Motoring October 2019

IN THIS ISSUE: WITH UP TO SEVEN SEATS: THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ GLB: FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS | AZIMUT LIFESTYLE WEEK 2019 | THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY GETS A NAME: NISSAN ARIYA CONCEPT | VOLKSWAGEN BUILDS GOLF FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE | MITSUBISHI MOTORS AT THE 2019 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW | MAZDA MX-30 | AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DRIVER

The Malta Independent on Sunday. October 2019

WITH UP TO SEVEN SEATS: THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ GLB: FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS

THE FUTURE OF MOBILITY GETS A NAME: NISSAN ARIYA CONCEPT BRAND’S HERITAGE REFLECTED IN MONIKER OF NISSAN INTELLIGENT MOBILITY’S NEXT ICON

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n naming its all-new, near-production electric crossover concept, Nissan looked to the past to find a word that also represents the company’s future direction: Ariya.

Created as a vision of Nissan’s electrified future, the Ariya name traces back to ancient times –

evoking images of respect and admiration.

“As the new icon of Nissan Intelligent Mobility, representing the next chapter in Nissan’s proud heritage of enriching people’s lives, we felt that this concept deserved to bear a memorable nameplate,” said Yasuhiro Yamauchi, representative executive officer, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “After much deliberation, we selected Ariya, a name that is both forward thinking yet reflective of the past.”

In the context of the new Nissan Ariya Concept, the name represents strength of purpose and the vehicle’s

mission to provide a more confident, more exciting and more connected driving experience.

“It’s ultra-sleek, seamless, sharp and powerful,” said Alfonso Albaisa, Nissan’s senior vice president of global design. “The groundbreaking platform dreamed by our engineers, and shaped by our advanced electric powertrain and packaging, inspired our global design team to reflect and give form to the innovation within.

Ariya is a name that will be synonymous with the brilliant new vision of design and engineering at Nissan.”

AZIMUT LIFESTYLE WEEK 2019 THE SECOND EDITION OF THE AZIMUT LIFESTYLE WEEK HAS COME TO A CLOSE FOR ESPRIT YACHTING, MALTA’S OFFICIAL DEALER FOR AZIMUT YACHTS IN MALTA.

he second edition of the Azimut Lifestyle Week has come to a close for Esprit Yachting, Malta’s official dealer for Azimut Yachts in Malta. The event took place at Marina di Valletta hosting the most impressive display of Azimut Yachts to date in Malta.

This year’s Lifestyle Week offered visitors the unique opportunity to view ten beautiful yachts including the stunning Azimut Grande 27 METRI making its public debut in Malta— dynamic lines, exceptionally elegant and detailed interior décor, 5 cabin layout and the innovative carbon fibre build make it a truly one of a kind yacht in the market.

Also on display for the duration of the Azimut Lifestyle Week were two yachts from the Atlantis collection, the 43 and 51, the 60, 66, 72 from the flybridge collection, the Azimut S7 from the S Collection and the 43, 53 and 66 from the Magellano Collection.

The event was open to the general public with yacht viewings and sea trials having been organized by appointment.

Azimut owners were also invited to attend exclusive

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Marina Di Valletta by night during the Azimut lifestyle Week 2019

events throughout Lifestyle Week. Attendees were pleasantly surprised to find the Marina di Valletta and all the yachts lit up in pink in order to celebrate and collect funds for

Pink October.

Niki Travers Tauss; Managing Director of Esprit Yachting Malta explained that “The feedback we received from visitors this year was astonishing and all the

more rewarding because our team worked tirelessly to organize this event with a display of yachts that rivals most international shows. As the week comes to a close we look

forward to our prospects joining us to upcoming Azimut shipyard tour and we invite interested parties interested in joining us to get in touch on 79442122 or 79444021”

VOLKSWAGEN BUILDS GOLF FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE • BOARD MEMBER FOR PRODUCTION TOSTMANN: “DESPITE THE GREATER COMPLEXITY, WE ARE PRODUCING THE NEW GOLF ONE HOUR FASTER THAN ITS PREDECESSOR.” • STANDARDIZATION CUTS RAMP-UP INVESTMENTS BY HALF • OVER 26 MILLION GOLF BUILT IN WOLFSBURG SINCE 1974

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ver 35 million Golf in various versions have been produced worldwide since the first generation, 26 million of them at the Wolfsburg plant.

Production of the new Golf at the main plant began in the summer and is currently in the run-up phase. The first vehicles will be in the showrooms at dealers in Germany and Austria in early December. To prepare for production, approximately 700 work steps were analyzed at over 400 workshops to

leverage existing efficiency reserves. Numerous process improvements have been implemented to make sure the eighth generation of the bestseller can be built more efficiently than its predecessor.

In Wolfsburg, 8,400 employees work exclusively on the Golf. The Golf 81 has over 2,700 individual parts and components. There are 962 wiring systems with 1,340 meters of cable in the fullyconnected Golf. That is 31 wiring systems and just under 100 meters of cable more than in the Golf 7. Starting with delivery of the steel sheet, the Golf travels 69 kilometers on production lines until the finished vehicle leaves the factory.

Dr. Andreas Tostmann, Volkswagen Brand Board Member for Production, said: “The Golf 8 is much more complex than its predecessor.

Nevertheless, we have cut average manufacturing time by about one hour. Because the Golf 8 belongs to the secondgeneration of MQB products, we achieved a significant reduction in production investments. Our platform strategy is delivering. The team in Wolfsburg have given their all for the Golf 8. Production processes have become more efficient overall. That is a great achievement and I would like to say a big thank you to all employees.”

The new Golf is the first model to be launched bearing the new brand logo.

Due to greater standardization of plant and processes for the Golf 8, ramp-up investments for a successful start of production have been cut by more than half compared with the model’s predecessor. Total investments for the new Golf are in the mid three-digit million euro range.

Given the current platform strategy, 80 percent of existing body shop plant and equipment can be used. Like its predecessor, the Golf 8 is based on the Modular Transverse

Toolkit (MQB). New equipment has been installed for the side panels of the Golf 8 with their striking tornado line. This new plant is not only much more flexible, it is also 40 percent more productive that the equipment used for the Golf 7.

Commissioning the Golf 8, i.e. installing all data, is fully automated and carried out via a fast WLAN network while the vehicle is still on the production line. As a result, manufacturing time for this process step

remains unchanged even though the volume of data is higher.

From next year, a new fullyautomated generation of driverless transport systems will ensure the faster supply of material, a key factor in efficient factory processes. Body shop logistics will see a seven percent improvement in productivity through the use of 23 transport robots.

The vehicle has not gone on sale yet.

October 2019 | motoring 03

MITSUBISHI MOTOR AT THE 2019 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW • TWO WORLD PREMIÈRES AT THE 2019 TOKYO MOTOR SHOW: MITSUBISHI MI-TECH CONCEPT PLUG-IN HYBRID CONCEPT AND MITSUBISHI SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT • MI-TECH SMALL-SIZE SUV CONCEPT COMBINES PHEV TECHNOLOGY WITH GAS-TURBINE ENGINE-GENERATOR • MI-TECH CONCEPT ALSO FEATURES ADVANCED FOUR ELECTRIC MOTOR SUPER-ALL WHEEL CONTROL DRIVETRAIN AND ADVANCED DRIVER AIDS • MITSUBISHI SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT FEATURES DYNAMIC SHIELD DESIGN LANGUAGE TO BRING SUV TOUGHNESS TO SUPER-HEIGHT KEI WAGON • SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT COMBINES CHIC PRACTICALITY AND BRISK PERFORMANCE WITH ADVANCED E-ASSIST SAFETY TECHNOLOGY

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itsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) has unveiled the Mitsubishi MITECH CONCEPT small-sized electrified SUV concept car at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show 2019.

Takao Kato, chief executive officer MMC, and Ashwani Gupta, chief operating officer MMC, presented the new concept to the assembled press and also explained MMC’s electrification strategy.

“We are dedicated to electrification technology, particularly plug-in hybrids,” Kato said. “We will be expanding our line-up of electrified vehicles by delivering more variations and leveraging the diverse electrification technology in the alliance to make MMC the leader in the PHEV category going forward.”

Gupta added that MMC plans to employ its electrification technologies to new midsize and compact SUVs by 2022 as well as Kei cars in the near future.

Mitsubishi Motors also presented the new SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT at the show, announcing that it is the second wave of the next-generation Kei cars which it plans to release by the end of this fiscal year.

MITSUBISHI MI-TECH CONCEPT The Mitsubishi MI-TECH CONCEPT was built to be a small plug-in hybrid electric SUV that delivers unparalleled driving pleasure and confidence over all terrain. The MI-TECH name is constructed using the “M” from Mitsubishi and the “I” from Intelligent, Ingenious and Inspired, while the TECH is an abbreviation of Technology.

This new concept car embodies the MMC brand statement “Drive Your Ambition” with a compact and lightweight new PHEV drivetrain; a four-motor electric 4WD system and 04 motoring | October 2019

advanced driver-assist and preventive safety technologies, all packed into the small electrified SUV. Under the concept of “Stimulates the driver's adventure”, the design of the Mitsubishi MI-TECH CONCEPT is that of a dynamic buggy-type vehicle which embodies the very essence of Mitsubishi-ness.

The front end adopts MMC’s signature Dynamic Shield new front design concept and uses a satin-plated colour in the centre of the grille, with copper as a secondary colour to accentuate its expressiveness as an electrified vehicle. T-shaped headlights are embedded in the front end to emphasize a distinguishing outward appearance. On the lower bumper, an aluminium skid plate is placed on both sides to protect the body while the centre section has an air intake.

On the sides, the highly raised over-fenders and large diameter tyres project a high level of mobility, SUV power, as well as the stability to thoroughly grip the terrain. The body radiates grandeur and sharpness with a design reminiscent of a machined metal ingot, while the use of a side step on the carved sides balances utility with design.

The rear end design is dominated by a large and bold hexagon shape, again exuding the impression of being machined from solid metal ingot to emphasize robustness and strength. The T-shaped tail lamp shared the same design pattern used on the front end, as do the rear bumpers.

Inside, a horizontal instrument panel and clean, functional design make operating the Mitsubishi MI-TECH easier and more pleasurable for the driver.

Keyboard-shaped switches are positioned atop a centre console, and the front handgrip also functions as a hand pad to make the switches easy to operate. Functions are presented in a straightforward manner, easy to understand just by seeing them and with a reassuring feel when pressed.

The horizontal theme is further accentuated by copper lines added on the instrument panel and steering wheel. For extra peace of mind, the front windscreen presents all the relevant information in graphics such as vehicle behaviour, terrain recognition and optimal route guidance.

The power generator in the new PHEV drivetrain is a lightweight, compact gas turbine engine-generator in place of the traditional petrol engine. As environmental awareness grows and downsizing progresses, the concept explores the technological proposition of plugging the PHEV drivetrain into a small SUV. The gas turbine engine-generator has a powerful output for its size and weight and another benefit of the gas turbine is its flexibility to run on a variety of fuels such as diesel, kerosene and alcohol which can be selected depending on the regions. Further, its exhaust is clean so it responds to environmental and energy issues.

Building on its PHEV powertrain experience, MMC has evolved its Super All Wheel Control (SAWC) integrated vehicle dynamics control system to operate with a Quad Motor 4WD System with front and rear Dual-Motor Active Yaw Control (AYC) units. Making the brake callipers electric has also allowed for high response, high accuracy control of drive and braking force of the four wheels while delivering a drastic improvement in turning and traction performance.

When driving off-road and two of the wheels lose traction, the ability to transmit the optimal driving force to all four wheels makes it possible to transmit force to the two wheels still on the ground and keep driving.

MMC has thus delivered a safe, exhilarating driving experience in which the driver feels with the vehicle in all conditions, either in daily driving or when traversing rough roads, while also allowing for thrilling new driving experiences such as 180-

degree spins by counter-rotating the left and right tyres.

The Mitsubishi MI-TECH also comes equipped with a Human Machine Interface (HMI) which displays varying information detected through sensing technology including advanced optical sensors on an augmented reality (AR) windshield. With vehicle, road, and surrounding traffic conditions shown on the AR windshield, drivers can make accurate, heads-up decisions even in poor visibility.

Equipped also with MI-PILOT, next-generation driver assistance technology, the concept car extends driver support not only on freeways and ordinary roads but also on unpaved roads.

MITSUBISHI SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT The SUPER HEIGHT KWAGON CONCEPT is a nextgeneration super height Kei wagon that caters to drivers who want to go more places and cover longer distances.

Offering the wide-open passenger space of a superheight Kei wagon, it delivers the performance and functionality

required in that vehicle category but with a design that expresses the unique flavour of MMC’s SUVs. MMC’s Dynamic Shield front design concept was used for the front end, with a coated steel bar perpendicular to a horizontally-themed grille.

Its side view exudes power, with a cabin silhouette that utilises a long wheelbase and sculpted active character lines. At the same time, the side sill garnish and wheel arches were made black to accentuate the character and uniqueness of an SUV. Designed with a colour scheme to evoke the personality of drivers who want to be active outdoors, its body colour is a two-tone combination of olive green and white, with the silver roof rails. The wheels incorporate the same colours as the body, producing an allaround unified appearance.

Inside, passenger space was maximised in the back seats in particular with family use in mind. With the largest rear door opening and back seat legroom in its class, passengers have plenty of space to relax.

It’s chic, premium interior uses

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brown as a main theme, with orange appearing ubiquitously as a secondary colour. Synthetic leather is covered with diamond quilting for the seats to create a highquality feel.

On the road, the Mitsubishi SUPER HEIGHT K-WAGON CONCEPT combines brisk performance from its highperformance engine and responsive CVT with advanced driver assistance technology and safety equipped, ensuring stressfree road performance in lowspeed and high-speed zones.

Incorporating the e-Assist preventive safety technology package (which includes MI-

PILOT single-lane driver assistance on highways, a braking system that mitigates damage from collisions and collision prevention assistance for pedal misapplication) the Mitsubishi SUPER HEIGHT KWAGON CONCEPT qualifies for Support Car S Wide safety classification by the Japanese government, thereby easing the burden on the driver while providing safety and peace of mind to all passengers.

Press information, releases and images for the Mitsubishi product range is available via our media website at: www.mitsubishimedia.co.uk Customers can find out more at www.mitsubishimotors.co.uk/discover/conceptcars/mi-tech October 2019 | motoring 05

MAZDA MX-30 AN ELECTRIC CAR FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE DRIVER MAZDA’S FIRST FULL-PRODUCTION BEV, THE MAZDA MX-30 WILL GO ON SALE IN THE UK EARLY IN 2021.

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azda’s first production electric car, the Mazda MX-30 has been revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show and stands apart as battery electric vehicle developed for customers who don’t want to sacrifice driving pleasure when they buy an electric car. With its unique freestyle doors, ecological materials and right-sized battery giving a range of approximately 125miles[1], exceeding the 30 mile average daily drive of the European customer[2], the Mazda MX-30 marks another positive step in Mazda’s multi-solution approach to reducing emissions following the recent arrival of the innovative Skyactiv-X engine.

A car with a battery, not a battery with wheels Commenting on the premiere of the Mazda MX-30, which will arrive in European dealerships during the second half of 2020 and the UK in 2021, Yasuhiro Aoyama President & CEO of Mazda Motor Europe said: “As with all our products, our designers and engineers had a very clear goal for our first battery-electric vehicle. It had to have stand out design, be great to drive, something that is key part of Mazda’s DNA and makes us unique when compared with competitors, and most importantly, make a positive contribution to reducing emission across the entire life cycle of the product. Alongside the electrification technologies we are introducing across our range,

being a smaller manufacturer we focused all our efforts on creating an electric car that we anticipate will be a second car where the range of our vehicle will meet customers’ needs”.

Adding, “Many of the media who have driven our test vehicle have said it is one of the few electric cars they have driven with the positive characteristics of a regular car.

Delivering driving pleasure is at the heart of every Mazda we design and that will be no different in our electric car.”

A focus on the driver Like every other Mazda, the Mazda MX-30 provides a very natural and responsive driving feel by accelerating, turning and braking exactly as you intend in everyday driving situations.

In the Mazda MX-30, this is achieved through the innovative engineering approaches in the e-Skyactiv package. This includes also the battery being rigidly integrated into the vehicle body structure which enhances the overall body stiffness and provides excellent response to the driver's input.

In addition, given the importance of sound to a drivers’ perception of torque and speed, the Mazda engineers have also created an electronic sound system inside the Mazda MX-30 , which is synchronized to motor torque in sound frequency and sound pressure.

This leads to less variation in vehicle speed resulting in very stable driving which is further supported by Mazda’s unique G-Vectoring Control (GVC) has been expanded and uses the

advantages of the electric motor (electric G-Vectoring Control Plus).

Distinctive Kodo design With the Mazda MX-30, we continue the Mazda design focus of “less is more” when it comes to the exterior and interior of our cars.

The cabin has a sense of oneness, flowing from the top of A pillar to the rear end. The colour of the framed top roof makes this feeling even clearer.

The freestyle doors give the Mazda MX-30 a distinctive and elegant cabin silhouette, as well as providing customers with easier access to both the front and rear seats. In the interior, we are also introducing eco-friendly materials and are replacing much real leather with a vegan alternative.

There is also environmentally sourced cork featured in the floating center console which provides creative storage space.

What’s in a name?

Mazda has used the MX prefix on several products that were designed and engineered to challenge the assumptions in the automotive industry at the time.

With the MX-5 we created a sporty two seater when the roadster had been dismissed by other manufacturers.

With the Mazda MX-30, we have created a completely new EV experience with the Mazda DNA of unique interior and exterior design and great driving dynamics, ensuring that our customers are still able to experience the joy of driving for which Mazda is famous.

UK consumers interested in the Mazda MX-30 can register interest here: www.mazda.co.uk/cars/mazdamx-30 06 motoring | October 2019

WITH UP TO SEVEN SEATS: THE NEW MERCEDES-BENZ GLB: FOR FAMILY & FRIENDS THANKS TO ITS PASSIONATE, STRIKING DESIGN, GREAT PRACTICALITY AND DYNAMICS AND SPACE FOR UP TO SEVEN OCCUPANTS, THE NEW MERCEDES GLB IS AN UNRIVALLED ALTERNATIVE IN THE COMPACT SUV SEGMENT.

Three equipment lines, one exclusive special model The starting price of the new GLB is €40,400. It can be individualised with four equipment lines: Standard, Style, Progressive and AMG Line.

Send an email to sales@autosales.com.mt or message Mercedes-Benz Malta Facebook page to book your GLB test-drive today.

Attractive equipment packages 4MATIC models feature the Offroad Engineering package as standard. This includes Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) and an additional driving mode. This adapts the power delivery of the engine, the characteristics of 4MATIC and ABS intervention for off-road driving on easy terrain. An animation of the driving situation can be called up on the media display. In combination with MULTIBEAM LED headlamps, the 4MATIC models have a special off-road light. This makes it easier to see obstacles in rough terrain in the dark.

Available options include: LED High Performance headlamps, EASY-PACK tailgate, Mirror package with electrically folding exterior mirrors, self-dimming driver and rear-view mirrors, heated windscreen washer system and 4-way lumbar support, Active Parking Assist with PARKTRONIC, seat heating, touchpad, extended MBUX functions (with "Hey Mercedes" voice control, personal profiles, predictive functions and a Wifi hotspot), HDD navigation and preparation for LiveTraffic Information.

Two more passengers with the optional third seat row The new GLB is the first compact car by Mercedes to be optionally available with a third seat row consisting of two additional individual seats, plus fore-and-aft adjustment of the second seat row and the EASY-ENTRY feature.

The second seat row has a 40:60 split. The seats in the third row accommodate passengers up to a height of 1.68 metres in comfort.

October 2019 | motoring 07