According to the U.S. IIHS, the outgoing Volvo XC60 is one of only two midsize SUVs on sale with acceptable headlight performance. Swedish automaker Volvo Cars is recalling 507,000 vehicles worldwide because of a faulty engine component that, in extreme cases, could result in a fire.The company, which is owned by Chinas Zhejiang Geely, said its own investigations have identified that in very rare cases the plastic engine intake manifold may melt and deform.In the very worst case, there is a possibility that a localized engine bay fire may occur, it said.When asked to provide details of the potential financial impact, Stefan Elfstrom, a spokesman for Volvo Cars, said, We dont comment on the cost. The company is keen to fix the faulty vehicles as fast as possible and customers wont incur any costs related to addressing the error, he said.The cars being recalled were produced in 2014 through 2019 and have a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine, Volvo Cars said in an emailed statement. The affected models are the S60, S80, S90, V40, V60, V70, V90, XC60 and XC90. While the company has no reports of accidents or personal injuries, all customers will receive a letter asking them to contact their local retailer for corrective
Origin: Volvo recalls 507,000 vehicles as probe finds fire risk
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Cadillac’s super-smart Super Cruise finds even more roads
A steering wheel light bar and cluster icons indicates the status of Super Cruise™ and will prompt the driver to return their attention to the road ahead if the system detects driver attention has turned away from the road too long. Super Cruise is active (green light bar) in this image.Cadillac Detroit, MICHIGAN—Cadillac’s semi-autonomous Super Cruise system is about to get a major update, with more roads ready for use. We can tell you from experience, it takes a big leap of faith to trust at first, but once over this hurdle, it works to perfection and, unlike other “traffic” assistants, it works at any speed—it was perfectly happy doing the piloting on the highway at 120 km/h. Once on a divided highway, the driver centers the car in the lane and, when ready, activates the system. Once activated, a light bar in the steering wheel turns green. Super Cruise now does all of the driving, and it does so without the need for the driver to have their hands on the steering wheel. To pass a car is simple. First signal, make the lane change, and when centered in the new lane, the system automatically picks up where it left off. The impressive part is that fairly sharp bends were taken smoothly and without the wheel-wrenching common in older systems. The fact it did this at the aforementioned 120 km/h and without the need for my itchy hands to step in was very impressive. The system is also smart. For example, when passing a large truck in the adjacent lane rather than hugging the centre of the lane, it moved left in the lane to give the truck, and me, some welcome breathing room. To ensure the driver has not nodded off or taken to texting because the system is in charge, a small camera mounted on the steering column monitors the driver—look away from the road and the system turns the light bar red to tell them to get a grip. It is quick to react, taking about four seconds to note I was not watching the road. If action is not taken, it goes on to vibrate the seat to wake a potentially drowsy driver. If there’s no action after the seat warning, the car will bring itself to a stop, and OnStar contacts the driver to find out if there is a medical emergency. If that’s the case, assistance is dispatched immediately. Currently there are 208,000 kilometres of highway in Canada and the US that have been mapped by LIDAR, the high-resolution imaging Super Cruise uses to interpret its surroundings, which allows it to operate without an on-board LIDAR. Using this hi-res mapping, cameras and radars, it navigates a dived highway with remarkable accuracy. By the time the CT4-V and CT5-V debut next year, the LIDAR-mapped roads will have grown to 320,000 km of Super Cruise-capable roads. The plus is the system is being upgraded from the current controlled-access divided highways to include divided highways with intersections and traffic lights. In the case of railroad crossings, pedestrian crossings, stoplights or stop signs, Super Cruise turns the steering wheel light bar red, which tells the driver to take control. Once through the intersection it resumes the driving duties. Interestingly, an intersection controlled by a yellow flashing light will see the system negotiate it without handing over to the driver. The only pause for thought is what happens if the amber flashing light changes to a red flashing light, making it a four-way stop intersection? Between map updates there is the risk the system will run the red, mistaking it for the stored flashing-amber. That aside, Super Cruise is streets ahead, literally, of its
Origin: Cadillac’s super-smart Super Cruise finds even more roads
Over 15 per cent of rideshare vehicles may have open recalls, CR finds
In this file photo, mechanic Antonio Ramos works on a car at San Rafael Firestone January 5, 2009 in San Rafael, California.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images Approximately one out of every six vehicles signed up for Uber and Lyft “carry unaddressed safety defects,” suggests a Consumer Reports review of data from Seattle and New York City. Uber and Lyft are letting down their customers and jeopardizing their trust, said CR safety policy advocate William Wallace. Uber’s website says people can ride with confidence,’ while Lyft promises peace of mind,’ yet both companies fail to ensure that rideshare cars are free from safety defects that could put passengers at risk. CR looked at information on nearly 94,000 vehicles registered to Lyft and Uber in the two metropolitan areas. Among the vehicles noted was a 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS with a total of eight unaddressed safety recalls, including possible seat-belt issues and engine failure. In other vehicles, CR’s researchers found issues like “deadly Takata airbags that could hurt or kill the driver or front-seat passengers.” It’s worth noting this seemingly high 1-in-6 rate of open recalls is around the same for all vehicles in the U.S. There are plenty of ordinary people who just don’t want to repair their cars, even when they should. Over 100 million people use the two popular ride-hailing apps as a regular way to get around, and according to CR, neither one has a clear policy when it comes to addressing open recalls.
Origin: Over 15 per cent of rideshare vehicles may have open recalls, CR finds
Autocar confidential: five-digit EV sales still a way off for Jaguar, Seat finds a more premium audience and more
This week’s selection of snippets from the automotive sphere brings news of Seat’s continuing rise towards premium status, a bright future for McLaren and Nissan’s worries that governments could be doing more for autonomy. London longing for electric Jaguars UK sales of the Jaguar I-Pace will double to around 3000 units in the next 12 months, according to UK boss Rawdon Glover, though he predicted that five-digit sales of the EV would be at least five years away. More than 40% of I-Pace sales are within the M25. Seat not so simple any more The Seat Tarraco and stand-alone Cupra brand are pushing buyers into higher, hitherto unseen price points for the firm, much to boss Luca de Meo’s delight. “We’ve been on a journey, first to get people to consider our cars for more than £20,000 and now more than £30,000. It is working. There was no future in selling our cars for 15% less than similar ones,” he says. McLaren gives customers what they want McLaren’s Special Operations department has tripled its business in the past two years, and CEO Mike Flewitt sees no reason why that trajectory won’t continue. “We’re seeing it again with Speedtail that people who buy exclusive cars want to make them individual,” he said. “Our bespoke content offering is hitting new heights.” Governments make autonomy a no-go? Peter Bedrosian, Nissan Europe’s product planning chief, says it’s government legislation, and not technology, that is slowing the advancement of autonomous vehicles. “It’s not the know-how holding us back – a lot of policy needs to change before we introduce level-three autonomy and above,” he said. “It requires a big change in legislation and infrastructure, because it profoundly changes cars. We’ll be ready for level three by 2019 and, depending on policies, 2020 for level four and above.”
Origin: Autocar confidential: five-digit EV sales still a way off for Jaguar, Seat finds a more premium audience and more
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