In the 1950s, carmakers envisioned sleek cars with advanced powertrains and autonomous operation on the roads of the 21st century while futurists and science fiction writers imagined flying cars. Well, we have the sleek designs with advanced powertrains due to make changes in this decade as electric motors take over from the internal combustion engine. But flying cars have yet to be available in showrooms although there have been developments in recent years with prototypes taking to the air.
UK’s Auto Trader takes a look at what vehicles might look like 30 years from now with concept designs based on the expertise of futurologist Tom Cheesewright, market trends, the rate of technological development and research into consumer demand.
“Tomorrow’s car takes you from A to B with minimum fuss and in maximum style. Future technologies will give designers free reign to create more space and comfort, so that we can get on with our lives while an AI assistant takes care of the driving. While our cars won’t be flying any time soon, we can all benefit from cleaner, quieter, safer roads. In just twenty years, the age of the combustion engine will be well and truly over,” predicts Cheesewright.
Past, present and future of the motorcar and motoring
Digital paint for different colours
Auto Trader’s 2050 concept car is a fully electric, colour-changing vehicle with space for passengers to make the most of the time they spend in the autonomous vehicle – by relaxing, doing yoga and even sleeping during the commute. Featuring ‘digital paint’, the car allows passengers to change the colour and style of the car from the tap of an app, depending on their mood, with advances in technology meaning this feature could be widely available as early as the year 2040.
Designed to be a home away from home, passengers can relax and unwind on the built-in mattress in the centre of the spacious cabin – a feature which 24% of motorists said they’d use for catching up on much-needed sleep and a cheeky 13% of men would use for some intimate time with a partner.
Reading or watching TV on the move
Drivers also said they’d like to reclaim their commute time by delving into a good book from the built-in library (22%) or watching their favourite Netflix shows and movies from the large in-built TV screen (19%).
Other popular recreational uses for the spacious design include beating friends and family at board games (16%), getting hair and make-up done on the way to an event (15% of women would do this), and 4% would even practice yoga whilst in transit.
AI assistant
Catering to the 10% of drivers who want cars to be fully voice-operated in future, the car welcomes passengers with a friendly AI (Artificial Intelligence) assistant that helps them set their preferred driving speed and style, whether out for a leisurely Sunday drive or rushing home for dinner. Given that the car is likely to be operating autonomously, rushing will not be done recklessly so an accident is unlikely to occur.
The 2050 car is fitted with windows that extend right over the roof in one large bubble, offering more head room to allow passengers to freely move around during transit. It also features 360-degree panoramic views for those wanting to sit back, relax and enjoy an autonomous ride, plus black-out functionality on the windows, which can be activated with a quick tap.
All images and Timeline provided by Auto Trader UK.
Hypercars are the supercars of the 21st century and breaking away from the traditional big internal combustion engines of the 20th century, they are propelled by electric motors or hybrid powertrains. And where it was only car manufacturers that had the resources to develop powerful cars, the availability of modern technologies like 3D printing has made it possible for anyone with enough money to start a small company to develop and make a few.
Kevin Czinger (pronounced ‘zinger’) is one such entrepreneur who has developed and built a hypercar with proprietary hybrid powertrain and additively manufactured chassis that is claimed to be an evolutionary leap in performance vehicle creation.
Though he went to law school, Czinger has been involved in advanced car development for more than 10 years, employing advanced production technologies. The Czinger 21C hypercar is designed, manufactured and assembled at his base in Los Angeles, California. It incorporates vehicle architecture that is centered around driver-focused, 2-person in-line seating configuration within what would almost certainly be a carbonfibre shell.
Details of the powertrain are not revealed at this time, but it is said to have been tested and generated 1,233 bhp. This can get the 21C from standstill to 100 km/h in 1.9 seconds, it is claimed.
The brand launch and 21C’s debut will be at the Geneva International Motor Show next month. In the meantime, Czinger has released two videos which show the car moving very fast across a naval base in San Francisco and on the Pacific Coast Highway in California.
‘GM Accelerates Transformation of International Markets’ is the title of General Motors’ press release issued today and it might be meant to have an optimistic tone for shareholders but when you start to go through it, you find that it is shows how the corporation is retreating from global markets because it cannot compete. The decline of what was once the largest company on the planet, the No.1 in automobile manufacturing (by volume, to be clear), and top of the list in the Fortune 500, is not something that has come in recent times. It began in the 1970s and kept getting worse to the extent that it went bankrupt by 2009, forcing reorganization.
Like many big and old American corporations, the way the business has been run has depended on big numbers for economies of scale to stay competitive and dominant. That’s still crucial in the auto industry but GM for too long was an insular company, not giving much meaningful attention to markets outside North America. It had units like Opel and Vauxhall in Europe and Holden in Australia, as well as joint-ventures in China. Opel and Vauxhall were sold off to Groupe PSA three years ago and now, Holden, the 164-year old Australian company, will also be shut down 89 years after GM acquired it. Sales, design and engineering operations in Australia and New Zealand will cease, with the Holden brand retired by 2021.
The move is explained as a continuation of the comprehensive strategy laid out in 2015 ‘to strengthen its core business, drive significant cost efficiencies and take action in markets that cannot earn an adequate return for its shareholders’. The last part is a similar theme used by Ford when it shut down its manufacturing operations in Australia four years ago.
GM President Mark Reuss said the company explored a range of options to continue Holden operations, but none could overcome the challenges of the investments needed for the highly fragmented right-hand-drive market, the economics to support growing the brand, and delivering an appropriate return on investment.
“After considering many possible options – and putting aside our personal desires to accommodate the people and the market – we came to the conclusion that we could not prioritize further investment over all other considerations we have in a rapidly changing global industry,” he said.
Like Ford, GM just doesn’t care to compete anymore in Asian markets and is pulling out, with the exception of Korea (notwithstanding its 10 joint ventures in China). Its factory in Rayong, Thailand, which was set up to produce for the ASEAN markets using duty-free incentives is also to be sold to China’s Great Wall Motors.
In the mid-1990s, GM built a big factory in Thailand when the AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Area) benefits were offered and expected to be a major player in the region.
GM Senior Vice President and President GM International Steve Kiefer said the detailed analysis of the business case for future production at the Rayong facility (which includes an engine plant) indicated low plant utilization and forecast volumes have made continued GM production at the site unsustainable. Without domestic manufacturing, Chevrolet will be unable compete in Thailand’s new-vehicle market. Years earlier, GM also pulled out of Indonesia and ended attempts to grow its presence in the Malaysian market.
These are difficult decisions, but they are necessary to support our goal to have the GM International region on the pathway to growth and profitability,” said Kiefer, adding that GM would also sell its Talegaon manufacturing facility in India.
GM wants to focus on markets where it can get ‘robust returns’ and prioritizing global investments in the areas of EVs and autonomous vehicles – and it’s not interested in righthand drive markets.
Outside of North America, it still sees the possibility of continuing business in South America and the Middle East. “In markets where we don’t have significant scale, such as Japan, Russia and Europe, we are pursuing a niche presence by selling profitable, high-end imported vehicles – supported by a lean GM structure,” said GM International Operations Senior Vice-President Julian Blissett.
GM in Malaysia
Like Ford, GM was selling its cars in Malaysia decades before the Japanese brands arrived in the 1960s. It had a range of brands like Bedford, Chevrolet, Vauxhall, Opel and even Holden, and even set up an assembly plant in Johor in the 1960s. And before Toyota came out with its Kijang in Indonesia in the mid-1970s, GM’s Bedford unit had developed a simple Basic Utility Vehicle called the Harimau that was intended for the developing countries in the region.
Chevrolet was sold in the country decades before the Japanese brands arrived. Even Tunku Abdul Rahman used one of its models to travel around the country and a fleet was also purchased to transport VIPs during the first Merdeka celebrations.The Bedford Harimau was specially developed by GM for developing countries.
For a while, it tried to sell Holden models like the Kingswood and Statesman (assembled locally) which were rather inappropriate for this market. They had huge engines (2.7 litres and bigger!) and were heavy, thirsty cars. There was a joke that if you bought one, its value depreciated by 50% the moment the new numberplate was attached. 44 units of the Chevrolet Impala were also assembled at the ASSB plant in Shah Alam, Selangor, in the late 1960s and it took a while for them to clear.
The GM models assembled in the late 1960s were the Chevrolet Impala (left) and the Holden Statesman (right). Both were big, thirsty and heavy and depreciated very quickly.
Besides the assembly plant, GM had a marketing office in Kuala Lumpur which mainly handled the Opel business until the late 1970s when it closed down and Opel faded from the market like the other brands. In the mid-1990s, a small effort was made to return with the Opel and Holden brands. GM even sent Mike Kimberley, former CEO of Lotus, to oversee the business in Malaysia as there was even talk of assembling the Opel Vectra. But the financial crisis at the end of the decade saw the attempt forgotten.
It would be another 4 years before GM returned to Malaysia with what seemed like renewed confidence in the regional market. It had invested in a huge factory in Thailand to produce what was touted as a market that would reach 500 million consumers and it believed it could be a significant player. In fact, in 2004, a senior GM executive told this writer that he expected Chevrolet to be among the top 5 in Malaysia within 4 years. The over-optimistic prediction was accompanied by a remark that ‘the Malaysian market is the same as the Indonesian one so we can apply the same product strategies’. Later, another senior GM executive would boast of how the Cruze was ‘100 times better than the Honda Civic’. It showed how disconnected from the market the Americans were and why they were doomed to fail.
Although its Opel brand from Germany (the Rekord model shown above) was respected in the Malaysian market, GM chose to discontinue it and instead used the Chevrolet brand for Asian markets, saying it was ‘the most international of GM brands’.
Although Opel, with its German DNA in models like the Rekord, was a respected brand in the Malaysian market, GM chose to use Chevrolet for the region because it was ‘the most international GM brand’. To the older generation, Chevrolet was associated with those Detroit ‘aircraft carriers’ – huge machines on four wheels – even though the range offered was more oriented to ASEAN markets with models like the Nabira and Optra.
For its initial return in 2002, GM let DRB-HICOM handle the business but eventually found difficulties in managing differences with its distributor in approaches taken for the business. So GM came in to directly run the business in the mid-2000s, around the time Ford was pulling out of Malaysia and leaving the business to Sime Darby. There was a lot of enthusiasm in the early years as GM ASEAN probably had a business plan which appealed to the big bosses in Detroit (remember how they believed that they could become No.4 in Malaysia).
To be fair, a lot of marketing initiatives – like cutting parts prices by up to 65% – were carried out to grow the brand but that’s a long-term thing and the problem is that Americans are impatient. Jeep came into the market in the mid-1990s and sold well, but the moment things slowed down and numbers fell, it pulled out right away. They also want big numbers and a veteran local car guy recalls how he went to Detroit to talk to Chrysler about representing them in Malaysia and was told that if he was not taking a thousand cars a month, forget it.
After giving up being directly involved in the Malaysian market, GM gave the franchise to the Naza Group which had the Cruze, a brand new model which seemed promising, to start off with in 2010.
Eventually, GM also gave up on Malaysia (again) but managed to get the Naza Group to take over the brand. Like DRB-HICOM before it, Naza felt it could build the brand and put in much effort. But the products were not competitive enough and the only one that could sell well was the Colorado pick-up made in Thailand. And again, expectations and commitment differed between the two sides with a frustrated Naza suddenly announcing it would cease representing Chevrolet after an 8-year association. Its explanation for the move contained the words ‘long-term sustainability and profitability’, which suggested that GM’s brand could not deliver that.
As GM regards righthand drive markets as not being worth its time, we will probably not see Chevrolet or other GM brands again. Anyway, Chevrolet’s departure from Malaysia has not made much difference since the numbers were insignificant anyway. They were also not particularly big in neighbouring markets so there isn’t really an empty space to be filled.
One of the earlier SUV models from the Korean carmaker, the Sorento enters its 4th generation this year, with the global debut to be at the 2020 Geneva International Motor Show. The Sorento sits at the heart of Kia’s reinvigorated global SUV line-up which also includes the Seltos, Stonic, Sportage, and Telluride.
It is the result of a global collaborative effort between all Kia’s design network which has studios in Korea, Europe and North America. For this new generation, the designers adopted the concept of ‘refined boldness’, maintaining the robust, tough-looking aesthetic of earlier generations.
All-new platform with new design
The fourth-generation model sits on an all-new platform that is said to raise standards in the midsize SUV segment for space, practicality, efficiency and quality. The latest design incorporates sharper lines and uninterrupted surfaces, making it noticeably more sculpted than its more round-edged predecessor.
Besides more contemporary geometric details and swept-back, elongated proportions, the assertive ‘face’ of the Sorento has evolved too. There’s a new interpretation of Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger nose’ grille. It’s wider and more expansive, wrapping organically around the integrated headlamps on each side. The headlamps themselves feature a new ‘tiger eye’ LED daytime running light, adding extra focus to the design by depicting the intense impression of the lines around a tiger’s eyes.
In profile, the proportions of the SUV are subtly adapted to make it appear longer, with shorter front and rear overhangs and a longer wheelbase. Its new proportions also extend the length of the bonnet, drawing the A-pillar 30 mm further back from the front axle for a more ‘cab-rearward’ design.
The trailing edge of the bonnet wraps around the front wings and turns into a single, strong character line which extends along the side of the Sorento and flows into the new vertical taillights.
Most high-tech Kia model to date
Inside, the upscale cabin has a sophisticated new design incorporating cutting-edge infotainment, supreme practicality, and premium-grade materials. It is described as one of the highest quality interior spaces found in any Kia to date. The progressive technologies available in the new model also make it the most high-tech vehicle Kia has ever put in showrooms.
Blending metallic trims, leather upholstery and embossed wood-effect surfaces, the interior also subtly integrates other technologies to enhance connectivity, driver assistance and infotainment. Its 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system with audio-visual navigation system is complemented by a new 12.3-inch high-resolution digital instrument cluster.
Bookings are now accepted by Lexus Malaysia for the new UX 200, the premium brand’s compact SUV. Presumably, the stocks from Japan have arrived in Malaysia so the company should be launching it in the near future in three versions – UX Urban, UX Luxury and UX F-Sport. Prices (exclusing insurance) in Peninsular Malaysia range from RM243,888 to RM299,888 but if you buy and register in the duty-free zones, the price range would be RM156,472 to RM191,841.
“This dynamic new model is truly a product of creative engineering by Lexus led by its first female Chief Engineer. The design itself connects strongly with any audience as a car that is beautifully styled in the spirit of Engawa (Japanese traditional architecture seamlessly to connect inside with the outside). It also includes such high-end Japanese design elements as Sashiko upholstery (a Japanese stitching technique). The UX is the first Lexus model to offer a new trim grain finish that’s inspired by the grain of Japanese paper know as Washi, familiar in traditional Japanese home” said Deputy Chairman of Lexus Malaysia, Akio Takeyama.
Global Architecture-C Platform
The UX 200 has the signature spindle grille that unifies every Lexus model and of course, keen attention to detail and quality that have always been hallmarks of the brand. The compact SUV, developed on the latest Global Architecture-C Platform (GAC Platform), has a stable and dynamic chassis to give a distinctive driving character with refined driving dynamics.
Aiming to help lower road accidents, Lexus has installed the Lexus Safety System + (LSS+), an integrated suite of safety systems that assist the driver and enhance motoring safety. This system employs sophisticated sensors and cameras on board to not only reduce or avoid accidents but also removes the daily stresses of commuting through some of its functions.
Lexus UX 200 engine
10-speed direct-shift CVT
Features-wise (depending on the version), the UX 200 will have items such as a power back door with ‘kick-open’ function, wireless charging, panoramic-view mirror, and a 10-speed direct-shift CVT with the new M20A-FKS petrol engine.
“We believe that this All-New Lexus UX 200 model will be a head-turning model with a strong appeal to the urban motorist. Its high level of sophistication and technology with Lexus engineering makes this one of the most appealing compact SUVs available on the market today,” added President of Lexus Malaysia, Ravindran K.
All units of the UX 200 imported and distributed by Lexus Malaysia come with a comprehensive warranty of 5 years with unlimited mileage. Being the authorised distributor, Lexus Malaysia ensures that there is complete aftersales support available to its customers and has 7 locations across Malaysia with Lexus-trained technicians, diagnostic equipment and genuine replacement parts.
Visit www.lexus.com.myto know more about Lexus products and service in Malaysia.
The Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) will collaborate with Canoo, a Los Angeles-based company creating electric vehicles (EVs) for subscription only, to jointly develop an EV platform based on Canoo’s proprietary skateboard design for future Hyundai and Kia models.
As part of the collaboration, Canoo will provide engineering services to help develop a fully scalable, all-electric platform to meet both Korean carmakers’ specifications. HMG expects the platform to help facilitate its commitment to delivering cost-competitive electrified vehicles — ranging from small-sized EVs to Purpose-Built Vehicles (PBV) — that can meet diverse customer needs.
Canoo’s skateboard platform houses the most critical components of the vehicle with a strong emphasis on functional integration, meaning all components fulfill as many functions as possible. This feat of engineering reduces the skateboard size, weight and total number of parts, which ultimately provides more interior cabin space and a more cost-effective EV offering. In addition, the skateboard is a self-contained unit that can support any cabin design.
HMG envisions an adaptable all-electric platform using Canoo’s scalable skateboard architecture to allow for a simplified and standardized development process for Hyundai and Kia electrified vehicles, which is expected to help reduce cost that can be passed along to consumers. It also aims to reduce complexity of its EV assembly line, allowing for rapid response to changing market demands and customer preferences.
With this collaboration, Hyundai Motor Group doubles down on its recent commitment to invest US$87 billion (about RM360.3 billion) over the next 5 years for future growth. As part of this drive, Hyundai plans to invest US$52 billion (RM215.4 billion) in future technologies through 2025, while Kia will invest US$25 billion (RM103.5 billion) in electrification and future mobility technologies, aiming for eco-friendly vehicles to comprise 25% of its total sales by 2025.
“We were highly impressed by the speed and efficiency in which Canoo developed their innovative EV architecture, making them the perfect engineering partner for us as we transition to become a frontrunner in the future mobility industry,” said Albert Biermann, Head of Research & Development, Hyundai Motor Group. “We will collaborate with Canoo engineers to develop a cost-effective Hyundai platform concept that is autonomous ready and suitable for mass adoption.”
Future Hyundai and Kia electrified models will sit on the Canoo skateboard.
Canoo unveiled its first electric vehicle for subscription only in September 2019, just 19 months after the company’s founding in December 2017. The company’s proprietary skateboard architecture, which directly houses the batteries and electric drivetrain, has enabled Canoo to reimagine EV design in a way that challenges traditional automotive shape and functionality.
The company recently opened the waitlist for its first vehicle. This is a major milestone in its young history and the culmination of the efforts of 300+ experts working to deliver a proof of concept of Canoo’s backbone architectural systems. Canoo’s first vehicle, to be launched in 2021, will be designed for a world in which transportation is becoming increasingly electric, shared and autonomous.
