Following the global debut of the new Peugeot 2008 SUV in in Guangzhou, China, last November, sales of the model began yesterday in Europe, starting in France. After delivering nearly 1.2 million units of the previous generation worldwide, this new generation of the 2008 uses a new design language that has a more powerful and distinctive style.
From launch, Peugeot has made the new model available with three powerplants – electric, petrol and diesel. This not only gives customers more freedom of choice but also cater to the conditions in different markets. For example, some may not be suited for the electric variant yet so the focus will be on the petrol or diesel variants.
New all-electric e-2008
The new e-2008, which runs 100% on electric power, does not have a specific silhouette but will be identifiable by a few details. Forstly, there is a sparkling dichroic Lion, whose reflections alternate between green and blue depending on the angle of view. A discrete ‘e’ monogram on the front wings and tailgate identify this as a zero emissions car while the grille is body-coloured with horizontal lamp pods
Inside, exclusive Alcantara ‘Greval Grey’ seat upholstery is offered with the e-2008 GT. The on-board experience is completed by a display specific to the electric version in the 3D handset as well as in the touchscreen.
The new e-2008 is the first Peugeot all-electric SUV and is expected to provide a new experience for owners with silence and absence of vibrations. Because of the emission-free nature of the vehicle, it can be driven around town even in Green Zones (ecological zones) with restricted traffic.
As the Chinese New Year approaches, the car companies are counting on many Malaysians wanting to start the Year of the Rat – which is the beginning of a new zodiac cycle – with a new vehicle. If you are already shopping around, you may be interested to know that Honda Malaysia and Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia are offering cash rebates and bonuses, as well as other incentives for selected models.
Honda Malaysia’s ‘2020 Starts Now’ campaign offers triple rewards totalling up to RM10,000 (depending on the model). These consist of a Prosperity Rebate, RM888 Extra Bonus and customers also receive an Exclusive Gift. The models applicable during the campaign are the Jazz, Jazz Hybrid, City, City Hybrid, HR-V, HR-V Hybrid, BR-V, CR-V and Odyssey.
If you prefer a pick-up truck, Mitsubishi Motors Malaysia (MMM) is offering an interest rate as low as 0.88% per annum for selected Triton variants. This interest rate is only applicable if the H-P loan is taken from Maybank or Public Bank (subject to terms and conditions).
Mitsubishi Triton Adventure X
Alternatively, for those who prefer a lower price to reduce their loan amount, there is also the option of taking a cash rebate instead. Depending on the variant, the rebates range from RM2,000 to RM9,000. Imported as fully built-up units from Thailand, all Triton variants (except the Triton Quest 4×2) come with a warranty of 5 years or maximum of 200,000 kms.
The Outlander SUV 2.0-litre/2.4-litre is also available with cash rebates up to RM4, 000 and RM2,000, respectively, plus 2 years of free scheduled maintenance. The Outlander 2.0 is priced at RM137, 888 while the Outlander 2.4 is priced at RM152, 888.
Mitsubishi Outlander
For the ASX Compact SUV, cash rebates available are RM12,000 for the 4WD variant and RM8,000 for the 2WD variant. The ASX 4WD is priced at RM133, 336 while the ASX 2WD is priced at RM118, 866.
Whether you choose a Honda or a Mitsubishi, you have to complete the purchase and have the new vehicle registered by January 31, 2020 in order to enjoy the special deals.
The sunvisor as we know it has been around since the earliest days of the motorcar, at least after the driver had the protection of a body around the seating area. While the windscreen glass prevented the onrush of wind from causing discomfort and affecting vision, it did not stop the rays of the sun from blinding the driver.
Back then, drivers must have attached some sort of board to the upper part of the windscreen to block the sun. Later on, when carmakers realised it was something to address, they provided a small panel which could flip up when not needed. In the 1970s, a ball joint was used at one corner so the sunvisor could be flipped to the side so that it could also block the sunshine if it was not coming from the front.
The sunvisor is one of those things in a car which has never evolved, maybe because its function is so basic. Other than adding a mirror (some with illumination) and sleeves to store cards or papers, the sunvisor is the same as what it was decades ago.
Driving towards the evening sun can often be blinding, even with a sunvisor. This innovation could eliminate the discomfort (and danger to driving).
Blocks the sun but not the view
Now a group of engineers at Bosch have come out with an innovation for sunvisor design which can block the sun without also blocking a driver’s view of the road. It achieves this by using an LCD panel instead of the usual cardboard or foam-filled panel. The panel can be flipped up when not needed.
There’s also a camera which is pointed at the driver’s face to recognise facial features like the nose, mouth, and, most importantly, the eyes. The camera’s video feed allows a computer to use AI to recognise shadows on the driver’s eyes and darkens only the areas on the visor where the sunlight is strong. The AI varies the darkening and generally, there should be enough areas that are not darkened for the driver to have a clear view ahead.
The Virtual Visor, as it is referred to, is not an official Bosch product yet. It was shown at the CES 2020 and described as a project which three of the company’s engineers worked on in their free time. If the company sees potential to commercialise it, then it would have to go through stringent development processes to ensure durability, safety and all the things that carmakers will demand if they are to adopt it.
It’s that time of the year again when car companies want to make the festive season a more joyful one for you with money-saving offers if you plan on getting a new vehicle. Thanks to the coming of the Year of the Rat in conjunction with the Chinese New Year, Sime Darby Auto ConneXion (SDAC), which represents Ford in Malaysia, has attractive prosperity deals for the Ranger Raptor and Ranger WildTrak.
Until January 31, 2020, customers who purchase a Ford Ranger WildTrak or Ranger Raptor won’t have to pay for scheduled maintenance for the first 2 years (or maximum of 40,000 kms). Ang Pao worth RM2,000 and an exclusive Ford Performance Golf Umbrella are also included in the promotion.
Ford Ranger Raptor
During the same promotion period, the Ranger WildTrak will cost RM3,000 less with the cash rebate SDAC is offering. This can offset the downpayment, reducing the amount of the hire-purchase loan and therefore the monthly instalments.
Benchmark for pick-up trucks
Since being originally launched in the late 1990s, the Ranger has been a benchmark in the pick-up truck segment. Besides inspiring a trend to depart from the boring old utilitarian design, the Ranger also introduced, many class-leading safety features showing that Ford cared about the lives of its customers.
Ford Ranger Wildtrak
With the latest Ranger WildTrak, there are smart safety technologies which are on par with passenger cars. And of course, ‘Built Ford Tough’ capabilities ensure that the vehicle can take on any kind of terrain and provide many years of reliable service to its owner.
The Ranger Raptor – Malaysia’s first and only performance pick-up – will get the adrenalin gushing. It has Ford’s Performance DNA and features like the Terrain Management System, a huge Bash Plate underneath to protect against impacts and FOX Racing Shox dampers that will soak up the shocks from jumps.
Both variants, as with the rest of the Ranger line-up, come with a full manufacturer’s warranty of 3 years or maximum of 100,000 kms.
For more information the Rangers available in Malaysia, visit www.sdacford.com.my.
It’s not so long ago that the safety provisions in cars – even those at the top end of the market – did little except provide protection when an accident had happened. Passive safety features, such as seatbelts, airbags and a strong body construction were the key elements. The thinking then was to provide as much protection as possible to minimise the injurious effects of the accident.
When it came to avoiding an accident, the active safety features like ABS and vehicle stability systems helped the driver to retain a degree of control. Instead of ending up in a drain or against a tree, such systems corrected the movements of the car to try to stay on course.
Today, cars have systems that are able to recognise the risk of an accident, alert the driver to the hazard and, if necessary, intervene automatically to prevent a collision, or reduce the consequence it there is an impact. Such systems often begin at the upper end of the market, so it’s not surprising that Lexus has been a pioneer in the field. Its investment in the research, development and deployment of sophisticated new technologies is central to the brand’s goal of securing a future where there are no road accidents.
When the original LS 400 was launched 30 years ago, it was the first car in the world to feature an SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) airbag integrated into the steering wheel – the precursor of multiple airbag systems designed to give effective protection to everyone inside the car. This led to world’s first dual-chamber passenger airbag, fitted to the second generation IS 200 in 2005. Its unique structure greatly improved protection for the neck and shoulders.
Today, Lexus models can feature as many 10 different airbags around the cabin, including knee, side and curtain shield systems and front airbags that activate in line with the severity of the impact.
The behind-the-scenes work at Lexus to improve and devise new safety systems doesn’t just focus on cars and how they are driven. It goes further to analyse and understand the human body and how people react physically in the moments before an impact.
The key to this research is THUMS – Total Human Model for Safety – a computerised crash test system that replicates the not just the size and shape of the human body, but also the position, density and vulnerability of its internal muscles, bones and organs. It’s adaptable for different ages, too, with virtual modelling of infants, older people and even pregnant women. THUMS’s digital mapping can track the properties of around 20 million points on and inside the human body.
THUMS can obtain extremely detailed information about the human body during an accident using advanced digital mapping.
In 2015, Lexus bundled its principal new safety features in a new package called Lexus Safety System +, revealed for the first time on the fourth generation RX SUV. This was the start of a worldwide roll-out of the safety system with its wide-ranging availability demonstrating Lexus’ belief that, to be effective in reducing accidents and injuries, new safety technologies need to be provided on as many vehicles as possible. Democratising cutting-edge safety technology means these features cannot be restricted to the high-grade models only but are offered on entry and core vehicles.
A Lexus vehicle with a variety of sensors carrying out tests for autonomous operation.
Over the past 4 years, Lexus has improved the scope and the functionality of its safety these systems, enhancing their capabilities. In 2017, the launch of the all-new LS 500h flagship sedan marked a significant leap forward in safety with the debut of Lexus Safety System + A. This cutting-edge portfolio included a series of world-first features, with a level of driver assistance that propelled our progress towards future automated driving systems. Although not formally classified, Lexus Safety System + A meets the criteria for SAE Level 2+ automation – the industry standard for automated driving capability.
Future automated driving systems will have an important impact on road safety, having the potential to reduce the number of traffic injuries and fatalities, while also easing congestion (which helps the environment) and enabling older and disabled people to enjoy mobility.
Car races are decided on the track. That will continue to be the case for some time to come. But virtual racing contests are also on the rise as eSports gain popularity all over the world and have the support of some carmakers. For some time now, eSport tournaments have been drawing huge crowds – but are these competitions really sports? “Of course they are,” said Niklas Krellenberg, one of Germany’s top professional racing gamers. “I do more than sports shooters, for example.”
Athletic associations are beginning to share this view. In 2022, eSports will be a medal event at the Asian Games, and the International Olympic Committee is considering whether to include them at the Summer Games in Paris in 2024.
2.2 billion competitors worldwide
This is hardly surprising. Worldwide sales of computer games exceeded one hundred billion US dollars in 2016 – more than the global film and music industries combined. Some 2.2 billion people compete regularly in these games. The best of them can live off the sport – quite well, in fact. They’re organized in professional teams, draw set salaries, and win high levels of prize money. Tournaments for League of Legends, a role-playing team game, can award millions of dollars to the winners.
Even soccer clubs like VfL Wolfsburg in Germany have begun to add eSport teams to their organizations. “We want to reach young people with our programs,” explained Tim Schumacher, the club’s General Manager, noting that it became the world’s first soccer club to offer contracts to eSport players. And of course, there’s also a strong interest in ‘developing new marketing fields’.
New model presentation at a gaming fair?
In mid-2017, Porsche and Microsoft invited the best e-racers from an online contest to enter a 24-hour race in Le Mans. The contestants vied for their own Le Mans laurels on their Xbox consoles – in a sixth classification – and took part in the official awards ceremony. One week earlier, Microsoft had presented – to a crowd of gamers – the most powerful 911 in history, the GT2 RS, at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles. “The gaming sector means a lot to us, because it enables us to provide an emotional and interactive brand experience to a young and extensive target group,” explained Sebastian Hornung, Porsche’s Director of Branded Entertainment.
Instead of a traditional debut to car enthusiasts at a motorshow, the GT2 RS was first shown to gamers in 2017 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
“Awakening and promoting interest in motorsports and conveying the excitement of the racetrack – you can do that really well in the virtual world,” he added. Last year alone, Hornung and his team put considerable effort into preparing multiple Porsche models for use in a wide range of games. “The entire process – including taking photos and possibly laser measurements, providing the technical data, and producing a digital copy for the game – takes around 6 months for each individual model,” he revealed.
How real are these simulators?
The result is a virtual experience that is astonishingly close to driving a real Porsche. “It’s awfully similar to the real thing,” confirmed test driver Lars Kern as he raced his GT2 RS around the Nordschleife in Forza Motorsport 7. “It feels extremely realistic.”
The simulator at Porsche which uses powerful supercomputers helps engineers in their development work.
Kern is a test and development driver at Porsche who spent many years as a race-car driver. In 2017, he drove a 911 GT2 RS to a new record for road-authorized sportscars on the Nordschleife. He’s also very good at transferring his skills to a racing simulator, thanks to the steering wheel and the software’s high degree of realism. But even for someone with his level of experience, driving without a steering wheel is a completely different story. A small controller with a dozen buttons but no pedals and no feel for the car. “I’m slightly out of my depth,” conceded Kern.
World rally champion on the Xbox
The contestants are another story in the world of eSports. Krellenberg, 27, is already a world rally champion on the Xbox gaming console. He steers his Porsche confidently across the screen through the virtual curves of the legendary racecourse in the Eifel region. The controller is for him what the steering wheel is for Kern—an extension of his arms.
Like Kern, Krellenberg knows the braking points on countless racetracks and the weaknesses of his rivals and challengers. He knows which cars will respond in which ways to strong steering actions. And when he races, he switches off the traction control and ABS.
Niklas Krellenberg is one of Germany’s top professional racing gamers.
You may imagine that Krellenberg has a real sportscar as well but he seldom sits behind a real steering wheel in an actual car. He uses public transportation for the short commute to his university; if he needs a car in his hometown of Magdeburg, he borrows his parents’ wheels.
Krellenberg is a new type of athlete. He doesn’t lift weights or send balls of any type flying across a court. Soccer players have amazing legs; race-car drivers are said to require extraordinary muscles in their buttocks. For gamers like Krellenberg, the eyes and hands are what count. Their fingers can perform up to5 actions per minute.
eSports gaining in relevance
Digital developments and rapidly accelerating process speeds have brought virtual racing to the attention of the traditional racing scene. “The lines between the two fields are starting to blur,” observed Frank-Steffen Walliser, Porsche’s Motorsports Director. “eSports are gaining in relevance, and we’re interested in this development and want to help shape it.”
Digital developments have brought virtual racing to the attention of the traditional racing scene
After all, virtual processes are an integral part of making cars. Simulators are used every day to tune them, and computers are absolutely essential development aids. What’s new are the possibilities for training drivers. How can young talent be encouraged? Console games can help address this question, said Walliser, because ‘many e-racers have acquired a very good foundation’.
Despite major advances in virtual racing, everyone recognizes that they’re different from racing in the real world. “The sense of speed isn’t the same; you can’t compare it with accelerating a real car,” said Kern. “It’s difficult to convey that type of sensation in a virtual setting. The textures, spatial relations, and smells of a race car also play very special roles. Which is why classic motorsports will continue. But in the future, it’ll be side by side with virtual motorsports.”
