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THISDAY, THE SATURDAY NEWSPAPER • JUNE 4, 2016
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Camry Upgrades, Focuses on Sporty SX Stories by Bennett Oghifo
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oyota has updated its seven-model Camry range with the bulk of improvementsfocusedonthealreadyimpressive equipment list of the sporty Atara SX. User-friendly additions to the SX include satellite navigation* and expanded Toyota Link# connected mobility operated via a larger seven-inch screen that is also the command centre for the newly fitted JBL premium audio system and digital (DAB+) radio”. Cosmetic enhancements add to the sporty appeal of Atara SX with stylish new 18-inch alloy wheels and eye-catching red inserts along the lower edge of the front grille and rear-bumper diffuser. Atara SX also gains a convenient power sunshade for the back windscreen and its reversing camera+ image now offers superimposed predictive guidelines that move as the driver turns the steering wheel for easier manoeuvring. The revised range goes on sale from June 6 with the only price change being an extra $1,500 for the Atara SX, which is more than justified by the added equipment. Every Camry, starting with Altise, is now fitted with ISOFIX attachment points for child safety seats in the rear. Camry’s petrol and petrol-electric engines have also been certified to the higher Euro 5 standard. All Camry Atara models now have front and rear corner parking sensors. The interior of the petrol Atara S is upgraded with the addition of a full-colour 4.2-inch thin-film transistor multi-information display. It conveys a wide range of vehicle functions and coordinates with the multimedia system to display audio, navigation, warnings and other communications. At the top of the range, the Atara SL features new technology with a wireless phone charger^ for compatible phones. Some phones need a Qi induction loop or a special cover. The 18-inch
2017 Toyota Camry
alloy wheel package, which includes a sporty suspension set-up, is optional on the SL. Toyota’s executive director sales and marketing Tony Cramb said the latest upgrades across the range demonstrated the company’s commitment to continuous improvement and the long-term future of Camry. “Toyota will continue to build on Camry’s success with advances in technology, safety, comfort and convenience, value and driving enjoyment, ensuring it remains one of Australia’s favourite cars for many years to come,” Mr Cramb said. “Families and business owners will appreciate the added appeal of the new features, while the
introduction of the new-technology wireless phone charger will give Camry an edge in the competitive prestige segment above $35,000,” he said. Camry is in its 23rd consecutive year as Australia’s best-selling mid-size car - an unbroken run that began in 1994. Every Camry has a five-star safety rating with standard fitment of seven airbags, reversing camera, vehicle stability and traction control, and anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. CamryAltise,Atara S andAtara SLare available with 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol or hybrid petrol-
electric drivetrains. The petrol-only Atara SX is the most agile and responsive Camry ever built due to its dynamic package that was conceived and developed locally. The 2.5-litre petrol engine develops 133kW mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Dual exhausts on petrolAtara models lift output to 135kW. Fuel use is 7.9 litres/100km**. Hybrid variants develop a maximum 151kW from the combination of the petrol engine, 105kW electric drive motor and electronic continuously variable transmission, sipping just 5.2 litres/100km** - a figure typical of a much smaller and less powerful car.
Porsche Founds Digitisation Competence Centre
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orsche is moving into the fast lane on the topic of digitisation. The Supervisory Board of the company has now approved the founding of Porsche Digital GmbH. The objective of the new enterprise is to further develop Porsche into the leading provider of digital mobility solutions in the premium automotive segment. Managing Director of Porsche Digital GmbH will be Thilo Koslowski. He recently joined Porsche from the US IT consulting company Gartner Inc. Koslowski is considered an expert in the automotive as well as Internetandtechnologysectors.Thenewlyfounded company will have its head office in Ludwigsburg near Stuttgart. Further sites will be in Berlin, Silicon Valley and China. “Our business environment is changing ever more dynamically,” said Dr. Wolfgang Porsche, SupervisoryBoardchairmanofDr.Ing.h.c.F.Porsche AG. “Porsche Digital GmbH will strengthen the brand, develop innovative customer experiences and attract new partners. We are combining the traditional Porsche spirit with the power of new technologies.” ForPorscheCEOOliverBlumethenewsubsidiary “is a logical step in order for Porsche to successfully position itself for the digital future.” Blume adds that for Porsche digitization had three dimensions: Product, customer and companies. Access to innovative and high-growth partners
“Porsche Digital GmbH is our Competence Center where visions are turned into reality,” says Blume. There, digital customer experiences, products, business areas and business processes will be identified and further developed. The Porsche subsidiary will cooperate closely with all departments in testing and implementing new value creation models and innovative product offerings. Among the tasks of the Digital GmbH is also the identification and evaluation of trends which ensures access to relevant technologies. Porsche not only believes in its own potential for innovation, but also its partnerships. The Digital GmbH considers itself to be an interface between Porsche and innovators around the world. This applies in particular to the areas of connectivity, smart mobility and autonomous vehicles. As part of Porsche’s digital transformation, the new subsidiary will promote long-term partnerships with suitable partners and in this way create a digital ecosystem. There are also plans for equity holdings in venture capital funds and start-ups which offer opportunities for close collaboration with innovative, high-growth companies, talents and new technologies. “Digitization is leading to the renaissance of the automobile and is making it the central element of our digital lifestyle,” says the subsidiary’s new ManagingDirectorThiloKoslowski.“Wewillcreate digital customer experiences typical of Porsche
Porsche Cayman GT4
which are fascinating and intelligent – both inside and outside the vehicle.” InnovationoffensiveatPorsche:Thefoundationof thesubsidiaryispartofamajorinnovationoffensive at Porsche. Aconcerted effort is being made at the company to establish innovation management across departments as well as systematically
cataloguing and promoting ideas. “Innovation does not emerge by itself. It is all about developing ideas systematically,” says Porsche CEO Blume. “Porsche has many ideas. The challenge is to think across functional divisions, use external resources and take concrete action very rapidly – especially in the digital environment,” added Blume.
2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO Debuts with Same Horsepower, Revised Styling
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he standard Nissan GT-R underwent its most significant change since its introduction and now the 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO has received a similar treatment. Those hoping that the 2017 Nissan GT-R NISMO would have more performance under the hood will be sorely disappointed. Despite receiving numerous upgrades bumper-to-bumper, the powerplant retains its 600-horsepower figure with 481 pound-feet of torque from a 3.8-liter twinturbo V6 engine. But that doesn’t mean the overall performance of the Nissan GT-R NISMO hasn’t improved, since the NISMO model also benefits from the significantly reinforced body.According
to Nissan, the stiffened body structure allowed its engineers to further refine the GT-R NISMO’s shock absorbers, springs and stabilizers, resulting in added downforce and a better handling car than the previous model. Nissan claims that the car has improved its slalom times and cornering performance by nearly two per cent. Thecompanychosetodebutthenew2017Nissan GT-R NISMO at the world famous Nürburgring, where the GT-R model has claimed numerous victories. It is also the place where Nissan hones, tunesanddevelopstheGT-R’spotentperformance. While there aren’t any bigger numbers to brag about, the GT-R NISMO’s front end has been overhauled with an aggressive new fascia. The
dark chrome “V-motion” grille has been enlarged, helping cool the car’s engine, without affecting the car’s aerodynamic performance. The hood has also been significantly reinforced to avoid deformation at extremely high speeds.And unlike the standard model, the NISMO variant’s front bumper features layers of carbon fiber sheets carefully overlapped to achieve the ideal amount of stiffness.Thefrontcanardshavealsobeendesigned to improve airflow around the vehicle, helping generate a high level of downforce. Overall, the car’s new shape generates more downforce than any other Nissan car to date. As expected, the interior has also received the same upgrades as the standard model with a
redesigned dash and steering wheel covered with Alcantara suede. Unique to the GT-R NISMO are the leather-appointed Recaro seats with red synthetic suede inserts. “The GT-R NISMO emphasises the ‘R’ in its nomenclature. Its direct ties with racing make it at home on any racetrack, providing the highest levelsofexcitementandexhilarationforthedriver,” said Hiroshi Tamura, Chief Product Specialist, GT-R. “With the 2017 GT-R as a starting point, the new NISMO version has become a more well-balanced machine, with not just increased performance, but a heightened premium feel overall. It is the result of our ongoing pursuit of ultimate driving pleasure.”