Author Archives: Vincent Nguyen

Mercedes arguably started the four-door coupe segment back in 2003, and now the third-generation 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLS is here to bring it right up to date. Still instantly recognizable with its arching roof line, the new CLS was revealed today at the LA Auto Show 2017, and is expected to go on sale in the US next year. It features some high-tech powertrain and cabin gadgetry, too, along with an all-new engine.

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When money is no object, and you feel the need for attention on the school run, the 2018 Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 SUV with its handcrafted 4.0-liter V8 biturbo engine is the ultimate midsize SUV for the family. If you can't make it first in the line for school pick-up with a 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds - thanks to 469 HP and 479 lb.-ft of torque - then there's something wrong. All that power starts right at 1,750 rpm, too, so hold on tight the moment your lead foot hits the gas pedal, because that’s some serious grunt for a family hauler.

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Whatever you do, please don’t call the new 2018 Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo a station wagon. Even describing it as a hatchback is off-limits. I can understand why you might be tempted, since the roofline is ever so slightly stretched in order to accommodate a smaller fifth passenger. But this is not your grandfather's wagon, not least because - and I know I'm not the only one to think this way - the second-gen Panamera is absolutely gorgeous to look at. That means, even if I have to call it a "five-door sedan with a lift-back," I'm prepared to declare that the Panamera's "Sport Turismo" variant is one of the sleekest, most beautiful and luxurious ways to get around today. All for just $6,000 more than the regular car.

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Over the past few years I’ve openly cheated on my iPhones with Android and, on few occasions, with Windows Phone. Moving forward, as much as a serial cellular cheater can, I can see myself being monogamous with the iPhone X. Apple's most controversial smartphone is also its most compelling, and while this little slice of the future may take some getting used to, I suspect the pay-off will make it worthwhile.

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Dear friends and SlashGear readers, if you pre-ordered the iPhone X in time for delivery on November 3, or even within a week of that, congratulations. If you didn’t pre-order for whatever reason, and have even the slightest interest in Apple's new flagship, then I’m very sorry to tell you that when your friends, family, and colleagues show up with their shiny new iPhone X, you’re really going to wish you did. As of writing, the current shipping estimate is five to six weeks out. It's time to cash in whatever connections, favors, or blackmail material you have with your carrier’s rep to have them set aside a unit for you. Either that, or get in line to buy one at an Apple Store this Friday. Trust me, it's worth it.

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You expect solid confidence with a little reserve from the Swedes, and yet the freshly-revealed Polestar 1 arrives today with some bold claims. Before you is the first vehicle from Polestar, Volvo Car Group’s performance brand, and the first of three models set to launch over the next few years. Polestar 1 doesn’t go into production at the new state-of the art facility in China until mid-2019; indeed, as of right now, the plant is still under construction, with a completion date of its own in mid-2018. Still, there's enough here to get us seriously interested.

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The Google Home Mini's existence is hardly a mystery: the squat little smart speaker is Google's retort to the Amazon Echo Dot. Packaging the virtues of the Google Assistant into a smaller, cheaper form factor than the existing Google Home, it's a $49 way to add the search company's smarts - and IoT support - to another room. Question is, has some of the magic been squeezed out in the process?

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First the bad news: just because Aston Martin is adding a V8 engine to the DB11 lineup, doesn’t mean that the car is much more affordable, just in case you’ve been holding out. Indeed, if price is important to you, then might I divert your attention to the 2018 Lexus LC 500 instead. The V8-powered DB11 is on an entirely different level, distinguishing itself intriguingly when compared to the driving dynamics and characteristics of the 600 horsepower V12 DB11 we drove earlier this year.

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Autonomous driving is huge right now, and Audi is accelerating into the age of self-driving vehicles across a wide range of abilities. First off was the recent Audi AI traffic jam pilot techday, where I got to experience Level 3 autonomy in real-world traffic jams and then hop into the driver seat to experience for myself what happens during the crucial 10 second hand-off period as the tech disengages. Now, at this year’s Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA) motor show in Frankfurt, Audi is taking the wraps off its new Level 4 and 5 concept cars, Elaine and Aicon respectively, that illustrate its vision of future autonomous mobility.

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Most of the time I'll do my absolute best to avoid a traffic jam, but the 2019 Audi A8 makes them oddly appealing. Forget "Artificial Intelligence": the AI we're talking about today is Audi Intelligence. What exactly does this mean, and why should we care? We as a collective of road-users are going to need to be much more sensitive to the fact that there are cars on the road not being driven by human beings. Instead, we're increasingly going to see advanced driving assistance software taking the wheel, like the new Audi AI traffic jam pilot, the world’s first Level 3 automated driving system in a production vehicle.

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In an intimate gathering in Munich this morning, BMW’s CEO and Chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, Harald Kruger shared with journalists that “by 2025, we will offer 25 electrified vehicles." Twelve of those will be fully-electric, Kruger confirmed. By the time these new battery-electric vehicles (BEV) come to market, the automaker says, range anxiety will be a thing of the past because owners can expect to have a range of up to 700 kilometers or 435-440 miles.

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Volvo’s unexpected reinvention as one of the most thoughtful automakers in the industry has produced award-winning big SUVs and sedans. Now, it’s the turn of the premium compact SUV to get its shot of Swedish imagination. As the dad of two extremely active girls with multiple after school activities, I’m big on the idea of driving a sportier compact SUV, especially when I don’t have to sacrifice on safety and a luxurious cabin. Just because you’re buying a compact SUV, doesn’t mean that you have to settle for less, and that’s the key message Volvo wanted to share with a group of journalists at a recent event in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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