Technology

The Volkswagen Tarok “urban pick-up” concept shown at the 2018 Sao Paolo motor show is firming to appear in US showrooms, but remains ruled out for Australia. Based on the brand’s MQB platform with optional all-wheel drive, Volkswagen US sees a market for the Tarok.Where most utes - or, in local parlance, trucks - are gigantic in North America, VW believes an untapped market exists for smaller models aimed at urbanites searching for a more lifestyle-orientated vehicle.“As (mid-size) pickups get bigger, to the stage where they are as big as full-size pickups were not so long ago, and more expensive and less fuel-efficient, we are trying to see if there is space for a vehicle with a smaller footprint that potentially is more affordable and gets better fuel economy,”  Volkswagen of America’s Senior Vice President of Product Marketing and Strategy told The Detroit News.Unfortunately, the Tarok’s chances for Oz appear very slim, with Volkswagen Australia's Paul Pottinger telling CarsGuide that "There’s not enough capacity at either end for our market. There's just no appetite for a compact ute in Australia."To be built in Mexico, and thus avoiding the USA’s 25-per-cent "chicken tax" on imported commercial vehicles, the Tarok will reportedly be available with a trio of turbocharged four-cylinder engines.The concept used a 110kW/250Nm 1.4-litre and a 132kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo petrol, while a 110kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo-diesel could also be made available. All-wheel drive will likely be optional, and both manual and automatic gearboxes will be available. The Tarok concept also featured a very clever variable load space, which allowed the rear seat to be dropped to extend the useable length of the tray.

Audi has revealed the next generation of its high-riding A6 allroad wagon, which will land in Australia in the first half of 2020. Based on the new generation A6, which is due on sale locally soon, the allroad sits 45mm higher than the standard wagon, and can offer up to 184mm of ground clearance depending on which mode the air suspension is in. The styling of the A6 allroad mimics past variants, too, with plastic bumpers and revised front and rear styling for a more off-road look. Other off-road tech includes hill-descent control, as well as a tilt-angle assistant that informs drivers of the angle that the car is sitting at. Up to six driving modes are also available to choose from.Like the standard A6, four-wheel steering is available optionally and allows the rear wheels to turn up to five degrees in the opposite direction to the front wheels to increase maneuverability at speeds of up to 60km/h.The only available engine is a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel in three tunes: 170kW/500Nm, 210kW/620Nm and 257kW/700Nm. Fuel use is between 5.8L and 6.4L/100km, thanks to Audi’s 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which is capable of recovering up to eight kilowatts of power during braking. That power is fed to a 10Ah battery, which then contributes the power back under acceleration. All tunes of the V6 engine are offered only with an eight-speed automatic, which is matched to Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system as standard. An optional sport differential then further distributes power between the rear wheels.Inside, the A6 allroad arrives with unique trim and colour combinations, with black, beige and brown available to choose from. European variants offer half cloth and leather trims as standard, though Australian models will get full leather.The A6 allroad gets the same multimedia set up as the regular A6, with a 10.1-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital driver’s display. Audi is also releasing a special edition, the '20 Years allroad’, which can be ordered in three colours - ‘Gavial Green’, ‘Glacier White’ and ‘Soho Brown’ - and arrive with unique 19-inch wheels, a black styling package, black sports seats, aluminium inlays and illuminated door sills.The A6 allroad will compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class All Terrain and Volvo V90 Cross Country when it launches locally in the first half of 2020. Local pricing and specification are yet to be announced. 

Mazda UK has announced performance and fuel economy data for its upcoming SkyActiv-X engine, which will be launched into the Australian Mazda3 towards the end of 2019. Going on sale in the UK in July, the 2.0-litre supercharged SkyActiv-X engine with the company’s new compression ignition tech will reportedly produce 133kW of power and 223Nm of torque, which is slightly less than the current 2.5-litre SkyActiv four-cylinder petrol engine used in the G25 variants locally. The SkyActiv-X engine has a high 16.3:1 compression ratio, and thanks to the supercharger, its peak torque is produced 1000rpm lower than the current G25 engine, at 3000rpm. As for fuel economy, Mazda UK claims that the SkyActiv-X engine will use as little as 5.4L/100km on a combined cycle - 1.2L/100km less than the Australian G25. Although Australian figures are yet to be announced, we expect the combined figure to be comfortably below 6.0L/100km despite possible weight differences, larger wheels and different fuel quality. Emissions are similarly improved - the SkyActiv-X engine emits as little as 96g/km of CO2, which compares well with the current 2.0-litre (143g/km) and 2.5-litre (153g/km) variants of the Mazda3.The UK-spec SkyActiv-X engine is also combined with a mild-hybrid system that allows the car to have its engine switched off for “extended periods of time”, according to the brand. Whether or not the SkyActiv-X engine will be paired with the same mild-hybrid system locally is unknown.When it goes on sale in the UK, Mazda will offer the SkyActiv-X engine in both the sedan and hatchback bodystyles, and with either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox - and possibly with either front- or all-wheel drive. Mazda Australia is yet to comment on when the SkyActiv-X engine will be sold locally, but we expect it to be offered only in higher-spec versions of the Mazda3 range, possibly as an option.Mazda has confirmed that the 2.0-litre SkyActiv-X engine will be offered in the CX-30 small SUV when it goes on sale locally in 2020. It’s also announced that larger six-cylinder versions of the SkyActiv-X engine concept will be produced in the future, though smaller iterations for cars such as a future Mazda2 are yet to be confirmed.

Gordon Murray Automotive, the company that is helmed by the famed McLaren F1 designer, has revealed what it considers to be the spiritual successor to the F1, via technical drawings.The mid-engine, rear-drive machine is also claimed to be "the purest, lig

Ian Callum will step down from his role as design director of Jaguar after working with the company for 20 years.Stepping down to “pursue other design projects”, Callum will be replaced by current creative design director Julian Thompson, though he will remain a consultant to the brand.Callum is credited with turning Jaguar into the modern brand it is today, and has produced quite a product resume: the XK (2006), XF (2007) and XF Sportbrake, XJ (2009), C-X75 concept (2010), F-Type (2012), F-Pace (2015) and I-Pace (2018). Callum began his career in 1979 by designing cars for Ford. After 11 years there, he left to head up TWR Design. In 1999, he succeeded the late Geoff Lawson as Jaguar’s director of design, and also directed Aston Martin design for a short time - the two brands were then part of Ford’s Premier Automotive Group. He had a hand in shaping the Aston Martin DB7 and DB9, as well as the Vanquish. “I came into this role with a mission to take Jaguar design back to where it deserved to be. It has taken 20 years, but I believe I have achieved what I set out to do, ” Callum said.  “Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects. Designing Jaguar cars was a lifelong dream for me.”Callum's successor, Julian Thompson, has been at Jaguar since 2000 and also worked at Ford. Thompson's CV also includes roles as head of design for Lotus and chief of exterior design at the Volkswagen Group.

Apple has revealed an updated version of its CarPlay smartphone mirroring technology, which will be part of iOS13 updates scheduled for launch in the third quarter of 2019. Revealed at the company’s 2019 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the updated CarPlay focuses on ease of use by adding extended Siri functionality.For example, you can now use voice control for third party applications such as Waze and Spotify. This change makes it safer to use while driving - you no longer have to input addresses by touch into some apps. CarPlay has also been updated with a more modern look and uses more of the available screen. A new home screen has been added so maps can be seen in the same screen as music and messages.Some of the applications available with CarPlay have also been updated as part of iOS13. The Music app now has more emphasis on album art, while the Calendar app includes more relevant information.Apple has also changed CarPlay so if an app is open on the phone, it doesn’t  have to be open on the car's screen. This allows passengers to not interrupt the car’s screen and let the driver continue seeing other screens, including navigation apps. Apple has also made it possible to integrate CarPlay into other screens in cars - Volkswagen’s Active Info Display, for example. An automatic ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ mode that stops notifications while on the move has also been added. To be included as part of the iOS13 update, the updated CarPlay will launch in the third quarter of 2019. It will be automatically included with the new software update, and drivers do not need to upgrade their car's screen to receive the new system.

The parent company of Mercedes-Benz, Daimler has opened a new autonomy division, with plans to make its fleet of trucks autonomous within a decade.

Is it possible to get Apple CarPlay in my 2018 RAV4 GX?

 

The Lexus RX has been revealed ahead of its Q4 arrival in Australia, with the five- or seven-seat SUV getting a cabin-tech overhaul with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make their brand debut.

Hyundai's new bus can ferry 70 passengers 300km with its gigantic 384kWh battery.