automotive, was named the Best Design Mid-Size SUV in 2019 by Arab Motors Middle East. The mid-size SUV’s slick style, executive
features and exceptional performance effectively keeps its position as one of the leading vehicles in its category across the Middle East.
The Santa Fe’s spacious interior and high levels of safety make it the perfect choice for a
family-friendly vehicle and is also suitable during different seasons of the year.
The Hyundai Santa Fe’s exterior design comes in line with the ideal modern vehicle. The mid-size SUV includes various sharp fea-tures as well as smooth contours to portray its slick design. The front end shows off its sophis-ticated composite headlights along with the sig-nature cascading grille.
The All-New Santa Fe is also ideal for any
family looking for a high-riding utility vehicle, and is durable during off-roading as well as tackling unpaved streets. Additionally, its new 8-speed automatic transmission generates strength and quality performance through any road journey.
Commenting on winning the Best Design Mid-Size SUV award, Johan Madarasz, Mar-keting Manager at Skyline Automotive said: “We are greatly honoured to receive such a
prestigious award from one of the most prom-inent car magazines in Qatar and the Middle East. The All-New Santa Fe is the perfect family car and since the launch in December 2018 we received a great interest from our audience here in Qatar.
In Qatar, Hyundai vehicles are available at Skyline Automotive, a Jaidah Group Company, and official distribution partner of the Hyundai Motor Company.
The Santa Fe’s spacious interior and high levels of safety make it the perfect choice for a family-friendly vehicle and is also suitable during different seasons of the year.
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 201904
AFP
Tesla said recently it is expecting to deploy self-driving “robotaxis” by 2020 as it unveiled its upgraded technology for driverless vehicles.
Chief executive Elon Musk told an investor presentation he expected regulator approval in some jurisdictions for autonomous ride-hailing that could use some of the Teslas on the road if their owners agree to share the vehicles.
“I feel very confident in predicting autonomous robotaxis next year,” Musk told the event, saying he expected the plan to operate on a model similar to that of Uber or Airbnb.
He said Tesla would be adding a rideshare app and that owners who chose to participate in the network could benefit from that.
“The fundamental utility of the vehicle increases by a factor of five” with a rideshare system, he said.
Musk commented on the robotaxi plan after the company unveiled computer hardware for “full self-driving” capabilities -- part of its strategy to bring autonomous cars to the mainstream.
Tesla already enables partial autonomy for its cars, but the road to full autonomy faces consid-erable legal and regulatory hurdles.
The chip announcement comes as Tesla races
with Waymo, Uber and traditional automakers to bring autonomous vehicles to market.
Musk said its custom-designed chip for the vehicle, which he called the best available, was a
significant milestone in self-driving.“At first, it seems improbable -- how could it
be that Tesla, which has never designed a chip before, could design the best chip in the world?” he said.
“But that is objectively what has occurred.”The new chip is being installed in all its vehicles,
clearing the way to improve its software and “neural networks” that will effectively drive the autonomous vehicles.
“All Tesla cars being produced have all the hardware necessary... for full self driving,” Musk told the event.
“All you need to do is improve the software.”Despite Tesla’s claims, its electric vehicles are
not using the standard definition of “level 4” autonomy that would handle all functions with a human on standby or “level 5” autonomy that would need no human.
Musk said he expected that with Tesla tech-nology, drivers “would not need to touch the wheel” sometime early next year and that he hoped for regulatory approvals in some areas later in 2020.
He maintained that Tesla’s approach using data from its vehicles on the road was better than those of its rivals, which rely on simulations.
“We have quite good simulation too, but it does not capture the long tail of things that happen in the real world,” Musk said.
“The real world is really weird and messy.”Musk also argued that the neural network tech-
nology, based on artificial intelligence, was better than the Lidar systems used by rivals that are based on light pulses.
Musk said his space exploration firm SpaceX uses Lidar for some purposes but that “in cars it’s pretty stupid, it’s expensive and unnecessary.”
DAN COOPER
Car detailing isn’t something you need to do that often. You might roll up your sleeves once a year to perform a top-notch cleaning – sweeping, scrubbing, wiping every nook and cranny – on your car. The level of clean you need? It’s really whatever you prefer. Here’s a helpful guide to
get you started.
Before you beginThe difference between an “OK” and an “incredible” result is tied
to the tools you use and the time you spend on the job. It helps to use specialized car detailing products for specific tasks. For instance, toothbrushes come in handy for small areas that are harder to clean, like vents and grilles. Cotton swabs are useful in these spots, too.
Also, try to use name brand products to play it safe, but be certain to read the labels. Even name brand products aren’t suitable for all paint finishes. If the product does not list that it’s safe for clear coat finishes, it’s probably not. And keep in mind that this likely won’t be a five-minute commitment; a high-quality car detailing job can take between four and eight hours.
Step 1: Getting the hard-to-reach placesWork on the interior first. Use compressed air in a can to blow
dirt out from the tiny crevices. Save exterior cleaning for later. By
taking this approach, you’ll prevent all the dirt you brush out from undoing exterior detailing efforts.
Step 2: Working from the top downCloth headliners present a problem since they’re glued to the
roof. Removing marks and stains can be tough, but it’s important to remember that headliners shouldn’t get wet. Use a microfiber cloth and an upholstery cleaner designed for use on velour or suede.
Brush the entire headliner lightly with a dry part of the cloth. Then, apply cleaner to the cloth – not directly to the headliner – and continue to gently brush everything. For stubborn spots, wet only one corner of the cloth with cleaner, brush lightly and dry off with the rest of the cloth.
Step 3: Cleaning vinyl, plastic and windowsHard interior surfaces can be cleaned with a cloth dampened
with all-purpose cleaner. Use a window cleaner and paper towels on the interior glass. Pro tip: Finish the glass by rubbing with balled-up newspaper to give it a gleaming shine.
Step 4: Scrubbing the seatsSpecific products are important when you get to the seats. Treat
dirty fabric upholstery with foaming cleaners designed for the task. Always follow the manufacturers’ instructions. Remember, it also
helps to have an upholstery brush. Use only a leather conditioner on real leather – never a vinyl cleaner. For tears in vinyl seats, repair kits can work wonders. Pro tip: If you have pet hair on fabric uphol-stery, wrap duct tape or wide masking tape around your hand with the sticky side out. Then, roll your hand over areas until the tape is full of hair. Repeat with new tape until all areas are done.
Step 5: Taking out the floor matsWhen it concerns floor mats and carpeted areas, it’s best to create
extra room by getting all of the heavily soiled items out of your car. Follow these tips:
Rubber and fabric floor mats should be washed outside of the car.If these mats are worn, consider replacing them with new ones.If you use a dressing on rubber floor mats, use one that will not make them slippery.Use a foaming cleaner for minor carpet stains.Avoid getting carpets saturated with water or cleaner, so mildew won’t become a problem.
Step 6: Considering the nitty grittyThis is definitely an optional step. The dashboard and steering
column present some of the most time-consuming tasks. Any knobs that can be removed without damage should be taken off so that the bezels beneath them can be more easily cleaned. After you get the air vents cleaned up, spray a light mist of aerosol rubber or vinyl dressing for a polished, “brand new” look. Pro tip: Some crevices can be cleaned with a thin cloth placed over the end of a plastic knife.
Step 7: Stopping by the car washIt’s a good idea to visit the local self-serve car wash to use their
high-pressure hoses to rinse your wheels and wheel wells. Remove any heavy buildup. While you’re there, you can also use their high-powered vacuum on your upholstery, dashboard and carpeting before heading home to tackle the rest.
Step 8: Finishing touches to the exteriorDetail the doorjambs first. Any heavy grease should be wiped
off with dry paper towels. After that, a soapy water solution is fine. Finish with small brushes for the tight areas, and don’t forget to wax the doorjambs. Wash small areas at a time, and keep fin-ished areas wet with frequent hosings to avoid water spots. Change the rag and the water in your bucket often to avoid rubbing dirt back onto your car. Use a toothbrush to get into tight areas, such as around headlight and tail light trim, door handles and mirrors.
A stiff brush and soapy water should take care of most every-thing on wheels and wheel wells, but remember to keep spraying down the whole car to avoid water spots. Also, avoid acid-based cleaners on clear coat painted or polished metal surfaces of the wheels.
Wrapping upWhen you’re finished washing everything, dry the entire car with
a heavy terry cloth towel. You can use a clear coat-safe cleaner on scratches and blemishes in the clear coat layer of paint, but a cleaner wax will likely address most of the visible irregularities in your paint finish. Just be careful to avoid applying wax or polish to plastic or vinyl areas. So how are things looking? Even if you skipped a step or two, your car is definitely in much better shape now – inside and out. Source: mobiloil.com
Musk said its custom-
designed chip for the
vehicle, which he called
the best available, was a
significant milestone in
self-driving.
Guide: How to detail a car
Tesla eyes ‘robotaxis’ by 2020 with new self-driving technology
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019 05
Doha Marketing Services Company (Domasco), the exclusive dis-tributor of Honda in Qatar, has announced that Honda Accord won the Best Sedan and Honda HR-V
won the Best Crossover at the 2019 Qatar Car of the Year awards (QCOTY).
Organized by Maqina, a leading automotive magazine in the Middle East, this annual cer-emony recognizes automotive achievements in Qatar. Vehicles are put through vigorous testing and an expert jury from the automotive field judges the cars based on design, per-formance, safety, innovation and fuel consumption.
On the occasion Faisal Sharif, Managing Director of Domasco, said: “Honda vehicles have elevated the level of performance, safety and luxury in the Qatar market. It comes as no sur-prise that three of our Honda models
were nominated at the QCOTY and two were recognized as the best in their respective seg-ments.” He added: “Domasco always strives to offer the best cars to its clients in different cat-egories, in order to meet their ever-evolving needs and expectations.”
Aside from the Honda Accord and the Honda HR-V, the flagship Honda Pilot was also nom-inated as the Best Family SUV.
Upscale and sophisticated, confident and distinctive, youthful and sporty – the 10th gen-eration Accord design strongly advances the emotional and aspirational appeal of Accord. The award-winning car takes an entirely new approach to performance with its two-new direct-injected VTEC® Turbo 4-cylinder engines with dual VTC – a 1.5-liter 16-valve inline-4 and a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-4. The 1.5-liter turbo is mated to a Honda continuously var-iable automatic transmission (CVT) with G-Shift
Control. The new 2.0-liter turbo is mated to a smooth, responsive Honda-designed 10-speed automatic, the first of its kind for a front-wheel-drive car. This generation of Accord has received numerous safety improvements and driver assistive features, beginning with its next-gen-eration Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure, and the application of Honda Sensing, as standard equipment on EX Turbo and 2.0T Sport trims. The car features a larger, more premium and tech-savvy interior that compliments its elegant new body design and more refined and athletic driving character.
The all-new Honda HR-V boasts a youthful vibe with unique styling touches. It features a responsive 140hp at 6,500 RPM and a torque of 172 N-m at 4300 RPM on a 1.8L i-VTEC petrol engine, which maximizes economy and effi-ciency, achieving 16.9 km/l, on a tank of fuel.
The HR-V is front-wheel drive, driven by a 7-speed fully-automatic CVT (Continuously Var-iable Transmission). The car is equipped with a 6.8-inch Display Audio with Touchscreen (LX and EX Grades) with USB and HDMI ports, a Multifunction steering wheel, and automatic climate control. Designed to adapt to your life-style, the HR-V gives you a clever, comfortable and capacious interior. A centrally-mounted fuel tank provides the HR-V with a huge boot and the novel 2nd – Row Magic Seats are further evidence of smart thinking. The 2nd - Row Magic Seats are designed to configure in lots of useful ways to increase its carrying capacity.
Customers can visit the Honda showroom located on Khalifa Street near National mosque and TV intersection to test drive the Honda range. The showroom is open Saturday to Thursday from 8am until 8pm and on Friday from 4pm to 8pm.
Honda Accord, HR-V win big at 2019 Qatar Car of The Year Awards
06
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red
stri
pes
and
Supe
r Si
lver
w
ith
whi
te s
trip
es r
ound
out
the
50th
Ann
iver
sary
liv
erie
s.In
sid
e th
e 50
th A
nn
iver
sary
Ed
itio
n is
a s
pe-
cial
gra
y in
teri
or c
olou
r sc
hem
e, w
hic
h g
ives
th
e ca
bin
a s
ense
of
luxu
ry,
rem
inis
cen
t o
f th
e
atm
osph
ere
of th
e ni
ght s
ky a
fter
the
twili
ght h
our
(th
e co
lour
is a
lso
avai
labl
e on
sel
ect
oth
er 2
020
G
T-R
mod
els)
. Ad
dit
ion
al 5
0th
an
niv
ersa
ry f
ea-
ture
s in
clud
e un
ique
ste
erin
g w
heel
and
shi
ft k
nob
trim
, spe
cial
sea
t em
boss
ing,
an
Alc
anta
ra h
ead-
lin
er w
ith
un
iqu
e st
itch
ing,
Alc
anta
ra-w
rap
ped
su
nvi
sors
, an
d m
ore.
“The
Nis
san
GT-
R h
as b
een
the
icon
of o
ur c
om-
pany
’s d
rivi
ng p
erfo
rman
ce fo
r the
pas
t hal
f cen
tury
,”
said
Shi
nich
iro
Irie
, pro
gram
me
desi
gn d
irec
tor
for
the
GT-
R. “
We
wer
e hi
ghly
mot
ivat
ed to
ens
ure
that
th
e G
T-R
50
th A
nniv
ersa
ry E
ditio
n st
ands
out
. Whi
le
the
exte
rior
and
inte
rior
cha
nges
may
see
m s
ubtle
at
first
gla
nce,
they
’re
still
impa
ctfu
l, es
peci
ally
with
the
new
pai
nt s
chem
es, k
eepi
ng th
e ca
r’s
lines
and
ove
r-al
l pre
senc
e m
oder
n an
d ed
gy.”
Up
gra
de
d p
erf
orm
ance
, bo
rn f
rom
rac
ing
Whi
le m
any
belie
ved
that
the
refin
emen
t and
per
-fo
rman
ce o
f the
GT-
R’s
565
-hor
sepo
wer
3.8
-lite
r V6
24-v
alve
tw
in-t
urbo
char
ged
engi
ne –
eac
h ha
nd-
craf
ted
by it
s ow
n ta
kum
i tec
hnic
ian
– w
ere
so h
igh
that
ther
e w
as n
o ro
om f
or im
prov
emen
t, th
e ca
r’s
engi
neer
s ha
d a
few
tric
ks u
p th
eir
slee
ves.
Am
ong
them
was
inco
rpor
atin
g ne
w tu
rboc
harg
ers,
whi
ch
help
incr
ease
the
engi
ne’s
low
rpm
res
pons
e du
e to
an
abr
adab
le s
eal,
prov
idin
g tig
hter
cle
aran
ces
and
a 5%
incr
ease
in e
ffic
ienc
y. O
vera
ll, th
ey p
rovi
de e
ven
shar
per e
ngin
e re
spon
se in
and
out
of c
orne
rs, m
ak-
ing
the
driv
ing
expe
rien
ce m
ore
rew
ardi
ng a
nd ri
cher
th
an e
ver b
efor
e. T
he e
xhau
st m
anifo
lds,
insp
ired
by
raci
ng
tech
nol
ogy,
hav
e op
tim
ized
tur
bo f
lan
ge
atta
chm
ent p
oint
s, w
hich
allo
w fo
r ea
sier
ser
vici
ng
and
pote
ntia
l tun
ing,
wit
hout
touc
hing
the
exha
ust
man
ifol
d.G
T-R
fea
ture
s a
revi
sed
6-sp
eed
dual
-clu
tch
tran
smis
sion
with
a re
fined
“R
mod
e,”
mad
e fo
r bot
h ro
ad a
nd t
rack
. It
feat
ures
mor
e ag
gres
sive
dow
n-sh
ifts
to b
ette
r an
ticip
ate
swif
t cor
neri
ng e
xits
, with
ge
ar s
elec
tion
hap
peni
ng d
urin
g A
BS
enga
gem
ent,
resu
ltin
g in
red
uce
d u
nd
erst
eer
and
a m
ore
driv
er-i
ntui
tive
feel
ing.
The
ada
ptiv
e sh
ift c
ontr
ol is
pr
ogra
mm
ed to
cha
nge
shift
sche
dule
s to
fit th
e us
er’s
dr
ivin
g st
yle,
mak
ing
it p
ossi
ble
to d
rive
acc
ordi
ng
to th
e la
w o
n pu
blic
road
s, w
ith fu
ll br
ute
forc
e av
ail-
able
on
the
race
trac
k, w
ithou
t nee
ding
to m
anua
lly
chan
ge s
hift
mod
es.
The
GT-
R’s
sig
natu
re e
xhau
st n
ote
is th
e pr
oduc
t of
a n
ew ti
tani
um m
uffle
r, fe
atur
ing
titan
ium
fini
sh-
ers
with
bur
nish
ed b
lue
tips.
The
elec
tron
ical
ly c
ontr
olle
d su
spen
sion
has
bee
n tu
ned
to p
rovi
de b
ette
r co
rner
ing
stab
ility
and
a
smoo
ther
rid
e. T
he s
teer
ing
is m
ore
linea
r an
d pr
e-ci
se th
an e
ver,
requ
irin
g m
inim
al c
orre
ctio
ns a
t spe
eds
of u
p to
30
0 k
ph (1
86 m
ph).
A n
ew b
rake
boo
ster
incr
ease
s th
e in
itia
l bra
king
res
pons
e by
eng
agin
g w
ith
less
ped
al s
trok
e, r
esul
ting
in e
nhan
ced
stop
-pi
ng p
ower
and
feel
.
A c
ab
in w
ort
hy
of
GT-
R
The
GT-
R’s
cab
in r
epre
sent
s th
e id
eal b
lend
of
luxu
ry a
nd s
port
. The
dis
tinct
dri
ver-
orie
nted
coc
k-pi
t ha
s co
mfo
rtab
le y
et s
uppo
rtiv
e se
ats
for
both
fr
ont a
nd re
ar p
asse
nger
s. T
he d
ashb
oard
is d
esig
ned
to c
onve
y a
“hor
izon
tal f
low
,” d
eliv
erin
g a
sens
e of
h
igh
sta
bilit
y fo
r fr
ont
seat
occ
upa
nts
. It
com
es
wra
pped
in a
sin
gle,
sea
mle
ss p
iece
of h
and-
sele
cted
N
appa
leat
her,
art
fully
sti
tche
d w
ith
taku
mi-
styl
e pr
ecis
ion.
The
cen
ter
dash
boar
d in
tegr
ates
nav
iga-
tion
an
d au
dio
con
trol
s an
d an
8-i
nch
cap
acit
ive
touc
h-pa
nel m
onito
r. T
he la
rge
icon
s on
the
disp
lay
scre
en in
form
the
dri
ving
exp
erie
nce
wit
hout
dis
-tr
acti
ng fr
om it
.M
ount
ed t
o th
e sp
orty
ste
erin
g w
heel
are
shi
ft
padd
les
that
allo
w d
rive
rs t
o ch
ange
gea
rs in
mid
-tu
rn w
ithou
t tak
ing
thei
r ha
nds
off t
he w
heel
.A
ll 20
20 N
issa
n G
T-R
s co
me
wit
h th
e N
issa
n-
Co
nn
ectS
M i
nte
grat
ed a
ud
io,
nav
igat
ion
an
d
com
mun
icat
ion
syst
em in
sel
ect m
arke
ts. I
t allo
ws
use
rs t
o re
mot
ely
lock
or
un
lock
th
e d
oors
, act
i-va
te t
he
alar
m, s
um
mon
em
erge
ncy
ser
vice
s or
tr
ack
th
e ca
r’s
wh
erea
bo
uts
usi
ng
smar
tph
on
e ap
ps.
A r
evi
sed
20
20
GT-
R T
rack
Ed
itio
n
For t
hose
incl
ined
to ta
ke th
eir G
T-R
to a
race
cir
-cu
it, N
issa
n of
fers
the
revi
sed
and
very
pot
ent 2
020
Tr
ack
Editi
on, w
hich
com
es w
ith a
n op
tiona
l car
bon
fiber
roo
f tha
t spo
rts
a cl
ean,
tigh
t wea
ve m
ade
pos-
sibl
e by
a n
ew c
onst
ruct
ion
proc
ess.
The
engi
ne (f
or U
S m
odel
s) is
bor
row
ed fr
om th
e fa
med
GT-
R N
ISM
O, w
ith n
ewly
red
esig
ned
turb
o-ch
arge
rs f
rom
the
late
st G
T3 s
erie
s G
T-R
rac
e ca
r.
This
res
ults
in a
20
% in
crea
se in
ped
al-d
own
acce
l-er
atio
n re
actio
n tim
e an
d 60
0 h
orse
pow
er.
Opt
iona
l on
the
Trac
k Ed
ition
are
spe
cial
Bre
mbo
ca
rbon
cer
amic
rot
ors
and
calip
ers.
Mad
e of
car
bon
and
silic
a ca
rbid
e, th
e ro
tors
(410
mm
fron
t and
390
m
m re
ar) a
re n
earl
y as
har
d as
dia
mon
ds. P
aire
d w
ith
the
perf
orm
ance
bra
ke p
ads,
they
gen
erat
e m
ore
fric
-tio
n, w
hich
tran
slat
es in
to b
ette
r fe
el a
nd c
ontr
ol in
al
l typ
es o
f bra
king
situ
atio
ns.
“With
the
2020
GT-
R, w
e ke
pt to
the
car’
s co
n-ce
pt –
pur
suin
g ul
tim
ate
driv
ing
plea
sure
,” s
aid
Tam
ura.
“O
nce
you
take
hol
d of
the
stee
ring
whe
el,
you
will
imm
edia
tely
kno
w th
at n
o ot
her
car
in th
e w
orld
del
iver
s as m
uch
satis
fact
ion
to th
e dr
iver
, bot
h ph
ysic
ally
and
spi
ritu
ally
.”
Niss
an
GT-R
50th
An
nive
rsar
y Ed
ition
deb
uts
in N
ew Yo
rk
Nis
sa
n d
raw
s o
n 5
0 y
ea
rs
of
GT-R
ra
cin
g h
isto
ry
to p
erf
ect
the
ult
ima
te
pe
rfo
rma
nce
ma
ch
ine
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 201908
IRA BOUDWAY BLOOMBERG
For four days in February, Ben Shukman showed up to his office at Phantom Auto in Mountain View, California, sat down in front of a bank of com-puter screens with a steering
wheel in a darkened room, and began driving. As the 25-year-old turned the wheel in Silicon Valley, an empty truck 2,500 miles away in Atlanta picked up semi trailers and towed them around a warehouse lot.
From seven states away, Shukman backed trailers into loading docks and parking spaces. “We were able to do some maneuvers that were so difficult that there were truck drivers there that said that they could not do that,” he said.
Phantom Auto was founded in 2017 to help bridge the gap between the vision and the reality of autonomous vehicles. It offers remote-driving technology that provides human intervention for con-struction zones, bad weather, roadside emergencies or anything else that might fluster the artificial intelligence piloting a driverless car. With Phantom Auto’s software and a cellular connection, a trained human operator can take over a car and guide it through difficult spots.
Now the startup is announcing an expansion into logistics, providing remote operation capability for forklifts, delivery robots, and “yard truck” tractors that move trailers around warehouses and shipping centers. Phantom Auto on Thursday said it has raised $13.5 million in a round of financing lead by Bessemer Venture Partners. The company has raised roughly $19 million to date.
Phantom Auto’s new line of business shows just how deep the current moment of disillusionment has become for the self-driving car industry. After years of development and more than $10 billion in investment, autonomous vehicles still aren’t ready for widespread public use. Phantom Auto’s original strategy was to fill gaps in robotaxi capabilities. But autonomous ride-hailing fleets have made little progress beyond testing and rarely operate without human safety drivers-sometimes working in pairs-sitting in the front seat.
Alphabet Inc’s Waymo is offering limited ride-hailing service to a small
number of customers in suburban Phoenix, usually with a safety driver on board to take over if the robot fails as well as remote monitors who can intervene. Virtually no other auton-omous startup is ferrying passengers through traffic-and that means little demand for Phantom Auto’s remote-driving technology.
Phantom Auto says it has agreements to sell its technology to large automakers, so that faraway backup drivers can trou-bleshoot autonomous fleets once they hit the road. “We’ve talked to literally
every major player in the space, and given the nature of what we do, we have to have pretty detailed discussions about their limitations, their capabilities, and their actual rollout dates,” said co-founder Elliot Katz. “Everyone who says they’re deploying, whatever they say they’re deploying in the near term, it’s completely false.”
The startup decided to enter logistics as a way to survive in the meantime. Even the stopgap provider in the self-driving industry needed a stopgap strategy.
Yard trucks, forklifts and delivery vehicles offer a faster path to market because each operates at relatively low speeds, carry no passengers, and can be used without engaging with traffic on public roads. Katz said his company is also looking at possibilities in con-struction and mining. There is a strong appetite for automated and remote tech-nology in these industries because pro-fessional operators can be hard to find and often don’t live close to the job sites where they are needed.
Phantom’s yard truck customers, according to Katz, include retailers with dozens of distribution centers across the country. Using remote operation, the startup can potentially service all of them from a central location, with drivers bouncing instantly from Alabama to Ohio to Oregon as needed.
If Phantom Auto or its rivals can make this vision real, it will dramatically expand and reshape the labor pool for industrial-vehicle operators. An early-stage venture fund within Google led a $ 6 million investment last year in Scotty Labs, a remote-driving equipment startup. Volvo Construction Equipment recently announced tests of remote-con-trolled wheel loaders over a 5G cellular network in Sweden.
“There’s a deficit of talent available in our industry,” said Scott Young, Volvo CE’s vice president for customer support in the Americas. “This is how we bring the work to the talent pool.” The legions of young people who play online video games, Young points out, are already learning to work on teams remotely, sug-gesting that the heavy equipment operator of the future could be more gamer than teamster.
Shukman, for one, doesn’t fit the profile of the typical yard truck driver. A self-taught roboticist and programmer, he was an avid gamer during his college years at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He once wrote a strategy
guide for the game League of Legends that has been viewed over four million times online.
Since joining Phantom two years ago, Shukman has helped test and develop its remote driving consoles. Most of the other remote drivers at Phantom started out as safety drivers at auton-omous car developers. Phantom puts all of them through a training protocol that takes about two weeks and requires passing a series of tasks, such as remotely navigating a slalom course.
Shukman hadn’t been inside of an actual yard truck until three months ago when Terberg Group BV, the Dutch man-ufacturer working with Phantom to put remote-driving systems into its trucks, delivered one to California for retro-fitting. He spent a day doing drills and maneuvers in the real truck before moving back inside to practice on the remote console. It took him about two weeks before he felt comfortable.
“The big thing about that shift between driving locally and driving remotely-although it’s different, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s more dif-ficult,” said Shukman. A highlight reel released by Phantom shows Shukman backing into impossibly narrow spaces, and he describes the visibility on the monitors as superior to looking through a truck’s windshield.
Most of Phantom Auto’s warehouse clients plan to teach current truck oper-ators to do the job remotely. A few drivers have already been through the training. “They were a little nervous at first,” said Shukman, “and then within the two-week period they were nailing maneuvers that very few people can do.”
It’s too soon to tell, said Katz, whether gamers or truckers make for better remote operators. “The biggest thing that we stress,” said Katz, “is even though you’re sitting in a remote location and you’re behind the screen, this is real life.”
With driverless cars running late, a startup tries remote-control trucks
Phantom Auto was founded in 2017 to help bridge the gap between the vision and the reality of autonomous vehicles. It offers remote-driving technology that provides human intervention for construction zones, bad weather, roadside emergencies or anything else that might fluster the artificial intelligence piloting a driverless car.
Founded in 2017, Top Performance, is recognised as one of the premier after-market performance parts providers in Qatar and have advanced solutions for the auto-motive aftermarket and racing sector in Qatar. “Top Performance has a vast variety of car performance parts for quick performance boosting modification or the entire high-performance engine upgrade, we’ve got it covered. We are here to help our customer choose exactly the right parts to satisfy their need for speed. We go the extra mile to help our customers get exactly the right performance auto parts for their project,” a company statement said.
Premier after-market performance part provider
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019 09
CHRISTOPH RAUWALD BLOOMBERG
For its 110th anniversary, Bugatti has created a jet black rocket it hails as the most expensive car of all time. It wouldn’t look out of place as
Star Wars villain Darth Vader’s preferred mode of transport.
“La Voiture Noire” is priced at €11m ($12.5m), which would buy about 300 Tesla Model 3s. The one-time vehicle has already been sold and speculation points to former VW Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Ferdinand Piech as the new owner.
Piech was known for his tough lead-ership style before quitting the brand’s parent Volkswagen in acrimony in April 2015.
While there’s no mention of Piech in Bugatti’s statement, describing the new owner only as an “enthusiast” for the brand, it was Piech who signed off on some of Bugatti’s outrageous devel-opment costs. There is -- intended or not -- a hint of Darth Vader providing some inspiration: “The windscreen seems to flow seamlessly into the windows at the sides like the visor on a helmet,” Bugatti said.
Bugatti’s ultra-wealthy customers appreciated the brand’s expertise in turning out cars to their exacting spec-ifications, said Bugatti design director Achim Anscheidt.
“Our customers really appreciate this, as they know this from purchasing other luxury goods like a yacht,” he said.
The 16-cylinder engine has
six tailpipes and La Voiture Noire’s extravagant specs highlight the bal-ancing act VW is pulling off across its 12-brand empire. CEO Herbert Diess, in charge since April, has sought to
accelerate an overhaul to make the company more agile and rein in spending.
The company says the car is “far more than a modern interpretation” of
Jean Bugatti’s Type 57 SC Atlantic, an industry icon coveted by classic-car afi-cionados and the most famous work of the son of the company’s founder, Ettore Bugatti.
The car’s not-so-subtle six tail-pipes are a reference to the Atlantic model’s five exhausts, said Anscheidt. “They clearly show this isn’t an electric car.”
NEIL WEINBERG & TOM METCALF BLOOMBERG
Everyone hates used-car salesmen. Everyone except maybe shareholders of Carvana Co, the online upstart that sells cars out of vending machines.
Despite years of losses -- and forecasts of even more red ink ahead
-- shares of the Tempe, Arizona-based company have headed upward this year. After falling as much as 57 percent in late 2018, the stock has doubled.
The rebound has drawn scrutiny from Carva-na’s skeptics. On paper, though, it’s restored the fortunes of the company’s father-and-son team, the Garcias.
Ernest Garcia II and Ernest Garcia III are now worth a combined $6.7 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s more than Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, movie mogul Steven Spielberg or hedge fund manager John Paulson.
According to its website, Carvana lets cus-tomers choose from more than 15,000 cars and complete purchases in as little as 10 minutes. Buy-ers have the option of picking up their car at more than a dozen vending machines located around the country.
It’s been a marketing boon. Revenue has dou-bled in each of the last four years.
“I find it difficult to see why anybody in 10 years would buy a car in a different way,” said Clifford Sosin, founder of CAS Investment Part-ners, which owns about 2 percent of Carvana. “If Carvana works out as well as it could, they might be among the richest people on the planet.”
Two years ago this month, the Garcias climbed the dais above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange to ring the opening bell as Carvana went public on the Big Board.
It was a remarkable moment for the elder Gar-cia, who’d been convicted of fraud in 1990 for a small role in the Charles Keating savings-and-loan scandal. He avoided prison by testifying against Keating, received three years of probation and has since had his civil rights restored, according to regulatory filings. He went on to make a for-tune selling used cars and providing auto loans to subprime customers via his company, Drive-Time Automotive Group.
Carvana, billed as the Amazon of used cars, captured investors’ imaginations. By September 2018, it had shot to a record high of $70.82. Then, gravity took hold: the company’s losses kept pil-ing up, and its shares tanked, falling to about $30 in mid-December.
Today, the stock has nearly erased the loss, fetching $66 on Friday. Since its initial offering, it’s soared more than four-fold.
Some investors doubt Carvana can keep up the pace. Short sellers have borrowed more than half the company’s publicly traded shares. That makes Carvana one of the Russell 3000 Index’s most-shorted security.
Carvana declined to comment. Ernest Gar-cia II didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Carvana’s losses have attracted short sellers. So has the company’s other business -- originat-ing and selling auto loans, some of them made to car buyers with limited or bad credit histories. Critics say they want to know more about who’s buying the loans.
One buyer has been Delaware Life. The
insurance company is controlled and part-owned by Mark Walter, chief executive officer of Guggen-heim Partners, an investment and advisory firm. A Delaware Life spokesperson said the firm last bought Carvana receivables in 2016. Delaware Life, through a subsidiary, also owns about 9 per-cent of Carvana, securities filings show.
Less is known about other purchasers. Since at least 2017, some of Carvana’s loans have been
sold through an entity called Sonoran Auto Receiv-ables Trust. About three-quarters of the funding for the trust has come from Ally Financial Inc., the Detroit-based successor to GMAC, according to Carvana. The company doesn’t disclose who financed the rest. Earlier this month, Carvana turned to a new source of financing, selling $350 million worth of its auto loans in what it called its first asset-backed securitization.
Selling cars from vending machines makes father and son billionaires
At $12.5m this Bugatti is the most expensive new car ever
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 201910
All-new Mazda 6 Premium Sedan bagged the “Best Mid-Size Sedan” award in Qatar Car of the Year Awards 2019 (QCOTY 2019) held recently at Mondrian – Doha. QCOTY 2019 awards in each category were presented by Maqina, the leading automotive magazine in the Middle East, after
rigorous testing and evaluation of the vehicle performance, comfort, convenience, advanced safety, fit and finish as well as the fuel economy and environmental friendliness. All New Mazda 6 premium grade won the awards hands down in its segment against the leading global premium models who closely competed for an honour.
The All-New 2019 Mazda 6 introduced few months back by National Car Company (NCC), the sole agent for Mazda vehicles in Qatar, embodies maturity with style through a multitude of design and detail enhancements that together elevate the whole Mazda6 experience, right from the first impression.
Mazda has taken the most eye-catching sport sedan on the road even further. But the changes are more than just superficial. Because the form and function are inextricably linked. The most striking change is the new front fascia that includes the mesh grille which gives a 3D effect with light reflections and fog lamps integrated within the new LED headlight design. This not only creates a look of depth, but also helps give the all new Mazda6 a low profile and a wide, athletic stance.
On the latest recognition for New Mazda 6, Sathish Nair, Mar-keting & Sales Manager, NCC Mazda said, “There is much more than meets the eye in this premium mid size sedan. Mazda’s human centric approach focuses on delivering the joy of effortless driving to the driver while the comforts and convenience of the co-passengers are never compromised. The feeling of connection between car and driver -“Jinba Ittai” has been strengthened in New Mazda 6, creating a human-centered model that operate in harmony with human sen-sibilities. QCOTY award is a recognition of the unique features of the new Mazda 6 and the discerning car enthusiasts in Qatar will dis-cover a lot more on a visit to the Mazda showroom located in Al Nasr, Doha”.
Feeling Is Believing The most important changes are found under the long hood.
Along with the adoption of cylinder deactivation for the current 2.5-liter inline-four cylinder, the naturally aspirated engine is available with six-speed automatic transmission delivering an extra ordinary power output of 187 HP. It’s an effortless brand of power that’s sure to elevate the driver’s and passenger’s mood alike.
Mazda’s exclusive technology, Skyactiv-Vehicle Dynamics with G-Vectoring 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.
Human Centricity Mazda envisages drivers and passengers to feel better getting
out of the Mazda6 than when they got in. That’s why the seats are redesigned and constructed with new cushioning materials. The result is improved posture and weight distribution. So even if one drives a long way along the highway, the body will feel like that one just went across town. And to go a step further, the Mazda6 also offers ventilated front seats that wick away warm air to keep driver and front passenger cool and dry. A superior drive starts with superior comfort. It’s designed to please the human sensibilities.
Seamless Connection All Mazda vehicles are engineered to keep the driver connected
to the road. The new technology ensures that one stays connected with friends and entertainment is available on the move as well. Easily navigated with the Multifunction Commander control or touch screen, the new 8.0-inch MZD CONNECT infotainment display is less reflective and has more contrast for improved viewability. It’s also been repositioned higher on the dashboard for better visibility at a glance.
A superlative driving experience should even include the occu-pants’ sense of hearing. That’s why the all new Mazda6 is available with a Bose® Surround Sound audio system. Delivering clear, detailed audio through 11 speakers, it lets all the occupants enjoy a surround sound experience from nearly any source, including Bluetooth®-enabled devices and more.
Maneuvering in and out of tight spaces is a challenge for every driver. Mazda has made it a lot easier with the availability of 360° View Monitor. It uses four cameras to display the car’s periphery on the center display. Additionally, parking sensors at the front and rear help detect proximity to obstacles. It’s all about giving the driver, a full picture of the surroundings.
The exquisite interior trim has been reimagined in the new Mazda6. Materials like high quality leather and aesthetic paneling, often used for fine furniture and musical instruments, envelop occu-pants in refined comfort. The exquisite trim that lines the doors and dashboard features a subtle sheen derived from a similar technique used to make traditional Japanese artefacts. These premium touches combine to deliver a truly elevated driving experience.
The Sound Of Science The all new Mazda6 is a driving enthusiast’s haven. Insu-
lating the driver from distraction and setting the mind and body at ease. That starts with reducing wind and road noise and
unwanted vibrations so driver and co-passengers can have a clear conversation. Mazda has accomplished this by incorpo-rating sound-insulating glass, re-tuning and reinforcing the sus-pension, and adding acoustic insulation in all the right places. The result is a more engaging drive for the one in control and everyone aboard.
Inspired technology that inspires confidence. Available i-ACTIV-SENSE vehicle safety innovations use advanced sophisticated tech-nologies like cameras and radar to give the driver a sixth sense for safety, alert against potential hazards and avert collisions - before they happen - or reduce their severity. It’s another way Mazda helps the driver focus on the drive.
Actively Aware Everything Mazda does as a carmaker is centered around ele-
vating the driving experience. That starts with eliminating distrac-tions. To that end, it has improved the available Active Driving Display, making it clearer and placing it at a precise angle for ideal visibility. At a glance it presents the vehicle speed, navigation and safety system notifications as well as Traffic Sign Recognition16. It all helps keep driver’s focus where it belongs.
Driving in stressful traffic conditions can become a thing of the past with available Mazda Radar Cruise Control with Stop & Go9. This system maintains the set speed and minimum following dis-tance from the traffic ahead. If the vehicle one is following reduces speed, even down to a stop, the vehicle automatically slows or stops as needed.
Standard on every Mazda6, Blind Spot Monitoring7 helps detect objects in driver’s blind spots and alerts the driver with a chime and warning light in the side mirror. It also detects and warns the driver of fast-approaching vehicles that may enter a blind spot.
New Mazda 6 Premium Sedan crowned ‘Best Mid-Size Sedan’
TUESDAY 30 APRIL 2019 11
The all-new and upgraded Malibu midsize sedan has made its way to the Middle East.
Offering stellar fuel economy, active safety features and engaging performance, the 2019 Malibu is now on sale in Chevrolet dealerships across the region.
Ahmed Soudodi, Head of Brand at Chevrolet Middle East & Africa said: “The 2019 Malibu has been extremely well received in our market, which comes as no surprise given it’s the most technolog-ically advanced vehicle to bear the nameplate to date. Today’s savvy consumer demands fuel economy as well as dynamic per-formance, and thanks to its state-of-the-art new turbo
family engines, the 2019 Malibu delivers amply on both fronts. I am confident it will continue the winning streak of its predecessor in the region.”
Equipped with a new 1.5L turbo charged engine the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu can deliver a fuel economy of up to 16.7 Km/L – among the best in its class. Mated with a proven six-speed automatic gearbox, the engine develops 163 horse-power and 250 Nm of torque at 2500-5000 rpm. Also, available is a 2.0L turbo charged engine making a rousing 250 horsepower for exciting performance, while returning a frugal fuel con-sumption of just 14.2km/L.
The 2019 Malibu comes
with a comprehensively upgraded exterior with a more sporty and aggressive look that matches its per-formance credentials. The cabin also received equal attention with the new Chev-rolet Infotainment system offering outstanding connec-tivity and entertainment fea-tures including Apple CarPlay and voice recognition. The car is also equipped with passive and active safety fea-tures such as Lane Departure Warning, Blind Sport Alert, semi-automatic parking and much, much more.
To further ramp up the appeal, the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is available in 9 new exterior colors including 3 additions: Seeker, Dark Shadow and Blue Metallic. Also offered are new wheel
designs that further heighten the visual drama of the Malibu on the road.
“With the 2019 Malibu, we are breaking the monotony that can some-times be associated with the midsize family sedan segment. Not only does it look striking, it delivers per-formance that truly matches its aggressive looks without compromising on fuel economy, the comfort or the safety of its occupants. Fully equipped, the 2019 Chevrolet Malibu has the most compre-hensive active safety fea-tures, which is paramount given its remit as a family car” added Ahmed Soudodi.
The 2019 Chevrolet Malibu is available exclu-sively with Jaidah Auto-motive in Qatar.
2019 Chevrolet Malibu arrives in the Middle East
Upgraded midsize sedan
offers a segment leading
fuel economy with
engaging performance and
active safety features.
