Android Auto is getting a makeover, with Google's phone-based infotainment platform promising swifter navigation and better use of increasingly large dashboard displays. Previewing the new version just ahead of its big I/O 2019 keynote, Google's updated interface also adds a dark theme for better visibility.
Hyundai has been selling its IONIQ since 2016, and it launched as the first car with three different electric powertrains to choose from. Hyundai has updated the most recent version of the IONIQ with new features bringing enhanced connectivity, driver assistance systems, and infotainment. The interior and exterior of the new IONIQ were updated as well.
Jason Stiber, a 45-year-old man from Connecticut, has won a 13-month legal battle over a distracted driving citation that stemmed from the consumption of a McDonald's hashbrown. Stiber received the ticket in 2018 for allegedly using a cell phone while driving; though the citation would have resulted in a $300 fine, Stiber maintained his innocence and chose to fight the accusation.
Tesla faces a tough Autopilot decision, after the US government denied requests to exempt its Full Self-Driving Computer from China tariffs, potentially forcing the automaker to raise prices or dramatically change its supply chain. The EV-maker detailed the Autopilot-enabling hardware at an event earlier this month, as it tried to convince analysts and investors that a truly autonomous Tesla was not only a possibility, but an imminent one.
Entry-level luxury cars like the 2019 Mercedes-Benz A220 4MATIC have a fine line to walk. On the one hand, they're the gateway to an aspirational brand. At the same time, though, Mercedes' margins get healthier the further up the range you shop: it's in Stuttgart's best interest to get you hooked on the three-pointed star and then rapidly coax you into larger, more expensive models.
Toyota is talking up the 2020 Toyota Prius Prime and billing the hybrid as an answer to rising fuel prices. The new ride will hit dealers this summer, and the LE grade will start at $27,600, the mid-range XLE grade will start at $29,500, and the Limited grade will be $33,500.
Tesla is going all out on its self-driving technologies, going as far as challenging more established hardware and names in the industry. It has painted LIDARs to be deadly and useless and boasts how its self-designed chip trumps NVIDIA's. Now the company has unveiled two features that improve safety by helping ensure drivers don't accidentally depart from their lanes.
Chevrolet has changed the much-maligned front end of the 2020 Camaro SS, ditching the little loved fascia, while also adding a cheaper Camaro LT1 V8 option to the range. Restyled last year, the Camaro SS proved to be a controversial car mainly because of its front styling, not its 455 horsepower engine.
A dashboard revolution is coming, and it's an upstart electric car-maker few drivers have heard of - yet - looking to upend the industry, with a judicious sprinkling of Android along for the ride. Polestar may not be a household name today, but it's riding the bleeding edge of Android Automotive OS. The Polestar 2 isn't expected to hit roads until 2020, but I had a chance for some early time with the Google-powered EV.
Not long ago Nissan unveiled the pricing for its 2020 370Z lineup including the high-end Nismo and the cool 50th Anniversary edition of the car. One model curiously missing from the price list was the 370Z roadster. The convertible version of the car has been part of the 370Z line since 2009 when it debuted as a 2010 model.
Not too long ago, Amazon made the almost scandalous announcement that it would be letting its couriers into houses via its Amazon Key system. Then this year, it expanded that to garages and finally to cars. Fortunately, the rollout of Amazon Key has been relatively uneventful and companies are, in fact, siding with the retail giant. The latest to join that club is Ford, who will allow select models to become your mailbox to keep your package safe, while hopefully also keeping your car safe.
Google is opening up Android Automotive OS, the dashboard-centric version of its mobile platform which will launch first on the Polestar 2 EV, to third-party media apps. Set to go live at Google I/O 2019, the company's annual developer event being held next week, the new dev tools are the first of a number of ways Google plans to bring new apps to infotainment systems.