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2017 Toyota Highlander Revealed With Revamped Look And Attractive Features

Mar 292016

The upcoming 2017 Toyota Highlander is expected to have some major changes in the design since it first arrived in 2014. The design upgrade will be covering critical changes subsequent to the present model with a wide range of trim levels. The thrilling news is that it is going to be equipped with direct-infused V-6 powered by an eight-speed programmed transmission. Additionally, you can expect two more upcoming models along with the SE model and other low-cost Highlander hybrid variants. Let’s discuss the changes that 2017 Toyota Highlander is coming with:

1.The New Power train For More Efficiency:

With the three power trains, 2017 Highlander is going to offer you an efficient choice. It will be equipped with a 2.7-liter four-barrel (limited to front-wheel drive only), a gas-electric half breed and a V-6 (with the front-or four-wheel drive) for a better riding experience. Currently, the most Highlanders are produced and sold with the V-6 only, but with the recent upgrades, it has become obvious that Toyota is throwing away its way old 3.5-liter 2GR-FE unit. This technological shift will be replaced with the more productive and port-infused 3.5-litre 2GR-FKS V-6. Furthermore, the engine will be upgraded to 278 horsepower which is the real attraction.

2.The Power Packed Eight Speed Gears:

The new V-6 will be backed with 2 additional gears which will bring a major change in its automatic transmission. The technological change is expected to have six-speed to eight-speed gears. Though not a four cylinder, but the upgrade will benefit the users with the auto start-stop function who can now save money on their fuels with this option. This is going to bring the significant change in the fuel economy and will be beating the current Highlander model.

3.More Options For Hybrids And a New SE:

Buyers will enjoy the option of the hybrid models just like earlier but with the more ease. For every model, there is an option to buy the hybrid version that gets as much as 28mpg on the highways and the cities. However, earlier, the hybrid versions used to cost a lot but now the changes have made more accessible as Toyota is offering hybrid options in the base LE and XLE trims as well.
The SE version will not be having the option to go hybrid as this model is somewhat more focused on the sportiness than the other models. Its exteriors are made to give a vibrant look with the elegant headlamps, followed by 19-inch wheels particularly available for this model. Salsa Red Pearl color is only limited to the SE version that has the dark leather seats which give it a luxurious touch. The SE model’s competitive advantage is its firmer suspension tune.

The Last But Not Least:

The 2017 Toyota Highlander, no doubt, will be equipped with the major changes but the bundle of safety equipment will be same as that of before. Additionally, you will be seeing the blind spot warning systems with the 30-degree view for the better monitoring. Lastly, there will be a huge jump in the total number of USB ports, totaling from one to five. Just wait for the 2017 Highlander to be rolled out for the sale in this fall.

Local motors aimed at shaking up the auto industry

Sep 222015

Car manufacturing companies face a major problem of wasting large amount of money in production, looking for suggestion and solutions to consolidate and eliminate redundancy. Local motor CEO Jay Rogers perceived the same challenge and attacked completely in a different direction. He says manufacturing process of building a car is same from 1915, with thousand of individual parts on assembly lines.

With the idea of changing manufacturing process and keeping cost-cutting as the major factor, local motors came up with a new innovation called as ‘strati – a 3D printed car’. This Classic (hot-looking) car was built in amalgamation with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. The strati is a small two-seater electric car.

3D printing can be done in several versions, most commonly used is a laser to form solid objects from epoxy resins to powdered titanium. Local motors used a different method where it can build up objects, mainly one pixel at a time. They demonstrated the concept publicly, where the prototype was same as strati, which had barely 50 auto parts. Two factories, with an employ of 100 each, has scheduled to complete its construction by the end of the year.

The 3D-printed car is crude by design, its flanks, meanwhile, resembling the exposed parts of BMW i3’s matte carbon tub. Roger says, some parts of the car look like, it came out of the printer and it can be changed according to their user’s requirements. The most important feature of 3D printed car, it can be recyclable by putting a vinyl wrap on it.

How strati is made?

Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic is used for printing, a versatile, strong and cheap material, which may have advanced features to enable safety. Printed car is built in layers and each layer is removed from nozzles of the printer. If the tub is damaged, it can be recycled by removing the motor and melting the car.

Roger mentioned “last car which he tested was a McLaren 650S that cost more than $300,000. This strati, lackluster motor could cost $5000. He added, developing countries will love this technology for its reasonable rates with advanced features. Even a rich guy will like it because of its thousand horsepower with having his own choice of design“.

The strati took 40 hours to print and local motor company is currently looking for an electric-power train supplier. However, the research is ongoing and they have claimed that, they are working on techniques that could increase printer speed by as much as 500-fold.

Google’s self driving car – Easier and Safer Driving

Auto News, Green cars, New cars, New Cars No Responses »

Sep 102015

Imagine if everyone typing or speaking to your vehicle’s interface and letting them to drive, while you read a book, take a nap or surf the web. Google’s self driving car- science fiction is coming and they are going to radically change driving experience. Whether it is a visually challenged or aged people they don’t have to give up their independence. Death that dramatically occurs from car accidents will also go down worldwide. Whatever the reason is, this innovation will have a drastic positive impact across globe.

How Google self-driving car works?
The cars have sensor designed to it, which senses objects like cyclist, pedestrians, vehicles and even birds. Software processes all the information to the car so that it can drive easily and safely without getting distracted. It also processes map so that it can determine what street and which lane it is in. The Software is made in such a way that if objects pass around, it can predict what the object will do and apply the next step. For example, if a pedestrian is an object, then it will predict that as crossing the road and apply the next step of slowing down for pedestrian to cross.

What’s in a Google self driving car?
Google has developed a prototype wherein it starts with a push of a button. Instead of steering wheel and pedals it has a sensor and software that handles driving. Top of the car has a sensor that includes radar, lasers and camera that will detect objects in all directions. It has rounded shape in the corner of a car that maximizes the sensor view. Back-up systems for steering, braking, computing and more is designed in the tires of a car. Electric batteries are used to power the vehicle.

The car was tested on modified Lexus SUV’s and prototype (developed from scratch as fully self driven) over one million miles. These cars are currently out on the streets of Mountain View, California and Austin, Texas.

Despite, driving is a complex task to master, but easier for the computer to process all things that is happening on the road at a faster pace than human mind. The things which look chaotic and difficult for a human eye can easily be predictable by the computer.

While there are few more challenges for Google to overcome, such as avoiding potholes, construction area etc. Once these challenges are fixed launch of this car will make a great impact in automobile industry.

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