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Chevrolet FNR is a sharp vision of the future in Shanghai

The Shanghai Motor Show is about more than just displaying the latest extended-wheelbase luxury sedans to the Chinese populace. Chevrolet is taking advantage of the event to debut its vision of the future of motoring with the FNR concept, and the capsule looks like it could be fresh from off the set of Blade Runner. The FNR imagines what a fully autonomous, electric vehicle might look like many years from now and is meant to appeal to young, Chinese consumers. The concept's design from the minds at GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center does a pretty neat magic trick, too. Most times it's a mass of glass and curving lines that looks very sci-fi, but then the dragonfly doors open upwards to reveal some knife-edged angles in the styling, as well. As a cutting-edge concept, this capsule is also packed with futuristic tech. Power comes from magnetic hubless electric motors in each wheel, and it could charge wirelessly. Crystal lasers generate the headlights and taillights, and radar in the roof would allow scanning the surroundings for autonomous driving. The interior is similarly imaginative as the rest of the styling. Passengers are enveloped in blue light while sitting in mostly mesh chairs with huge bolsters. Keys have been done away with entirely in favor of iris recognition. Once on the road, the front seats even swivel around to more easily talk with rear passengers. Check it all out in the gallery above for a glimpse a Chevy's vision of what might be next. Related Video: Chevrolet-FNR and All-New Chevrolet Malibu Make Global Debut at Shanghai GM Gala Night 2015-04-19 SHANGHAI – Two Chevrolet models, the Chevrolet-FNR and all-new Malibu, made their global debut this evening at Shanghai GM Gala Night. They were joined by the Bolt EV concept and the 2015 Captiva, which made their China debut. The new models were introduced as Shanghai GM celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its Chevrolet brand in China. They will appear alongside 12 other models on the Chevrolet display at Auto Shanghai 2015, this year's leading auto show in China, which starts tomorrow. Chevrolet-FNR The Chevrolet-FNR is an autonomous electric concept vehicle that offers a glimpse at mobility of the future. It was developed in Shanghai by GM's Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC) joint venture. Engineering, design and electrification teams drew on their past experience developing electric concept vehicles.

BMW, Hyundai score big in JD Power's first Tech Experience Index

While automakers are quick to brag about winning a JD Power Initial Quality Study award, the reality, as we've pointed out before, is that these ratings are somewhat misleading, since IQS doesn't necessarily distinguish genuine quality issues. JD Power's new Tech Experience Index aims to solve that problem. The new metric takes the same 90-day approach as IQS but focuses exclusively on technology – collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. It splits the industry up into just seven segments, based loosely on size, which is why the Chevrolet Camaro is in the same division (mid-size) as Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is in the same segment as the Hyundai Genesis (mid-size premium). It makes for some screwy bedfellows, to be sure. Still, splitting tech experience away from initial quality should allow customers to make more informed and intelligent decisions when buying new vehicles. In the inaugural study, respondents listed BMW and Hyundai as the big winners, with two segment awards – the 2 Series for small premium and the 4 Series for compact premium, and the Genesis for mid-size premium and Tucson for small segment. The Chevrolet Camaro (midsize), Kia Forte (compact), and Nissan Maxima (large) scored individual wins. Ford also had a surprising hit with the Lincoln MKC, which ranked third in the compact premium segment behind the 4 Series and Lexus IS. This is a coup for the Blue Oval, whose woeful MyFord Touch systems made the brand a victim of the IQS' flaws in the early 2010s. But Ford and other automakers might not want to celebrate just yet. According to JD Power, there's still a lot of room for improvement – navigation systems were the lowest-rated piece of tech in the study. Instead, customers repeatedly saluted collision-avoidance and safety systems, giving the category the best marks of the study and listing blind-spot monitoring and backup cameras as two must-have features – 96 percent of respondents said they wanted those two systems in their next vehicle. But this isn't really a surprise. Implementation of safety systems from brand to brand is similar, and they don't require any input from users, unlike navigation and infotainment systems which are frustratingly deep.

Two More Recalls Push GM Total To 4.8 Million In A Month

General Motors announced two more recalls late Friday, bringing to 4.8 million the number of cars, trucks and SUVs the automaker has called back for repairs in the past month. The string of recalls, topped by an ignition switch problem in compact cars now linked to 13 crash deaths, has embarrassed the company and sidetracked its new CEO, who started work just over two months ago. GM has admitted knowing about the switch problem a decade ago, yet it didn't recall any cars until February. The recall delay has brought two congressional investigations and probes by the Justice Department and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Late Friday night, GM announced it would recall 490,000 late-model pickup trucks and SUVs because transmission oil cooling lines weren't secured properly in their fittings. Transmission oil can leak from a fitting and hit hot surfaces, causing fires, the company said in a statement. GM said it knows of three fires and no injuries. The recall affects Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra 1500 pickup trucks from the 2014 model year, as well as 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe SUVs and the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL SUVs. All have six-speed automatic transmissions. The Silverado is GM's top-selling vehicle and an important profit center for the company. The GMC Sierra also is among GM's top sellers. Dealers will inspect the transmission oil cooling line fittings and make sure they're securely seated, at no cost to owners. Also Friday night, GM announced the recall of 172,000 Chevrolet Cruze compact cars because the right front axle shaft can fracture and separate while being driven. The recall affects cars from the 2013 and 2014 model years equipped with 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engines. If a shaft fractures, the wheels would lose power without warning and the cars would coast to a stop. GM says it has warranty reports of several dozen shaft fractures. It is not aware of any crashes or injuries. Dealers will replace the shafts free of charge. The recall allows dealers to resume selling affected Cruzes. GM issued a stop sale order on the cars Thursday night. The recall also covers about 2,500 replacement shafts used to fix manual transmission Cruzes that were recalled last September. In all, GM has recalled 4.8 million vehicles since last month, two million more than the company sold last year in the U.S.