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IIHS: High numbers of drivers treat partially automated cars as fully self-driving

WASHINGTON — Drivers using advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla Autopilot or General Motors Super Cruise often treat their vehicles as fully self-driving despite warnings, a new study has found. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), an industry funded group that prods automakers to make safer vehicles, said on Tuesday a survey found regular users of Super Cruise, Nissan/Infiniti ProPILOT Assist and Tesla Autopilot "said they were more likely to perform non-driving-related activities like eating or texting while using their partial automation systems than while driving unassisted." The IIHS study of 600 active users found 53% of Super Cruise, 42% of Autopilot and 12% of ProPILOT Assist owners "said that they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving." About 40% of users of Autopilot and Super Cruise — two systems with lockout features for failing to pay attention — reported systems had at some point switched off while they were driving and would not reactivate. "The big-picture message here is that the early adopters of these systems still have a poor understanding of the technologyÂ’s limits," said IIHS President David Harkey. The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is scrutinizing Autopilot crashes. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations involving 18 deaths in crashes involving Tesla vehicles and where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use. Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. Tesla says Autopilot does not make vehicles autonomous and is intended for use with a fully attentive driver who is prepared to take over. GM, which in August said owners could use Super Cruise on 400,000 miles (643,740 km) of North American roads and plans to offer Super Cruise on 22 models by the end of 2023, did not immediately comment. IIHS said advertisements for Super Cruise focus on hands-free capabilities while Autopilot evokes the name used in passenger airplanes and "implies TeslaÂ’s system is more capable than it really is." IIHS in contrast noted ProPILOT Assist "suggests that itÂ’s an assistance feature, rather than a replacement for the driver." NHTSA and automakers say none of the systems make vehicles autonomous. Nissan said its name "is clearly communicating ProPILOT Assist as a system to aid the driver, and it requires hands-on operation.

2022 GMC Canyon gets a few tiny changes

After overhauling the GMC Canyon lineup into Elevation Standard, Elevation, AT4, and Denali for the 2021 model year, GMC has sprinkled just a few changes on the 2022 Canyon. The midsized pickup's appearance outside and inside doesn't change. The sole alteration in the cabin is that wireless charging won't be come standard on Denali next year, but be an option. That could be GM making lemonade out of lemons, telling customers that if they want hard-to-find semiconductor chips then they're going to have to kick in more dough. The only other change is a new gloss black aluminum spare wheel for the AT4 trim when specced with a Crew Cab and a short bed. This rim replaces the steel spare wheel that remains standard fit on Elevation, Elevation Standard, and Denali. And anyone looking for the High Elevation Package will need to look for it by its new name, the Elevation Premium Package. The Denali Black Edition Package is new for next year for $2,295 on gas-powered models that aren't fitted with the Power Package or the Cat-Back Performance Exhaust. On the exterior, this adds five-inch black assist steps to replace the chrome units, black chrome exhaust tips instead of polished tips, and 20-inch low-gloss-black aluminum wheels with black GMC logo center caps. Inside come premium all-weather floor mats taking the place of the carpeted mats. The current, second-generation Canyon doesn't have long to live, with the third-generation pickup expected for the 2023 or 2024 model year. Spy shots from earlier this year make us think the Canyon and its Chevrolet Colorado twin will pick up styling to emphasize their connection to GM's larger half-ton pickups. Rumor also has it that the Silverado will donate what may be the new midsizer's only powertrain, a turbocharged four-cylinder engine — the new corporate 2.7-liter turbo in this instance. That 310-horsepower mill would supplant both the 2.5-liter four-cylinder 3.6-liter V6 gas engines now available, and the 2.8-liter Duramax diesel. It does, however, appear that GMC will get its own version of the Colorado ZR2, spy shooters catching a camouflaged, high-rise Canyon on a set of Multimatic DSSV dampers. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

GMC considers adding more vehicles to broaden product line

GMC is considering expanding its product portfolio in the next 10 years to allow it to reach more potential buyers and grow sales, a top executive said Monday. The small and midsize sport-utility-vehicle segments are two possibilities, said Duncan Aldred, GMC sales and marketing vice president. He also said GMC won't make a car, preferring to reinforce its reputation as a maker of trucks and SUVs. "There's plenty of opportunities even if we define ourselves as a we do as a truck and crossover brand," he said. He wouldn't comment on the possibility of adding a Jeep Wrangler-fighter, though rumors have swirled for months that GMC is considering a product to compete with the iconic off-roader. "I can't confirm that ... everything's on the table," he said. He also said that it's possible GMC could get a unique set of underpinnings – all of its vehicles share platforms that are also used by Chevrolet – but it's not needed to differentiate his brand. "I'm very happy sharing underpinnings and everything else," he said. "All of the good-performing automakers do that." Speaking to journalists at a roundtable at General Motors headquarters in Detroit, Aldred said GMC received an investment from GM that is double what the brand has historically spent to fund its growth plans. Advertising spending alone will increase 50 percent this year compared with 2014. The brand rolled out a new ad campaign on Monday, called "Precision," that will underscore attention-to-detail and the premium features of GMC vehicles. Two of the commercials have a sporting theme, and the third focuses on modern menswear. GMC called it a "contemporary interpretation" of the brand's traditional positioning, and it will also continue to use its long-running "Professional Grade" tagline. The premium positioning of the ads come as buyers are increasingly outfitting their trucks as near-luxury vehicles. The percentage of buyers opting for the top-end Denali trim has increased from 17 percent in the middle of 2014 to 21 percent now. The goal is to get Denali to make up 25 percent of GMC sales by the end of 2017, Aldred said. Spurred by the higher Denali take-rate, the brand's transaction prices leapt by $3,000 last year. "It's [Denali] really kind of this jewel in the crown," Aldred said. GMC sales increased 11.3 percent in 2014 to 501,853 units, making it GM's-second-best-selling brand behind Chevrolet.