Author: Tabitha
The 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe tall wagon will be the company’s first model to offer fingertip technology for unlocking and starting the vehicle, without a key or a keyfob. Placing a finger over a sensor in the door handle gets the authorized driver inside. Placing a finger over a sensor on the dash then starts the vehicle. Hyundai said the tech also provides a customized driving environment; the vehicle automatically adjusts seating positions, connected-car features and side-view mirror angles. And there’s more: plans are to expand fingerprint reading to adjust temperature, steering wheel and other features tailored to driver’s preferences.…
The Sleuth hears that Honda is Toyota’s target as it looks to increase the visibility of the TRD brand. Those initials, which stand for Toyota Racing Development, are currently attached to special-edition Tacoma and Tundra pickups with greater off-road capability. For the 2020 model year, both the Camry and Avalon sedans — yes the Camry and Avalon — will receive the TRD treatment, including sport suspensions, body cladding, front and rear spoilers, special wheels and interiors. Apparently, TRD models will eventually include all-wheel-drive and a bit more performance under the hood. Ultimately, nearly every vehicle in Toyota’s lineup will offer…
Among the evolving hot categories is the midsize-pickup segment, especially since Ford is bringing back the Ranger nameplate following a long absence. Hyundai teased truck buyers with a Santa Cruz small truck concept in 2015 and now The Sleuth’s sources hear that it — or something quite similar — is definitely production-bound for the 2020 model year. What’s more, the related Kia brand is expected to have its own pickup a year or two following the launch of the new Hyundai. The Santa Cruz is expected to stick with the sport-truck theme, which means it will come only in extended-cab…
Toyota has added an electric motor at the rear wheels of a new 2019 Prius hybrid model, giving the car all-wheel-drive for the first time. The 2019 Toyota Prius AWD-e was due to arrive at Toyota dealerships early in the new year. Without needing a center differential to distribute power to all four wheels, the third motor powers the rears at launch, up to six mph, “and then whenever needed by traction, up to 43 mph,” according to alternative-vehicles webmagazine Green Car Reports. The all-wheel-drive Prius could account for as much as a quarter of U.S. Prius sales, and be…
Seeking to better understand how humans will interact with self-driving cars, British company Ansible Motion has developed a simulator that provides a safe and repeatable environment to test and validate the driver-assistance and autonomous technologies being fitted to new vehicles almost daily. Ansible says the driver-assistance-systems market is set to grow by US $70 billion within five years, fueled by vehicle manufacturers pushing for increasing levels of autonomy to address emerging legislation [and] the issue of how real people might react “to a car receiving more notifications, or even taking control from the driver. We are able to test what…
Just about everyone who has a trailer hitch installed on their vehicle has injured their shin or kneecap on the receiver. A simple remedy is the ShinShield. This protective cover is made from a special polymer compound that the manufacturer claims will remain soft from -40 F to +150. ShinShield installs between the ball and most standard 2.5-inch (class-5) receivers (rated for up to 17,500 pounds of gross trailer weight,17,000 pounds of gross trailer weight and 1,700 pounds of tongue weight). ShinShield sells for $20 and $25 with the logo of your favorite sports team. Order at www.hitchsolutions.net.
The Linear Edge is known for its variety of race-track wall art (Wall Tracks) depicting well-known street and road-course venues. Each piece is made from Baltic birch over a laminated plywood base. Using the same process, the company has now expanded its line to include race- and collector-car pieces. Subjects include Formula One, Formula e and Indycar racecars as well as classic AC Cobra, Ford GT 40, Mercedes-Benz 300 SL and Pontiac GTO, to name just a few. All would make interesting conversation pieces when displayed in a den, office or garage (using the supplied Velcro mounting strip). Each 16-…
The announcement of GM plant closures in the United States and Canada also means that several of its four-door cars will cease production. Along with the Chevrolet Impala and Cruze, the Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac XTS and CT6, Chevrolet will reportedly drop the Volt plug-in hybrid. On the surface, the Volt’s cancellation seems at odds with GM’s stated intention of electrifying much of its lineup in the coming decade. Aside from the Volt being an expensive-to-build low-volume model, The Sleuth hears that it doesn’t mesh with GM’s intent of shunning hybrids and going fully electric. The loss of the CT6,…
The nameplate was retired back in the mid-1990s, but Honda apparently believes in second chances. The five-passenger 2020 Passport resembles the seven-seat Honda Pilot, but the new model is about six inches shorter. Surprisingly — at least to The Sleuth — the Passport gets the Pilot’s 280-horsepower V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission and not the turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder from the Acura RDX. The Passport will be available in front- and all-wheel-drive models and in trim levels ranging from somewhat basic to full-on luxury. A Sport model with blacked-out wheels, grille and trim will also be offered. With identical tow ratings,…
Buyers of the coming Lincoln Aviator utility vehicle will be serenaded with music courtesy of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO), instead of the usual chimes, when they leave a door ajar or a seat belt unbuckled. The DSO recorded more than 125 musical options, from which six were chosen for Aviator duty, reports automotive lifestyles webmagazine Motor Authority. One of the final six musical tones — each composed of violin, viola and percussion instruments – will sound to alert drivers for 25 warning scenarios. Lincoln hopes drivers will take kindly to the symphonic chimes, as the Ford-owned brand plans to…