Daily Archives: October 29, 2018
Why The US Won’t Get A 2019 Ford Focus ST
The Ford Focus ST hot hatch is scheduled for a reveal very soon and Ford engineers have been testing the car round the clock. Motor Authority managed to get some snaps of the new car and we can only say that it will be a refreshing improvement from the current model, which is already one of the best cars in the segment.
Back in April, Ford unveiled a new generation of its ever-popular Focus. The US should’ve gotten at least one variant of the compact car, a soft-roader called the Focus Active that will be manufactured in China. But thanks to new tariffs imposed on Chinese-made vehicles, Ford dropped the plans and we’re left wondering if we’ll ever see the new Focus variants.
Ford decided to forego the plan for another reason: the shift toward SUVs, pickup trucks, and commercial vans in North America is permanent. The Mustang will be the only “sedan” that will be on sale in the US beyond 2020.
Ford will use its next-generation front-wheel-drive platform for the new Focus. The torsional rigidity of the new cars will be up by 20 percent compared to the outgoing model, which means that the new ST variant will provide a better ride and handling for its drivers.
In the cabin, the all-new Focus will get a colored touchscreen at the top of the dash and Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of electronic driver aids. There will be some extra special features for the ST such as the Recaro front seats, ST badging, and additional performance options for the driving modes selector.
The rumor is that the Focus ST will come with a 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4, the same one that is found in the outgoing Focus RS. That engine can be tuned to produce 370 horsepower. In the new ST, that will be downgraded to 252 horses since the engine will be paired with a front-wheel-drive system. The transmission is expected to be a six-speed manual.
Tesla Rolls Navigate On Autopilot In North America
Tesla cars are close to being able to drive on their own as the company that controversial CEO Elon Musk started just announced the activation of its Navigate on Autopilot feature. This will allow the car to change lanes and take exits under minimal driver supervision.
A couple of weeks ago, Tesla rolled out its 9.0 software, which included a new dashcam feature, games that can be played while the car is parked, and updates to the vehicle’s navigation settings. The update held back one feature: the Navigate on Autopilot.
On Saturday though, Musk tweeted: “Tesla Autopilot Drive on Navigation going to wide release in North America tonight.” This brings the company closer to a fully autonomous self-driving car with no driver interference.
For the Navigate on Autopilot, the system will require drivers to confirm lane changes before the car moves into an adjacent lane. Future versions of the technology will allow customers to waive the confirmation requirement. But until such time that regulators approve and validate the use of self-driving technology, Tesla maintained that “drivers are responsible for and must remain in control of their car at all times.”
The Navigate on Autopilot “guides a car from a highway’s on-ramp to off-ramp, including suggesting and making lane changes, navigating highway interchanges, and taking exits.” The system is designed to allow users to find and follow the most efficient path to their destinations. And while drivers must always be attentive when using Autopilot, the system adds another layer of security by ensuring that drivers are paying attention since the lane-change feature won’t work without a driver confirmation.
With eight external cameras and radar and ultrasonic sensors, the Navigate on Autopilot “provides an additional layer of safety that two eyes alone would not have,” a statement from Tesla said.
The introduction of the Software Version 9.0 allowed Tesla to collect performance and safety data at scale based on real-world driving. The data collected was used to configure the features of the Navigate on Autopilot.
