semiautonomous
Latest
Audi rips the camouflage off its E-Tron electric SUV
Audi finally took the wraps off its E-Tron pure electric SUV. At an event in Northern California, the automaker stripped off the QR code-esque wrap from the vehicle and announced how you can reserve your own and for how much.
Honda Insight: Stylish, efficient and ready to take on the Prius
The original Honda Insight landed in the United States in December 1999. The tiny aerodynamic hatchback didn't light the electrified vehicle world on fire like the far more popular Toyota Prius. But it did show that the automaker was serious about hybrids even while the technology was still in its infancy. Nearly 20 years later and Insight is bigger, more powerful and while it's latest MPG falls short of the original's 70 miles-per-gallon, you can actually haul groceries and the family in it.
The Model X vs the I-Pace: A luxury electric SUV face-off
It's impossible not to compare the new Jaguar I-Pace with the Model X. They're currently the only members of the EV luxury SUV club. At least for now. BMW and Audi are both working on getting their electrified vehicles to market. But let's look at the differences between --not just two of the best EVs on the market -- but really two great vehicles overall.
Jaguar I-Pace review: A luxury EV that can tackle anything
A gentleman in a field peeks into the car and asks me to raise the height of the red First Edition I-Pace I'm driving then gestures towards a few feet of water ahead of me. "Don't go too fast, there are sharp rocks down there," he says. I've driven the car for a few hours already and am already a fan of its capabilities on paved roads and the luxury interior. Now I'm about to drive the crossover on a "surprise" off-road course and sure, why not. Let's do this.
Hyundai’s Kona is ready for almost anything
Imagine you're going out for the night with friends. You have the perfect jeans. You just picked up a great shirt or blouse. You're having a great hair day, your sock game is on point. Hell, you even picked up a new smartphone earlier in the day. You look great and step out on the town. Except you're missing a shoe. That's the new Hyundai Kona crossover (starting at $19,500). The great-looking person who's ready to take on the world and is so much fun to be around you don't even notice the missing shoe until way into the night. Sure, it's confusing at first, but you get over it. You're a having a good time, why spoil it? I really enjoyed driving the Kona even though its "missing shoe" continues to be a head-scratcher. (Don't worry, we'll get to what the "shoe" is soon enough).
Subaru’s Crosstrek is a small but value-packed SUV
Subaru sells emotion. Their entire marketing strategy is about "love," which is actually a pretty accurate take on how we buy cars. There's very little logic in a lot of our buying decisions. Consider how much time some of us spend in our vehicles -- there's nothing wrong with picking an automobile that gives you some sense of happiness. That's led to a rise in SUV sales, because big cars make Americans happy. Seeing the market for SUV grow while not having one its own to sell, Subaru introduced the Crosstrek, a crossover that will appeal to buyers looking for an all-wheel drive in a big (but not too big) package.
The 2018 Nissan Leaf gets a semi-autonomous upgrade
The Nissan Leaf is the top-selling electric vehicle in the world. Sure, Tesla and Chevy get all the hype with the Bolt and Model 3, but with more than 290,000 cars sold, Nissan's little electric car is the one people are buying. After seven years without a design refresh, the automaker dropped a new and improved model to continue to dominate the EV world. Although, that task will be a lot tougher thanks to increased competition.
Cadillac’s hands-free feature fixes the worst parts about driving
The 145-mile jaunt between Flagstaff, Arizona, and Phoenix is almost entirely downhill. With a drop of approximately 5,800 feet between the two cities, the road that joins them -- Interstate 17 -- has multiple warnings about saving your brakes (meant mostly for big rigs) and is peppered with sharper twists and turns than your typical highway. Yet, while I was behind the wheel, I did almost nothing for the entire drive thanks to Cadillac's new Super Cruise feature on the 2018 CT6.
Nissan's next Leaf is cheaper and can almost drive itself
The Nissan Leaf does pretty well for the automaker. It's one of the best selling EVs ever and today the company introduced a redesigned $29,990 Leaf with ProPilot, a hands-on semi-autonomous feature for heavy traffic. With a 150 mile range and a price about $700 cheaper than it predecessor, Nissan is determined to stay at the top of the electric-vehicle sales-numbers pile.
Nissan preps its semi-autonomous driving assist for the US
Nissan is one step closer to bringing its semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist feature to American roads. The automaker has shed more light on the US-optimized version of the assistant ahead of its launch in the new Leaf near the end of 2017. As Nissan stresses, the initial version is intended only to make life easier during single-lane highway driving. Think of it as a sort of Autopilot lite. It'll use a camera, radar and sensors to keep you in your lane, maintain speed and brake if the driver ahead slows down, but it won't change lanes, handle city streets or brake in an emergency. It's definitely not a hands-free option -- it'll deactivate if you have a less-than-firm grip on the steering wheel.
Mercedes-Benz is building cars that know the road better than you do
As we approach a blind corner on a twisty mountain road above Sunnyvale, there's a moment when I'm sitting in the passenger seat of a pre-production Mercedes-Benz S-Class and I'm not sure that the updated Intelligent Drive will really slow the car down in time for what's up ahead. It does and continues to do so for every corner it encounters. It's an impressive step in the automaker's march toward an autonomous vehicle.
