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Ford and SDAC celebrate Christmas with patients

Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the sole distributor of Ford vehicles in Malaysia, provided some much needed holiday cheer this Christmas season. Members of SDAC visited the children’s ward of Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak Sabah, Likas, Kota Kinabalu.

The group provided kids with books, bags and stationary in support of Kupikupifm DJs Cheer to Patient CSR Programme. This is part of Ford’s charitable initiative to help give back to local communities and provide the less fortunate with the means to progress further.

Staff and patients at the hospital were regaled with Christmas carols at the foyer area. Though brief, the event helped lighten the somber mood that is usually associated with patients in such facilities. It helped provide a glimmer of hope to those who had lost theirs.

The Blue Oval is heavily invested in programmes such as these to help community building and sustainable development for future generations. Hospital Wanita dan Kanak-kanak Sabah is a small hospital focusing on obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics and is associated with the general hospital, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Audi Q5 and Q7 earns top marks in crash tests

This may not be much of a surprise to many, but the Audi Q5 and Q7 have been awarded the 5-Star safety rating, the highest possible score for crash safety. The US’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the rating for it’s new car assessment programme. This figure is based on an overall score of frontal and side crash tests.

“Having the Q5 and Q7 earn the highest safety rating from NHTSA shows our commitment to make overall crash worthiness and superior driver assistance systems a top priority for our customers,” said Scott Keogh, president, Audi of America.

Both vehicles come equipped with Audi’s pre-sense safety systems that offer a slew of safety features. For instance, when an impact is imminent, the system shuts the windows and panoramic roof, then tightens the front seat belts to keep occupants in a secured position.

Adding to that, the system can apply braking pressure when it senses an impending collision. Sensors on the sides monitor the blind spots and warn drivers of the presence of other vehicles there. Working together, these systems ensure that both the Q5 and Q7 minimize the risk of collisions.

Like other German automakers, occupant safety is one of the highest priorities for Audi. Its current product line offer some of the best levels of safety. And the introduction of autonomous tech should improve safety standards even further and help reduce the severity of vehicle collisions.

MINI will 3D print your accessories

MINI is known for it’s plethora of customisation options for it’s range of cars, but this time, it has taken it to another level. Through the online store, customers will have the option to tweak and adjust certain design aspects of trim elements to create unique products. These innovative upgrades will be available for UK customers throughout the course of 2018.

Referred to as the MINI Yours Customised product range, custom work can be carried out on the side scuttles, trims for the interior passenger side, LED door sills and LED door projectors. Various colour combinations can be chosen to suit the items, text or signatures can also be added to these accessories. MINI will be able to accomplish all of these things through the use of it’s manufacturing processes.

These processes include 3D printing and laser etching systems. The automaker has teamed up with Hewlett-Packard (HP), to create these various trim pieces. As revolutionary as this maybe, MINI assures customers that the products that are sold through this programme adhere to it’s standards of quality and safety.

There are several different colour options to choose from, which include Aspen White matte, Chili Red matte, Starlight Blue matte, Moonwalk Grey matte and Jet Black matte. Based on the selected pattern and design, MINI will get to work creating these pieces that will undoubtedly make each and every car, different.

Top 15 Motoring New Year’s Resolutions for 2018

It’s that time of year again, when many reflect on their shortcomings and learn of what needs to be done to make improvements for 2018. Such efforts are what you and I would identify as New Year’s resolutions. Apparently motorists in the UK have their own list of vices that they would like to eliminate by mastering proper driving skills.

According to the data that was acquired by Young Driver, 24% of British motorists say that they must make a habit out of checking tyre pressures and engine oil levels. Though many consider these as rudimentary tasks that require little effort to accomplish, procrastination is probably the reason for the problem.

Learning to master parallel parking is another resolution that about 17% of motorists hope to cross off their list in 2018. It’s a task that many consider is akin to performing open heart surgery or solving world hunger. Directly below it, is the need to conquer fear of driving on highways. Young drivers usually make up the majority of motorists who suffer from this problem.

Following is the top 15 list of Motoring New Year’s Resolutions for 2018:

To check tyre pressure and oil levels regularly (24 per cent)
To learn how to parallel park properly (17 per cent)
To conquer fear of driving on motorways (16 per cent)
To get better at reversing (15 per cent)
To not get road rage (14 per cent)
To perfect reversing into a parking bay (13 per cent)
To switch off phone when driving (13 per cent)
To speed less (11 per cent)
To stop checking messages when at traffic lights (11 per cent)
To conquer fear of driving on country roads (10 per cent)
To be more courteous to other road users, including cyclists and pedestrians (9 per cent)
To stop using a phone behind the wheel (8 per cent)
To always use indicators when turning (9 per cent)
To use mirrors more (8 per cent)
To not drive so close to the car in front (5 per cent)

Regarding this topic Laura White, head of marketing for Young Driver, said, “One in five newly qualified drivers will have an accident within six months of passing their test, and research shows that starting them learning from a younger age can half that risk – but it’s also vital that they have good role models to learn from outside of their lessons.”

Established in 2009, Young Driver aims to help teach youngsters to drive over a longer period, therefore encouraging a safer generation of new drivers. The programme is sponsored by Vauxhall, and uses dual control Vauxhall Corsas and fully qualified instructors to teach 10-17 year olds how to drive at over 50 venues across the UK.

Ferrari’s most successful F1 car to be featured at Autosport

A very special Ferrari will be featured at Europe’s biggest pre-season motorsport show, Autosport International. The car in question is the legendary F2004, the very F1 car that dominated the 2004 season. It helped Micheal Schumacher to clinch his 7th world championship title. It also secured 15 pole positions that year, 13 for Schumacher.

The F2004 still holds the lap record for seven different racetracks, 5 of which are still part of the Formula 1 calendar. Between Schumacher and teamate Rubens Barrichello, the car managed to secure 12 pole positions during that same season.

Several minor changes were made from the previous year’s specifications that include the rear wing, which was made larger, the rear suspension was redesigned to reduce excessive tyre wear and the exhausts were made smaller, allowing for aerodynamic benefits. It is powered by a 3.0-litre V10 engine that produces close to 1000bhp.

The car will be featured alongside Ferrari FXX-K Evo, Ferrari 488 Challenge and a 488 GTE on the main Ferrari feature, which aims to highlight the Course Clients. This is Ferrari’s exclusive client racing programme, from Challenge car to GT car, through the XX development cars to Formula One.

It’s Ferrari’s way of preparing owners to better handle their vehicles as well as their readiness to handle professional competition. It’s a driving academy worthy of praise. Owners have the support and backing of a professional crew during the sessions.

Hyundai develops Siri-like AI assistant for its vehicles

Hyundai is collaborating with SoundHound In., to bring an intelligent voice command system to its fleet of vehicles by 2019. This voice recognition assistant is based on SoundHound’s Houndify artificial intelligence (AI) platform, optimized for in-vehicle applications. It processes drivers’ voice requests by communicating with the SoundHound AI server.

Similar in function to Google’s Voice Assistant or Apple’s Siri, Hyundai’s AI assistant will be able to make phone calls, send text messages, search destinations and music, activate air-conditioning, sunroofs and door locks. Drivers need only say ‘Hi, Hyundai’ then their desired request, and the AI assistant will spring to action.

Besides this, the system is also able to predict a driver’s needs and prepare the required information. For example, it will be able provide reminders for upcoming meetings and suggest departure times depending on traffic conditions. It will even be able to control your electronic devices at home through the Car-to-Home service.

“Sophisticated voice recognition and AI integration are core to effectively providing drivers with the massive content and data that future connected vehicles have to offer,” said Paul Choo, Director of Infotainment Development Group at Hyundai Motor Company.

“We spent a decade developing Houndify, the most advanced voice AI platform, to enable partners the ability to create customized experiences for their products,” said Keyvan Mohajer, Founder & CEO of SoundHound Inc.

Hyundai will unveil its new AI assistant during CES 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada in January. It’s functions will be demonstrated through a connected car cockpit equipped with the feature. At the moment the system only supports English, but compatibility for other major languages will be introduced in the near future.