Wheels 21June2016

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July 21, 2016

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… NOW YOU’RE MOTORING

We ‘impress the luxury class’ in all the Astras. Page 3

The new Jaguar packs the dirty tricks of a Ranger Rover, but at a lower price. Page 4

The ultimate all­terrain vehicle is out of this world. Page 5

Australian geeks design a cow­ robot that goes anywhere. Page 7

Avoid the price increase and call the driver’s seat of an Audi your own…

With price increases expected at the end of July, Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg is helping you avoid the maze of finding your next vehicle at a price to suit your pocket.

We will be freezing our prices with a fleet of vehicles sourced especially for you, our valued customer. Furthermore, with Audi Choice, you can benefit from guaranteed future values and fixed interest rates. Visit us today to test drive your favourite Audi and find out why there’s nothing quite like it; whether it’s the sporty feeling of a hatchback or the sheer luxurious power of a sedan, our Audi cars offer you the economy, intelligence, efficiency and sheer driving pleasure you are looking for at an affordable deal, tailored especially for you.

Terms and conditions apply. Offer only available while stocks last.

Audi Centre Pietermaritzburg Nathi Mncube • Sharon Mpulo • Darryl Chetty • New Vehicle Sales Manager: Prunella Naidoo Mandla Mkhize • Mark van Rijsbergen • Anwar Charfaray • Pre-owned Manager: Riaz Mahomed

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2

WitnessWheels MOTORING

July 21, 2016

Parts printed to order Mercedes says 3D printing of parts will be quick with no warehousing needed MERCEDES­BENZ Trucks aft­ er­sales services have started printing 3D plastic parts for cus­ tomers on demand, instead of stocking the parts on shelf.

To date, the 3D parts catalogue only lists 30 genuine spare parts, but the use of this technology shows where global truck pro­ ducers are heading.

“In keeping with our brand promise ‘Trucks you can trust’, we set the same benchmarks for reliability, functionality, durabili­ ty and economy for spare parts from 3D production as for parts from conventional production,” said the head of marketing and operations in the customer servi­ ces, Andreas Deuschle.

“However, 3D offers many more possibilities. This is why we shall be rapidly extending the

production of 3D printed parts.”

The available spare parts con­ sist of high­quality plastic com­ ponents, such as overs, spacers, spring caps, air and cable ducts, clamps, mountings and control elements.

The “printed” spare parts are created with state­of­the­art 3D printers based on the Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) printing process. For the high­quality standards of Mercedes­Benz Trucks, the process parameters have been optimised and deter­ mined by the Daimler research and development divisions. Ev­ ery 3D spare part can be ordered by the customer using the special spare­part number under which it is recorded in the order code lists and the spare­parts cata­ logues at Mercedes­Benz Trucks.

Truck parts that can now be ordered in 3D from Mercedes­ Benz.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Thus, even after several dec­ ades, rapid supply to the custom­ er is ensured via the Mercedes­ Benz Logistic Supply Chain

through all the sales stages all over the world.

The range also includes spare parts for which there is only a low

demand in small quantities every year. Producing them is thus in­ creasingly uneconomical for sup­ pliers as production facilities and tools often have to be retained and maintained for years.

With the 3D printing process these challenges are a thing of the past as every 3D spare part is available on demand at short no­ tice all over the world.

The printing itself can take place within a very short time fol­ lowing receipt of the design defi­ nition and order, considerably speeding up the production and supply of spare parts.

As spare and retrofit parts can still be “reprinted” easily even after a long time, using the data stored and supplied without any complex stocking, no warehous­ ing is required either.

Mazda adds two diesel engines to the new Mazda 3 WHILE Toyota and Volkswagen are slowly stepping away from diesel engines, Mazda has added two diesel engines to the facelift­ ed Mazda 3 that went on sale in Japan last week.

The Skyactiv­d 1,5 and 2,2 oil burners now form part of the Mazda 3 powertrain line­up, with sound frequency dampening technology to remove most of the engine’s agricultural clatter.

The new Mazda 3 also comes with G­Vectoring Control, the first in a series of new dynamic technologies that provide inte­ grated control of the engine, transmission, chassis and body to enhance what Mazda calls the “horse and rider” feel.

“Mazda is striving to become an irreplaceable presence in the lives of its customers, to create a special bond with them and to be a ‘one­and­only’ brand they will choose again and again,” said Masamichi Kogai, Mazda’s presi­ dent and CEO. “In order to do that, we will continue updating our models with next­generation technolo­ gies based on our human­centred development philosophy, with­ out concern for the timing of re­ designs. We believe clean diesel engines will continue to be an im­ portant environmental technol­ ogy, and we will work to further popularise them in Japan and around the world.” — WR.

The facelifted Mazda 3 comes with G­Vectoring Control.

PHOTO: MAZDA

Partnerships vital to ensure growth of automobile sector GAUTENG Premier David Mak­ hura led a delegation of high­lev­ el politicians visit three of the biggest car builders in Tshwane: Nissan, BMW and Ford.

“We want to improve partner­ ships between government and the private sector to increase the level of employment and skills development, and to address is­ sues of local inclusion in the economy,” said Makhura, speak­ ing on the objectives of Ntirisa­ no.

The project is part of a larger programme by the government to focus on the importance of the automotive sector within the broader manufacturing industry.

“The auto sector remains a key driver of the South African econ­

omy, contributing R115 billion and creating 110 000 jobs na­ tionwide. This accounts for 11,7% of South Africa’s manufac­ turing exports and 33% of Gaut­ eng’s automotive manufactur­ ing,” said Makhura.

Nissan MD Mike Whitfield said partnerships between the three levels of government en­ sure that the automotive indus­ try is one of the more successful and growing sectors in the South African economy.

During the tour, Nissan told Makhura of the company’s Africa expansion strategy, which re­ quires South Africa having the necessary skills for a high­quality workforce.

Whitfield stressed the impor­

Workers working on a BMW X3 inside the BMW AG plant in Rosslyn.

PHOTO: KEVIN SUTHERLAND/BLOOMBERG

tance of turning the Nissan plant in Rosslyn into a base that ex­ ports vehicles into the Africa, Middle East and India regions.

Echoing the sentiments of the president and CEO of Toyota Motors Europe, Dr Johan van Zyl, who warned at the Hilux and For­ tuner line opening in Prospecton that SA needs a trained and sta­ ble workforce, Whitfield high­ lighted the importance of skills development through partner­ ships with organisations such as the Automotive Industry Devel­ opment Centre. He said that the Nissan presence has been achieved in collaboration with the province, led by the premier and the MEC, as well as Tshwane and the AIDC.

Ombud confirms dealership debate THE Motor Industry Work­ shop Association (Miwa) re­ cently took an issue regarding over­the­counter parts to the office of the Motor Industry Ombudsman and, according to Miwa chair Les McMaster, the response sets the record straight for dealerships look­ ing to hold their customers to ransom when it comes to re­ placing parts.

McMaster said a member in KwaZulu­Natal recently forwarded him this notifica­ tion sent out by a motor deal­ ership in the area: Parts sup­ plied over the counter can on­ ly be returned for claims via our workshop. The vehicle has to come to the selling dealer and the customer must pay for diagnostic and also pay for a new part. Only once the claim is processed and ap­ proved by (dealer name) South Africa, will the selling dealer reimburse the custom­ er only for a part supplied.

McMaster said: “Our im­ mediate concern was that this practice is in breach of the Consumer Protection Act and, if allowed, will have far­ reaching effects for all inde­ pendent workshops. Miwa represents the interests of some 2 500 independent workshops in SA and this is a good example of the type of concern we address to protect those interests.”

Miwa was elated to have its suspicions confirmed with this response from the Depu­ ty Motor Industry Ombuds­ man of South Africa: “It is my humble submission that the supplier is contravening sec­ tion 15(2)(a) and (b) as well as sub­section (3)(a) and (b) of the CPA. It further appears that the supplier is also con­ travening section 51 of the CPA. It also ignores the defi­ nition of the supply chain in that the consumer does not have to wait for approval from the manufacturer if a compo­ nent purchased over the counter is defective. The im­ plied warranty imposed by section 56(4) is in addition to any other warranty and the consumer will therefore have six months to return the de­ fective component.”

McMaster added: “This wholly supports Miwa’s pro­ motion of right to repair in South Africa.

“Our new­car market un­ fortunately still burdens con­ sumers with warranties which dictate the use of genu­ ine parts but in many First World countries, this is a thing of the past and consum­ ers are free to use aftermarket parts in their vehicles without affecting the warranty.”

He said that Miwa is at the forefront of lobbying for change and legislating the right­to­repair initiative in South Africa.

Right to repair has been ad­ vocated and legislated in First World countries since the early eighties. It promotes consumers having the right to choose where their vehicles are serviced, maintained and repaired at competitive pri­ ces.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

July 21, 2016

WHEN Opel’s engineers started work on the eleventh generation Astra, their brief was to make the new Astra among the most effi­ cient, lightest, best connected, with advanced safety as well as top driver assistance technolo­ gies. That the Astra they built went on to become this year’s car of Europe proves the engineers got it right.

Competing in this price After driving all three engines, from the punchy 1­litre Enjoy to the 1,6 Turbo, I can only lament that the Euro and our import tax­ es make this fully­imported hatch relatively expensive.

But compare what even the en­ try­level Astra offers for R254 000 against a Polo 1­litre TSI BlueMotion or 1,4 TDi Trendline; a Toyota Corolla 1,3 Esteem or a Ford Fiesta 1­litre and the value offer becomes clear.

And while these R254k com­ petitors are all excellent cars with their own merits, the Astra adds an extra lure for those whose company allowance covers a new car payment — exclusivity.

Those who are willing to do the unusual and invest in the As­ tra will, as the advert promises, impress the luxury class.

Driving precision Loading the 1,6 Astra with five people and then taking it up to Ixopo showed the engine able to handle all the inclines, but it is around the corners that the sus­ pension comes into its own.

The usual strutts feature up­ front, but instead of just a torsion beam at the back, there is a Watts linkage, as is the case under the Ford Everest and Mustang.

A Watts linkage provides the dynamic advantages of an inde­

3

New luxury class ALWYN VILJOEN likes seeing all the traffic signs in the new Opel Astra

PHOTO: QUICKPIC pendent, multi­link layout with­ out any of the traditional design penalties: added mass, greater complexity and inefficient pack­ aging. Because the Watts link counters the side forces exerted against one wheel in a corner with an equal force on the oppo­ site wheel, there is none of the bouncy, wheel­cocking associat­ ed with just a torsion bar.

Steering For petite female drivers, the steering column features a 30 mm reach and 25 mm rake ad­ justment range that enables ev­ ery driver to find the most com­ fortable steering wheel position.

The power steering is electric, not hydraulic, which helps reduce fuel consumption and enable a

few refinements like Smooth Road Shake (SRS) compensa­ tion. This helps reduce any steer­ ing wheel vibration which may be caused by a road wheel imbal­ ance.

A feature I do not like in the Astra is the Drift Pull Compensa­ tion (DPC), which automatically corrects any pull or drift tenden­ cy to keep the vehicle steering straight ahead. At speed, this sudden pull in the wheel takes a lot of getting used to, as do all other forms of lane departure as­ sist in other models.

Engines Of the three turbo­charged en­ gines to choose from, us coastal types need look no further than the all­aluminium 1­litre turbo.

Drivers in the Highveld may be better served by the 1,4 turbo, while the 1,6 turbo Ecotec engine is almost overkill.

The little one­litre has three cylinders that generate 77 kW at 4 500 rpm and 170 Nm from 1 800 rpm. A five­speed manual gearbox requires a lot of gear changes up the passes, or just cruising in second in the city.

Opel claims a fuel consump­ tion of just 4,3 litres/100 km and a top speed of 200 km/h. Know­ ing how the Department of Transport can pull up all the de­ tails past and present of a car from the average speed cameras on the N3, I chose to try and match the consumption, rather than the speed, and managed to

equal this claim of 23 km per litre of petrol. The new 1,4 litre is not as effortlessly efficient when fit­ ted to the automatic gearbox, but it delivers 110 kW at 5 000 and 230 Nm from 2 000 to 4 000 rpm for the manual and 245 Nm in the automatic, making for effortless city driving.

Opel claims a zero to 100 km/h run in 8,5 seconds, and trying to get a run in under 10 seconds added to my poor consumption in the 1,4. For countrywide cruis­ ing, the 1,6 litre turbo’s 147 kW and 280 Nm with over­boost to 300 Nm will be hard to beat, but the power comes at the price of 6,1 litres per 100 km, when the more frugal one­litre goes up the same hills for less, and under the

legal speeds indicated by the lat­ est generation Opel Eye front camera.

The Opel Eye The Opel Eye does not miss a speed sign and constantly dis­ plays the current speed limit next to the speedometer.

Like luxury cars that cost R100 000 or more, the Astras al­ so come with Lane Departure Warning (LDW) with Lane Keep Assist (LKA); Following Dis­ tance Indication (FDI); Forward Collision Alert (FCA) with Low Speed Collision Mitigation Braking (LSCMB). The Intelli­ Lux LED Matrix system is op­ tional on the 1,6, and works like the lights on the Mercedes­Benz E­class where different diodes are switched off for the time it takes a cyclist or car to pass in order not to dazzle other road users.

The Astra also has Forward Collision Alert that will warn if a vehicle directly ahead is ap­ proaching too quickly from speeds over 80 km/h. The system is an alert only and does not apply brakes.

After the drive, advanced park assist and a rear view camera makes parking a doddle and the new generation Advanced Park Assist identifies suitable parking spaces and automatically parks the vehicle, without the driver touching the wheel. The driver just controls acceleration, decel­ eration and gear shifting.

Connecting phones To connect, the new Astra fea­ tures phone projection technolo­ gy through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto using Opel’s next­ generation R4.0 IntelliLink info­ tainment system, linking the touch screen in the centre con­ sole to your smartphone.

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Sheer Driving Pleasure

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4

WitnessWheels MOTORING

July 21, 2016

Just Add Family BRIAN BASSETT hosts the Fat Pack in the Golf SV VOLKSWAGEN is now officially the worlds’ largest carmaker.

They produce cars under some twelve brand names including Audi, Bugatti, Porsche, Lambor­ ghini, Skoda and Seat, three brands of commercial vehicles and Ducati bikes.

In the Far East they also own 20 percent of Suzuki, so it is fair to say that Volkswagen as a com­ pany are everywhere in the motor industry.

Volkswagen is known not only for its size, but also for its pur­ poseful design. The company un­ derstands its market and ensures that it products meet market needs in terms of both quality and appropriateness. Nowhere does this approach show itself more clearly than in the Golf SV, which is based on the Golf, but expand­ ed to meet the needs of the mod­ ern family.

Our thanks go to Keith Abra­ hams, Dealer Principal of Barons Pietermaritzburg, for allowing us a few days with the vehicle.

Styling Volkswagen says that the SV looks just like the Golf, but you have to look closely to pick up the tradi­ tional Golf styling cues.

For my money the SV is more substantial and better looking than the Golf. It also has a greater on­road presence. This is a con­ siderable compliment because

the Golf itself is no slouch in the aesthetics department.

At the front end the SV is very European in inspiration with a chiselled bonnet fronted with a three­slatted grill and centrally placed VW badge.

Below the front bumper is a fur­ ther grille flanked by two fog lamps. The overall effect is both pleasant and satisfying, while the swept back nature of the head­ lamps adds a small amount of ag­ gression.

Colour­coded side mirrors are electrically operated. The ribbed bonnet leads the eye upward to the large, steeply­inclined wind­ screen and high roofline, traced by silver anodised roof rails, for car­ rying a roof box on holiday.

The rhythm ends with a rear spoiler above the large tailgate and two large rear lamps thatwrap around the sides of the car. The whole effect is one of premium quality and excellent design.

Interior The first impression of the interi­ or is one of spaciousness and quality. Our car was upholstered in black leather and soft, black plastics. The dash and steering were accentuated by piano black detailing, which I have come asso­ ciate with the VW range.

The black interior could be a lit­ tle sombre for some, but our car had a panoramic sunroof, which

bathes the interior in a refreshing, cool light and is a R9 000 option which is well worthwhile having.

The seats are all comfortable and the driver’s seat is fully adjust­ able, as is the multi­function, leather­trimmed, tactile steering wheel, from which you can oper­ ate the radio, Bluetooth, speed control and — quite a surprise ni new cars these days — six­CD player, with which our car was equipped.

The secret of the SV is in the rear seat space. The Fat pack and I had not been out in a vehicle for months and we piled into the SV for lunch at Notties. The SV is a full five­seater, with ample space at the rear for three, beefy, grumpy old men, who were able to access the vehicle without any problem at all, even after a large lunch.

The controls are easily read and accessible to the driver and the dash is neat and functional, with two analogue dials containing speedometer, rev counter, fuel gauge and temperature monitor, all linked by a digital bridge pro­ viding a wide range of informa­ tion. The centrally­placed eight­ inch touch screen is useful and easy to operate, while linking your phone to the Bluetooth system does not require an engineering degree.

Boot space is a more than ade­ quate 500 litres while, with the seats folded flat in 60/40 fashion

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0­100 comes up in about 10,5 seconds and top speed is around 190 km/h. Fuel consumption is around 5,4l/100km, but it all de­ pends on how you drive.

The SV is not a robot racer, it’s a family car designed to serve modern family needs. It is easy to drive and park in town and with 250Nm of torque it can cover ground on the N3.

I visited friends in the Karkloof one evening and the car took a poorly­maintained D­Road and a rutted farm road in its stride with

responsive and athletic handling.

We returned at night, and the lighting provided was of superb quality.

Costs and competition There are five models in the Golf SV range, the 2.0l TDI Comfort­ line auto will set you back around R395 000.

There is a three­year 120 000 km warranty and a five­year, 90 000km service plan. Browse in the B­segment before you buy and negotiate pre­purchase.

Jaguar SUV features some world firsts

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“Voted Volkswagen Dealer of the Year 2014 & 2015”

Performance The 2.0l TDI Comfortline DSG, which we drove has a four­ cylinder, turbo­diesel engine put­ ting out 81kWs and 250Nm, ex­ pressed on road via a butter smooth 6­speed auto box.

The Golf SV is as spacious as it is handsome from all angles.

PHOTO: LINDSEY SAKER

To make Tesla more affordable for more people, Elon Musk has launched the Model X 60D, with the D not short for ‘diesel’, but darn cheap, relatively speaking.

In the U.S. the 60D starts at $74 000 (R1 059 861) before tax incentives.

The new Model X 60D delivers an EPA estimated range of up to 320 kilometres of range, a top speed of 209 kilometres, zero­to­60 acceleration in six seconds, and all­wheel­drive performance.

The next most basic Model X, the 75D, starting at $83 000 before incentives, delivers up to 380 kilometres of all­electric range. None of the models is available in South Africa, where high prices and long distances still count against battery power.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Purchase a new Golf SV Comfortline 2.0 TDI 81kW DSG from R399,900* and receive R60,000 towards one of the following:

An optional cost of R1100 incl. VAT will be charged for metallic paint. Note: Linked to FNB prime rate, currently 10.5%. Offers calculated on the Golf SV Comfortline 2.0 TDI 81kW DSG model in standard specification. Interest rate is used for illustrative purposes only. Price excludes optional extras, delivery, licensing and registration. Offers may not be used in conjunction with any other specials service or offering. Subject to bank approval. Information subject to change without prior notification. All finance offers are subject to credit approval from Volkswagen Financial Services. The advertised offer is only available as a finance deal through Volkswagen Financial Services. Offers only available through Volkswagen Financial services South Africa Proprietary Limited trading as Volkswagen Financial Services an Authorised Financial Services and Credit Provider. NCRCP6635. Terms and conditions apply.

All the above is subject to price increase and valid until 29 July 2016 or while stocks last.

Safety and Security The Golf SV has a 5­star Euro NCAP safety rating and every­ thing that goes with it.

Like ABS with EBD, driver, pas­ senger and curtain airbags, as well as auto hold for hills and steep de­ scents; and a multi collision brak­ ing system.

The car also has side impact bars, seatbelts for all five passen­ gers and ISOFIX child seat an­ chors.

I particularly liked the Park Pi­ lot system, which was very helpful in tight parking spots, with which the world is filled these days, while the anti­theft alarm and central locking look after the car while you are shopping. There is also a useful tow away and tilt protec­ tion feature, which I wish my car, possessed.

Cheaper Tesla

60000 reasons to buy the Mommy’s Golf taxi.

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this rises to about 1500 litres. The interior storage space is also con­ siderable and there are plugs for all your electronic toys.

JAGUAR’S first sport utility ve­ hicle, the F­Pace, is now on sale in South Africa.

Fully imported from the Soli­ hull plant in England, the F­Pace will be available in a 132 kW 2,0­litre diesel, a 221 kW 3,0­li­ tre diesel, or a 3,0­litre super­ charged V6 petrol, tuned to make either 250 kW or 280 kW. All the engines are linked to Jaguar’s eight­speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels on demand.

The introductory prices for the five­seater sport utes start at R776 800 for the F­Pace 2,0 I4D Diesel 132 kW Pure and R938 200 for the F­Pace 3,0 TDV6 Diesel 220 kW, with the top­of­the­range F­Pace 3,0 S/C Petrol 280 kW First Edition costing R1 321 000. These en­ try­level prices make the F­Pace cheaper than a Discovery or Range Rover, but the top­spec models do compete in price with BMW and Audi.

The F­Pace’s torque on­de­ mand all­wheel drive was first

Competing for a slice of the SUV market is Jaguar’s well­ priced F­Pace.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS developed for the F­Type, while its Adaptive Surface Response (ASR) comes from Land Rover’s award­winning Terrain Re­ sponse technology and is already used in the Jaguar XF. Another world­class technol­ ogy developed for adverse condi­ tions is the All Surface Progress Control (ASPC). For drivers who want to use the accelerator, there’s Low­Friction Launch.

This uses a progressive throttle map, making the vehicle easier

to control, and the F­Pace is the first Jaguar to offer it.

Inside, information can be projected into the driver’s line of sight by the laser head­up dis­ play. The Navigation can also be shown in 3D in the HD virtual instrument cluster. The F­Pace also debuts Jaguar’s Activity Key. A waterproof, shockproof wrist­ band, this wearable technology supports active lifestyles be­ cause it allows the key fob to be locked inside the vehicle. — WR.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

July 21, 2016

5

Facelift for Mars Rover Curiosity Mk II to be even better ALWYN VILJOEN THE ultimate offroad vehicle is out of this world — literally.

It is a Mars rover called Curi­ osity — Nasa’s car­sized, six­ wheeled, one­ton radioisotope­ powered exploratory vehicle that has been analysing the red planet since August 2012.

Nasa said it is now building a

face­lift model to join the ageing Mars Rover in February 2021.

The Mars 2020 rover will in­ vestigate a region of Mars where the ancient environment may have been favorable for microbial life, probing the Martian rocks for evidence of past life.

Throughout its investigation, it will collect samples of soil and rock and cache them on the sur­

Erisa Hines, a driver for the Mars Curiosity rover (shown), talks about the new Rover being built to explore new parts of Mars.

PHOTO: NASA face for potential return to Earth by a future mission.

“The Mars 2020 rover is the first step in a potential multi­ mission campaign to return care­ fully selected and sealed samples of Martian rocks and soil to Earth,” said Geoffrey Yoder, act­ ing associate administrator of Nasa’s Science Mission Director­

Autonomous all­terrain capability for Land Rover

Many self­driving car systems are being tested on road, Jaguar Land Rover is the first to take theirs off­road.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED JAGUAR Land Rover has demon­ strated autonomous driving technol­ ogies that works both on and off road.

Head of research at Jaguar Land Rover Tony Harper said the group’s all­terrain autonomy research isn’t just about the car driving itself on a motorway or in extreme off­road sit­ uations, but about safely traversing any terrain or driving situation.

“We don’t want to limit future highly automated and fully autono­ mous technologies to tarmac.

“When the driver turns off the road, we want this support and as­ sistance to continue. In the future, if you enjoy the benefits of autono­ mous lane keeping on a motorway at the start of your journey, we want to ensure you can use this all the way to your destination, even if this is via a rough track or gravel road.”

To enable this level of autono­ mous all­terrain capability, Jaguar Land Rover’s researchers are devel­ oping next­generation sensing tech­ nologies that will be the eyes of the future autonomous car.

Because the sensors are always ac­ tive and can see better than the driv­ er, this advanced sensing will ulti­ mately give a vehicle the high levels of artificial intelligence required for the car to think for itself and plan the route it should take, on any surface.

3D path sensing The systems in the cars combine camera, ultrasonic, radar and light and radar (Lidar) sensors to give the car a 360­degree view of the world

around it, with sensors so advanced that the car could determine surface characteristics, down to the width of a tyre, even in rain and falling snow, to plan its route.

Ultrasonic sensors can identify surface conditions by scanning up to five metres ahead of the car, so Ter­ rain Response settings could be auto­ matically changed before the car drives from tarmac to snow, or from grass to sand. This will optimise all­ terrain performance, without loss of momentum or control.

Cameras check for potholes Terrain­based speed adaption (TBSA) uses cameras to sense bumpy terrain, including uneven and undulating surfaces and washboard roads, potholes and even standing water. It is then intelligent enough to predict the potential impact of these surfaces on the car’s ride and automatically adjust speed to keep passengers comfortable.

Sharing map updates In a world­first off­road demonstra­ tion, Jaguar Land Rover has connect­ ed two Range Rover Sports together using innovative DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) technology to create an Off­Road Connected Convoy. This wireless ve­ hicle­to­vehicle communications system shares information including vehicle location, wheel­slip, changes to suspension height and wheel ar­ ticulation, as well as All­Terrain Progress Control (ATPC) and Ter­ rain Response settings instantly be­ tween the two vehicles. — Supplied.

ate in Washington.

“This mission marks a signifi­ cant milestone in Nasa’s Journey to Mars — to determine whether life has ever existed on Mars, and to advance our goal of sending humans to the Red Planet,” he said.

To reduce risk and provide cost savings, the 2020 rover will

look much like its predecessor, Curiosity, but with an array of new science instruments and en­ hancements to explore Mars as never before.

The Mars 2020 rover will use the same sky crane landing sys­ tem as Curiosity, but will have the ability to land in more chal­ lenging terrain with two en­

hancements, making more rug­ ged sites eligible as safe landing candidates.

Terrain­relative navigation on the new rover will use onboard analysis of downward­looking images taken during descent, matching them to a map that in­ dicates zones designated unsafe for landing.

6

WitnessWheels MOTORING

July 21, 2016

Leaning hybrid quad

iBike a cheaper ebike

Warsaw­based Aero­service in Poland has launched the EV4­Bike, which its makers describe is an innovative tricycle bike with electric help engine and the ability to tilt on the turn. ‘Our goal was to design a bike with a unique appearance and high quality,’ the company’s Jacek Skopinski says. The 35 kg quad has a 30 km range with a top combined speed of 25 km/h when a 250W motor is assisted with the pedals.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Hybrid electric bikes are made and priced for the first world, leaving us with wonky currencies down south shaking our heads at the prices. Coolpeds USA hope to change all this with its front­wheel driven iBike, which it says on Indiego ‘is ready to revolutionise the electric bike industry’. A 350 Watt brushless motor drives the front wheel hub of the 13,6 kg bike, with a 36 Volt battery that recharges in four hours. Current pledge prices are under $500, for a bike Coolpeds say will sell for $799 (R11 400). PHOTO: COOLPEDS USA

Biking on a budget

Bio­hybrid bikes for micro mobility in cities

Honda NC750X is arguably SA’s most economical highway­capable bike

Personal city transport for the not­too­ distant future, as seen by one research company.

PHOTO: SCHAEFFLER

DRIES VAN DER WALT CAPE TOWN — Have you ever wondered which bikes are the most fuel­efficient in their catego­ ries?

We did, but finding directly­ comparable figures turned out to be practically impossible — manu­ facturers’ claims sometimes bear little relation to real­life consump­ tion, while different publications use different techniques to meas­ ure fuel consumption during road tests.

However, there is one way to compare the bikes under exactly the same set of conditions, all neatly slotted into the various cat­ egories: the annual motorcycle economy run. For this article, we looked at the results of the 2015 event, which took place on public roads between Pretoria and Hazy­ view in Mpumalanga, and one of the big surprises was that the win­ ner wasn’t a small bike, but a mid­ size one.

But even the big machines weighed in with surprising frugali­ ty — a BMW R 1200 GS won the category for adventure bikes above 1 001 cm³ with a consumption of 3,97 litres/100 km, while its stable­ mate, the R 1200 R, won the over­1 001 cm³ road bike category by returning 4,03 litres/100 km.

The category for touring bikes over 1 001 cm³ saw a Triumph Trophy using only 4,0 li­ tres/100 km to win.

For bikes under 1 000 cc, a Du­ cati ST4S took the honours with a consumption of 3,67 li­ tres/100 km, while the most frugal machine in the category for multi­ cylinder adventure bikes up to 1 000 cm³ was a BMW F 700 GS with 3,31 litres/100 km.

At this point you may wonder

The NC750X handled a solo long­distance trip with ease, comfortably maintaining speeds in excess of the national speed limit.

PHOTO: DRIES VAN DER WALT why I haven’t mentioned the cate­ gory for two­cylinder road bikes between 501 and 800 cm³. The reason is that the winner in this

category is also the overall winner, which makes it arguably the most economical highway­capable bike on the local market.

With an average consumption of just 2,70 litres/100 km, Honda’s NC750X took the top honours.

— Wheels24.

For more information on Witness Wheels advertising Contact Avir on 033 355 1152 or 084 278 3447 Avir@witness.co.za

IRRESPECTIVE of whether with a car, train, airplane or bicycle, the volume of traffic in urban centres continues to increase and is changing the ways in which people get around.

At the same time, the wish for emission­free, clean mo­ bility is leading to a political rethink and is giving rise to new, individual mobility so­ lutions in urban centres.

On this basis, Schaeffler analysed areas of application and future requirements for individual forms of mobility according to its holistic strat­ egy concept “mobility for to­ morrow”.

The result is the bio hybrid from Schaeffler.

“All­electric mobility will not be sufficient to guarantee sustainable, energy­efficient mobility for tomorrow in the passenger car sector,” says Peter Gutzmer, deputy CEO and chief technology officer at Schaeffler AG. The bio hybrid shows how Schaeffler envisages a solu­ tion for urban mobility. It is similar to a bicycle, but with­ out the disadvantages in terms of weather protection and stowage space.

Thanks to the pedelec drive system with a restric­ tion of 25 km/h, the bio hy­ brid can be operated without a driver’s licence and can also be used on cycle tracks, adds Gutzmer.

Micro­mobility The Schaeffler bio hybrid combines the advantages of stability and weather protec­ tion with the energy con­ sumption and space utilisa­ tion of a pedelec. The electri­ cally­assisted drive system (up to 25 km/h) has a mini­ mum range of 50 km.

The new vehicle platform with two front and rear wheels provides increased

safety and driving stability.

The bio hybrid can also be easily driven on cycle tracks due its compact dimensions (2,1 m long, 1,5 m high, 85 cm wide) and a track width of 80 cm.

The electric reverse gear also enables manoeuvring without any problems.

In combination with its portable battery system, vari­ able luggage compartment and automatic gearshift sys­ tem, this 1+1 seater (2 seats) can already be integrated in­ to the existing infrastructure and day­to­day life.

The extravagant design underlines the lifestyle char­ acter and matches the inno­ vative roof construction, which can be easily stowed under the seat by means of an intelligent swing mecha­ nism. With the weather pro­ tection retracted, the bio hy­ brid is transformed into a stylish cabriolet, allowing the driver to enjoy fresh air.

Due to an integrated smartphone connection, the driver is linked to a large number of apps and can ac­ cess information, for exam­ ple, about the weather and traffic situation, at any time.

Fast cycle lanes needed But Gutzmer warns cities will have to install faster cycle lanes before this type of indi­ vidual mobility can become reality.

Cities such as London, Paris and Singapore are al­ ready investing hundreds of millions in the development of cycle tracks.

There are already discus­ sions in Germany about opening cycle tracks with a legal speed limit of 40 km/h.

“All these developments mean that our concept has great potential to change ur­ ban mobility,” says Gutzmer.

— Wheels Reporter.

MOTORING WitnessWheels

July 21, 2016

7

Drone crossed with a moon buggy, the SwagBot is new Oz cowboy ALWYN VILJOEN THE Australian Centre for Field Robotics, in conjunction with the University of Sydney, has mated a drone to a moon buggy to create the SwagBot. It is an all terrain robot that can do any­ thing the cowboys did on Broke­ back Mountain, except provide companionship.

The last warning is from the promotional video, which aims to sell the Swagbot to ranchers working the vast farms in Aus­

tralia’s outback, Leader of the project, Salah Sukkarieh, said a trial that began in June has confirmed that SwagBot is able to herd cattle and can navigate its way around ditches, logs, swamps and other features of a typical farm land­ scape.

He said the trial has been very successful so far, and the team is ready to move to the next phase, which is to develop algo­ rithms that can monitor the health of stock and check the

Looking like an alien spider, the Swagbot is Australia’s attempt to replace costly cowboys with a cheap robot.

PHOTO: YOUTUBE

progress of plants and locate weeds.

During the trails, the all­ter­ rain robot proved it could: • tow any wheeled equipment on the farm, thanks to independ­ ent traction on all four wheels; • surmount high obstacles, thanks to the independently driven wheels that adjust them­ selves and rotate for the best di­ rection that is suitable for the path; and • monitor animals.

Like a drone, the operator

Safer, efficient and productive city bus

gives the robot a target destina­ tion and then lets it get on with it.

Its battery is good for a few hours and it can reach speeds of 19 km/h, climbing with spider­ like legs over logs and crossing creeks.

There are no prices yet and specifications are likely to change should this project ever get to large­scale production models, but Sukkarieh said the pricing for the all­terrain robot is intended to be low­cost.

Delivery droids doing service in Europe soon

Mercedes­Benz announces new autonomous Future Bus with CityPilot

STU ROBARTS

The lounge area of the new autonomous Mercedes­Benz bus.

PHOTO: QUICKPIC MERCEDES­Benz has announced the pilots of its first autonomous bus­ es that can be steered with the CityPi­ lot system.

Dr Wolfgang Bernhard, member of the board of management of Daimler AG for Daimler Trucks & Buses, said: “With our Highway Pilot, we showed nearly two years ago that autonomous driving will make long­distance truck transport safer and more efficient. We are now putting this technology into our city buses with CityPilot.

“The system is a further develop­ ment of Highway Pilot, especially for big cities. It allows us to drive partially autonomously on specially marked bus lanes. This makes public trans­ port safer, more efficient and more

productive.”

Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses, said: “In addition to our strong product range, it’s above all our tech­ nological competence and innovative strength that make Daimler buses so successful worldwide.

“The Mercedes­Benz Future Bus with CityPilot once again demon­ strates our leading role in the bus business. We will claim this position also in the future. That’s why we are investing approximately €200 mil­ lion (R3,1 billion) in the further devel­ opment of our city­bus portfolio.

“The advantages of CityPilot for our customers are clear: our Future Bus operates fuel efficiently and with minimal stress on the engine. That

has a positive impact on operating and maintenance costs, vehicle life­ time and availability.”

The Mercedes­Benz Future Bus is much more than just a technology car­ rier for autonomous driving. For this city bus, the Daimler buses team has developed a specific, attractive vision for public transport that breaks with many conventions.

The roughly 12­metre long solo bus on the basis of the global bestseller Citaro goes completely new ways in terms of design. For example, it ap­ peals with an asymmetrical and thus more modern and attractive exterior design.

The interior is open and light with the low­floor divided into three areas:

the “service” area is at the front near the driver; the “express” area for short journeys with a focus on standing room; and quick passenger flow is in the middle.

Behind that is a “lounge” area where passengers spend more time.

Their smartphones can be charged wirelessly, inductively that is.

The completely redesigned cockpit is an integrated part of the whole space. The driver receives the required information on a large display and an electronic ticket system dispenses with the conventional selling and checking of tickets by the driver. The ticket system is an important element of the bus’s connectivity.

— Witness Reporter..

FROM this month, pedestrians in the United Kingdom, Germany and Switzerland will begin sharing their pavements with robot couriers.

The self­driving delivery droids are being rolled out as part of a pilot by Starship Technologies, working with a number of major industry part­ ners.

Starship Technologies was set up in 2014 by Skype co­founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, with the aim of revolutionising local deliveries.

The robots are designed for delivering packa­ ges, groceries and food to consumers in a three­ to five­kilometre radius and travel at a “brisk walking speed” of six kilometres per hour on average, but can travel at up to 16 km/h.

They are built with off­the­shelf compo­ nents, such as an Nvidia Tegra K1 processor, to keep the costs down. They also make use of a number of conventional cameras, a 360° camera and infrared and ultrasonic sensors to navigate autonomously, but are monitored by human operators in control centres who can take control at any time if required.

Starship has been testing the robots in 12 countries for nine months. Around 8 000 km are said to have been covered and over 400 000 people encountered without any accidents.

The robot will take between 15 to 30 minutes to arrive and, once it has arrived, the customer will be sent a unique Pin code with which to access the lid of the robot and take the goods.

The robot will then return to its base.

Starship said the combination of Pin­only access and remote tracking makes the robot de­ livery system both safe and secure. There are also nine cameras in total that can capture the actions of any potential aggressors. In addition, they feature two­way audio so that operators in the control room can speak to people who might approach the robots.

Location tracking is said to be to the nearest few centimetres, so they can be found easily if stolen.

The robots are electric and have four motors that drive six wheels, with power coming from lithium batteries that last for about three hours.

Starship Technologies said it could easily in­ crease the battery capacity by a factor of 10, but that the robots are currently being trans­ ported a lot by plane and they can’t fly on a plane with a battery any larger. — Gizmag.

8

Thrilling end to Karting Nationals THE 2016 South African Karting Nationals came to a thrilling end at Vereeniging when six drivers were crowned champions at the Vereeniging Kart track on Saturday.

Joshua Coertze came from behind to steal the Mini Rok title, Charl Visser held on to win the Maxterino title, Cameron O’Connor stole the Junior Max cham­ pionship, Dino Stermin lifted a somewhat controver­ sial Senior Max title and Bradley Liebenberg and Michael Stephen are the 2016 DD2 and DD2 Masters champions, subject to final MSA ratification.

Johannesburg youngster Bradley Liebenberg wrapped up his third SA DD2 championship on the trot in SA karting’s quickest gearbox class, adding the 2016 prize to his 2104 and 2015 gongs. Liebenberg, who is also making a name for himself in Polo Cup racing, reeled off three wins and a second race third place to win the day and cement his position as the King of DD2 as he booked his place at the Rotax Max World Finals in Italy in October. Liebenberg won six races in 2016 en route to his third DD2 title in a row.

Third on the day, second overall in DD2 and Mas­ ters winner, multiple SA Production Car champion Michael Stephen added yet another South African racing title to his name as he booked his ticket to the DD2 Masters World Final.

Port Elizabeth driver Stephen was also second in the overall DD2 championship ahead of Durban lad Benjamin Habig, who took the second race win to clinch second on the day from Stephen.

Benoni lad Delon Thompson delivered four bril­ liant race wins to turn the tables on Dino Stermin in the Senior Max 125 cc championship, but a last race penalty turned the tables to see Stermin emerge as the provisional 2016 South African Senior Max champion. Thompson’s penalty also handed Jozi lady kart heroine Fabienne Lanz the class win for the day, one point ahead of Stellenbosch lad Delano Fowler.

High schools The 125 cc Junior Max gang was always going to fight for championship honours, with six drivers within 12 championship points heading into the Finals, but Jo­ hannesburg driver Cameron O’ Connor took no pris­ oners to win the first two races and wrest the champi­ onship lead from Camps Bay lad Sebastian Boyd.

Ballito’s Daniel Duminy, who was nudged off track to finish down the field in the first of four high school 125 cc Junior Max races on Saturday, congratulated O’Connor. Duminy said he now looks ahead to his next race in the VW Polo Cup: “I’m looking forward to hop in and race my blue machine at Zwartkops in a few weeks’ time — bring it on!”.

Primary schools There was always going to be tears in the two primary school karting classes, where Kyalami lightie Kwanda Mokoena and Cape Town kid Charl Visser went into the Maxterino 60 cc title on even points, but Visser’s better points drop scenario required him to win one race, which he did in the second heat. From there Charl looked on as Kwanda raced to three race wins, but Visser beat Mokoena to the title by all of 0,25 points.

That was in spite of Kwanda winning seven races through the season to Charl’s three, but the Cape driver’s consistency in scoring podiums did the trick in the end. Cape quartet Troy Dolinschek, Joseph Oelz, Tate Bishop and Kai van Zijl filled out the SA national Maxterino championship top six.

World finals next Four of the South African champions crowned on Sat­ urday — Bradley Liebenberg, Michael Stephen, Dino Stermin and Cameron O’Connor — will now repre­ sent South Africa at the Rotax Max World Finals in Italy in October. They will be joined by the winners in their respective DD2, Masters, Senior and Junior Max classes at the forthcoming wildcard African Open at Zwartkops.

Two Western Cape Town drivers (Stermin and Visser), two Gauteng drivers (Liebenberg and O’Con­ nor) and two Port Elizabeth drivers (Stephen and Co­ ertze) shared the six 2016 South African Karting crowns. — Motorsport Media.

WitnessWheels MOTORING

Van der Linde keeps TT title hopes alive Audi Sport TT Cup: SA driver ‘definitely hit the sweet spot’ in Zandvoort

Sheldon van der Linde (31) last year at the Nürburgring in Germany, showing his mettle against Dennis Marschall.

PHOTO: MOTORPRESS SOUTH Africa’s Sheldon van der Linde was in combative form as he raced to a dominant race win and a strong second place to see him back into Audi Sport TT Cup title con­ tention when the series visited the Dutch Zandvoort seaside circuit over the weekend.

Van der Linde qualified second and held on to a close second place in Saturday’s first race, before starting Sunday’s second race in pole position and on fresh front tyres as he cleared off to win by almost 10 seconds.

Van der Linde pruned his championship deficit to his championship leading German rival Dennis Marschall back down to seven points in the process.

“That was much better, and a great relief after the Norisring disappointment a few weeks ago,” Van der Linde said as he enjoyed the spoils of victory on Sunday afternoon.

“It was important to regain as many championship points as possible on the front two and we did exactly that. My experi­ ence at Zandvoort this weekend was great, the track is incredible and something very special and demanding on us.

“The car was perfect today — I was able to apply everything that we had learnt from the data analysis of the previous sessions and we definitely hit the sweet spot on the setup for the second race. The important thing is that we ended up in front of Dennis twice this weekend and I managed to jump Joonas Lappalainen to regain second in the championship chase.

“All in all, this was a very successful and important weekend for our championship and we go into the summer break on a posi­ tive footing. We race at one of my favourite racetracks at the Nürburgring next — I plan to take full best advantage of that.”

Audi Sport TT Cup rookie Van der Linde will be looking to build on his four race wins out of eight starts in the 2016 series at the Nürburgring weekend of September 9­10.

“We’re back on track and I predict a great second half of the season following the sum­ mer break.”

CV Joint speCialists

for CV joints, ball joints, tie rod ends, wheel bearings.

Cameron O’Connor sends his kart (493) to the chequered flag.

PHOTO: WERNER VIET

July 21, 2016

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