Technology

How do I get an update for the GPS in my 2015 Toyota Land Cruiser Sahara 200? The version installed is 25-14-17 and says the last update was June 2014.

When a car maker asks you to try to damage a vehicle, they're asking for trouble.

An electric compressor aids turbos in SQ7 for earthmoving torque, writes John Carey.

Several times over a number of months my Holden Astra has lost power without explanation. On each occasion I turned the ignition off, then on again, and the car restarted. Can you help?

Here’s proof that autonomous car technology still has a long way to go. We nearly crash at 100km/h testing an automatic overtaking system.Less than a week after an autonomous Google car crashed into a municipal bus in California, we got a frightening reminder why cars that can drive themselves are a long way from replacing humans.I nearly put a brand-new $100,000 Mercedes E Class into a concrete barrier at 100km/h while testing the car's new automatic overtaking function in Europe this week, before it goes on sale in Australia later this year.It was a stark reminder about the difference between “autonomous driving” and what the car industry is now trying to back-pedal and rename “driver assistance technology”.The demonstration was supposed to be simple. Pull the cruise control stalk, indicate to change lanes, and then watch as the car magically steers itself gently into the next lane.But as we learned the hard way, it does not work in all conditions. The car’s onboard cameras must be able to see line markings and, ideally, there will not be a sharp curve.One of our first tests of the technology happened to be on a gentle curve on a crest. It should have worked. We were driving in perfect daylight and the road markings were clear.But it didn’t. Although the video shows the wheel moving slightly left and then slightly right, the steering was not moving quickly enough to avoid a crash into the barrier.Fortunately, I grabbed the steering wheel just in time, and disaster was avoided. Mercedes got its car back in one piece.For the record, we tested the technology several times before and afterwards and it worked perfectly.Afterwards, we showed the chief engineer of this technology the video of our near miss and he said it was not clear if the assistance function was active (our video camera view did not show the symbol which indicates whether it was on or off).I believe it was on, because the steering moved left and then slightly right before I grabbed the wheel. The engineer was not convinced.Either way, it’s a warning to us all that “driver assistance” technology is not a party trick. And that truly autonomous driving still has a very long way to go.In the US this week, Ford week filed a patent for an in-car movie screen to be used in an autonomous car of the future.How about we wait for the industry to get the autonomous car right first? Right now, I’m not convinced.The next time you read something about an autonomous car, just remember we are witnessing the gradual automation of the automobile.Driving from Brisbane to Sydney to Melbourne and beyond while being able to read a newspaper or watch a movie is still decades away. If, indeed, it will ever happen.Can you imagine trusting a car to steer itself for you? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

It can take a hit from a runaway shopping trolley travelling at 40km/h. Meet the car that can’t be dented.The car that can’t be dented by shopping trolleys goes on sale in Australia today.In a world first, the French-made Citroen Cactus has large rubber panels on the doors, with air bubbles that can absorb the impact of a runaway shopping trolley travelling at 40km/h -- with 40kg of groceries on board.Shopping trolley dents and other dings cost car owners and the insurance industry millions of dollars in minor repairs each year.But dent removal experts say they don’t believe the Citroen Cactus will damage their business, because the car is sold in relatively small numbers -- and the full size protection strips with built-in air bubbles are unlikely to be fitted to other models.There is just one catch with the dent-free car.You need to be able to drive a “stick shift” manual transmission to buy the cheapest version of the Citroen Cactus.The $26,990 petrol model is available with manual transmission only.An automatic is available for $29,990, but it has a diesel engine.The Cactus is part of the growing trend towards SUVs that are more like high-riding hatchbacks than genuine bush bashers.Executives from the French car maker admitted when they came up with the name ‘Cactus’ it was meant to inspire images of a great weekend escape.They were not aware the word ‘Cactus’ in Australia can also mean something doesn’t work anymore or has conked out, as in “she’s cactus”.“The naming was a prickly issue and a thorn in the side of our marketing team, but it’s fundamental to the design philosophy of the vehicle,” said Citroen Australia spokesman Tyson Bowen. “It’s a fun name for a fun car.”Buyers clearly don’t mind being seen in the oddly-designed Cactus.One in three Citroen Cactus SUVs ordered in Australia so far are bright yellow -- even though there are 23,184 configurations from which to choose once you take into account all colour and trim combinations.Do you find the trolley-proof Cactus appealing? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Five seconds can be a lifetime when you're heading for a crash. And that's official.

Let's take a look at the driver assistance systems available now. Some work brilliantly because they can forgive inevitable human error and prevent tragedy.

Now that car makers are adding "daytime running lights", why don't they have them illuminate the tail-lights as an added safety feature?

In the stop-start function, what restarts the engine? The starter motor? Will it wear out sooner? How effective are these setups?