SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

Innovation takes centrestage

as carmakers go digital

EHICLE registrations are on the rise in Qatar.

The total number of vehicles registered in
December alone last year was 10,317, Qatars
Monthly Statistical Bulletin revealed. The
number of vehicles registered in November
totalled 10,982 which was 11.9 percent more
than the number of vehicles that were registered a month
earlier, in October of 2015. The figure in October was 9,812.
Moving a gear up was the Qatar Motor Show, where
more than 25,000 automotive fans flocked to see the event.
The show wowed crowds since its opening and was billed
as one of the most anticipated events of the year. Showcasing 18 percent more brands than in 2015, the show was
bigger, bolder and more interactive.
Exhibitors included Audi, BMW, Bosch, Cadillac, Castrol, Chrysler, Continental, Dodge, Ducati, Ferrari, Ford,
GMC, Harley Davidson, Infinity, Jaguar, Jeep, KTM, Land
Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Maxus, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Performance Technology, Piaggio, Porsche,
RAM, Renault, Rolls Royce, Sand X, Titanium, Toyota, Triumph, VW and Ziebart.
Crowds at Qatar Motor Show 2016 were wowed by the
many activities that were on offer at the event. From simulators and parades to competitions and games, the activities
at Qatar Motor Show 2016 provided a highly interactive
element, helping establish Qatar Motor Show as one of
the most dynamic exhibitions on Qatars event calendar.
Popular among the attractions was the Evotek F1 simulator. Featuring an active seatbelt, vibrational system,
sound system, brake pedal feedback, and dynamic on three
rotational degrees, the Evotek Sym Club Edition was the
ultimate simulator experience, delivering a real-life F1
thrill. Also joining the simulator field, Toyota offered visitors the chance to experience a virtual test drive of the
all new Prius.
One visitor said: Im so pleased to be at Qatar Motor
Show. Its an amazing event. It is one of the annual events
the whole community comes out to attend. This years Fanzone in particular is very entertaining. Im already looking
forward to next year.
In addition, Toyota also displayed a variety of vehicles from its best-selling SUV and sedan range, including
the latest versions of Land Cruiser, Rav 4, Camry, Avalon,
New Prius and the Concept FT1 at its stand which featured the companys new global stand design in the form
of a Wave in motion.
The new Prius premium interior debuts advanced
technology complemented by features that are functional,
fun and also delight the eyes. The wrap-around dash
design, form-hugging seats, ease of controls and enhanced
visibility combine to make the new Prius a highly engaging automobile. Prius has set the global benchmark for
hybrids, but now is breaking its own boundaries with more

engaging style and fun-to-drive dynamics, on official said.

Volkswagen Middle East presented the new generation of the best-selling Tiguan the ultimate SUV for the
urban jungle - at the show.
The latest model will be available in three new powertrains ranging from a 1.4L engine with an output of 150
HP, up to a 2.0L engine with a 220 HP and a six and sevenspeed dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) with 4MOTION, which
is now offered for the first time in the Tiguan. The new
model will be available in five model configurations - S,
SE, SE 2.0L, SEL and Sport with an additional sport R-Line

Volkswagen presents the new Tiguan at Qatar Motor Show.

package for both the interior and exterior.

The new Tiguan is one of the worlds most advanced
Compact SUVs with impressive innovative features
enhancing the vehicles safety, convenience, infotainment
and dynamism. These include the 12.3-inch Active Info
display an interactive, fully digital main instrumental
panel and a Head-Up Display, offered for the first time in
a Volkswagen SUV. Furthermore, ensuring complete passenger comfort and convenience are features such as Easy
Open / Easy Close (automatic opening or closing of the tailgate in response to a specific foot movement behind the

Tiguan) and power comfort seats with a memory feature.

The SUV features include LED projection headlights,
digital Active Info Display and Head-Up Display - the new
Tiguan has transformed the Compact SUV segment with
smart, affordable and innovative features. The interior
is a model example of well thought-out ergonomics and
intuitive operating structures. The interplay of the dash
panel, centre console and door panels create a remarkably intuitive atmosphere for the driver. The weight of the
new Tiguan was also reduced by over 50kg compared
to the previous model. Meanwhile, the space offered in
the interior and luggage compartment has taken a gigantic leap forward. The boot volume of the new Tiguan can
store up to 615 litres of cargo (loaded to the back of the
rear bench); when the rear seat backrests are folded, its
capacity increases to 1,655 litres. This represents a gain of
145 litres. The new Tiguan will be available in showrooms
across the Middle East from August 2016.
Meanwhile, Porsche thrilled the 2016 Qatar Motor
Show with a total of four regional debuts highlighting the
brands latest advancements in producing benchmark setting models.
Building further upon its unrivaled legacy as one of
the worlds best-selling sports car, Porsches 911 premieres
included the new 911 Carrera 4S and 911 Targa 4S as the
brand goes into 2016 with a commanding start. From the
more powerful, yet more efficient 911 models, to the sporty
and dynamic Macan GTS, Porsches performance evolution showcased in Qatar saw over half a century of sports
car development on display.
The new 911 Turbo S is the top athlete in the 911 range
and thanks to new turbo chargers with larger compressors, the 3.8 litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine delivers
an output of 580 hp. This makes the Turbo S the first production 911 to accelerate to 100km per hour (km/h) in less
than three seconds, reaching the milestone speed in 2.9
seconds. The models top speed is 330 km/h, 12 km/h higher
than its predecessor. The same traits of Porsches sports
car evolution displayed in the Turbo S are extended to the
911 Carrera 4S and 911 Targa 4S which also made their
regional debuts at the Qatar Motor Show.
As the newest addition to Porsches SUV range, the
Macan GTS promises even more driving fun as the sports
car among compact SUVs. With an output of 360 hp, the
model features a 3.0 litre V6 bi-turbo engine, Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Porsche Traction Management
(PTM), with flexible power distribution between front and
rear axles.
Qatar Motor Show is hosted by Qatar Tourism Authority as part of the strategy to position Qatar as a premium
business events destination. Now in its sixth year, the show
has become one of the most anticipated regional consumer and trade shows on Qatars annual events calendar.

Officials with the Porsche range at the Qatar Motor show.

CHAIRMAN
Sheikh Thani bin Abdullah Al Thani

ACTING MANAGING EDITOR

Hussain Ahmad

SUPPLEMENT EDITOR
Mohammed Salim Mohammed

PRODUCTION
Viswanath Sarma

ACTING EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Dr Khalid Al-Sha

ADVERTISING MANAGER
Ali Wahba

DESIGN
Abraham Augusthy

IMAGE PROCESSING
Mohd Sajad Sahir

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

Hyundais all-new Sonata named best mid-sized sedan

YUNDAIS All-New
Sonata has received
the Middle East Car of
the Year Award in the
best mid-sized sedan
category, beating its
rival the Honda Accord. This was the
second regional award win for the
model in the past four months, with
Saudi Auto hailing the model as their
car of the year in August.
Taking place at Raffles Hotel
Dubai, the Middle East Car of the
Year Award (MECOTY) is in its second year and is fast becoming one of
the most prestigious, with each category judged by 12 highly regarded
automotive journalists from across
the Middle East.
Collectively, the judging panel is
made up some of the most seasoned
automotive journalists in the region.
Their opinions are the most sought
after in the Middle East, thus making it the most unbiased, credible and
prestigious award of its kind.
Commenting on the recognition of
the All-New Sonata, Jin (James) Kim,
Vice-President and Head of Operations for Hyundai Africa and Middle
East, said: Our success in the 2015
MECOTY Awards is a direct result of

the companys dedication to building vehicles of superior quality to its

competitors, in line with our Modern
Premium brand direction. The AllNew Sonata is one of our bestselling
Middle East models with 28,500 units
sold in 2014 alone. Therefore, we are
honoured that it has been recognised
and we believe that it will instill confidence in our customers in the quality
of Hyundai models in the market.
The seventh generation model

offers a more refined look than its

predecessor, through a new Fluidic
Sculpture design language, stiffer
body structure, enhanced ride & handling, reduced noise, vibration and
harshness and more convenience
features.
No longer reserved for luxury
cars, advanced safety technologies
such as Front & Rear Parking Assist,
Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control are
all available in this midsize sedan.
Furthermore, the Sonatas smart trunk
gives owners a convenient, hands-free
way to open the trunk, while keeping both feet firmly planted on the
ground; putting items away is easier
and more convenient.
The owner simply needs to
approach the Sonatas trunk with
the key fob in a purse or pocket and
wait three seconds. The trunk will
automatically open, making it easy
to place items inside when hands
are full. Sonata truly democratizes
the premium design and convenient

FROM LEFT: Saeed Al Marzooqui, Chairman, Custom Events; Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of Ministry of
Economy; Khaldon Abdel Hafez, Marketing Manager of Juma Al Majid Establishment; and Jihoon An, Hyundai
Africa and Middle East Marketing Deputy General Manager at the event.

technology of the Genesis sedan for

the mid-size class.
The verdict of MECOTY judges
builds on the All-New Sonata success story. In 2015 alone, the model
has been recognised internationally
as the 2016 Green Car of the Year by

the Green Car Journal, the Insurance

Institute for Highway Safetys (IIHS)
2015 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award as
being one of the safest models when
collisions occur and it received the top
mark in the midsize sedan category
in Auto Pacifics 19th annual Vehicle

Satisfaction Awards for its outstanding quality. Moreover, the accolades

dont stop there with world renowned
family magazine Edmonds naming the
model as one of the best family cars,
thanks to its roomy cabin space and
intuitive technology.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

People touch devices at the Ford stand during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Carmakers target tech buyers

Bloomberg

ARMAKERS are becoming a familiar sight at tech

shows, where theyre
rolling out new models
to woo a generation of
consumers who question the need for a car that only gets
them from A to B.
At this weeks Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Ford Motor Co
unveiled a new vehicle for Europe as
well as in- cockpit technology, Volvo is
showing off a keyless car and MercedesBenz Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton
will appear on a panel with the president of chipmaker Qualcomm Inc.
Eager to win over millennials who

may care more about the latest Apple

Inc iPhone than a redesigned Mustang,
carmakers are trying to become more
tech-savvy and shed their image as
20th century metal benders.
The pivot toward the younger set
comes amid a slowdown in China, competition from Tesla Motors Inc which
sends automatic software updates to
the cars command centre and a
boom in ride-sharing services such
as Uber that have left car companies
anxious about growth and eager to
try out a new crop of digital products
and services.
Carmakers have a very narrow
window of opportunity to win over
Generation Y, said Richard Viereckl,
an analyst at PwC in Frankfurt who coauthored a 2015 study on connected
cars. Theyre at these technology shows

Three in four
consumers said they
consider connected
car services an
important feature
in their next vehicle
purchase

to portray their brands as hip, and with

mounting competition from the likes
of Apple, Panasonic and Sony, theyre
fighting to keep the attention of and
access to their customers.
By 2022, 345 million autos

Mark Fields, President and CEO of Ford, delivers a keynote speech at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

worldwide will be connected to the

Internet, nearly four times more than
last year, according to IHS Automotive.
In six years, 98 percent of the cars sold
globally will be connected, up from 30
percent last year, the consulting firm
said. The trend is driven by customer
demand: Three in four consumers said
they consider connected car services
an important feature in their next vehicle purchase, AT&T Inc and Ericsson
said in a report in October.
The risk for carmakers is that Apple,
Google and Microsoft Corp will conquer the connected-car business with
operating systems and apps that people are familiar with. Google and Apple
already offer in-car infotainment systems with Apple CarPlay and Android
Auto, and Google is at the forefront of
developing self- driving cars.
Google and Apple have a good
chance as anyone at grabbing the
car ecosystem, said Kevin Curran, a
computer science professor at Ulster
University in Londonderry, Northern
Ireland. Cars today are computers with
wheels, and tech companies know that
field all too well.
To fend off the threat, carmakers are set to make big decisions
over the next 24 months, striking
cooperation pacts and increasing
spending on research and development as well as M&A to get ahead,
said Thilo Koslowski, who heads the
auto practice at researcher Gartner
Inc. Those who dont are at risk of
being left behind, he said.
General Motors Co debuted its
Chevrolet Bolt electric car at the
Consumer Electronics Show in Las
Vegas in January, before taking it to
the Detroit auto show a week later.
Such moves are aimed at highlighting
vehicles software and Web features,
with carmakers adding iPad-like

People visit the Ford stand during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

By 2022, 345 million

autos worldwide will
be connected to the
Internet, nearly four
times more than last
year, according to IHS
Automotive. In six
years, 98 percent of
the cars sold globally
will be connected, up
from 30 percent last
year, the consulting
rm said.

dashboard touch screens and moving

beyond to even more futuristic systems.
German caromakers BMW AG,
Audi AG and Daimler AG last year
teamed up to buy Nokia Oyjs HERE
map business, a response to Google
and Apple. BMWs iDrive system brings
apps, radio and navigation to the dashboard, reducing knobs and buttons for
a user experience thats closer to that
of a smartphone. Porsches Mission
E concept car unveiled last year features eye-tracking and gesture-control
functions, which include holograms
that allow the driver to grab apps out
of the air.

At Mobile World Congress, Ford

introduced a new model of the Kuga
sport utility vehicle for the European
market with updated communications,
entertainment and driver-assistance
features. It also outlined its latest plans
under the umbrella of Ford Smart
Mobility, the companys initiative
encompassing areas such as connectivity, autonomous vehicles and big data.
We are transitioning from an
auto company to an auto and mobility company, Ford Chief Executive
Officer Mark Fieldssaid in a Bloomberg TV interview at the event. The
company is tripling its engineering
investment in technologies making cars more semi-autonomous,
Fields said.
Its a tall order for carmakers
contending with fleet- footed tech
companies. The disruption brought by
the connected car is similar to what
happened 100 years ago, when the
automobile successfully challenged
the horse and carriage industry,
Koslowski said. Engineering excellence isnt enough anymore, but to
appeal to the next generation of buyers a carmaker needs to show how it
can enrich a consumers digital lifestyle, he said.
Automakers have an opportunity
to make cars even more compelling
and spark a renaissance of the car,
Koslowski said. They are being challenged and they have to be careful
that they dont turn into a horse and
carriage industry.

Maserati chases SUV sales boom with long-awaited Levante

Bloomberg

ASERATI unveiled its first sport

utility vehicle as the once-exotic
Italian brand pushes further
into the mainstream. Based on
a concept first shown five years ago, the allwheel-drive Levante will reach European
showrooms this spring and the rest of the
world later in the year, Maserati said on its
website. Itll face off against a growing field
of luxury crossovers, including the Jaguar
F-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLE and BMW X5.
The Levantes design has clear

associations with the Maserati brand and

its distinctive Italian character, the manufacturer said. Though the final price wont
be announced until a public presentation at
the Geneva car show next month, the Fiat
Chrysler Automobiles NVluxury unit has
said the SUV will start at about 70,000
($78,000), which would put it squarely
between the marques Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans.
The car is a cornerstone of Maseratis
effort to a more than double sales in the next
two years by reviving flagging demand in
the SUV-loving Chinese and US markets.
The nameplates global deliveries dropped
11 percent last year. Reversing that trend

is critical for Fiat Chrysler Chief Executive

Officer Sergio Marchionnes plan to more
than double group profit and turn a debt
burden into a cash surplus by 2018.
Maserati has sought to give the Levante
a sporting bent in both its styling and performance, putting it head-to-head with
stiff competition, including the Porsche
Cayenne, Ian Fletcher, a London-based analyst with IHS, wrote in a note. The Levante
will probably be a relative minnow in the
marketplace, Fletcher wrote, but still help
Maserati boost sales to 49,000 vehicles in
2017 from about 32,000 last year. Levante
production has already started at Fiat Chryslers Mirafiori plant in Turin.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

A relic is, nally, disappearing from dashboards

Bloomberg

ARMAKERS still put CD

players into the dashboards of the majority of
their cars, which seems
strange 14 years after the
iPod ushered in the intangible music
revolution. Now, finally, the in-dash
devices days might be numbered.
Compact-disc players have
been slowly following cassette
decks into the automotive-interior dustbin for a few years, and
their disappearance is suddenly
accelerating. A couple dozen 2016
models are rolling out without
homes for discs, particularly cars
targeting younger buyers, including the re-engineered Honda Civic
and every model in Toyota Motor
Corps Scion line.
The demise of the CD is in the
near future, said Corey Tsuno,
Scions product and accessory
operations manager. I dont think
well ever bring it back.
Its not just about saving the $30
it costs to incorporate a player into
a dashboard. That little slot is prime
real estate that can be used to make
touchscreens bigger; the larger the
screen, the better the resolution for
navigation programmes and streaming-music and other apps.
Tesla Motors, the maker of
luxury electric cars, has set the
cool-dash standard with a 17- inch
monitor. Its tough to find space in
something like a Civic for one that
big the CD player had to go for
Honda to shoehorn in a 7-incher.
General Motors no longer
accommodates CDs in some models
including the GMC Canyon pickup

Compact-disc players have been

slowly following cassette decks into
the automotive-interior dustbin for a
few years, and their disappearance
is suddenly accelerating. A couple
dozen 2016 models are rolling out
without homes for discs, particularly
cars targeting younger buyers,
including the re-engineered Honda
Civic and every model in Toyota
Motor Corps Scion line

and Chevrolet Camaro, and among

its luxury models only the Cadillac
SRX and Escalade are CD-player
equipped. Ford and Nissan drivers
can listen to discs in 2016 vehicles but the trend line shows thats
destined to change. Last year 17
percent of cars sold in North America were CD-playerless, this year
it will be 24 percent and by 2021
it will be 46 percent, according to
the research firm IHS Automotive.
Why arent the devices falling
out of favour even faster? Same reason that it wasnt until five years
ago that the in-dash cassette-tape
player was buried. Toyotas highend Lexus line had the machines
until the 2010 SC 430, said a company spokeswoman and kept
them nearly that long in the GS
sedan because the chief engineer
was clinging to his old tapes and
made sure his cars could play them.

Older people with trunks full of

favourite albums on discs are still
big spenders on new cars, and even
though though CD sales fell 15 percent the music industry managed to
unload 141 million of them, according to data from Nielsen Plc.
And theres a hardcore group
that may never give them up.
Audiophiles like the sound, said
Mark Boyadjis, a senior analyst
at IHS. The data that plays music
gets compressed to store more
tunes on devices like iPods and
smart phones, and that cuts into
sound quality. CD music has less
compression.
If you want both a big touchscreen and CD capability, dig out
that portable player from the 80s
and hook it up to your dash with
a USB cord. You could even hang
it from the rearview mirror. They
havent gotten rid of those yet.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

Charging a smartphone while

driving isnt free as you think

The number of
vehicles sold in
the US with USB
charge ports rose
to about 14.6
million last year
from about 3.3
million in 2005,
the rst year they
were available,
and is projected
to climb to 16.7
million by 2022,
according to a
forecast from the
consulting rm
IHS. Global sales of
vehicles with USB
ports will increase
to 85 million in
2022 from about
49 million last
year, IHS said.

The proliferation of
consumer devices, the
growth of dashboard
touch screens and
other technology,
and the shrinking
size of engines to
meet fuel-economy
mandates mean the
12-volt automobile
electrical system is
just about tapped out.
Some carmakers are
already turning to
supplemental 48-volt
systems in future
models.

Washington Post

TS NOT just using a handheld phone while driving

thats a menace to society.
It turns out that charging it
in the car has consequences
too. Thats because a phone
drawing electricity from a USB port
cuts 0.03 miles from each gallon of
petrol in a tank. Across the fleet of
vehicles in the United States, that
would mean about 970,000 tonnes
of extra planet-warming carbon
dioxide a year, according to calculations by Jon Bereisa, a retired
General Motors engineering executive who studies vehicle power
usage. With a race under way to see

how many charging ports carmakers

can cram into a car, the increased
pollution is only going to get worse.
Do I think were at peak USB?
No, said Mary Gustanski, vice-president of engineering and programme
management at Delphi Automotive,
which makes wiring and USB ports

for vehicles.
Well get more and more creative to not only allow you to connect
with USB but also to connect wireless. Consumers want their car to be
just like their home.
Its not just an environmental issue, either. The proliferation

of consumer devices, the growth of

dashboard touch screens and other
technology, and the shrinking size of
engines to meet fuel-economy mandates mean the 12-volt automobile
electrical system is just about tapped
out. Some carmakers are already
turning to supplemental 48-volt

systems in future models.

The number of vehicles sold in
the US with USB charge ports rose to
about 14.6 million last year from about
3.3 million in 2005, the first year they
were available, and is projected to
climb to 16.7 million by 2022, according to a forecast from the consulting
firm IHS. Global sales of vehicles with
USB ports will increase to 85 million
in 2022 from about 49 million last
year, IHS said.
That estimate doesnt capture
how many ports are in a particular
vehicle. For example, the new Chrysler Pacifica minivan, which goes on
sale later this year, will have nine USB
charging points, the most of any automobile, said Bruce Velisek, Director
of Chrysler brand product marketing.
The model it replaces has four charging points, he said.
To make his calculation, Bereisa
assumed that a typical smartphone
connected to WiFi or the Internet
needs about 4.8 watts of energy to
charge in a car. (Delphi estimates that
some less-efficient models draw twice
that amount.)

For a vehicle getting about 30

miles per gallon, thats a 0.03 mpg
loss, he said. Spread out across about
3 trillion road miles motorists drive
each year in the US assuming an
average speed of 30 mph the estimated extra usage is 100 million
gallons of petrol, or about $200m in
costs, said Bereisa, the chief executive
officer of Auto Electrification LLC in
Sunrise Beach, Missouri.
The estimated extra CO2 created by plugging in one phone in
every car in the US would be about
the same as that produced by
185,257 passenger vehicles in one
year, according to an Environmental Protection Agency website that
converts greenhouse gas into realworld equivalents. Put another way,
thats the pollution created by burning 945 million pounds of coal.
By far, the cheapest way to
charge a smartphone is at home,
Bereisa said. It costs about 2 cents an
hour to charge a phone in a car compared with about 0.06 cent at home,
or 33 times less. Petrol would have
to fall to 6 cents a gallon to compete with home electricity, he said.
It would also produce about half the
carbon dioxide.
Thats why modern electricity
power plants are not driven by petrol engine generators, said Bereisa,
who worked on the EV-1 and Volt
electric-vehicle programs and fuelcell models during his 35 years at GM.
We go through life without realizing
how important energy is to everything we do, and the consequences
of our energy consumption. We grow
up entitled to just plug it in or flip the
switch or push start with no idea of
whats behind it all.

Renault to roll out new version of Alpine sports car next year
Bloomberg

ENAULT will roll out a new version of the low-slung Alpine sports
car in 2017, reviving the mothballed
nameplate in a bid to add racing flair
to the French carmakers lineup of utilitarian
compacts.
The two-seater will be able to accelerate to 100km an hour in 4.5 seconds, about
as quickly as a Porsche 911 Carrera, and itll
replace the Espace minivan as Renaults
most expensive car when it hits showrooms in Europe. Shuttered in 1995 because
of poor sales, the niche Alpine brand was
most known for the A110 Berlinette coupe,
which beat Porsche models in rally competitions in the 1970s.
Alpine represents racing glory, and
reviving the brand is a strategic opportunity
to win over new customers, Carlos Ghosn,

Renaults Chief Executive Officer, said at a

presentation in Monaco.
Ghosn is resurrecting Alpine to help
balance out Renaults alliance with more
profitable Japanese partner Nissan. The
16-year-old tie-up has been under strain
since the French state unexpectedly
increased its stake in Renault last year, giving
it more control over the group than Nissan.

France has since thwarted Nissans effort to

gain more say.
The dispute over control highlighted
weaknesses within the alliance structure
and puts pressure on Ghosn, who also runs
Nissan, to lift margins at Renault and narrow
the gap with its Japanese partner.
The new Alpine, which has been under
development since at least 2012, is aimed at

adding sporty cachet to the French manufacturer in an effort that also includes Renaults
return to Formula 1 racing. Still, sales of the
model will probably be modest because of
fading demand for niche sports cars and the
limited appeal of the brand. Forecaster IHS
Automotive predicts the Alpine will peak
at about 1,300 deliveries in 2018, less than
a rounding error for a company that made
2.3 million vehicles last year. About 30,000
Alpine cars were built between 1955 and
1995.
The Alpine is sort of a halo exercise,
which could fall flat, said Tim Urquhart,
an analyst at IHS Automotive. They made
some interesting and good cars in the 1970s
and 80s, but these are very dim and distant
memories.
Renault, which owns the budget Dacia
brand but lacks an upscale complement to
its mass-market offerings, has broader plans
beyond the Alpine Vision concept shown
Tuesday. The company said itll be just the

first of a new family of cars that may include

high-end hybrids and sport utility vehicles.
Were flexible where to take the brand, said
Thierry Bollore, the automakers chief competitive officer. Everything is on the table.
Renault plans to give the white Alpine
Vision a break with the traditional blue
used in the Berlinette time to prove itself,
with a 10-year road map to build out the
brand. A previous attempt to shift upscale
with the Initiale Paris concept car, a plush
crossover shown at the Frankfurt motor
show in 2013, hasnt yet translated into a
line of new vehicles.
Still, some customers have already
been calling to ask for the Alpine, said
Ralph Saenger, brand manager for Renault
and Dacia at the Auto Witzel dealership in
Bochum, Germany. The success of such a
revival depends on a healthy mix of referencing historical design and setting new, unique
standards in technology, Saenger said. Itll
showcase what Renault is capable of.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

Toyota reshapes the future of sustainable motoring

Toyotas hybrid
technology marks
a breakthrough in
automobile fuel
consumption and
reects the companys
commitment
to utilising the
technology in driving
sustainability forward.

OYOTA announced the

availability of the fourth
generation Prius in the
Middle East to unveil
the latest version of this
global green icon, which
takes the hybrid concept further than
ever, with striking design, higher
expected fuel economy ratings and
greater ride comfort. The arrival of
the Prius, Toyotas first hybrid vehicle
in the region, reflects Toyotas mission
in engaging with local communities
and continuous efforts to contribute
to society by making automobiles that
lead to a cleaner environment.
Toyotas hybrid technology marks
a breakthrough in automobile fuel
consumption and reflects the companys commitment to utilising the
technology in driving sustainability forward. The Prius will raise
awareness around the premium performance of hybrid technology and
will assist in cementing the leading
position of alternative energy vehicles.
Commenting on the arrival of
the Prius to the region, Takayuki

Yoshitsugu, Chief Representative

of Middle East & North Africa Representative Office, Toyota Motor
Corporation, said: At Toyota, we
firmly believe that technology is a
vital enabler for sustainable development. Driven by this belief, Toyota
has been working on the future of
sustainable motoring by heavily
investing in introducing vehicles
that are environment friendly and
fun to drive. Toyotas hybrid experience will be extremely rewarding for
our customers. Great looks, comfort
and space combined with advanced
technology, finely tuned aerodynamics and lightweight materials ensure
an exhilarating driving performance,
world-class efficiencies and ultra-low
CO2 emissions. We see great potential

in the Middle East for the Prius. We

also sincerely appreciate the unwavering support from our customer
base for our initiatives to make more
environmentally friendly vehicles.
In 1993, automotive brands were
launching standard cars with basic features. The same year, Toyota invested
heavily in developing vehicles with
the future in mind. The three environmental challenges that Toyota had
addressed included introducing alternative energy sources as opposed to oil,
reducing CO2 emissions and preventing
pollution. In December 1997,
Toyota launched the first generation Prius, the worlds first
mass-produced hybrid vehicle. In 18
years after rolling out the first Prius,
Toyota has sold more than 8 million

hybrid vehicles worldwide. Today with

the launch of the 2016 Prius, Toyota
celebrates 56 years of fruitful research
and development efforts.

The two power sources of

Toyotas hybrid technology

Toyotas hybrid vehicles provide

high performance without wasting
gasoline, propelled by the synergy
between two power sources, which
are the gasoline engine and the electric
motor. When accelerating, the vehicle
uses an electric motor that does not
require gasoline to accelerate efficiently
and powerfully. In response to driving conditions, the system efficiently

combines power from the electric motor

and gasoline engine automatically.
When the vehicle has stopped,
the system also automatically shuts
down the engine to avoid wasting
fuel during idling. The cumulative
effect of preventing gasoline wastage in this manner means Toyotas
hybrid technology can provide dramatically better fuel efficiency than
any other vehicle in its class. There is
no need to charge the hybrid system
battery using external equipment. The
hybrid system automatically charges
the battery by using electricity generated each time you apply the brakes.
Please click on the following link
which explains the two power sources
https://youtu.be/i6fFwQaftac
Toyota hybrid not only fits the

The Future is Now

Two Power Sources ENGINE x MOTOR combine to create a fresh driving sensation.
The powerful driving experience will make your heart leap. The hybrid system seamlessly combines power from the engine and motor,
providing the dynamism and smooth acceleration of a vehicle with a larger engine. Both the engine and motor stop when the vehicle stops.
While driving, the Prius efficiently combines engine and motor power to deliver excellent fuel efficiency.
Image shown for illustration purposes only.

regions sustainability agenda, but is

also in line with the global direction
towards more sustainable and greener
communities. The Prius, as a symbol
of Toyotas hybrid technology, will
contribute to achieving the new Millennium Sustainable Development
Goals, which strive for a healthy lifestyle, taking urgent actions to combat
climate change, and ensuring access
to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all.
The alignment between what is
delivered with Toyotas hybrid technology and the efforts exerted globally
to sustain the planets resources
makes the Prius the perfect car for
responsible drivers who are aiming to
adopt a more eco-friendly approach
towards our planet.

WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2016

Hyundai Motorsport rolls out New Generation i20 WRC

YUNDAI Motorsports
brand new car, the
New Generation i20
WRC made its debut
atthe 2016 FIA World
Rally Championship
(WRC) in Monte Carlo in January.
The New Generation i20 WRC
marks the opening of an exciting new
chapter in the short history of Hyundai
Motorsport, building on two successful
seasons in the competitive WRC environment. In that time, the team has
undertaken a steep learning curve to
establish itself as a genuine competitor against tough opposition.
Commenting on the new i20 during the unveiling ceremony at Hyundai
Motorsport factory in Alzenau, Germany, in December, Jin (James) Kim
Vice-President and head of operations for Hyundai Motor Company
in Africa and the Middle East, said:
Our ongoing involvement with the
WRC is a real brand shaper for us. The
championship is something which
really appeals to our target youth
audience therefore we will continue
to invest in this sector of our business, and this special edition i20 is
testament to this.
Following its foundation-laying year in 2013, the team quickly
developed a brand new WRC car from
scratch for its first season of competition in 2014. The car proved to be
both quick and reliable, securing a
maiden win in Germany on August
2014. From there, the team enjoyed a

The New Generation

i20 WRC marks
the opening of
an exciting new
chapter in the short
history of Hyundai
Motorsport, building
on two successful
seasons in the
competitive WRC
environment.
more consistent second season, scoring four podium finishes and fighting
for second place in the Manufacturers Championship right up to the
season finale.
In early 2015, the team committed
to a year-long test and development
programme for a WRC specification
of the road-going New Generation
i20. The New Generation i20 accumulated 8,000km of testing prior
to the unveiling ceremony and has
proven to be quicker than its predecessor, with the teams drivers also
praising improved drivability.
The new car is the result of the
Hyundai Motorsports evolution since
2013 and although the team is still
young, it is far more established in

the WRC community. This growth

is also reflected in the teams bolder

ambitions for the 2016 season, namely

to fight at the front in every stage and
to mount a heightened Championship assault.
Hyundai Motorsport will field
three cars in every round of the 2016
Championship, with Dani Sordo, Hayden Paddon and Thierry Neuville all
confirmed for a full season of WRC.
From Monte-Carlo to a new-look season finale in Australia, while also
taking in a brand new event in China,
the trio of drivers will share the #3, #4
and #20 cars during the season. The
precise car-driver composition will
differ from event to event, offering
the team full flexibility in its Championship strategy.
The team began its third season
with two New Generation i20 WRCs
and one previous model at Rallye
Monte-Carlo before increasing to three
identical cars from Rally Sweden. The
teams title partners Shell and Mobis

both stand out on the new car, and

will continue to be named as part of
the two team entries Hyundai Shell
World Rally Team and Hyundai Mobis
World Rally Team.
The team has also retained the services of rising Dutch star Kevin Abbring,
who will remain as Hyundai Motorsport Test Driver. Abbring will contest
selected WRC rounds in a fourth car as
part of his agreement, but his primary
focus will be on managing development of the teams 2017 car and R5
activities.
The R5 car is based on the New
Generation i20 which will roll out
soon, falling under the banner of
Hyundai Motorsports customer racing
division. There will be a development
phase during the first half of 2016,
homologation of the car in mid-2016,
and an opening to orders in the second part of the year for private rally
drivers of WRC.

The New
Generation i20
accumulated
8,000km of
testing prior to the
unveiling ceremony
and has proven to
be quicker than
its predecessor,
with the teams
drivers also
praising improved
drivability.

The 2016 Jaguar XJ-R sedan is the perfect shape and size
By Hannah Elliott
Bloomberg

HE 2016 Jaguar XJ-R Sport is a

luxury sedan that looks like a
lot of other luxury sedans. The
crimped hood is going in a BMW
7-Series direction. The back looks
like, well, a back. The fish-mouth
grill looks almost like that of an Audi A4. And
remember the way Jags used to look? You
could spot one blocks away.
What you dont realise at first glance is
that, while Jaguar is doing the same sedan
design everyone else is doing, they are the
ones doing it best. The XJ-R embodies the
form in a way that exceeds everything else.
I drove the $81,775 XJ-R around New York
last week, dipping for moments into Brooklyn and spanning the upper reaches of the
West Side Highway before putting it to work
as a conveyance to several New York Fashion Week runway shows, not to mention a
last-minute trip to Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
The car is surprising. While we know and
love the F-Type, offerings from Jaguar in recent
years have been somewhat less compelling.
But a British friend of mine in town for Fashion Week went gaga over the XJ-Rs jet interior
with ivory stitching; he loved the fact that the
panoramic sunroof involves two roofs, one
for the front and one for the rear, that operate independently of each other. He approved
the look of the car, which is rampant progress
for the brand that sat stagnant in past years
under the weight of sleepy design and finicky mechanics.
I felt the same. The XJ-R is the largest and
most expensive of the four-door sedans Jaguar offers in the United States. It comes with
a V6 engine supercharged to 340 horsepower

and bolstered by dynamic stability control

and adaptive all-wheel drive.
This all-wheel-drive version of the XJR
line gets to 60 miles per hour in 6.1 seconds,
which is the slowest of the family (the V8 XJR
gets there in 4.4 seconds) but the most capable for adverse weather and road conditions.
Top speed is 121mph.
From behind the wheel, the car feels perfect in its dimensions not too long a hood,
not too fat a tail. Its wide enough to accomodate five tall adults but easy to parallel

park in any old West Village spot, should the

need arise. I can imagine that owning an XJ-R
would be like Goldilocks finding her perfect
chair: Not too big, not too small. Just right.
When you press the gas, the car surges
in one secure swoop; the steering wheel is
dimensioned so well that you dont notice
whether its small, large, thick, or thin
a phenomenon that never happens in
other cars and the associated handling
is focused like a bullet. Youll be surprised
at the energy you feel when you ask it to

move. Its a different intensity from anything weve seen at Audi, Lexus, or Mercedes
lately. Plenty To Offer, Inside and Out
If you can afford it, Id choose to include
the adaptive cruise control to your car, the
park-assist cameras, the heated windshield
(youll be driving in snow, after all), the
26- speaker Meriden surround sound system, and the front-seat comfort pack that
includes side rear shades for increased privacy while you drive. Skip the illumination
package that lights up the Jaguar logo in

the floorboards like a club as well as the

superfluous four-zone auto climate control.
Does anyone actually use the massaging
seats that come optional in cars like this?
I certainly dont, other than to give them
a brief test their pressure is far too light
and not targeted enough for my taste. Id
leave that option behind as well.
Plenty of other nice things come as standard components of the car: the handsome
19-inch wheels; the full LED front and rear
lights; the eight-inch touchscreen integrated
with the round knob that controls Drive functions; and the InControl remote that allows
you to monitor your XJ through your smartphone to check fuel levels, temperature, and
security when youre not around. The combination of heated and cooled front and rear
seats is a rare standard-issue treat in this
segment. Frankly, Its Handsome
I do wish this sedan were a bit more economical: A guzzle rate of 17 miles per gallon in
the city and 26mpg on the highway is hardly
generous. But its tough to stay true to your
ideals in front of such a handsome face.
The XJ-R manages to lure with a long
physique that evokes the same sleek feline
that jumps forward on its logos. The new
ammonite gray paint highlights the sculpted
sides, gloss black radiator grille, and chiseled nose; the discrete red-badge labels and
dark wooden steering wheel play peekaboo
on second take like the interior lining of a
bespoke suit. Jaguar has managed here to
give us something that regards its aggression as better spent underneath the hood
than flung around like ill- spent plastic
on an over-styled exterior. That attention
is evident throughout, come to think of it.
Whether performing under pressure or simply standing still, the XJ-R sedan piques
our interest in a segment that, more often
than not, just bores.