Lifestyle: Motoring – Technology goes off-road

A NEW generation of car buyers is looking beyond factors such as luxury and performance when deciding on their next choice of vehicle.

Buyers brought up in the era of the laptop and iPod are now assessing the levels of technology and connectivity featured in a vehicle before making their final choice.

Vehicle manufacturers are becoming increasingly aware of this and their latest vehicles have to reflect the latest trends.

Such a move was evident at the latest New York Motor Show where Jaguar Land Rover opted to focus as much on its latest technological developments as it did on its new models.

The technologies include remote control off-road driving, predictive infrared laser scanning, gesture and voice control activation, smart glass that transforms the connectivity of the interior experience, and semi-autonomous driving, both on- and off-road.

“The car of the future will become more capable, cleaner, more connected, more desirable and more intelligent,” says Dr Wolfgang Epple, JLR’s director of research and technology.

“These are the five themes that are leading the research we are undertaking at Jaguar Land Rover today. We are showcasing some very exciting new technologies on the Discovery Vision Concept car. While some have real potential and others are just concepts, both Jaguar and Land Rover will continue to set new standards and continue to grow by bringing these new technologies and innovations to our customers.”

The all-new Discovery family will be unveiled next year and JLR has confirmed the first model in the range will be the Discovery Sport, which it has pitched as a premium compact SUV (sports utility vehicle).

“This will be the most versatile and capable SUV in its segment,” said Land Rover design director and chief creative officer, Gerry McGovern, during his speech at the opening of the US show.

For the Land Rover brand, a priority is to push the technological boundaries of its legendary off-road abilities. JLR has said the next generation of Land Rover’s multi-mode terrain-tackling system, Terrain Response, could be enhanced by predictive “terrain scanning”, which uses infrared lasers in the Discovery Vision Concept’s front fog lamps to scan the ground in front of the vehicle.

Wade Aid takes Land Rover’s current wade sensing technology a stage further by predicting the depth of water before the car enters. A new sensory system would use lasers to judge the depth of a stream or pond and let the driver know the feasibility of the intended wading manoeuvre even before the tyres get wet. The company is also working hard on autonomous vehicles that, if the driver wishes, can drive themselves.

Audi A3 crowned World Car of the Year

AUDI has stolen a march on the competition after its A3 was named 2014 World Car of the Year.

This is the second overall title for Audi in the 10-year history of the World Car of the Year Awards as the Audi A6 won the inaugural overall title in 2005.

The third generation of the Audi A3 overcame the challenge from 23 other cars to win the prestigious title, which was selected by an international panel of judges comprising 69 top automotive journalists from 22 countries around the world.

Rupert Stadler, Audi board chairman, said: “The Audi A6 was the first ever winner of this award and we are delighted that the Audi A3 has repeated that achievement by being voted 2014 World Car of the Year. The Audi A3 showcases Audi’s technical competence in all aspects of car making, not least in the areas of lightweight technology, drivetrain, mobile infotainment and driver assistance systems. This major award win is an achievement that the whole company can celebrate.”

Renault looks to expand Brazilian operations

RENAULT has announced it is to beef up its operation in Brazil with the development of two new models for the home market.

Group chairman and chief executive Carlos Ghosn said the £133m investment would take place between 2014 and 2019 and be channelled into the Renault plant in Curitiba.

“Since 2011, Brazil has been the brand’s second largest market after France and it is a priority in the group’s global growth strategy”, he said.

Renault has been producing cars in Brazil for 15 years. With a market share of 6.7% it is the fifth largest carmaker in the country. The group is targeting an 8% market share by 2016.

The group has so far invested almost £400m into Brazil and plans to increase annual production capacity from 280,000 vehicles to 380,000.