Category: Cars

What Happened to the new Jaguar XJ?

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 31, 2019

Earnestly, Jaguar is not my favourite brand and sadly, I never actually managed to establish an emotional bond with the brand. Despite their products offering solid and attractive designs and a unique personality, the product range was never sustainable in terms of design and performance, with the German brands. For example when considering the realm of semi-autonomous driving, driving assistance systems, luxury and also reliability; Jaguar is more of an emotional car brand rather than a high-tech luxury car brand.

I have a real love for the XJ as it possessed something unique compared with the rest of the Jaguar fleet. It is big, agile, sporty and particularly when considering the newest XJ, quite different from the other designs in the range because it is ultimately a very youthful looking vehicle. Unfortunately, however, it never managed to keep up with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series or Audi A8, all of which encompassed state-of-the-art technology on wheels.

Interestingly all these cars have one thing in common, none of them is purely electric! Jaguar recently announced the next generation XJ will be entirely electric, akin to the Tesla Model S. Notably, this statement came from a company that is experiencing finance challenges and uncertainty and therefore doesn’t have the budget of Daimler AG’s research and development remit. Notwithstanding, it is however planning to directly target the Tesla Model S. In addition, the Tesla Model S is at the lower segment of the XJ and therefore the Model S has never been a real competitor of the S-Class, 7-Series, A8 or the XJ. Now the next generation Jaguar XJ is changing the rules and extending its platform.

I am really excited to learn more about the new XJ and there is solid proof that, JLR is still ready to compete with the big German brands and furthermore, for the first time, they are going to take a huge risk and offer a vehicle that does not have a direct substitute from a German rival.

I am looking forward to learning more details about the XJ and am keen to see how the German brands will respond to this.

Ps. Mercedes-Benz is going to introduce a brand-new S-Class next year.

Photo Credits // Cars Magazine and Motor 1

Tags Jaguar, Jaguar Land Rover, Jaguar XJ

Cars

Ferrari SF90 Stradale was at HR Owen in London

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 18, 2019

I have negated to write about Ferrari for some time and so I thought now would be an appropriate time to re-visit Ferrari owing to the release of its remarkable new production vehicle. This launch sees the SF90 Stradale, Ferrari’s first front-wheel drive, with no reverse gear encapsulating the concept of track and performance car in one.

Specifically, it is a 1000-hp plug-in hybrid hyper car, powered by a 4 litre, twin turbo engine that produces 780-hp and it is coupled with a 162-kW electric motor with 220-hp. In total, it is 1000-hp. The front-wheel drive part accompanies the electric motor.

There are three electric motors inside the SF90 Stradale, two of which are placed in the front-axle; responsible for propelling the Ferrari backward as well as forward. The electric motors on the front axle are responsible for reversing the Ferrari and therefore, there is no reverse gear inside the gearbox and thus this saves weight! It must be acknowledged however that if the batteries run flat, a push back vehicle may be required or alternatively the engine can be run to re-charge the batteries. The final electric motor is placed at the rear, between the engine and the gearbox.

Another critical fact about this model; it is in fact, more powerful than the LaFerrari and is based upon the F8 Tribute, so; it is half supercar and half hyper car.

Regarding its design, aesthetically, I do not find its appearance as pleasing as some other models as I prefer a more minimalist design. Finally, since 2015, Ferrari is no longer under the subsidiary of Fiat anymore and is now, in fact, a public company. Therefore, if you have sufficient capital, you can purchase shares in the company.

Tags Ferrari, Ferrari SF90 Stradale, HR Owen

Cars

BMW X7 Contemporary Art

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date July 4, 2019

BMW finally revealed their large-sized SUV, X7. It is supposed to compete with the Range Rover by offering a longer size. Yet the end result of the X7 is that it is simply an ugly SUV that looks oversized. I am sure that the X7 offers a great ride and comfort. But with that exterior design, it does not look like the best-looking large SUV on the market.

Honestly, competition with Range Rover is not about size. Rather, it is about ridiculous luxury and reliability. Range Rovers are not extremely long vehicles like the X7, but they instead offer very high levels of luxury and comfort.

The metric that BMW used to compete with Range Rover was size. If a manufacturer makes a longer SUV with a better price tag, people will buy it regardless of its exterior design.

Unfortunately, the world does not work like this, and BMW should have learned this lesson from the 5GT and Gran Coupe models. Sensory experiences with the product can enhance their competitive advantage more than any other physical advantage.

I haven’t seen the new X7, however, I am not very excited to see it. I am sure it won’t be something spectacular, with the exception that it is oversized like the Mercedes-Benz GLS. Yet I am unable to forget the fact that the X7 offers very sophisticated driving assistance and active safety systems that are not available in a Range Rover. For some people, these features are more important than luxury.

I am sure that the X7 will capture Range Rover’s market, especially in the US market where people look for something new and unique. Additionally, the X7’s weird design frames it as a contemporary art piece that no one has any clue what the meaning behind it is. If you visit Mayfair in London, you will be sure to find lots of contemporary art pieces that have literally no meaning.

Yet people are ready to pay a lot of money for them. Why? So that they can show off their taste in art and that they understand something that no one else can understand.

Long story short, the BMW X7 was either designed by the neo-classical economic model that forced them to make a vehicle longer to sell more than its competitors, or it was designed by behavioural economics principles to manipulate the consumer’s mind.

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Photo Credit // BMW

Tags BMW, BMW X7

Cars

BMW X3 M Competition Drama

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date June 23, 2019

BMW—The ultimate driving machine—has more SUVs than coupes in their product range. This sounds similar to if Adidas made more money selling high heeled shoes compared to trainers.

Sadly, the reality is that people want and love SUVs. But they actually really want an SUV, or is it just a social norm? If we asked people what they wanted before the Ford Model T, they would have answered a faster horse.

So, do customers really want SUVs, or are car companies misreading market research? Likely both. The SUV trend became increasingly worse after people grew bored with ugly MPVs. In the early 2000s, the MPV became a trendy vehicle, and there were lots of weird versions like modern SUVs. As a result of the herding effect, everyone wanted to own an MPV, yet eventually, people became tired of them.

During that time, SUVs became popular. In fact, smaller SUVs entered the market. There used to be large and expensive SUVs, which reflected a kind of scarcity effect where there is an over appreciation of something due to its limited supply—like diamonds! Large SUVs were too expensive, and everyone wanted to own one. Thanks to the Range Rover Evoque, the mid and small-sized SUVs became trendier and more affordable.

Now you don’t need to be wealthy to buy a cool looking SUV. There is an SUV for any type of budget or taste, and car companies are offering more and more SUVs on the market, similar to the MPV market.

Consequently, we have ended up with the BMW X3 M Competition. A mid-size SUV that is as fast as a sedan car, yet is somehow capable of off roading. Is this a failure? Of course. We also have the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S which is ridiculous, yet people still buy it.

Unlike MPVs, SUVs are bit comfier. You can easily get in and get out. You sit higher and are capable of climbing to a pavement. These are the things that the average driver wants to experience.

Thankfully, BMW is doing this very well. Sedan performance in a vehicle with a higher centre of gravity and it has nothing to do with off-roading. Sadly, this is the future of the automotive industry. Sooner or later, we will have an SUV that is faster than a BMW M5. Due to the visual appearance and ease of use of an SUV, they won’t have the same fate that MPVs had.

Nonetheless, when we run out of sedans, people will start to miss them.

Is the BMW X3 M Competition worth buying? It is if you don’t like sedans and you have no clue about the laws of physics. Otherwise, just wait for the new BMW M3.

Boring stuff;
3.0-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder petrol. Eight-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive
503bhp @ 5,950-7,200rpm/600Nm (443lb ft) @ 2,600-5,950rpm. 0-62mph: 4.1 seconds. 177mph (delimited)

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Photo Credit // BMW

Cars

Driverless Car Drama

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date May 14, 2019

Imagine we have reached the level of advancement that we have manufactured level-5 autonomous driving cars, across the globe. Envisaging this technology being offered as standard or a purchasable option, akin to features fitted as standard today such as ABS, is remarkable.

During the manufacturing process of level-5 autonomous driving, a momentous level of work went into the avoidance of any car to human accident scenarios. Autonomous cars are deemed wholly safe to pedestrians, meaning when they see pedestrians, they automatically stop and give way. The concept sounds faultless.

The problems, however, start here, we, humans, are good at learning shortcuts to reach our goals or objectives. One of our, often subconscious daily goals is to cross the road by the quickest means possible. Naturally, in our climate of haste, we do not want to be forced to wait for cars to stop, for us to cross a road, what we ultimately want is for them to stop and give way to us infinitely.

With the help of level-5 autonomous driving technology, this will be possible. Humans will realise, when they jump in front of an autonomous car, it will stop regardless of the location of the car. Thus, we could be walking around the streets, without fear of getting knocked over by a car.

The question is, if this occurs, what will happen next? The next challenge to emerge will be the sheer volume of traffic and congestion on the roads, and as these level-5 cars do not have a steering wheel or another control instrument, drivers will be limited in their ability to interfere and improve this. Essentially what could evolve is that a Rolls-Royce car can turn into a machine and drive itself, but it cannot travel from point to A to B, uninterrupted, because, someone will always jump in front of the car and consequently the car will stop. It is therefore hard to visualise a journey of this nature, with a half a million pound Rolls-Royce travelling much slower than a human.

It is not to suggest that these autonomous cars need to be created to be more aggressive, but it needs to be acknowledged that in some instances we can almost be too logical when developing a product. It is more likely that level-5 cars will fit perfectly with driving on highways rather than being suited to urban driving. As computers cannot measure emotion and act emotively, driving a level-5 autonomous car will not be the optimal mode of transport in city environments, in the future.

Tags Automotive Industry, Autonomous Driving

Cars

Should Daimler AG Cut Cost for Mercedes-Benz?

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date May 6, 2019

There has been much discussion in the news recently about Daimler’s decision to cut costs with Mercedes-Benz due recent financial quarters indicating that it is underperforming. They are planning to make redundancies within Mercedes-Benz and are implementing new cost cutting measures.

This cost cutting is of particular interest. In 1997, when Mercedes-Benz revealed the M-Class SUV, it was a ground-breaking product that pioneered the SUV segment. The M-Class SUV was a beautifully designed vehicle; however, its production quality was terrible. There were noticeable exterior and interior gaps between the parts, so much so that you could easily put your finger between them. Such gaps are always a clear indication of a poor quality automotive.

This poor quality was also seen in the E-Class and other models, except for the S-Class. The E-Class and SL-Class released in 2002 were generally just problem cars. They had serious issues with the SBC brake systems, parts were failing and, whilst I am not saying this for dramatic effect, I remember a moment when a brand new E-Class’s spare tyre compartment lever fell off as soon as the customer tried to open it; it was just a plastic lever. The E-Class also had serious electronic problems; the horn was activating windscreen wipers; signals were flashing the fog lights – the story goes on.

During those years, Daimler decided to cut costs and rely on their heritage to sell cars. It was effective however when a car’s brakes fail, it is not something you can easily recover from. As a result of the problems of E-Class, M-Class, SL-Class, C-Class and others, Daimler invested heavily to restructure their quality and improve customer confidence in the brand. This was a very expensive decision.

Unfortunately, Daimler is heading in the same direction again. With the implementation of new cost cutting measures, it is inevitable that we will witness more electronic problems in the upcoming Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Whilst I hope this won’t happen, today’s vehicles are heavily reliant on electronics. When you cut costs or cut corners with electronics, the consequences are catastrophic. Especially during this era where the automotive industry is highly competitive and there is less consumer demand for cars.

Daimler’s decision to cut costs to satisfy investors will not go well. Sooner or later, they will have to invest heavily again to recover the damage they have caused. However, this time, the damage will be broadcast across social media, having a truly emphatic negative impact on the brand name; much more so than in 2000 when social media was less influential.

We all hoped that Daimler would adopt a more conscious cost cutting measurement this time around, but it seems they may not have learnt their lesson.

Photo Credit // Mercedes-Benz

Tags Automotive Industry, Daimler, Mercedes

Cars

Do you Like Volkswagen Passat?

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date April 18, 2019

I have amazing news! The VW Passat has received a facelift. I have never understood why someone would be excited to own a Passat, I couldn’t think of a single reason. It offers a conservative design, including the interior, and it drives like a conservative car. Although the driving assistance technologies are class-leading, I have never felt anything else for the Passat.

The Passat ticks all the boxes to be a great car apart from one, it cannot tick the box for passion. Anyway, if you are planning to buy a new Passat, here it is. It has had a facelift and it looks okay. Everything you see in the photos is probably an optional extra, so get ready!

Tags Passat, VW

Cars

The End of Porsche Cayenne! Long Live Cayenne Coupe

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 24, 2019

Porsche have revealed a new Cayenne which offers a greater degree of coupe style design experience: it is called the Cayenne Coupe. It is slightly sporty: there is a spoiler at the rear of the vehicle to increase stability at higher speeds; in addition, the drivetrain is relatively sportier than the Cayenne.

However, under the skin, it is merely an Audi Q8. Based on the MLBevo modular platform, the Cayenne Coupe is not, in fact, all that different to the normal Cayenne. It is just a little sportier and probably less off-road capable. When a vehicle is more off-road capable, it becomes less sporty and vice versa.

The reason for the introduction of the Cayenne Coupe is to help Porsche to compete with the sportier SUVs on the market such as the Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, Maserati Levanta, BMW X6, Range Rover Sport and Audi Q8. Basically, the Cayenne Coupe is a posh version of the Q8!

After the original Cayenne Coupe, the new Cayenne will simply become a comfier version and in all probability will not be remembered as a sporty SUV. Why? Our brain loves to compare things based on reference points, and now the reference point of Cayenne sportiness is the Cayenne Coupe; as a result, the new Cayenne will be perceived as being a comfy version of the original.

Is it worth purchasing? At the end of the day, the Cayenne is not a 911. It is ideal for people who are obsessed with the level of space inside their car and who want to enjoy a sporty ride. I am sure the Cayenne Coupe will increase general Porsche sales and may also eat into some of the original Cayenne’s market. We will see how it goes!

Photo Credit // Porsche

Tags Cayenne, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Cayenne Coupe

Cars

Autosport International 2019 #asi19 // Porsche 935

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date March 9, 2019

Autosport International 2019’s Porsche stand was amazing as you would be expecting. The 911 GT3 RS and the Porsche 935 were there. The 935 is also known as ‘Mobydick’. The GT3 RS seems like it can be driven every single day but you need to sacrifice some comfort and luxury!

Tags Autosport International, Autosport International 2019, Porsche, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, Porshce 935 Mobydick

Cars

Saying Goodbye to Mercedes SLC (aka SLK) Final Edition

Post author By Uygar Kilic
Post date February 27, 2019

Mercedes-Benz have announced the Final Edition for the SLC (aka SLK), with the initial yellow that was revealed in 1997. I was sad to learn that the SLC will no longer be produced. Nowadays, everyone wants to own an SUV, like the MPV trend a decade ago. During the last decade, people have moved away from sports cars and even sedans to SUVs. As the SUV market has become more saturated, there is an SUV for any taste.

People like the practicality of an SUV and assume that an SUV can be sporty. The demand for the sports car started to decline. This happened slowly but, when we look at recent years, people don’t really buy sports cars anymore. Just SUVs!

This trend is the most evident in the premium market; we still see Ferraris, Aston Martins, and Bentleys. However, we don’t really see BMW Z4s or SLCs like the old days. As I have understood, Mercedes-Benz pushed as far as possible to keep the SLC on the production line, but it didn’t manage to survive.

SLC was a ground-breaking car when it was revealed in 1997! With a metal roof and a very attractive design, it was the most iconic car of its era. However, the metal roof is a serious additional weight and people generally want more space. Also, most importantly, buying an SLC is not cool or trendy anymore. People usually buy this type of car to show that they are trendy and cool. They are not buying it for its features! As being trendy moved from SLC to GLC, people started to avoid the SLC.

This shockwave has reached the SL as well. Hopefully, Mercedes-Benz will keep the SL in production, even though it will make a loss. Their strategy is to keep an iconic product in the production line. Like the S-Class, the SL is an important asset of Mercedes-Benz and makes it distinctive from other manufacturers. People might be buying other Mercedes-Benz products while being influenced by the SL.

Long story short, the SLC is going to end soon, but it will be remembered in the future. I am sure the same will happen to SUVs, as it happened to MPVs. Sooner or later, we will see a reduction in the SUV range.

Photo Credit // Mercedes-Benz

Tags Mercedes, SLC, SLK