Hey, Your Top Automobile News for December 10, 2020

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [img]( [The Automobile News]( [Here Come the Self-Driving Trucks: GMC Sierra Goes Hands-Free]( Self-driving technology is coming to a pickup truck near you. GMC says it will offer its hands-free driver-assistance feature Super Cruise on its Sierra pickup sometime in 2022. While the Sierra will not be the first GMC product to option the award-winning technology – that honor will go to the Hummer EV in 2021 – the Sierra is by far the highest-volume GM product to receive the technology thus far. The Sierra joins a rush of semi-autonomous trucks coming to market over the next two years including the Ford F-150, Rivian R1T and Tesla Cybertruck. Ford’s Active Drive Assist — a hands-free system similar to Super Cruise — is currently available for order on the all-new 2021 Ford F-150, which has been the best-selling truck in America. The F-150 is due to arrive on dealer lots in the third quarter of next year. Super Cruise will debut on Sierra’s premium Denali trim, and will function while towing. We’re putting Super Cruise on a Sierra. (It’s) the world’s first true, hands-free driver-assistance tech available pretty much across the United States,” said GMC marketing executive Phil Brook. So it won’t “ just be in the big cities (but) in every state because Sierra, it’s such a popular vehicle. “ Super Cruise debuted in the low-volume, now-discontinued Cadillac CT6 in 2016 and is slowly being expanded to the full Cadillac lineup. But the entire Cadillac brand typically sells just 150,000 units in a typical year, whereas Sierra alone typically sells 220,000. The low-volume, battery-powered Chevrolet Bolt EUV (an SUV companion to the Bolt EV hatchback) will also get Super Cruise when it goes into production next year. Super Cruise and Tesla’s hands-free Autopilot are the leading semi-autonomous systems on the market. But unlike Autopilot, Super Cruise on works on divided highways where GM believes it is safest and most practical. Ford will debut a similar system next year on its Ford F-150 and electric Mustang Mach E. GM’s Super Cruise (and Ford’s Active Drive Assist) use a camera and infrared lights to assure the driver is paying attention to the road. Along with GPS mapping and radar sensors, this allows vehicles to drive hands-free on divided highways across North America. While the Tesla Autopilot system prompts drivers every 30 seconds or so to keep their hands on the wheel, the Super Cruise system allows the driver to relax hands-free. Super Cruise only intervenes with escalating alerts if it detects the driver’s eyes aren’t looking ahead and paying attention to the road. Autopilot debuted on Tesla’s Model S sedan in 2014 and has grown in ambition with over-the-air updates. It pioneered automatic lane-change capability in 2018 and is now capable of stopping for traffic lights and negotiating stop signs and pedestrians. GM has charted a more conservative path by limiting the feature to highways, and will introduce automatic lane-change next year. Its conservative approach earned it the prize for best driver-assistance system this year from Consumer Reports. Available on select, higher-trim Cadillac models beginning next year, the Super Cruise option is about $2,500, but should cost less on the high-profit Sierra. On the F-150 and Mach E, expect it cost about $1,600. The brands will charge monthly subscription costs on top of that.Industry analysts say that the Super Cruise take-rate on the Cadillac CT6 was about 30%. If that number holds on the Sierra, it should put nearly 70,000 vehicles on the road a year beginning in 2022 with hands-free capability. [Read More]( The post [Here Come the Self-Driving Trucks: GMC Sierra Goes Hands-Free]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Maruti Suzuki Launches Online Car Financing Platform ‘Smart Finance’]( The company is initially launching the platform in 30 cities through its premium car retail chain Nexa, targeting salaried customers with plans to expand its mass-market chain Arena and customer base by the fourth quarter of this fiscal.The country’s largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki India on Wednesday launched its multi-financier, online car financing platform ‘Smart Finance’. The company is initially launching the platform in 30 cities through its premium car retail chain Nexa, targeting salaried customers with plans to expand its mass market chain Arena and customer base by the fourth quarter of this fiscal. Through the platform, the company is seeking to address the concerns of potential customers related to car finance in the ‘new normal’ by offering a comprehensive finance solution online with a bouquet of financing options, Maruti Suzuki India said in a statement. Under the Smart Finance platform, currently hosted on the NEXA website, we have partnered with several popular financiers to provide custom curated personalised loan offers for our customers. This digital service offers easy financing options and is completely transparent at each stage of the loan process,” Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Managing Director and CEO Kenichi Ayukawa said in the statement. Among other advantages, he said, “The customer gets to customise the EMI by choosing the loan tenure and interest rate and select a preferred downpayment scheme.”The platform enables customers to compare multiple scenarios for car loan and offers from different financiers, and make an informed choice of loan partner and loan tenure, the company said. For this, Maruti Suzuki said it has currently partnered with eight financiers HDFC Bank, Yes Bank, ICCI Bank, IndusInd Bank, Cholamandalam Finance, AU Small Finance Bank, Mahindra Finance and Kotak Mahindra Prime.MSI Executive Director (Marketing & Sales) Shashank Srivastava told reporters in an interaction that MSI had started a pilot in August this year with the Nexa channel, which accounts for 18 per cent of its total sales. Currently, Smart Finance will be available for salaried customers, but MSI plans to expand the base by including customers from other economic backgrounds and extend the service to Arena retail chain, which accounts for 82 per cent of MSI’s total sales by the fourth quarter of this fiscal, he added.In the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, more and more customers are taking the digital route not only to research online for car purchases but also to seek financing options, Srivastava said. MSI said its Smart Finance offers a wide variety of loan offers from multiple financiers, pre-approved and custom generated loan offers, complete online loan application process and digital documentation sharing along with real time, online status updates on loan application process. [Read More]( The post [Maruti Suzuki Launches Online Car Financing Platform 'Smart Finance']( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Here’s What We Expect From The 2021 Land Rover Defender]( The 2021 Land Rover Defender comes redesigned, ready for muddy encounters and on-road capabilities. The new defender adds on technology and comfort to the legendary off-roading abilities of the predecessor. Everything is now modernized, starting from the interior to the exterior. When discussing off-road cars, the Defender never misses a mention. The Defender returns as refined and practical but still a versatile Sports Utility Vehicle. It comes with changes in performance, suspension as well as the interior to make it suitable as a daily driver to the job as well as evenings out or weekend camping in the rocks. It is blending the abilities of a luxury SUV with off-roading antics. Such a combo in one car is normally found in higher priced cars like Land Cruisers or the Benz G-Wagon. The defender comes with almost similar capabilities but most importantly at a lower cost. Performance Under The Hood The new defender can also come with a turbocharged, supercharged, and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 3.0l inline-6 that churns out a massive 395hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Both engines are faster than the previous model highest trim rated at 182 hp, despite it being a V8. It is claimed the 3.0l runs to 60mph from a standstill in a cool 5.0 seconds while the base engine completes the same fate in around 7.7 seconds. It is a massive improvement from the previous generation that achieved the same fate in double-digit figures.The two engines are coupled to an 8-speed automatic transmission sending power to all the four wheels thanks to the full-time AWD system alongside locking differentials as part of the off-road package. Sleek Body Design The new Defender moves from the predecessor’s body-on-frame stick-axle styling to a new independent suspension both at the front and rear. These are among the most notable improvements on the Defender. It offers a smooth and quiet ride thanks to the air suspension new to the Defenders but common in luxury sedans and SUVs. It adds to the lineup height-adjustable air springs that enable the driver to control the ride height at the start of a button. You’re safe when going off-road thanks to the multi-terrain response system that allows you to pick a driving mode suitable for the road you’re on. The generous automakers have also added a third-row seat to the unit. When the third row is up, the cargo space is somewhat cramped thus the unit is roomier for the bags when folded down. It is worthwhile to note the gear lever and the ignition have been moved from the center console to the center stack near the dashboard. At times in some trims, you can flip back the center console to provide room for three front passengers in case you need an extra seating position. New Technology The Defender is armed with cameras for improved on-road, off-road, and reverse views. The unit is a go-anywhere vehicle loaded with ultrasonic sensors mounted on the door mirrors to detect the depth of water if during off-roading moments you happen to cross some stream. Driver assistant technology includes an automated emergency braking with obstacle detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, and a lane departure warning system, standard in all trim levels.Everything looks good in place to allow you to move from the traditional mindset that off-roaders must be hardy and uncomfortable. The well-appointed cabin is appealing to the eyes with the ease of use of the dashboard buttons being an added advantage. The well-crafted interior made from high-quality materials gives it a premium look. Conclusively, the Defender strikes the balance between off-roading and on-road driving dynamics offering a smooth ride on any terrain. It is easily a driving enthusiast’s first choice for uneven terrains and on-road experience in one package. [Read More]( The post [Here’s What We Expect From The 2021 Land Rover Defender]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( ------------------ You Might Like [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](        ------------------ Connect with TheAutomobileNews on Facebook and Twitter [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. TheAutomobileNews daily newsletter is managed by [Postbox Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.]( C-4/5, IBD Emporia, Kolar Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA, 462042 Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe]( Â