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Volkswagen bringing driver assistance systems to its 2016 lineup

Chevrolet isn't the only manufacturer rolling out luxury safety technologies on a 2016 mass-market lineup. Volkswagen has just announced that next year it will begin adding driver assistance systems to its lineup here in the States – stuff that was previously only available on Audi and Porsche models here, or Volkswagens in Europe. Adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and autonomous braking will be standard on the CC V6 4Motion, optional on certain trims of the Golf and Jetta. Blind spot monitoring will be standard on the Beetle, and top CC and Jetta trims, but optional on the Golf and lower Jetta variants. Automated parking will be available on Golf models, including the e-Golf. Blind spot assistance with rear traffic alert, lane departure warning, park distance control, and an automatic post-collision braking system also come in the technology kitty, all of which will be packaged at prices between $695 and $1,495. Infotainment options take a bit step up, too, with every VW model but the Touareg being fitted with touchscreens. The new MIB II head unit comes in four sizes, the Beetle, Jetta, and Tiguan getting the smallest, five-inch screen as standard but upgradeable to a 6.5-inch screen. Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and MirrorLink are integrated into that larger screen. The interface is improved by a faster processor, higher resolution, and better graphics, and some will come with swiping and pinch-to-zoom functionality. The two press releases below lay it all out in detail. VOLKSWAGEN DEMOCRATIZES HIGH-END DRIVER ASSISTANCE FEATURES FOR THE 2016 MODEL YEAR Many models in the 2016 Volkswagen lineup offer new driver assistance systems that used to be the sole preserve of premium and luxury vehicles Herndon, VA Jul 29, 2015 — For the 2016 model year, Volkswagen is offering a host of driver assistance features that were only previously available on the premium Touareg SUV—and adding some new ones that truly democratize driver assistance for the compact sedan and compact hatchback classes. These available features include: Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist); Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); the Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist); and an active Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist) system. The Beetle, CC, e-Golf, Golf, Golf GTI, Golf R, Golf SportWagen, and Jetta offer these available features, depending on model and trim line.

Hyundai plans Level 4 autonomy by 2021 in a fuel-cell car

SAN FRANCISCO — Silicon Valley startup Aurora announced on Thursday partnerships with Volkswagen AG and Hyundai to develop a self-driving system within their vehicles, the latest tie-up between global automakers and Silicon Valley tech companies. Aurora was founded in 2016 by robotics expert Drew Bagnell, Chris Urmson, who came from Alphabet Inc's Google, and Sterling Anderson, who formerly worked at Tesla. For Hyundai, Aurora's technology will be incorporated into custom-developed models and tested in markets including China. Hyundai said the first model to be used in testing will be its latest generation fuel-cell vehicle, debuting at the CES technology conference in Las Vegas next week. The model name of the car, shown above, will be announced then. Under the alliance, Hyundai plans to commercialize level 4 autonomous vehicles — which can operate without human input or even human oversight under select conditions — in unidentified "pilot smart cities" by 2021. This is the first announcement on a self-driving technology partnership by the South Korean carmaker, which has traditionally shunned tie-ups in favor of developing technology in-house. The strategy has raised investor concerns that it may be left behind in the race for self-driving and electric cars. A company spokeswoman said Hyundai has "various collaborations" under way in self-driving technology and would continue to pursue cooperation. In a statement, Volkswagen said Aurora's self-driving technology can be integrated over time across the automaker's brands and in different product categories, whether self-driving pods, shuttles, delivery vans or self-driving trucks. Aurora and Volkswagen said they had been working together over the past six months to integrate Aurora's sensors, hardware and software into the German carmakers' electric vehicles to develop self-driving ride services in cities. The non-exclusive partnerships mark the first deals for the young Silicon Valley company and show how some carmakers have chosen to partner with technology companies with more experience in artificial intelligence, deep learning and robotics in order to save time and money bringing self-driving cars to market. Within the self-driving car space, Waymo — formerly Google's autonomous program headed by Urmson — is offering something similar. The tech company has been working with Fiat Chrysler since 2016 to outfit its Chrysler Pacifica minivans with autonomous technology.

Daimler says straight up it doesn't cheat on emissions tests

Distancing itself from VW and its diesel emissions scandal, Daimler has put out a statement saying that it has never installed devices on their vehicles that would artificially reduce emissions during a testing process. The company added that it "actively" supports European regulators' efforts to improve emissions-testing methods to better measure emissions during "real" driving conditions. BMW put out a similar statement last week, saying that its diesels are programmed to be tested properly. While Mercedes-Benz diesels were a fixture on US roads in past decades, the company's diesel sales are now concentrated overseas. "We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles," Daimler said in Friday's statement. "A defeat device, a function which illegitimately reduces emissions during testing, has never been and will never be used at Daimler." There's a reason for that sort of straightforward statement. Namely, heads continue to roll at VW after the automaker admitted it manipulated software in its diesel vehicles to pass US emissions testing. VW followed up by saying that as may as 11 million vehicles worldwide may contain that software and has set aside $7.3 billion to address the issue. VW CEO Martin Winterkorn stepped down as well. Take a look at Daimler's press release below. Daimler AG categorically denies any and all allegations of manipulation Stuttgart, Sep 25, 2015 In light of the ongoing assertions from the Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), a non-government organisation, and the related speculation, Daimler AG once again clearly states that: We categorically deny the accusation of manipulating emission tests regarding our vehicles. A defeat device, a function which illegitimately reduces emissions during testing, has never been and will never be used at Daimler. This holds true for both diesel and petrol engines. Our engines meet and adhere to every legal requirement. In light of the written request by the DUH, which was sent to us this morning with a deadline to respond by 3:00 pm (CET), and the seven questions they posed, we can confirm that none of the allegations apply to our vehicles. The technical programming of our engines adheres to all legal requirements. We have no knowledge of measurements that indicate our vehicles did not meet legally required standards.