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Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA develop advanced connected car platform for all models

Hyundai Motor Group and NVIDIA have developed the NVIDIA DRIVE ‘connected car’ platform which will be incorporated across all new models from the Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands from 2022 onwards.

The technical cooperation with NVIDIA, a well known name in the computer industry, will enable Hyundai Motor Group to develop high-performance ‘connected car’ computing systems for its next-generation models.

In-vehicle infotainment systems
From entry-level to premium vehicles, all future models will have in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems powered by NVIDIA DRIVE as standard. This includes a hardware and software stack, enabling the Korean carmaker’s IVI systems to combine audio, video, navigation, connectivity and artificial intelligence (AI)-based ‘connected car’ services.

Using the high-performance, energy-efficient NVIDIA DRIVE platform for its future models will allow the three brands to offer customers continuously enhanced in-vehicle AI user experiences. This will see a feature-rich, software-defined AI user experience that is perpetually updateable – and without the owner having to go to a service centre too.

Already in Genesis models
Hyundai Motor Group has been working with NVIDIA for the past 5 years. In fact, the NVIDIA DRIVE platform already underpins the advanced IVI systems found in the Genesis GV80 and G80.

“At Hyundai Motor Group, we are committed to delivering greater value, safety, functionality and enjoyment over the lifetime of the car,” said Paul Choo, Senior Vice-President of Electronics Tech Unit at Hyundai Motor Group. “The NVIDIA DRIVE platform is proven – it is scalable, energy-efficient and has the performance to support our next generation of software-defined vehicles.”

The companies have also been collaborating on an advanced digital cockpit, due to be launched in late 2021. The relationship will go further with the development of foundations for IVI systems that can support a wide range of future apps and features for all models.

“NVIDIA brought consumer electronic functionality and a graphics-rich user interface to infotainment systems more than a decade ago,” said Ali Kani, Vice-President of Autonomous Vehicles at NVIDIA. “Now, we are once again transforming these systems through the power of AI, helping Hyundai Motor Group increase safety and value, along with enhancing customer satisfaction, throughout the lifetime of the vehicle.”

Creation of new ccOS
The partnership with NVIDIA will enable Hyundai Motor Group to roll out its new ‘connected car operating system’ (ccOS) in future models. Developed in-house by Hyundai Motor Group, the new ccOS will bring together the large amount of data generated by the vehicle and its network of sensors, as well as external connected car data centres, enhancing motoring experiences.

The ccOS will use NVIDIA’s software frameworks to implement core IT competencies. It will provide ‘high-performance computing’, using NVIDIA GPUs to process large amounts of data inside and outside the vehicles and optimize system performance to support advanced IT technologies, such as deep learning.

‘Seamless computing’ will also be possible, providing uninterrupted service regardless of the vehicle’s online or offline state. The vehicle connects with the surrounding infrastructure and smart devices to bring the user experience from external devices into the vehicle environment.

Furthermore, recent breakthroughs in AI and accelerated computing have opened the door for next-generation vehicles to benefit from new functionality, capabilities and enhanced safety features that can be added after the car is purchased. With a centralized, software-defined computer architecture, future vehicles can be updated throughout their lives to feature the latest in advanced digital cockpit technology, as well as other features.

VR technology enhances vehicle development processes for Hyundai and Kia

Pre-owned vehicles Certified by Bentley now available from Bentley Kuala Lumpur

Besides offering brand new Bentley cars, Bentley Kuala Lumpur – the British brand’s official retail partner in Malaysia – now also offers pre-owned units. These are cars which are ‘Certified by Bentley’, a global programme which is said to set the benchmark for exclusive pre-owned vehicles.

50% of Bentleys registered are pre-owned
An estimated 85% of all Bentleys ever sold still on the road and in Malaysia alone, pre-owned Bentleys are said to make up about half of the total number of vehicles of the brand registered locally each year. This being the case, it has made sense for Bentley to also become involved in pre-owned units, besides its attention to aftersales services for existing owners.

“We believe the introduction of Certified by Bentley in Malaysia is an opportunity for us to extend the Bentley ownership experience to a wider number of potential customers,” said Jerry Lee, MD of Wearnes Quest, which operates Bentley Kuala Lumpur.

The Certified by Bentley programme has rigorous requirements to ensure that each vehicle is prepared to an impeccable standard. This includes a detailed inspection in accordance with Bentley standards by factory-trained technicians.

Certificate of Authenticity and warranty
A Certificate of Authenticity accompanies each vehicle so the new owner will have full details of its history, particularly with regards to maintenance. The comprehensive 12-month warranty, covering mechanical, electrical and consequential failure, can be further extended for peace of mind.

Similar quality assurance and ownership experience
“A vehicle Certified by Bentley provides the same assurance in quality and ownership experience that a new car customer would have. When a customer selects a Certified by Bentley car, they are making an investment in a brand that has always crafted extraordinary vehicles,” said Mark Keeping, Head of Pre-Owned at Bentley Motors.

Additionally, the owner gains access to the benefits that Bentley owners typically enjoy such as invitations to exclusive events around the world and a Bentley Factory Tour, along with a subscription to the Bentley Magazine.

Only electric power for Bentley vehicles by the end of this decade

The 2021 German Car of the Year is a… Japanese car

The first widely recognised Car of the Year event (and perhaps the first one in the world too) was the European Car of the Year which began in 1964. Journalists from a number of countries in Europe collaborated to pick a model from each year’s new offerings as the Car of the Year (COTY), and the event continues to this day.

Since then, there have been numerous COTY events all over the world, some by publications and websites and some by motoring media groups. And there is even a ‘World Car of the Year’ award now although some models may be specific to certain regions.

For the country COTY, it was usually the case that a model from a brand of that country would be the winner. But in recent times, this has been changing: the Volkswagen Golf, for example, was the first foreign model to win the ‘Japan Car of the Year’ title while in Korea, a Toyota Camry was its COTY one year.

First time for a non-German model
Now in Germany, a non-German model has been voted ‘German Car of the Year’ 2021. It’s the Honda e, the Japanese company’s first battery electric vehicle for Europe. This is a first and certainly an impressive achievement considering that the German auto industry produces many well engineered products. The Honda e also won in the ‘New Energy’ category.

The German Car of the Year awards are decided by a jury of leading German car journalists. The panel tests and reviews the latest cars, ranking them according to their usability, driving characteristics, market relevance and level of innovation. The winners of 5 categories – Compact, Premium, Luxury, New Energy and Performance – are then assessed again to decide an overall winner.

“For Honda e to be the first Japanese car to be awarded ‘German Car of the Year’ is a great honour, and one we are incredibly proud to receive,” said Katsuhisa Okuda, COO & President of Honda Motor Europe. “The Honda e is a perfect example of a product with a unique design, featuring cutting-edge technology and advanced intelligent connectivity to keep owners connected with their everyday life. We are very thankful for this award.”

The electrically-powered Honda was launched earlier this year and is represents Honda’s commitment to electrify 100% of its mainstream models for Europe by 2022. The German COTY award is just one of many accolades it has received in 2020. These include the top honour in the Red Dot Design Awards; Autocar UK’s ‘Britain’s Best Car’ Awards 2020 in the ‘Best Car Tech’ category; and ‘City/Small Car of the Year’ in the News International Motor Awards 2020.

222-km range, 30 minutes recharging
The Honda e has a powertrain producing up 100 kW (equal to 136 ps) or 113 kW (154 ps) with 315 Nm of torque. With a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can be recharged to 80% in 30 minutes, it has a claimed range of up to 222 kms, depending on driving conditions.

There are two variants of the model which is currently only sold in Europe and Japan. Prices in the UK range from £27,160 to £29,660 (about RM147,370 – RM161,000). The prices include a UK government Plug-in Car Grant discount amounting to £3,000 (RM16,300) for the model.

Visit www.honda.com.my to know more about Honda’s electrified models available in Malaysia.

Honda e starts Honda’s electrification strategy in Europe

The World’s First Globally-Connected Hypercar

For most people who can afford Pininfarina’s Battista pure-electric hypercar, communications on the move will be with the best available devices. If they are in the remotest areas on the planet, they would have satphones which make use of satellite networks encircling the earth.

However, when driving, they may find that access to online services are inconsistent or unreliable when crossing different countries. Understanding this, Automobili Pininfarina and Deutsche Telekom have come up with a way for Battista owners to easily access online services in more than 50 countries worldwide – a first in the world of hypercars.

Optimised connectivity worldwide
Every Battista will come with an embedded SIM card and roaming technology for optimised connectivity worldwide. Using these components, Deutsche Telekom’s roaming partner network and roaming traffic steering logic enables the vehicle to search for the strongest network, so owners don’t find themselves in communication blackspots even as they cross international borders.

This superior connectivity also means greater convenience for owners to receive Over-The-Air (OTA) updates, the latest thing in the industry. By sending software updates online, the vehicle’s systems or devices will always be up-to-date and perform at their best.

The system is able to remotely update 26 individual electronic control modules in the Battista across functions covering the pure-electric powertrain, advanced safety and driving dynamics systems, vehicle control, infotainment as well as digital services.

Future-proofing the hypercar
These software updates can be delivered via wifi when parked within range in the garage, or using the embedded SIM on the road. In this way, the Battista is future-proof and owners will continue to benefit from the latest software advances as the years pass.

“All of these elements of connectivity contribute to our seamless ‘Life on Board’ Concept. Everything from the driver-orientated user-experience to the convenience features such as the global roaming and OTA updates have been developed and engineered to bring heightened convenience to our luxury hyper GT,” said Paolo Dellacha, Chief Product and Engineering Officer of Automobile Pininfarina which is owned by India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

Digital concierge
The ‘digital concierge’ experience includes Smart Diagnostics technology, which monitors the car’s system to spot potential issues before they arise to ensure the pinnacle of electrified performance and safety at all time. If the system detects an issue that cannot be dealt with remotely by a software update, Automobili Pininfarina will dispatch one of its team of engineers to resolve the issue – wherever the car is parked in the world.

A specially developed smartphone app keeps owners connected to their Battista at all times, enabling customers to remotely lock and unlock the car, view telemetry, check the state of charge and monitor the location of Battista. On the move, drivers can seamlessly link their smartphone which will mirror key apps and functions within the vehicle for enhanced music streaming and real-time navigation capabilities.

This wider connected and digital ecosystem is enhanced by the Battista’s advanced infotainment system. The two logically-arranged and intuitive touchscreens and an additional slim display located in the centre, deliver all the key telemetry, dynamic functions and information as well as featuring selected media and navigation elements and controls. All have been designed and positioned in a way to ensure minimum driver distraction while providing all the required information while on the move.

The Battista will be the most powerful car ever designed and built in Italy, with the claim that it will deliver a level of performance that is unachievable today in any road-legal sportscar using internal combustion engine technology. With 1,900 bhp/2,300 Nm, it will be faster than a current Formula 1 race car in its 0 -100 km/h sub-2 second sprint and, with a 120 kWh battery pack, travel over 500 kms. 150 hypercars will be built, each said to cost no less than US$2.5 million (almost RM10.3 million).

Battista Anniversario – the world’s first luxury pure-electric hyper GT

Enhanced Toyota Vios due soon, bookings accepted from today

UMW Toyota Motor will soon have an improved version of its bestselling model, the Vios, in Toyota showrooms nationwide. The prices are estimated to range from RM75,701 to RM89.232 for three variants available. Bookings at showrooms as well as online are accepted from today, with deliveries almost certain to be before the year ends.

Bolder looks
The new Vios gains a bolder look with a restyled front bumper and new grille design with an Aero kit attachment below the bumper. The grille is flanked by new triple bezel fully LED Headlights with built-in Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) that provide a visual ‘signature’ from afar.

Drivers can enjoy extra peace of mind when returning home as the headlights now come with a follow-me-home function. This keeps the lights on for a while after the engine is switched off and the doors are locked, providing illumination to the front door or along a path.

The optional aerokit available for the Vios comes with a newly designed front bumper element, besides the side skirts and spoilers on the bootlid and under the rear bumper.

Two new colours – Orange Metallic and Platinum White Pearl – join the existing range available which consists of Dark Blue Metallic, Red Mica Metallic and Silver Metallic.

“The enhanced Vios has an even more dynamic presence with a front silhouette that is consistent with models such as the Corolla, Camry and the recently-enhanced Yaris. Yet, despite this strong family resemblance, the Vios projects its own unique personality that has made it popular with a diverse demographic of buyers,” said Ravindran K., President of UMW Toyota Motor.

Safety enhanced
Long regarded as being very good value for money, the Vios also has high standards when it comes to safety. It is the first in its segment with a maximum 5-star ASEAN NCAP safety rating and will now come with two elements of the integrated Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) system – Pre-collision system (PCS) and lane departure alert (LDA).

PCS, activated from 15 km/h, will warn the driver of a possible collision and if no action is taken, automatically brake the car. This can avoid an accident or if it cannot be avoided, the early braking will reduce the speed so as to lower the severity of the damage.

LDA will help if the driver is drowsy as it detects the car’s deviation from the lane. Operational from 50 km/h, the system alerts the driver through Multi Information Display by blinking indicator lamp and also a buzzer sound.

Other existing safety features and systems include Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control (TRC), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, ABS, Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist, and up to 7 SRS airbags (the only car in its segment with this number).

Front and rear Digital Video Recorders (DVRs) are also available to record the situation in front and behind the car while it is on the move. The DVRs have g-sensors which can detect a severe impact and when this occurs, the file containing the recording will be ‘locked’ so it cannot be accidentally deleted.

To help with parking, there is now a 3D 360-degree panoramic view monitor with specific views of each side of the car as well as a simulated overhead view that is useful for positioning in a bay. Front and rear sensors also help to monitor the nearby areas and warn the driver of obstructions.

A new safety feature is the Emergency Stoplight Signal system which can lower the risk of a rear-end collision. The system will immediately activate the hazard warning lights if sudden and hard braking is detected, indicating emergency braking. Drivers behind will thus be alerted more quickly so they will take braking action.

Rear seatbelt usage has been compulsory for a while now and to ensure that everyone follows the law, there is a reminder which the driver will get so he or she can ask the rear passengers to put on their seatbelts. Additionally, an ISOFIX point is provided in the rear seat for a compatible childseat which is now required by law for small children.

Visual enhancements inside
Inside, the new Vios has the same layout but the dashboard has received visual enhancements. New features include Optitron meters and a Multi Information Display panel. The infotainment system, with a 7-inch display panel, has Android Auto and Apple CarPlay for easy connectivity with compatible smartphones.

As before the Vios comes with a 1.5-litre VVT-i engine and CVT powertrain that has proven efficiency and reliability. Three Drive Modes allow the driver to prioritise performance or economy, or just let the computerise ‘co-driver’ decide according to conditions. For the Vios 1.5G, there are also paddle shifters to make manual selection more convenient.

To locate a showroom or for more information, visit www.toyota.com.my.

Two more financing schemes available for new Toyota purchases

BMW Premium Selection goes digital

For those who are shopping for used cars, there are lots of places to go to. Additionally, there are also websites which have advertisements for used vehicles. However, when buying a second-hand product, there is always the question of the condition of the vehicle which is not fully known. Most used car dealers will take in vehicles, clean them up a bit and perhaps fix minor issues and then offer them for sale. Some may offer a ‘limited warranty’ with a verbal agreement that you can bring back the vehicle if problems develop.

Many vehicle distributors and authorised dealer chains also have their own used car business and where these companies are concerned, greater attention is given to ensuring their offerings are in the best condition possible and almost as good as new. They will carry out a thorough inspection and change parts that are deemed too worn out (especially those relating to safety). And as everything is professionally done, they are willing to certify their pre-owned vehicles too, as well as providing a warranty in some cases.

Dedicated BMW/MINI website for pre-owned vehicles
BMW Group Malaysia’s Premium Selection, its pre-owned vehicle business, has introduced what is described as an industry-first initiative – a wide range of vehicles from the BMW and MINI brands will be presented on a dedicated microsite. These vehicles are offered by various authorised BMW and MINI dealerships around the country. and have
gone through a 360° vehicle check, with any necessary repairs done with Original BMW Parts.

At the time of writing, there are over 300 units available for ‘viewing’ from the comfort of home or office via the digital platform, another approach by the BMW Group in digitalising its touchpoints around the world. There is also a facility for trading in vehicles to get those from the Premium Selection, with competitive trade-in values offered.

Premium Ownership Experience as well
There are attractive, limited time and digital platform-only exclusive offers available. Those who purchase vehicles via the microsite are also entitled to enjoy BMW Group Malaysia’s Premium Ownership Experience which includes:
♦ A Minimum of 12 months BMW Premium Selection Warranty (terms and conditions apply);
♦ 360-Degree Technical and Optical Checks of the vehicle;
♦ Availability of Approved Vehicle and Service History;
♦ Exclusive Financing Offers from BMW Financial Services Malaysia; and
♦ BMW Roadside Assistance

Click here to visit the BMW Premium Selection website today.