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Three automotive tech trends to watch in 2018 and beyond

Every year, technology plays a bigger and bigger role in the auto industry. To put things in perspective, 10 years ago iPod integration and Bluetooth were cutting-edge in-car innovations, and smartphones and apps weren't yet a thing since the first iPhone was only about six months old. And I can't recall anyone talking about autonomous cars. Compare that to today, with mainstream coverage of the auto industry dominated by autonomous technology, along with electrification and almost every move made by Tesla. These three topics were the most significant trends of car tech in 2017 and I believe they will continue to shape the auto industry in 2018 and beyond. Let's examine them. Full Autonomy Gets Closer to Reality While there were many developments this year that indicate we're inching closer to fully autonomous vehicles, I was behind the wheel for hours to witness one of them. In October I had the chance to test Cadillac Super Cruise on a 700-mile, 11-hour drive from Dallas to Santa Fe – and had my hands on the wheel for maybe 45 minutes max throughout the entire trip. Super Cruise is far from making the Cadillac CT6 or any GM vehicle fully autonomous, and has limitations such as functioning only on pre-mapped main highways. While it simply adds a layer of lane centering to adaptive cruise control, the technology will go a long way in making mainstream drivers more comfortable with letting machines take over. On a separate front, GM is pushing ahead with fully autonomous vehicles and announced last month that it plans to launch of fleets of self-driving robo-taxis in several urban areas in 2019. While most automakers are also in the race to make autonomous cars a reality, GM's turbocharging of its efforts appeared to be in response to Waymo, which announced just weeks earlier that its Early Rider Program in the Phoenix area would go completely driverless. The Early Rider Program launched last April, offering the public a chance to ride in Waymo's autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivans. In this new phase of testing, Waymo is using its own employees as guinea pigs instead of the public while the vehicles operate without a human behind the wheel, and takes another giant step forward for fully autonomous driving.

Motor Trend reveals 2016 Chevy Camaro as Car of the Year

The 2016 Chevrolet Camaro beat some very steep competition to earn the Golden Calipers as Motor Trend's Car of the Year. The magazine praised the sixth generation's fantastic engines, great handling, and lighter platform. "Our 2016 Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Camaro, is one of the finest driving vehicles in the world at any price," editor-in-chief Edward Loh said, "though its price is well within reach of the average consumer." The Camaro conquered some high-performance challengers to take the victory, including the Audi TT, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and Mercedes AMG GT S. It also bested technologically cutting-edge vehicles like the BMW 7 Series and Toyota Mirai. The latest Honda Civic rounded out the competition. To earn the prestigious award, nine judges evaluated the finalists in six categories: advancement in design, engineering excellence, safety, efficiency, value, and performance of intended function. The Volkswagen Golf won last year. In an engaging story on Motor Trend's website, it explains what a revelation the new coupe is and that they consider the model the best production pony car ever. The piece is well worth a read. Motor Trend also handed out the Person of the Year honor to Subaru of America President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas Doll. It praised him for the Japanese brand's massive success in the US like tripling deliveries since 2007. "By any measure, the business Tom Doll leads is an outstanding success," editor-at-large Angus MacKenzie said. "And he is the person whose unique vision and quiet leadership made it happen." Related Video: MOTOR TREND Announces 2016 "Of The Year" Winners Car of the Year, Truck of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Person of the Year announced during live ceremony and webcast in Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, for the first time in the brand's 66-year history, MOTOR TREND announced winners of the Golden Calipers for Car of the Year, Truck of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Person of the Year at a red-carpet gala in front of an audience of industry insiders and celebrity guests. The awards show was also streamed live on the MOTOR TREND Channel on YouTube, with 3.5 million subscribers the world's largest automotive video channel, and on MOTOR TREND OnDemand, the brand's new subscription video on demand (SVOD) channel. A replay of the event broadcast is available for free at motortrendondemand.com. "What an amazing evening!

2020 Chevy Silverado HD vs. 2019 Ram, Ford heavy duty trucks: How they compare on paper

Last year was all about the latest in light-duty full-size pickup trucks, so this year, Ram, Ford and Chevy are launching the heavy-duty variants. The first out of the gate is the redesigned 2019 Ram 2500 and 3500 HD, and Ram dropped all the pertinent specs with the reveal. Chevy followed with the new Silverado HD in Chicago, and Ford revealed updates to the Super Duty at the same show. Ford hasn't released details on output, payload capacity, towing capacity or pricing for the updated Super Duty. As such, we'll be comparing the current Super Duty with the all-new Silverado HD and Ram HD. Both Chevy and Ram have revealed full specs for each of their respective trucks, leaving out only pricing, which we've estimated based on the outgoing models. You can see the raw details in the chart below, followed by extra information and analysis. Some things to keep in mind: These specifications cover all versions of the Ram HD, Silverado HD and Super Duty, such as 2500 and 3500 models, and all the way up to F-450. Specifications can vary widely based on engine, drivetrain, cab and bed configurations, so be sure to take a close look at the specific model you're interested in when you get particularly serious about buying. And of course, be sure to check out our car comparison tool if you'd like to look at other trucks on the market. Engines and drivetrains All three of these trucks offer gasoline and diesel engines, but only the Ram has two versions of the diesel. Starting with gas engines, Ram's 6.4-liter V8 has the power advantage with 25 more horsepower than the next-most-potent Super Duty, but the new Silverado HD's 6.6-liter V8 takes the torque crown at 464 pound-feet, nearly 35 more than the other two gas engines. The Ram is also the only one to pair an eight-speed automatic with the gas engine, whereas the Ford and Chevy make do with a six-speed. With diesel engines, horsepower is a weak point for the Ram. The Ram's entry-level turbo 6.7-liter inline-six is the weakest, as the only one with under 900 pound-feet of torque and under 400 horsepower. Even the high-output version only makes 400 horsepower, while the Chevy makes 445 and the Ford 450. But the tables turn with torque, as the Ram makes a best-in-class 1,000 pound-feet followed by the Ford's 935 and the Chevy's 910. Both the Ram and the current Super Duty diesels each get a six-speed automatic, but the new Silverado HD's diesel gets a 10-speed unit.