Mason Gibbons

Hyundai Motor Group is developing solar roof technology Korean firm is developing three different solar charging systems, for electric, hybrid and combustion-engined cars Hyundai and Kia will introduce solar charging panels on selected models from 2019 onwards – including some with internal combustion engines. The Hyundai Motor Group is currently developing three different types of solar roof, for cars with  hybrid , full electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) powertrains respectively. While solar charging panels have been fitted to vehicles previously, including on the Toyota Prius Plug-in , this is believed to be the first time the technology will be applied to an ICE-only car. The first type, due to arrive next year, is for hybrids. It's capable of charging 30-60% of the battery during a day, depending on the weather. The vehicle can then use that energy to reduce engine usage, thus increasing fuel economy and  cutting CO2 emissions.  The second is...

Former Audi CEO Rupert Stadler was released from a German prison this week after spending four months behind bars. While never charged, Stadler was taken into custody over concerns he would suppress evidence related to a German investigation into the Volkswagen Group diesel emissions cheating scandal that has been in play since late 2015. German...

Brazilian market pick-up truck will sit below the Amarok, and will be shown in near-production form Volkswagen  has released a sketch of a new pick-up truck, set to be revealed in full at the  Sao Paulo motor show   next week .  The as-yet-unnamed model is described as combining “the features of a digitally networked SUV and the versatility of a well thought out pick-up”. The urban-oriented truck, which will debut in near-production form, will sit below the Amarok in VW’s range. Currently, the new pick-up is only due to launch in the Brazilian market with, VW claims, “just a few minor tweaks” for production. It’s not currently destined for Europe, but is said to have potential as a vehicle “suitable for other regions”.  The new, all-wheel-drive model is based on the brand’s long-standing MQB platform, shared across a large number of VW Group SUVs and passenger cars.  Few details have been revealed beyond that, but we do know it will feature a variab...

Valtteri Bottas believes improving in qualifying is key to turning around Lewis Hamilton's superiority in the Mercedes Formula 1 team

The Micra comprises the latest automotive technology in an affordable package Does advertising watchdog's reprimanding of Nissan show off the watchdog's unrealistic ideals? Last week the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) banned three car adverts, one from Ford , one from Fiat and one from Nissan , all of which, it says, encouraged dangerous driving.  The banning of the Nissan ad in particular raises an interesting question, or at least a question. The ad shows a couple on their way to an airport in their Micra , and they appear to be in a bit of a rush. They demonstrate some questionable lane discipline at the beginning, then dash into the airport. An airport worker (head down, ear defenders on) steps out in front of the car, which comes to a sudden stop thanks to its autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system activated by Nissan’s pedestrian recognition feature. No one dies and no one misses their plane. But the ASA ruled that the ad “created the impression that the ...

Can this old-school 4x4 deal with some heavy-duty abuse? We’re about to find out Why we’re running it: To find out whether a big, separate-chassis, part-time all-wheel-drive SUV still has a place in the world Month 5 - Month 4 -  Month 3 -  Month 2 -  Month 1  -  Specs Life with a Ssangyong Rexton: Month 5 Almost time to say goodbye - 31st October 2018 Soon the Ssangyong will be gone, prompting thoughts about what I’ll most miss. One aspect struck me forcibly aboard my Rover 75 recently , and that’s the height of the Rexton’s driving position. The 75 isn’t especially low, but in the Ssangyong you feel like you’re flying at 30,000ft to the Rover’s 15,000ft. That makes traffic-snared journeys less dull because you see more. Mileage: 8036 Back to the top Can our T-Rexton be tamed outside of its natural habitat? - 17th October 2018 You wouldn’t normally call washing a car a project but, in the case of the Rexton , this activity is certainly a dec...

Mexico City's high-altitude Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit is an outlier on the Formula 1 calendar that requires a totally different technical approach for teams