Malaysia has a tendency to be top ranking in lists that are ‘negative’ but for a change, it does not appear among the Top 10 of TomTom’s latest Traffic Index of cities around the world. However you may feel about traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur, it’s not as bad as Bengaluru, a city in southern India where drivers can expect to spend an average of 71% extra travel time just stuck in traffic – the longest time in the world.
No. 2 in the location technology specialist’s report which covered the traffic situation of 416 cities (with populations of over 800,000) in 57 countries was the Philippine capital of Manila (also 71%). Other than Manila and Bogota in Colombia, three Indian cities are among the Top 5 cities in the world with the most congested roads.
Kuala Lumpur was ranked No. 13 in Asia (37%) and No. 46 globally, while Singapore was at No. 24 and globally, No. 96. Incidentally, the least congested city in the study was Abu Dhabi.
Congestion up globally
Traffic congestion has increased globally during the last decade, and the 239 cities (57%) TomTom included in the new Traffic Index report had increased congestion levels between 2018 and 2019, with only 63 cities showing measurable decreases. This global increase in congestion, despite being an indicator of a strong economy, is understood to cost economies billions.
“Globally, there’s a long road to travel until congestion levels are brought under control. In time, the rise of autonomous vehicles and car-sharing services will help alleviate congestion, but planners and policymakers can’t afford to sit and wait. They need to use all the tools available to them to analyze traffic levels and impacts, so they can make critical infrastructure decisions. And drivers have a role to play too. Small changes in driving behaviours can make a huge difference,” said Ralf-Peter Schafer, TomTom’s VP of Traffic Information.
Analyzing real-time incidents and congestion to predict traffic before it happens, TomTom’s Real-Time Traffic is claimed to make its navigation software more accurate with enhanced route calculations and accurate estimated times of arrival.
The company also works on the future of driving – from high definition maps for autonomous vehicles, to efficient electric vehicle routing and charging – so that carmakers, technology companies, road authorities and governments already have the tools to make the roads less congested.
How do you beat traffic congestion?
Next time you are heading out in your car, consider these tips from TomTom.
Plan before you go. Taking a few moments before heading out the door to inform yourself on the road conditions on the way to your destination will help you consider your alternatives and decide on the best course of action.
Trust technology to help you. It may be uncomfortable to take a road you may not be familiar with because your satnav suggests it’s the fastest one. Often, if you cannot see that a road is indeed congested, it is hard to believe it. Dare to take the alternative route offered by up-to-date navigation, because it is basing its recommendation on real-time traffic conditions on the route you are taking. You will likely be surprised!
Change your driving habits. Most often, traffic will peak at certain times of the day, depending on location. This is clear in TomTom’s studies and its report provides the average congestion level for each hour of each day of the week. Use the information available to adjust your departure time accordingly. Leaving early or late from a location might mean avoiding time spent in traffic on the road.
It’s been almost 10 years since the last Hummer was produced and for a while, it seemed that a company in China would take over the brand which started in 1992. However, that never happened and General Motors, the brand owner, stopped production and marketing after 2010. Although sold mainly in America, the Hummer was an iconic vehicle globally because of its looks and size and perhaps the fact that it was a civilian version of a military vehicle.
In May 2020, GM will revive the Hummer with the unveiling of an all-new model although statements by senior GM executives indicate that it will be a model name rather than a brand as it used to be. The vehicle will be sold under the GMC brand and it will be a totally different type of Hummer because it will have an all-electric powerplant instead of the 6.2-litre engine (the Hummer H3 had a smaller 3.5-litre powerplant).
It will be GMC’s first all-electric truck, a rival to Tesla’s Cybertruck which Elon Musk says already has 250,000 orders from people who paid refundable US$100 deposit. Starting off with the theme of ‘Quiet Revolution’ in advertising spots starting on May 20, the HUMMER EV, as it will be known, will have 1,000 bhp, 15,592 Nm of torque and a claimed 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) time of 3 seconds. And without the noise and unhealthy emissions Hummers of the past generated but expected to still have superior capabilities off-road.
The HUMMER EV will be built at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant which has received a US$2.2 billion investment to make it the company’s first fully-dedicated electric vehicle assembly factory. GM’s first all-electric truck will be a pick-up with production scheduled to begin in late 2021. This will be followed soon after by the Cruise Origin, a shared, electric, self-driving vehicle unveiled by Cruise in San Francisco last week. Somewhere in the production schedule would also be the HUMMER EV which GMC informs will be initially available during the fourth quarter of 2021.
GMC has been around for almost 120 years as a truck manufacturer. Its current range includes SUVs like the Terrain (above).
GM’s joint venture with LG Chem – which is investing US$2.3 billion to manufacture battery packs – will supply battery cells for the electric vehicles manufactured at Detroit-Hamtramck. It will be interesting what size of battery packs the HUMMER EV will have – would it guzzle electricity the way the original Hummer consumed fuel at a rate of around 4 kms/litre (even the ‘lighter’ H3 did 7 kms/litre at best). That consumption figure was one of the reasons why Hummer sales died quickly as fuel prices rose, taking the company down with it.
The Toyota MegaCruiser (left) and Dongfeng HUV were almost certainly inspired by the original Hummer.
Mazda today celebrated its 100th anniversary with a ceremony at its Hiroshima headquarters that starts a year of events during which the company will remember its past and look to the future. 100 years ago, Mazda was not a car-producer but was a producer of cork in Hiroshima. It was when Jujiro Matsuda, an industrialist, took charge of Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. Ltd. in 1921 that the business transformed first into a machine tool producer and then a manufacturer of motor vehicles.
Evolution of the Mazda logo from the original one used by the Toyo Cork Kogyo Co. Ltd. 100 years ago (top left) and then changed during the 1940s to follow the emblem of Hiroshima (centre) and again in the 1960s (there were also other emblems used for short periods). Today’s logo, adopted in 1998, symbolizes the brand’s flight toward the future. The “V” in the centre represents creativity, vitality, flexibility and passion. The dynamic circle symbolises readiness to spread its wings as the company begins the 21st century.
The first model was a 3-wheeled truck – the Mazda-Go – that went on sale in 1931. It proved popular and underwent continual improvement with innovations such as a 4-speed transmission in 1938 that reduced fuel consumption by 20%. Hiroshima was targeted by an atomic bomb during World War II and Mazda, like virtually every business in the city, suffered greatly. But a strong spirit persevered and truck manufacturing resumed only a few months after the destruction.
Mazda’s first motorised vehicle was a 3-wheeler introduced in 1931 (above), and it produced its first car – the R360 – in 1960 (below)
Commercial vehicles remained in the focus after the war and the first passenger car arrived in 1960 with the Mazda R360. The car was a hit in Japan’s popular kei-car segment, contributing to the motorisation of Japan and starting the path to the successful line-up of Mazda models that we see today.
Mazda is closely associated with the rotary engine, having successfully commercialised it when others thought it was not feasible. In 1961, the company signed a licensing deal with German carmaker NSU to develop and produce its new compact, lightweight Wankel rotary engines. The determined Japanese engineers finally came out with the futuristic Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S in 1967, the world’s first production model with a rotary engine.
The Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S had the world’s first production rotary engine.Mazda RX-7 was among the almost 2 million rotary engine-powered cars sold by Mazda.
It was the start of a remarkable success story that would see the brand launch numerous models with the unique engine including the RX-7 and over time, almost two million rotary-powered cars were sold. The 4-rotor Mazda 787B won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 1991, the first Asian manufacturer to do so – and the only victorious car with a non-piston engine – and proving Mazda’s technological prowess on the track.
In 1991, Mazda was the first Asian manufacturer to win the Le Mans 24 Hour race with the 787B that had a 4-rotor rotary engine.
The courage to question common practices and forge new paths in engineering and design that others considered unfeasible has driven the team at Mazda since the beginning. Besides the rotary engine, Mazda also created the world’s best-selling 2-seat roadster – the Mazda MX-5 – which has sold over one million cars since its launch in 1989. Its SKYACTIV Technology has optimised vehicle design and engineering while Jinba Ittai provides the strong connection between car and driver in all Mazda models today.
The next 100 years
Mazda’s superior engineering is complemented by its design excellence that currently uses the KODO – Soul of Motion design language. The emphasis on design is so strong at the company that the designers have the fullest support from the manufacturing side which sees it as a challenge to reproduce the design features that may be omitted in other companies due to production constraints.
“Mazda originated as a company producing cork and then took the path to manufacturing automobiles. Now, our cars have found friends with many customers from over 130 countries and regions. As we look ahead to the next 100 years, we will continue to put people first and cherish our ‘uniqueness of co-creating with others.’ As we strengthen co-creation and cooperation with all those connected with the company, we will continue to challenge ourselves to create unique products, technologies, and experiences that our customers love,” said President & CEO, Akira Marumoto.
During the 1960s, as traffic volumes began to increase, it became necessary for their movement to be managed so that jams did not form at junctions. Policemen did the job initially but eventually, traffic lights took over the task and provided management for 24 hours, rain or shine. However, along some roads like Jalan Mountbatten (Jalan Tun Perak today) in Kuala Lumpur, there were a number of junctions so traffic would move forward and then have to stop after a short distance. Then someone did some calculations and synchronised the green lights to occur at specific intervals so that if a car travelled along at a moderate speed, the driver would not have to stop as the lights would be green. Thus was born the ‘Green Wave’ system which was used on some Malaysia roads.
That system was a very simple one of just synchronising the traffic lights and today, with the availability of networked communications, a ‘Green Wave’ is possible on certain roads in two German cities. At Ingolstadt and Dusseldorf, Audi’s Traffic Light Information enables Audi drivers to see information from around 150 traffic lights in their cockpit, thus increasing their chance of catching a “green wave”.
By the middle of this year, most of the intersections in Dusseldorf – approximately 450 out of a total of some 600 installations – will be networked. Vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) services like Audi Traffic Light Information will help increase efficiency, convenience and safety on the roads.
Audi Traffic Light Information consists of two functions: Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA) and Time-to-Green. GLOSA calculates the ideal speed for getting a ‘green wave’. For example, if the function indicates the applicable speed limit, the next traffic light will be reached when it is at green.
Drivers do not have to accelerate unnecessarily, they are not stressed, and they drive more safely. GLOSA can also suggest reducing speed gradually about 250 metres ahead of the traffic lights so that the driver and the cars behind reach the intersection when the lights turn to green. This reduces uneconomical stop-and-go traffic.
If stopping at a red light is unavoidable, a countdown displays the seconds remaining until the next green phase begins (Time-to-Green). Drivers can relax, take their foot off the pedal and save fuel. A number of studies conclude that drivers will be able to move through cities more efficiently with networked traffic lights. In a pilot project, Audi vehicles had reduced fuel consumption by 15%.
“With Audi Traffic Light Information, we wish to improve convenience for drivers, increase traffic safety and encourage an economical style of driving that looks ahead,” said Andre Hainzlmaier, Head of Development for Apps, Connected Services and Smart City at Audi.
“To do this, we have to predict precisely how traffic lights will behave in the next two minutes. At the same time, exact forecasts are the biggest challenge. Most signals react variably to traffic volume and continuously adapt the intervals at which they switch between red and green,” he said.
Audi and its project partner, Traffic Technology Services, have developed a complex analytical algorithm that calculates exact predictions from three sources: from the control program of the traffic signals; from the real-time data of the traffic computer, a combination of road-occupation cameras, detector strips in the road surface, data on approaching buses and trams, and buttons that pedestrians press; as well as from historical data. The forecast algorithm improves itself continuously and learns how, for example, the traffic volume changes in morning commuter traffic or at midday when children leave nurseries and schools.
The Audi fleet plays a decisive part in optimizing the traffic light forecasts. “The cars send anonymized data when traffic lights are crossed to an Audi backend, which checks whether the actual crossings of traffic lights correspond to the forecast data. Only after this are the traffic lights cleared for the display in the car,” Hainzlmaier explained.
Audi Traffic Light Information premiered in 2016 in Las Vegas. Today, this V2I service is available at more than 10,000 intersections in North America. The carmaker is also the world’s first automotive manufacturer to network its series-production models with city traffic lights. Its system, available only in a few countries at this time, operates in all Audi e-tron, A4, A6, A7, A8, Q3, Q7 and Q8 models produced since mid-July 2019.
SEAT, the Spanish carmaker that is part of the Volkswagen Group, has unveiled the all-new Leon which will have its public launching in Geneva in March. Over 2.2 million units have been sold since it was added to the SEAT range in 1999 and, like the latest Volkswagen Golf 8 and Skoda Octavia 4, it sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB Evo platform.
“The SEAT Leon has been improving generation after generation being able to conquer new customers. In 2019, the Leon was the best-selling car for SEAT with more than 150,900 vehicles delivered, as well as being the best-selling car in Spain during the past 5 years,” said SEAT’s Executive Vice-President for Sales & Marketing and CUPRA CEO, Wayne Griffiths. “We have now created the best Leon ever. The new Leon has been designed keeping the ‘created in Barcelona’ spirit and at the same time being the safest, most connected and with the widest range of engines the brand has ever seen. We believe we have all the ingredients to make of the new Leon a great choice not only for private customers but also for corporate fleets.”
The new Leon is available in 5-door hatchback and estate (below) bodystyles.
Evolutionary approach to design
The exterior design takes an evolutionary approach that enhances the volume and proportions of the vehicle, with the increased wheelbase which translates to 49 mm extra legroom for rear occupants, and length for both the 5-door and the Estate. The form was specifically developed to enhance overall efficiency with improved aerodynamics that have the drag coefficient (Cd) lowered by around 8% compared to the previous generation.
Typical of Spanish design philosophy, the car’s appearance has a lot of personality, with a stronger three-dimensional connection between the grille and headlights together. The headlights are set back, giving it deeper focus while making it instantly recognisable. The body surfaces have evolved, with stronger shapes creating more shift in the light and colour tone across the body, which together create a more elegant design.
The new Leon gets the latest in lighting technology, with the cold white light colour of the LEDs provide superior luminosity of up to 900 lumens, (standard LEDS provide up to 550 lumens), thanks to the packing of 22 LEDs per module. There is integration of all the dipped beam, high beam and daytime running lights. Dynamic indicators more clearly show car’s intended direction of travel when turning, apart from being eye-catching features.
Functionality, minimalism and sleekness
Inside, the evolutionary theme continues with a clear emphasis on functionality, minimalism and sleekness. The smooth-surfaced, slim yet wide dashboard gives the appearance of lightness and appears to float. The effect is created with the help of the decorative mouldings that surround the dashboard and continue through into the front doors.
The cabin has been ergonomically designed to increase comfort, with everything within decluttered, reducing the number of physical buttons to a minimum, with a focus on the main infotainment screen, which includes gesture recognition, providing all key interaction and commands from the occupants.
Interior light is an important feature of the all-new Leon. It includes a wraparound dashboard light that covers its entire width and continues through the doors. It’s not only an ambient decorative light, but it also provides a number of key functions including blind spot detection.
A fully connected car
The Leon is declared as the brand’s first fully connected car, interfacing extensively with the more digitalised world. At the heart of the interior is the SEAT Digital Cockpit which brings together a high-resolution 10.25-inch configurable driver instrument cluster and 10-inch infotainment system. Its ‘diagonal’ graphic design positioning gets inspiration from the Diagonal avenue of Barcelona, the home city of the company. It’s also the first time that the design interface has been created at the new SEAT Digital Lab.
A new voice recognition system enables a natural understanding of language to allow the user to interact with the infotainment system using natural commands, making corrections and referencing previous commands. With the Full Link system, the occupants can connect their smartphones and access their digital data no matter what device they use – either wireless Apple CarPlay (based on Bluetooth or WLAN) or Android Auto using a cabled connection.
The built-in eSIM delivers the eCall service which has been required on all new cars since April 2018. This service directly contacts emergency services should an incident occur. At the same time, the system transmits vital data to the emergency services such as the car’s location (based on GPS data), engine type, and number of passengers.
Car2X connectivity is a cloud-based technology that enables drivers to receive advanced warning on the status of upcoming traffic lights or an incident on a motorway further up the road, with traffic information appearing in real-time on the screen.
Wide range of powertrains
Besides petrol (TSI) and diesel (TDI) engines, customers can also have mild-hybrid (eTSI) and plug-in hybrid (eHybrid) powertrains. Transmissions available are both 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG (direct shift gearbox) transmission. The DSG automatic transmission now benefits from shift-by-wire technology. The system is designed so that the gear selector is no longer mechanically connected to the gearbox, instead using electronic signals to indicate a shift.
The petrol engines are all direct-injection, turbocharged units with outputs between 110 ps and 190 ps. These include a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder unit as well as a 1.5-litre TSI 4-cylinder unit. Both engines use a Miller-cycle combustion process and variable geometry turbocharger to ensure performance and efficiency, as does the integrated Active Cylinder Management.
There are 2 diesel powertrain options, both 2.0 litre TDI units, with outputs of 115 ps and 150 ps. The turbodiesel engines introduce a new Selective Catalytic Reduction system that includes dual AdBlue injectors to significantly reduce NOx emissions compared to previous generation diesel engines.
As for the Mild Hybrid (eTSI) powertrains, these employ the 1.0 TSI and 1.5 litre TSI petrol engines which are mated to a 48V starter-generator, with energy from a lithium-ion battery pack. The car can coast (no pedal input from the driver) with the engine switched off (while retaining all key electric functions, such as power steering), harvest energy under deceleration and provide electrical torque assistance during acceleration.
The eHybrid variant is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and this uses a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with the electric motor, a 13-kWh lithium-ion battery pack and 6-speed DSG transmission. The system output is 204 ps and recharging a totally empty battery pack to 100% is said to take less than 3.5 hours. The PHEV Leon can run on electric power only with a claimed range of 60 kms.
Highly-developed assistance systems
The latest Leon is the safest vehicle the brand has ever developed, the carmaker declares. The safety systems see more of its surroundings and react to obstacles on the road or sudden movements by other drivers, thanks to the integration of a suite of updated and completely new advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). The new technologies continually sense the environment to offer the optimum protection whatever the scenario.
Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control (PACC) and Emergency Assist 3.0 protect the vehicle and its occupants while driving or stationary. PACC uses feeds from GPS data delivered from the navigation system and input from the front-mounted camera and Traffic Sign Recognition, allowing it to proactively adjust the cruising speed depending on the road layout ahead (bends, roundabouts, junctions, changes in speed limits and built-up areas). This reduces the requirement for driver input and also sudden speed changes and manoeuvres.
Production of the new model has started at the SEAT factory but prices are unlikely to be announced till March. However, like Skoda, SEAT products would be slightly cheaper than equivalent Volkswagen models.
It’s been a while since we heard from Lotus after all the excitement about the Evija electric hypercar. But Lotus isn’t just about the Evija and today, the company has launched a new version of the Evora – the GT410. As a second model in the range, it sells alongside the Evora GT410 Sport, which also benefits from a revised specification.
At £82,900 (about RM440,000) in the UK, the GT410 is £3,000 (around RM16,000) less than the GT410 Sport. It features an enhanced standard spec over the GT410 Sport, providing owners with improved usability and a new level of driving comfort. Numerous features have moved from the Evora options list to become part of its standard specification. Exterior paint colour choices have been revised to include new options, including some historic shades from Lotus’ past.
A more usable ‘daily car’
The product planners set out to make the GT410 a more usable ‘daily car’. Sparco sport seats are installed with air-conditioning creating a more comfortable environment for occupants, while a camera at the back improves reversing safety. This is complemented by a new rear tailgate with a large glass section for improved rear visibility.
A premium infotainment system with sat-nav and Apple CarPlay is now standard and includes Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio is available for the first time. This conforms to the digital radio standard for broadcasting digital audio radio services. It gives the driver a wider range of choices of stations, compared to FM radio.
The occupants will be able to enjoy the entertainment system more with the increased cabin sound insulation. The GT410’s door trims now feature integrated armrests and storage bins for greater comfort and practicality.
The new car has a revised damper rate compared with the GT410 Sport. While it still delivers an impressive performance-oriented experience, the revision creates a more compliant ride for improved real-world comfort. The use of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S all-weather tyres also means better all-year usability.
While the upgrades mentioned enhance value for money, the Evora has already had high level of standard equipment. These include a body-coloured roof, side sills, tailgate, front access panel and mirror backs, red AP Racing brake callipers and silver or gloss black V-spoke cast alloy wheels, 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the rear. Interior equipment includes cruise control, heated seats, rear parking sensors.
Power continues to be supplied by a supercharged 3.5-litre V6 which develops 416 ps/410 Nm, with a choice of a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission. The claimed 0 to 100 km/h time is the same at 4.2 second for both transmissions but those who opt for the manual transmission can hit a claimed 298 km/h, 20 km/h faster than with the automatic transmission.
New options for Elise and Exige owners
Lotus has also announced new ways for customers to enhance the specifications of the Elise and Exige, including the reintroduction of the optional Touring and Sport packs. Touring enables the customer to add in comfort and convenience options to create a more desirable ‘road spec’ car, while Sport is based on the more driver-focused features that appeal to those who want to drive in a more spirited way, such as at track days.
