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LE CIRCUIT DE SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium — It screams along the foggy curves of this Formula One Grand Prix racetrack. On a sidewalk in urban Duesseldorf, a young German stops in his tracks to grin knowingly at it.

But the GT-R is a car that Nissan North America will be lucky to sell 1,100 of this year.

And Nissan is OK with that.

Nissan makes no apologies these days for its manic focus on building sales volume and market share, on boosting profits and winnowing unproductive pieces of its business that are not carrying their weight.

The GT-R is a different story.

“We’ll sell about a thousand in the U.S.,” says Bob Laishley, the British Nissan Motor Co. executive who oversees the GT-R’s business case when he isn’t separately managing Nissan’s global partnerships with other automakers. “We’ll sell around a thousand in Japan, and another 600 or so in Europe. If we can keep those sales volumes, we’re OK.”

“OK” is not the sales outlook one typically hears at Carlos Ghosn’s growth-oriented Nissan. But like other supercars in the industry, the GT-R enjoys a special status inside its mass-market manufacturer of “just because we can.”

Its production is limited by the number of engines that five Japanese craftsmen can hand-build each year. It does not share its platform or its parts with other Nissan vehicles. It is not a test bed for new Nissan technologies or processes. And of Nissan’s 1,100 U.S. retailers, only about 400 are even authorized to sell or service the car.

Yet the GT-R is nonetheless a major driver of Nissan showroom traffic. It is typically the automaker’s biggest buzz generator online and in the press. It is the car that Hollywood usually wants on screen when it wants a Nissan. It is the car that links Nissan street-vehicle r&d to its global racing r&d.

It also is expensive — retailing for $111,585, including shipping — and draws a younger-than-normal buyer. The median age for GT-R buyers is 39, according to data from the automotive research firm Strategic Vision. Many of them first encountered the car when playing the Gran Turismo video racing game. By comparison, the median age for a Porsche 911 buyer is 60, and for a Chevrolet Corvette buyer 64.

And so the product investment and improvements keep coming.

The company has made continual annual minor enhancements to the car since it went global and came to the United States in 2008. But for 2017, Nissan has given it a significant freshening, just short of a redesign.

Its 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged 24-valve V-6 has bumped up to 565 hp, from 545 previously. The car gets improved body rigidity, an improved six-speed dual-clutch transmission, better tire grip and a freshened exterior design with a larger grille for better air-cooling. Inside, it receives a new instrument panel and center console, a simpler 8-inch touch screen display and 11 console control switches in place of 27 previously. The cabin is quieter with engine-dampening touches, more sound-deadening body insulation and an acoustic glass windshield.

But still holding to its heritage from the late 1960s, when it first appeared in Japan as the boxy and unassuming little Skyline, the new GT-R is primarily about one thing: speed.

The four-seater’s 0-to-60 mph acceleration is not official, but estimated at 2.7 seconds. The car rises to 100 mph effortlessly and almost without warning.

“This car is about power,” says Hiroshi Tamura, the GT-R’s chief product specialist. “That is why people want it.

“People sometimes talk about changing the car. But to me, it should always remain what it has always been: a sleeper, a car that is not so overly muscular looking and over the top that it frightens people. But a car that still surprises people with its power and performance.”

And yet, Nissan has changed the GT-R for 2017 — mostly in recognition that society is changing in how people drive and what they expect in a performance vehicle.

The car now comes with an exhaust sound control switch that lets a driver select just how loud the engine will be when it starts. Tamura explains that Nissan recognizes that real people living in real neighborhoods will own the GT-R, and it might be inappropriate to make the engine roar as you rev up to leave the house for an early morning golf game.

“I used to do that when I was young — sit in my car and disturb the neighbors with my engine,” Tamura admits. “That was foolish. People can’t do that anymore. We have to recognize that the world is changing.”

It also was important to Nissan that the new GT-R show greater refinement than in the past, says Laishley. The ride is noticeably smoother, the seats more luxurious and the ambience quieter.

“The segment is moving to a more refined feel,” he says of high-end sports cars. “Comfort is important. Quiet is important.

“When we began this project, one of our goals was to remove all noise from the car,” he says. “In the past, the desire was for the GT-R to really feel like a mechanical race car. I personally hated that. We made an effort to tighten up all the tolerances and get rid of all that clanking and gear noise.

“It’s an improved car, no matter where you’re driving it.”

Original article: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160613/OEM/306139983/world-changes-but-nissans-gt-r-still-screams

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BMW chief envisions a vehicle that responds to you as an individual Harald Krueger MUNICH BMW CEO Harald Krueger said the breakneck speed of technological advances is giving automakers new rivals such as Tesla but also new opportunities in areas such as artificial intelligence. Until very recently our competitors were Mercedes Audi and Porsche Krueger said. Now we are looking at newcomers such as Tesla or Faraday Future who knew these companies 10 years ago? and of course high-tech players like Google Apple Baidu or Alibaba. It shows how our industry is changing he said last week in a keynote speech at the Automotive News Europe Congress here. Krueger said increasingly rapid progress in artificial intelligence will change how drivers interact with their vehicles. He cited two examples: 1. The victory in March of Googles AlphaGo software program over Lee Sedol the worlds best player of Go a Chinese board game that is infinitely more complicated than chess. This win for artificial intelligence marks a historic turning point Krueger said. AlphaGo is partly based on deep learning neural networks and it made moves that human professionals first saw as errors. The program found a way to win never discovered by humans in 25 centuries of Go history. 2. Pepper the Japanese humanoid robot that is programmed to be a personal companion for senior citizens. The robot can analyze human emotions and adapt its responses. If youre happy Pepper will share your joy. If youre sad Pepper will comfort you. This demonstrates that technology is becoming human Krueger said. Just imagine you get into your car and it recognizes straight away what mood youre in probably quicker than your spouse. Harald Krueger BMW Just imagine you get into your car and it recognizes straight away what mood youre in probably quicker than your spouse he said. BMWs Vision Next 100 self-driving concept already showcases such advances. The companion in the Vision Next 100 car is just that: a real companion that gets to know you as a person and responds to you as an individual Krueger said. I firmly believe this is not a threat to us. Its much more a huge opportunity to all of us [mobility] will be effortless available on demand and tailor-made for all our customers individual needs. BMW is hiring experts in machine learning and artificial intelligence as it develops the Vision Next 100 into a flagship production model the iNEXT due to launch in 2021. The company said in March it was shifting its strategy to focus on electric vehicles automated driving and new services in the field of premium individual mobility. Read more:http://www.autonews.com/article/20160613/OEM06/306139973/a-car-that-knows-how-you-feel Feel free to contact us for cash for cars and commercial vehicles of any age or condition The post A car that knows how you feel appeared first on http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/ via Cash For Cars - Locations http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/car-knows-feel/

Though taken for granted today, the steering wheel was a transformative technology at the dawn of the age of the automobile.

As we enter the autonomous-vehicle age, some wonder whether the steering wheel might suffer the same fate as the tiller, which disappeared from cars after guiding the first horseless carriages.

Though the steering wheel’s origins are murky, race driver Alfred Vacheron signaled its ascent when he drove a Panhard automobile in the 1894 Paris-Rouen race. From that day forward, the days of the clumsy, nautical-derived tiller were numbered.

Today’s steering wheel has evolved into a high-tech, electronic device with numerous added functions. But its basic job of controlling the vehicle has changed little.

Now, as the industry looks to a future where computers assume control of more vehicle functions, the industry is rethinking the steering wheel.

Within the last year, major automakers — including Volvo and Mercedes-Benz — have shown concept cars with steering wheels that retract when the vehicle is driven autonomously. Some suppliers have developed systems to enable that transition.

General Motors CEO Mary Barra said last week that vehicles should keep traditional features such as steering wheels and pedals during the transition to fuller autonomy: “We think that having that capability when the steering wheel and the pedals are still in the vehicle is a very good way to demonstrate and prove the safety.”

Beyond that, Google’s famous pod car dispenses with the steering wheel altogether.

These days, an acronym-happy industry likes to use expressions, such as “HMI” for human machine interface. As HMI goes, the steering wheel is about as good as it gets.

James Hotary, director of xWorks Innovation Center of Faurecia Automotive Seating NA, said the steering wheel’s iconic place controlling the vehicle might not last forever.

“I think we’re in many ways stuck in the paradigm of a steering wheel,” said Hotary in response to a question at the WardsAuto Interiors Conference in May in Detroit. “On the one hand, it’s a pretty darn good input device. It’s comfortable. You can put your hands in a bunch of different positions. It has stood the test of time. Completely autonomous vehicles are not going to be around anytime soon.”

But, says Hotary: “What happens when all of a sudden the manual part is the less-common-use case? Why are we keeping this legacy device around?”

IHS Automotive predicted last week that there will be 21 million autonomous vehicles sold annually by 2035.

The transition period toward more autonomous functions will be the interesting part.

“Because we don’t expect to imminently give up control, you’re still as a driver going to want that familiar, comfortable steering wheel,” said Jeremy Carlson, IHS Automotive principal analyst for autonomous driving.

“But that doesn’t mean you won’t see plenty of innovation happening there.”

Advanced supplier concepts

Indeed, carmakers and suppliers have been showing off various visions for the evolution of the steering wheel.

“There’s a lot more complexity being added to the steering wheel from an HMI point of view,” said Richard Matsu, director of engineering for Autoliv Inc., a Swedish supplier of safety systems and one of the world’s largest makers of steering wheels.

Autoliv, working with a Swedish sensor company called Neonode, introduced a steering wheel at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with zForce AIR MultiSensing technology.

Using optical sensors embedded in a steering wheel that features a series of glowing lights along its circumference, the zForce concept would allow drivers to interact, using gestures and motions, with various functions of the vehicle without removing their hands from the wheel to touch buttons. The driver could, for example, answer the phone by lightly tapping on one of the lighted sections.

The technology allows the car to know where the driver’s hands are placed and also would permit carmakers to program functions into the wheel, allowing them to eliminate mechanical switches and knobs on the instrument panel.

Says Matsu: “Many vehicle manufacturers want to know if your hands are on the wheel. They need to understand the driver’s condition regarding active-safety functionality.”

Matsu says Autoliv is talking to automakers about development of the zForce technology.

The 2017 Mercedes-Benz E-class sedan, going on sale this summer, will feature what the carmaker is calling its most advanced steering wheel ever. The wheel features touch-sensitive buttons Mercedes is calling Touch Controls that respond to horizontal and vertical swiping gestures by the driver. Mercedes is calling the touch-sensitive buttons an industry first. Using them, the driver can control the infotainment system without taking hands off the wheel.

Last year, German company Hoffman-Krippner introduced a Smart Steering Wheel equipped with SensoFoil, which can sense how much pressure a driver’s hands are applying to the wheel or when a driver’s hands are no longer moving — a possible sign of sleepiness. The system can be programmed to deliver a warning.

To retract or not?

Beyond adding functionality to steering wheels, carmakers and suppliers are wrestling with the next phase: steering wheels that are only in use part of the time, when drivers take control in vehicles designed with autonomous functions. (See related story, Page 3.)

Volvo’s Concept 26 vehicle, which debuted in November at the Los Angeles Auto Show, features a retractable steering wheel. Robin Page, Volvo chief of interior design, says Volvo chose to keep the familiar shape of the steering wheel.

“We wanted to keep that recognition of a round steering wheel,” he said. “People need to get used to autonomous drive, so being able to get back to that steering wheel and grab hold of it, that’s comforting. We decided to have it there as a recognizable icon.”

Volvo plans to put 100 semiautonomous XC90s on the road around Gothenburg, Sweden, in 2017 and will run a similar test in the U.S. at a date to be determined. The crossovers will not have retractable steering wheels, but they will allow drivers to move back and forth between autonomous and driver modes by touching buttons on the wheel.

In its Vision Tokyo autonomous concept shown at the Tokyo auto show last fall, Mercedes-Benz showed a Connected Lounge in which occupants sit on an oval couch. The concept allows multitaskers to go about work or play in congested urban environments such as Tokyo. There’s an oblong steering wheel, but it almost seems like an afterthought.

In manual mode, the wheel sits in the middle of the cockpit. In autonomous mode, it moves behind a flap. The wheel, along with the pedals, is ready to re-emerge when the vehicle returns to manual mode.

IHS’s Carlson is skeptical about such intermediate steps as the telescoping, or retractable, steering wheel ever being widely produced. “I don’t see this telescoping steering wheel being very popular anytime soon, other than as a concept of what the vehicle could look like. When we talk about that process of moving from automated to autonomous, it’s going to be a long, drawn-out transition. These types of vehicles will coexist on the road for a long time.”

And that means the venerable steering wheel is likely to be a tenacious survivor, not surrendering its primacy nearly so easily as the tiller once did.

First seen: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160612/OEM03/306139952/reinventing-the-steering-wheel

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Lambo lovers in Southern California will be making a pilgrimage to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles for the North American debut of the Lamborghini Centenario on June 11. The free event, being billed as a “Lamborghini Cruise-in,” will commence at 8 am and is open to enthusiasts and owners of the Italian marque’s models. The latter are invited to arrive in their own examples (of which 50 to 100 cars are expected) and display them in the museum’s parking structure.

UPDATED: 6/9/16 1:08 pm ET – correctedEditor’s note: The IHS report calls for 21 million in fully and semi-autonomous vehicles sold globally in 2035 and a total of 76 million vehicles sold between now and 2035, according to arevised IHS statement. Previous versions of this story incorrectly referred to the total and regional figures as cumulative.

DETROIT — Despite facing an uphill battle of legislation and regulation, 21 million fully and semi-autonomous vehicles will be sold globally in 2035,according to a forecast from IHS Automotive released today.

All told, between now and 2035, IHS estimates that nearly 76 million vehicles with some level of autonomy will be sold globally.

The U.S. is expected to lead the way with initial deployment and early adoption of autonomous vehicles as it works through challenges posed by regulation, potential liability and consumer acceptance.

U.S. autonomous deployment will start with several thousand vehicles in 2020 and then grow to nearly 4.5 million vehicles in 2035, IHS said.

IHS also expects that Japan will ramp up industry coordination and investment before the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The forecast said that nearly 1.2 million vehicles will have some form of autonomous driving capability in Japan and South Korea, collectively, sold in 2035.

“Global sales of autonomous vehicles will reach nearly 600,000 units in 2025,” Egil Juliussen, director of research at IHS Automotive, said in a statement. “Our new forecast reflects a 43 percent compound annual growth rate between 2025 and 2035 — a decade of substantial growth, as driverless and self-driving cars alike are more widely adopted in all key global automotive markets.”

The forecast incorporated factors including current market development of foundational technologies, r&d announcements and collaboration projects underway, which include discussions and initiatives between manufacturers and ride-sharing companies. Analysts from Wells Fargo said that autonomous content per vehicle will cost $5,000. Wells Fargo said Delphi Automotive has the most all-in dollar content potential with autonomous driving sensors and software at potentially $2,000 per unit.

Challenges and obstacles

Jeremy Carlson, principal analyst at IHS Automotive, said there are certainly challenges and obstacles with regulations and guidelines and that IHS has a positive, but cautious, tone.

“It’s a long timeline, nonetheless it’s something we expect to work out,” he said.

Carlson also pointed to how some states — California, Nevada, Florida and Michigan — have been early adopters of autonomous testing but that it’s still early in the development process of regulations.

“There’s opportunity here for the government, for cities, however they look at this,” he said. “The opportunity can bring more than drawback.”

This summer, NHTSA is hoping to release new guidance to states, policymakers and companies on self-driving vehicles. As for other markets, IHS forecasts that more than 5.7 million vehicles sold in China in 2035 will be equipped with some level of autonomy. Growth will be driven by expected volume of vehicles sold in China as well as consumer demand.

Regional sales

The forecast calls for more than 3 million autonomous vehicles sold in major markets in Western Europe in 2035 and 1.2 million vehicles in Eastern Europe.

More than 1 million vehicles with some level of autonomy will be sold in the Middle East and Africa in 2035.

”Future mobility will connect and combine many different modes and technologies, and autonomous vehicles will play a central role,” Carlson said. “IHS expects entirely new vehicle segments to be created, in addition to traditional vehicles adding autonomous capabilities. Consumers gain new choices in personal mobility to complement mass transit, and these new choices will increasingly use battery electric and other efficient means of propulsion.”

For example, Carlson said the Google autonomous vehicle is best categorized as an entirely new vehicle segment.

Original here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160607/OEM06/160609887/study-predicts-21-million-autonomous-cars-sold-globally-by-2035

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Toyota retained its title as the world’s most valuable car brand in a new ranking, holding off BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Tesla, meanwhile, entered the top 10 for the first time, indicating the rising challenge traditional automakers face from industry disruptors.

Toyota’s brand value rose 2 percent to $29.5 billion, according to the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands study released today by market researcher Millward Brown.

Toyota gained by continuing its emphasis on improving the customer’s experience and by consistently raising its value benchmark, Peter Walshe, Global BrandZ director at Millward Brown, told Automotive News Europe.

“From the customer’s experience, Toyota is a highly valued brand that continues to innovate,” Walshe said. “That is its strength and why it continues to generate such high volumes.”

Toyota has been No. 1 in nine of the 11 years the study has been carried out.

Telsa ousts Lexus

Tesla, which has a brand value of $4.4 billion, overtook Lexus for the No. 10 spot among automotive brands. It was helped by widening its portfolio with the introduction of its affordable $35,000 Tesla 3, Walshe said.

“Tesla is something completely different as a luxury brand, and as we know from our BrandZ results, that difference makes the difference,” Walshe said. “After reinventing the electric car and fighting against suspicion in the luxury market, its announcement of a mass-market model has only boosted consumers’ desire to try the brand. It has grown like an Apple and a Facebook, which is enormous.”

Porsche also entered the top 10 ranking this year, taking the No. 9 spot. “Porsche has gone back to what it stands for, by bringing out products to key niche groups,” Walshe said. “It is a bit like an Apple, since it has products that are desirable, but it equates that with its brand, representing additional desirability. This is something Porsche has always done in spades.”

Boosted by 7 series

Second-ranked BMW’s value increased 2 percent to $26.8 billion. The German automaker continued to receive a boost from its new 7-series flagship, i8 plug-in hybrid supercar and i3 EV, Walshe said.

“BMW has tremendous brand experience about it and the actual drivability of its models remains incredible and attractive,” Walshe said.

Mercedes’ value increased at the highest rate of any brand in the automotive top 10. The Stuttgart-based automaker boosted its brand value by 4 percent to $22.7 billion, which helped it keep hold on the the No. 3 spot.

“Mercedes has greatly benefited from the revamped E class and has done particularly well this year, especially in China,” Walshe said. “It has a series of models that appeal very well to a series of target consumers. The spread of its portfolio is paying off really, really well.”

The total value of the Top 10 car brands fell 3 percent to $139.9 billion, reflecting value drops for the Audi, Honda and Land Rover brands. Audi experienced the steepest decline of any auto brand in the top 10. Its value fell 6 percent, mainly because of the financial challenges faced by its parent, Volkswagen Group, Walshe said.

VW Group has had to set aside billions of euros to cope with the fallout from its admission that the company cheated emissions tests. The scandal also hit VW brand as its was bounced from the top 10 after finishing last year ranked No. 8.

Google passes Apple

When it comes to the ranking of all brands, Google regained the No. 1 spot from Apple. Google’s brand value rose 32 percent to $229.2 billion.

Apple slipped to No. 2 because as its brand value dropped 8 percent to 228.5 billion.

“Google was in an investment phase this time last year and those investments are paying off, particularly in the cloud by making major advances against Amazon and Microsoft,” Walshe said.

Apple has remained “massively differentiated” as a brand, but it did not hit a home run this year, accounting for why its brand value slipped, Walshe said. “Sure, Apple has done great things with its iPhone 6 launch and other products, but it did not come up with any major innovations recently from the perspective of customers.”

The BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands was developed by Millward Brown. The study combines measures of brand equity based on interviews with more than 2 million consumers globally using data from Bloomberg and Kantar Worldpanel.

Find original: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160608/COPY01/306089929/toyota-retains-title-as-most-valuable-car-brand%3B-tesla-enters-top-10

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Volvo and Ford claimed top honors at the 2016 Tu-Automotive awards this week. The two companies were declared joint winners in the coveted OEM of the Year category. The annual Tu-Automotive awards recognize the very best players in the connected car industry. Volvo and Ford tied because the judges who included Jeremy Kaplan Digital Trends editor in chief couldnt agree on a single winner after an hour of deliberation. Tu-Automotive explainedthat on the one hand Volvo was deserving of the award because its research covers all aspects of in-car tech including safety autonomous driving insurance V2X and big data. Ford on the other hand deserved to share first-place honorsfor its efforts to bring tech to the masses. Volvo also won an award in the Best Active Safety category. The judges hailed the Swedish carmakers Pilot Assist technology as the most advanced deployment of autonomous features adding that the system is highly innovative. Pilot assist comes standard on the 2017 Volvo S90. The judges recognized Magellans eXplorist TRX7 as the Best Aftermarket Telematics Product/Service. Billed as a GPS for off-roaders it won because its a creative product that really hit the spot and disrupted an underserved market. Other Tu-Automotive award winners include PolySync (Newcomer of the Year) Security Innovation (Best Auto Cybersecurity Product/Service) and Veniam (Best Auto Mobility Product/Service). The award for Best Insurance Telematics Product/Service went to AXA Global Direct Frances YouDrive program which was judged to be both ambitious and innovative. Finally Julia Steyn General Motors vice president of urban mobility programs was named Influencer of the Year. The judges indicatedthat she won the award for boldly embracing car-sharing. Notably sheleads the team in charge of Maven GMs recently-established ride-sharing service. Read more:http://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/2016-tu-automotive-awards-news-awards-categories/#:iONTXS8oAUSgtA You can contact us via any of our cash for cars profiles to get in touch The post VOLVO FORD WIN COVETED CONNECTED CAR AWARDS appeared first on http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/ via Cash For Cars - Locations http://dublin.cashforcarsireland.com/volvo-ford-win-coveted-connected-car-awards/

Some of us old enough to remember the 1980s know that Tesla used to be a hair-metal band. Others who paid attention in history class know that Telsa was, in the 1880s, the Serbian-American engineer who invented the polyphase AC generator—the motor that later allowed George Westinghouse to bring electricity into American homes.

Photo: James Lipman/ Tesla

Mercedes-Benz had a successful May, with unit sales increasing by 12.9% to 170,625 vehicles. In the period of January through May, 818,175 vehicles with the three-pointed star were delivered to customers (+12.3%), more than ever before in the first five months of a year.

“Our double-digit growth in Europe and Asia-Pacific made a major contribution to the strong unit sales of Mercedes-Benz in May,” said Ola Källenius, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales. “And we have big plans. Following the strong market launch of the E-Class Saloon in Europe, we are now presenting the new E-Class Estate to the public for the first time. More than 1.6 million Saloons and Estates of the 212 predecessor series have been sold by today. We are sure the new generation of the E-Class will continue its strong heritage successfully.”

Mercedes-Benz unit sales by region and market

Sales in Europe increased by a strong 14.2% to 74,268 units in May. This was primarily due to double-digit growth in the major markets of Great Britain, Italy, Spain and Belgium. In Germany, the domestic market, 23,343 vehicles were delivered to customers (+4.9%).

In the Asia-Pacific region, Mercedes-Benz handed over 57,438 vehicles to customers in May (+24.2%). In China, the biggest market, Mercedes-Benz achieved a new record of more than 38,000 vehicles sold (+38.9%). Also in Japan, Taiwan and Australia, the Stuttgart-based company with the three-pointed star achieved its highest May to date. In Japan, Australia and Taiwan, Mercedes-Benz continued to defend its market leadership among the premium manufacturers last month.

In the NAFTA region, 34,323 units of Mercedes-Benz models were sold in May. 29,299 of those automobiles were delivered to customers in the USA. In the USA and Canada, Mercedes-Benz was the market leader among the premium manufacturers in May.

Mercedes-Benz unit sales by model

Sales of Mercedes-Benz compact cars increased to a new high in May, with a total of 53,618 units delivered to customers (+15.6%). The A- and B-Class, the CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLA were particularly popular in China, where unit sales more than doubled in May.

The E-Class Saloon and Estate were among the best-selling Mercedes-Benz models in May. Growth was especially strong in Europe last month, the first full month of sales of the new E-Class Saloon. The sixth generation of the E-Class Estate is being presented to the public for the first time in Stuttgart today. Since 2009, more than 1.6 million Saloons and Estates of the predecessor model of the E-Class have been delivered to customers.

The SUVs continued to make significant contributions to the growth of Mercedes-Benz, with sales of 58.517 units last month. This means that May of last year – the previous strongest-selling May – was surpassed by 42.0%. In Great Britain, Australia and South Korea, unit sales more than doubled compared with the prior-year month. The strongest growth in May was posted by the GLC, which is meanwhile available to customers around the world also as a plug-in hybrid: the GLC 350 e 4MATIC.

smart

Sales of the smart fortwo and forfour models increased at a significantly double-digit rate in May: 12,822 cars were delivered to customers worldwide (+15.1%). The smart models were especially popular in the Asia-Pacific region, where unit sales increased by more than 50% last month.

Overview of sales by Mercedes-Benz Cars

After years on sidelines, Honda aims to catch up in self-driving technology

CONCORD, Calif. — In a secretive decommissioned Navy base here in the rolling hills just northwest of San Francisco, a dummy stands next to a duffel bag in the road as an autonomous Acura RLX careens toward it.

As the car approaches, it purposefully steers around the static mannequin and back into its lane, before coming to a stop at an intersection. The dummy is unharmed, thanks to a collection of cameras and sensors affixed to the roof and bumpers of the test vehicle.

This was just one of several demonstrations last week by Honda at the GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre autonomous-vehicle testing site with 20 miles of cracked roads, bridges and faux cityscapes that’s off-limits to the general public.

Ostensibly, the event was to highlight Honda’s progress in developing and testing autonomous vehicles. But it also served as another reminder that after years of distractions and doubt, Honda is keen to reassert itself as a leader in innovation.

Historically Honda has favored a quiet approach while it developed next-generation vehicles and technologies. But that was before several years of global quality issues, the ongoing Takata airbag crisis and a management reshuffle that put Takahiro Hachigo at the head of Honda Motor Co. last June.

In the wake of that upheaval, Hachigo has pushed the automaker to do some soul-searching and, in particular, to recapture the spirit of innovation that once made the company famous.

Honda is also trying to grab more attention while it does so.

This is why Honda hosted an open house last summer when it moved its Silicon Valley-based Honda Research Institute into new digs. It’s also why a dummy in a polo shirt was staring down a self-driving RLX in front of a group of journalists last week.

Honda, long a pioneer in robotics and crash protection, has been largely and conspicuously absent from the autonomous-vehicle conversation, while companies such as General Motors, Mercedes-Benz and even Volvo have emerged as the pacesetters. Toyota, for its part, is investing heavily in safety and mobility research and making acquisitions to rapidly beef up its presence in robotics and artificial intelligence. And BMW is refocusing its i subbrand on autonomous technology rather than electric vehicles.

Looking to emerge as more of a player in self-driving — particularly among mainstream brands — Honda has said that by 2020 it wants its suite of semiautonomous features to evolve to enable its vehicles to handle freeway driving on their own. Toyota and Nissan have outlined similar timelines.

“2020 is a key target, the year when we expect to put autonomous driving technology into practical use on highways,” said Jim Keller, chief engineer for autonomous vehicles at Honda R&D Americas. The system will allow cars to automatically merge, change lanes and exit. “Essentially it’s on-ramp to off-ramp automation.”

While Keller and others at Honda were vague about whether this meant the Honda brand itself or its premium Acura arm in the U.S., he hinted that the timetable was for Honda-branded vehicles and spoke of democratizing the technology across its lineup. (Besides, Acura is largely limited to the U.S. and China.)

“The idea is to bring these technologies to customers at a reasonable price,” Keller said.

While a 2020 timetable would put Honda in a league with many of its mainstream competitors, waiting until then to add self-driving abilities to Acura vehicles would set the premium brand even farther behind its peers.

Tesla’s Model S has robust automation on the highway today, while other luxury land yachts such as Mercedes-Benz’s S class and Audi’s A8 aren’t far behind. Cadillac’s Super Cruise system is slated to roll out in its CT6 sedan next year.

Acura is handicapped because the brand’s lineup only reaches as high as the middling RLX, a sedan that peaks at about $67,000 and has failed to find an enthusiastic audience.

This sets Acura apart from nearly every other premium brand because it lacks a high-dollar flagship on which it can showcase gee-whiz automation technologies long before they’re economical for the mass market.

“By mid-2017, having some form of assisted highway driving in premium brands will be something that consumers will expect,” Xavier Mosquet, senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, told Automotive News. “And it will be as important as other comfort and engine features.”

“If you don’t have it, you’re going to be totally out of the market,” he added.

And feeling like a dummy standing in the middle of the road.

First seen here: http://www.autonews.com/article/20160605/OEM06/306069964/honda-merges-into-autonomous-traffic