Honda, Acura to show concepts in Shanghai

Acura will show a global concept in Shanghai (Photo: Honda)

Honda will show a car concept at the Shanghai auto show that will indicate the direction of a new model it will be launching in the important Chinese market at a later date. The Japanese car group said its Acura brand will show a global concept as well as a Chinese version of its next-generation [...]

Volvo implements always-on high beams

Volvo's technology shades only the light that would blind another driver (Photo: Volvo)

Volvo Cars will next week unveil a new lighting technology that lets drivers keep their high beams on all the time without blinding other motorists. The Swedish premium car maker said it will demonstrate at the Geneva auto show a new headlight mechanism that automatically shades as much of the high beam as needed to [...]

With Spotify, Ford boosts infotainment offering

Spotify will require an iPhone App to be used in Ford vehicles (Photo: Ford)

The Spotify music streaming service will be available through Ford’s Sync Applink, the US carmaker said Monday at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The agreement marks the first time Spotify, which has a catalog of more than 20 million songs available for streaming access, works directly with an automaker. It also underlines how carmakers [...]

GM plans embedded 4G connectivity globally

GM's embedded 4G infrastructure will let passengers connect to an in-vehicle hotspot (Photo: GM)

General Motors plans to equip next-generation models with embedded 4G LTE sim cards, paving the way for a greater array of services to be available to the connected car. The US automaker announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona that the first GM cars to get 4G LTE would be 2015 Chevrolet, Buick GMC [...]

VW to build 1-liter XL1 plug-in hybrid

The XL1is based on a 12-year old vision of VW Chairman Piech (Photo: VW)

Volkswagen said it will build the 1 liter XL1 plug-in hybrid, a pet project of its chairman, Ferdinand Piech, The car, first shown at the Qatar auto show in January, 2011, is based on a 12-year-old concept that set out to prove that an ultra-fuel-efficient model could be built. The aerodynamically styled XL1, which will [...]

Geneva auto show continues green track

geneva show.automotiveIT

The 83rd Geneva auto show will, once again, pay particular attention to green technology, dedicating an entire section to alternative-energy-powered vehicles. The annual show, which starts with two press days March 5 and 6 and runs through March 17, will feature at least 100 premieres of new vehicles. The organizers say that about 10 pc [...]

Auto Shanghai 2013

shanghai auto 2013.automotiveIT

The Shanghai auto show will take place April 20-29 against a backdrop of continued strong sales growth in the world’s largest car market. The organizers, China’s automobile manufacturers’ association, said the show’s theme will be “Innovation for a Better Life.” The event will focus on the growth of the Chinese car industry, innovation and green [...]

Bosch sees gradual progression to autonomous driving

As driver-assistance technologies become more sophisticated, they will one day drive the car, Bosch says (Photo: Bosch)

Increasingly sophisticated driver-assistance technologies will gradually make autonomous driving a reality, according to Robert Bosch. “Fully autonomous driving will come about one step at a time,” said Gerhard Steiger, president of the Chassis Systems Control division of the German automotive supplier. Bosch builds and markets a range of driver-assistance technologies, including adaptive cruise control, ESP, [...]

CES: Lexus research vehicle has next-gen driver assistance

Lexus has equipped the research vehicle with a broad array of sensors (Photo: Arjen Bongard)

LAS VEGAS — A research vehicle based on the Lexus LS showed the direction safety technologies are likely to take in coming years, Toyota said. The Japanese carmaker showed a vehicle that is equipped with a range of futuristic-looking technologies aimed at making driving safer and at times relieving the driver of some responsibilities. But [...]

CES: Mercedes shows Siri integration

Mercedes' Digital DriveStyle app will feature Siri voice operation (Photo: Daimler)

LAS VEGAS – Mercedes-Benz will have full Siri integration in its next E-Class starting this spring. The German premium car maker said during the annual CES consumer electronics fair that Apple’s voice software will be available in the E-Class for drivers using an Apple iPhone 4S Drivers can use Siri to access most content on [...]