Education in USA blog

 British automaker Bentley Motors has decided to celebrate its 100th anniversary with the release of the Bentley EXP 100 GT electric car concept. The model is intended to show how premium electric cars of the Grand Tour class will look in 2035.  The design of the Bentley EXP 100 GT combines features of the brand's historic GTs with futuristic solutions that will be more appropriate decades later. The hull is 5.8 meters long and 2.4 meters wide with a panoramic roof made of aluminum and carbon fiber.  The two- meter wide doors rise vertically, which allows the driver and passenger to comfortably get to their seats (the model is two-seater, but if desired, it can be transformed into a three-seater). The interior uses luxury materials, including natural wood, leather, wool, fabric and crystal.  The concept is built on the new Next Generation Traction Drive platform with four electric motors that provide separate torque control at each wheel. The power of the installat...

  Volkswagen and Ford closed the week with the announcement of a new agreement expanding the automakers' strategic partnership to the self-driving and all-electric segments. Recall that we learned about the completion of negotiations between the parties on Monday, but now the details have become known with a public announcement.  As part of the new phase, Volkswagen will invest a total of as much as $ 2.6 billion in the development of Argo AI, which develops technologies for self-driving cars. Recall that Argo AI was created by former employees of Google and Uber, earlier Ford itself invested $ 1 billion in it. In fact, Volkswagen invests in real money exactly the same amount - $ 1 billion. Another $ 1.6 billion was estimated by assets - a subsidiary of Audi Autonomous Intelligent Driving ( AID), created to develop self-driving technologies, which Volkswagen has agreed to transfer to Argo AI. AID headquarters in Munich will become the European subsidiary of Agro AI.  Ag...

 As you know , Tesla cars are quite popular among Ukrainians, despite the fact that they are not officially sold here and are very expensive. Actually, as of May 8, 2019, 845 of them were registered. We have yet to wait until Tesla decides to enter the Ukrainian market or at least build the long-promised Tesla Supercharger fast charging stations. In the meantime, Ukrainian owners of new Tesla cars bought in Europe, in order not to lose the warranty, can go to the MOT in neighboring Poland.  Yes, you read everything correctly, the first official Tesla service center has opened in Poland. Of course, it is located in the capital of Poland - Warsaw. The service is already working and is mentioned among others on the corresponding page of the Tesla official website.  "It's just that money is really needed." Tesla Increases Full Self-Driving Package Price by $ 1000 Again  Tesla yesterday removed the most affordable (Standard Range) configurations of the Model S and Mod...

 In this material , five compact crossovers have been collected at a price of about $ 15-18 thousand, certainly with automatic transmission and in a minimum -sufficient configuration. I operate only with those cars that I have in my reviews (below you will understand why), but with the help of points in individual categories, you can choose the best model - both in absolute terms and in the price / quality ratio.  Top five cars for comparison  Under the terms of this Buyer's Guide, I have selected five vehicles that meet the above requirements. And even then I had to work with reservations - the price range is too small: for example, Citroen and Renault are sold at a price only subject to promotional offers (auto in 2018 or purchase with all possible discounts). But the "French" with diesel engines - the more interesting the comparison. The Suzuki SX4 and Nissan Juke models represent the "Japanese" and also reflect the traditional approach to car design. The o...

  FlixMobility , the parent company of the FlixBus and FlixTrain brands, has raised € 500 million in investment and is about to launch a competitor to the BlaBlaCar service called FlixCar.  The money was raised from private investment firms TCV and Permira, after this round, the total cost of FlixMobility is estimated at more than 2 billion euros.  One of the founders and CEO of the company, Johan Engert, said that the raised money will be spent on development at a global level: FlixBus plans to enter the Latin American and Asian markets in 2020. FlixMobility is also going to create its own carpooling service FlixCar - an analogue of BlaBlaCar, which will increase the coverage of the route network.  “We initially positioned ourselves not as a bus or transport company, but rather as a mobility provider: we offer smart, affordable and sustainable travel, whether it be bus, train or - very soon - a car.   FlixCar is a logical step towards expanding our network...

  Earlier this year, American automaker Ford officially announced that it will release an all-electric version of its iconic Ford F-150 pickup truck. Today the company has published a video in which a prototype of the future novelty is towing a cargo weighing more than 1 million pounds (over 450 tons).  Video of the Day: Ford F-150 Electric Pickup Prototype Tows Over 1 Million Pounds (450 Tonnes) Train  To demonstrate the power of the future novelty, the company representatives assembled a "train" of 10 double- deck railway cars, into which they loaded 42 new Ford F-150 pickup trucks of the 2019 model year. The total weight of the cargo exceeded 1 million pounds or 453,592 kilograms.  The prototype presented in the video is assembled on the basis of a conventional ICE model Ford F-150, so we did not receive any hints of the appearance of the future novelty. The all-electric Ford F-150 pickup truck is expected to enter the market in late 2020 - early 2021. ...

 After Milan ordered 250 electric buses from the Polish company Solaris, Warsaw drew attention to its products. The Polish capital has also decided to start getting rid of diesel buses in its public transport system and has placed an order with Solaris for 130 electric accordion buses.  The customer was the local public transport operator MZA (Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe), who is ready to pay $ 100 million (PLN 400 million) for a batch of electric buses. Unlike the Urbino 12 models for Milan, the extended Urbino 18 electric buses, which are designed for 47 seats, will be delivered to Warsaw.  The Urbino 18 electric bus is equipped with a 150 kWh battery with a seven-year warranty, which can be charged from high-speed charging stations with a capacity of up to 400 kW (ports are located at the beginning and end of the body - above the right front wheel arch and behind the last doors) or using a pantograph located on the roof ... Operator MZA said it will build its ow...

 Cult name Suzuki Jimny  The history of the Suzuki Jimny goes back half a century and has 2.85 million Jimny units produced. But now we are meeting only the fourth generation of the car. Minor for today: other models manage to change a dozen generations in a similar period. To understand the scale of consistency - the last "third" Suzuki Jimny started in 1998 and was produced for 20 years: he managed to catch the first generation of Toyota RAV4, survived the second, third and fourth, and then safely met the "fifth" RAV4. What is the reason for this stability? Is the design perfect? Or a banal unwillingness to change?  Stop, though : the phrase “unwillingness to change” is clearly not about the design of the new Suzuki Jimny. If in the past Suzuki Jimny was a full-fledged SUV (only small), but tried to resemble a "city crossover", now it is not shy about its harsh nature. Smooth horizontal lines, a lot of angular parts, widened wheel arches - every detai...

 So far, the only option to get all-wheel drive on the DS 7 Crossback is to opt for the E-TENSE rechargeable hybrid. The same is true for high power demand. The hybrid pleasantly impresses with a range of 58 km on electric traction, a battery capacity of 13.2 kWh, a fuel consumption of 1.4 liters per 100 km. And it unpleasantly impresses with the price: about 54 thousand euros in Europe, for Ukraine the final price is still considered - approximately + 20% to the current prices of DS 7 Crossback. And since we started to look into the future, here are a couple more interesting details. The compact premium crossover DS 3 Crossback with conventional motors should debut in Ukraine by the end of the year. Also in 2020, its fully electric version E-TENSE is planned (100 kW electric motor, 50 kWh battery, 300-450 km). In addition, a new DS sedan is expected in 2020. In general, by 2023, the DS lineup in Ukraine should include six models of different classes.  The new DS 7 Crossbac...

 The overall shape of the front panel is a complex combination of straight and rounded soft lines. Plus "spices" in the form of large displays (which can be without them), and high-quality finishing materials: for example, the Performance Line provides seats with a combined "Alcantara / leather" trim. Everything is cool except for one thing: this approach will not surprise a premium customer. But what will surely surprise you is the diamond-shaped chrome-plated interior decor reminiscent of diamonds, and the new incarnation of the branded seat upholstery in the style of a watch strap. And, of course, the B.R.M R180 watch, which spins when the car is started. It is these unique little things that the DS brand relies on.  Exclusive is always in the price  As you understood from the description above, the car turned out to be very difficult, but on the contrary - extremely interesting . Especially in our case, when the most powerful engine (turbodiesel, 180 hp, 400 ...

 Secondly, the premium for DS is a unique high-tech equipment. As a flagship, the DS 7 Crossback has taken the best of the DS brand. And also (do not forget about the historical roots) all the best that Citroen and Peugeot have. Crossover DS 7 Crossback is based on the EMP 2 platform and offers fully independent suspension on all wheels. But a truly unique solution is the DS Active Scan Suspension system: the camera monitors road irregularities , sends information to the control unit, which adjusts each shock absorber in real time to achieve maximum ride comfort. Who else has this real-time road scanning technology? There is only one premium brand in my head ...  But besides the suspension , the DS 7 Crossback crossover offers many other interesting technologies: the DS Night Vision night vision system with recognition of people and large animals, DS Active LED Vision LED headlights, adaptive cruise control, active lane keeping system, etc. everything is not bad under the hoo...

  Crossover DS 7 Crossback is an original car, which is interesting both for its technologies and for the fact that it marks the arrival of the premium DS brand in Ukraine. At the same time, the price list clearly hints that "there will be no premium with discounts": in the case of DS, the stake is made on an exclusive. Sorting out together - so what is the DS 7 Crossback?  New brand, new model - right into the "premium"  The history of the DS brand is both short and long. DS speaks of a historical legacy since the first DS in 1955. Which, by the way, was released under the Citroen brand. Around the 2010s, Citroen revived the DS lineup again with the premium prefix: unique design, advanced equipment, good interior trim. And, of course, the margin is higher. At first, the DS models were still in the double chevron camp. However, starting in 2013, DS was spun off as a separate brand - initially in the form of concept cars, local models, and also in the form of alt...

 The spaciousness of the cabin is just like in the C-class hatchback: no more and no less. The volume of the trunk in the standard version is 445 liters with the seats folded down - about 1300 liters. However, it is not possible to flexibly regulate the space of the 5-seater cabin or the volume of the trunk - the rear sofa does not move, only the usual separate folding of the second row is provided. The front panel offers optional color finishes, but is made of hard plastic - why save? But they did not save on equipment.  So what about the package and the prices: how much?  This is where the fun begins. Previously, Volkswagen cars were among the most expensive in the class, but the "package" Passat proved that you can wait for a good price list.  In the case of the new Volkswagen T-Roc, there is no need to wait - the prices are adequate now: from 640 thousand UAH. (about $ 25 thousand) for the Life starter kit. And it is not "empty" at all: a 1.5 liter TSI engin...

 It can't be, but it's true: the new Volkswagen T-Roc comes to Ukraine with a beautiful design, advanced technologies , a well-known brand - and an adequate price list. What's the catch? I'll say right away: there is no catch. But there are interesting details about the car: I was looking for them during the first static presentation of the Volkswagen T-Roc in Ukraine.  Volkswagen T-Roc is another Golf crossover?  In general , yes". MQB platform, front-wheel drive, dimensions of a typical C-class hatchback: length 4.23 m, width 1.82 m, height 1.57 m.I remember that the first Tiguan was originally listed as a Golf crossover, but in the second generation the model has grown noticeably in size - remember the 7-seater version of the Tiguan Allspace - and in the model line there was a place for one more car. That was the Volkswagen T-Roc. Moreover, since the place of "practical, solid, serious crossover" has already been taken, the creators focused on style a...

 There are plenty of seats in front and the seats are comfortable, the differences between the two versions are only in the finish. There is normal space in the back, but there are no additional amenities, only an armrest is added in the TOP version. Also, cars are distinguished by the presence of the older version of the cruise control , a full-fledged "climate" with silver washers, etc. The trunk offers a flat floor, a couple of pockets, and an organizer insert for tools.  In the end: to take or not?  Often in materials where two versions of the same car are compared, the author is tempted to praise the middle version: they say, “I am with the people, the maximum configuration did not captivate me, the middle version is quite enough for life”. But this rule does not work with the Mitsubishi ASX 2020 - in this case, the TOP version really gives important advantages: automatic transmission and four-wheel drive, new multimedia and more equipment. Although even in this ...

 The version with a 2-liter engine, "automatic" and all-wheel drive does not work that way: on average, urban fuel consumption was constantly at around 10.5-11 liters per 100 km, and in the presence of a large number of traffic jams and / or dynamic driving, the consumption and even increased to 12 liters per 100 km. Yes, with a smooth ride, on empty roads (at night or on weekends without traffic jams), in 2WD mode you can reach 8 liters per 100 km - but this is more a figure for an argument with friends than for a real indicator of fuel consumption every day.  But on the track, the consumption figures are surprisingly similar. So, at a speed of 80-90 km / h, a car with a 1.6-liter engine consumes 5.5 liters per 100 km, and a powerful 2-liter version - about 6 liters per 100 kilometers. At a speed of 110-120 km / h, a crossover with a 1.6-liter engine requires 6.5-7 liters per 100 km, a car with a 2-liter engine - about 7-7.5 liters per 100 km. Moreover, for the 1.6-liter ...

 Against the background of a 2-liter 150-horsepower engine, it seems the 1.6-liter version will be a loser: after all, 33 hp. and 43 Nm difference. But no - surprisingly, the 1.6 liter engine "suffices" when driving around the city and on the highway about "hundreds". After all, this version of the Mitsubishi ASX 2020 is noticeably lighter (160 kg), plus a traditional 5-speed motor is paired with a motor. Manual transmission and front-wheel drive: less transmission losses. As a result, we have a linear relationship between pressing the accelerator pedal and real acceleration: pressed - received. And also due to its lightness, the car seems more agile and agile, it is easy to drive it on tight city streets, the crossover is quickly rearranged in rows.   Although the engine is noisy: starting quietly, when it reaches 3.5-4 thousand rpm, the engine breaks into the cabin with a noticeable rumble. True, to the credit of the motor, accompanying all this with a tide, al...

 And how is the 2020 Mitsubishi ASX going? Is it fast with a 2.0L engine? Is a 1.6 liter engine enough?  Both cars are similar in their habits - and both are far from the concept of "dynamic crossover". Even the 2-liter version with 150 hp. (which is quite a lot for a car of this size and weight) still relies on a measured drive. The initial impulse when starting from a traffic light ends already at a speed of 30-50 km / h, when the variator starts to "play" the gear ratio: monotonous hum of the engine, "rubber" reactions to pressing the accelerator pedal ... Imitation of gear shifting slightly changes the tonality of the feeling of dynamics when accelerating with a pedal "to the floor".  However, I admit: it's better to let go of the pedal and enjoy smooth movement and soft acceleration - that's in this mode the Mitsubishi ASX is good. Then you don't pay too much attention to the neutral-empty steering wheel, while you take the ro...

It so happened that two of my test cars had the same color - but the details in the exterior are still different. The basic version with a 1.6-liter engine and front-wheel drive rides on 16 "caps", is devoid of fog lights, and the decor on the front fenders is made of dark plastic. The maximum 2-liter ASX is decorated with 18-inch wheels and chrome decor on the sidewalls, in the rectangular "cheeks" of the front bumper there are now "fog lights". Although the main LED headlights are always there: to the credit of the "base". The rear part attracts attention with T-shaped lanterns, the difference between the TOP version is only in the barely noticeable 4WD logo and in the parking sensors.  And besides appearance? New technique?  Is that in the cabin, and even then only for the TOP version. We are talking about the new Mitsubishi Connect 2 multimedia system with an enlarged touchscreen display (diagonal 8 inches) and a "redrawn" menu....

 See one blue Mitsubishi ASX crossover in the photo? And according to the article there will be a couple of them: two versions of the model fell into my hands at once - different motors and drive type, different configurations, different prices. It will be interesting not only to learn about the car, but also to compare different versions in search of an answer to the eternal question: which is better - to be content with the balance and modesty of the "base" or to shell out more money for "maximum speed"? I'll tell you now.  Updated crossover Mitsubishi ASX 2020 - what is it?  Take the previous Mitsubishi ASX review article, add a report from the presentation of the new product - this is the updated Mitsubishi ASX 2020 crossover. The article will present two versions of the car at once: ASX 1.6 l with front-wheel drive and manual transmission in INVITE configuration, as well as ASX 2.0 l with all-wheel drive and automatic CVT in the INSTYLE package.  The mai...