Not into cars? No worries
5 things for non-car folks at Detroit auto show.
With the North American International Auto Show about to open to the public in Detroit, die-hard car enthusiasts are finding plenty to talk about.
There are, however, millions of people who aren’t “gearheads.” They may be positively blasé about cars. They might know more about horses than horsepower and think the abbreviation for anti-lock braking systems, ABS, refers to six-pack midsections.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few basic new items they should know about cars. Here are five:
Big SUV meets Big Gulp
It’s important to always stay hydrated, and no automaker understands that more than Subaru, which outfitted its new largest SUV, the Ascent, with 19 cupholders.
In doing so, Subaru joins the long-running cupholder wars. Automakers have vied for years to not only put as many cupholders as possible in vehicles, but make sure they can hold those 32-ounce Big Gulps from 7-Eleven and similar monster-sized drinks. The Volkswagen Atlas SUV has 17 and the Toyota Sienna minivan has 12.
With eight seats and an average of 2.3 cupholders for the driver and each passenger, the Subaru’s occupants may be bigger guzzlers than the SUV could ever become.
GM wants steering wheels to go AWOL
First, the car industry gets rid of the carburetor and cassette players. Now, it’s nixing the steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedal.
General Motors is about to create a version of the electric Chevrolet Bolt that will make it impossible for a human to drive. Instead, it will have software, sensors and lasers to drive itself. With no wheel or pedals, GM is sure the car will make all the right decisions.
It’s considered yet another big step in the self-driving car revolution.
GM is asking the federal government for permission to test it. Seven states — Colorado, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas — could permit it, but only if Uncle Sam gives the thumbs-up.
Meanwhile, practice saying, “Alexa, make a left turn on Main Street.”
Another year, another big recall
The auto industry, fresh off the massive Takata airbag recall, is starting off 2018 with a recall of an iconic American vehicle — the minivan.
On Jan. 12, Fiat Chrysler recalled 160,000-plus 2017 Pacifi- cas due to a software issue that could cause the vehicle’s engine to stall. The company said it knows of no injuries, though the problem may have played a role in one crash.
The Pacifica announcement kicks off a fresh year after a rash of prominent ones in 2017. For example, in December, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.8 million Ram pickups, some going back as far as 2009, because they can shift out of park by mistake. In November, Honda recalled about 900,000 Odyssey minivans from as far back as 2011 over concerns the minivan’s second-row seats could tip forward if they’re latched incorrectly. And Ford recalled about 1.3 million F-Series pickups because of faulty door latches.
Moms, dads and kids, take note.
BlackBerry is back, but not how you think
Hackers have long targeted your credit cards, bank accounts and email. Now they’re going after your car.
Unlock doors remotely? No problem. Prevent brakes from working? Roger that.
To stay ahead of these potential casualties, software patches are sent to fix problems as engineers uncover them.
The issue has put BlackBerry, the pioneering smartphone maker, back in the spotlight — and not as a late-night TV punchline.
The Canadian company is dipping its toe — actually, more like a whole leg — into the car cybersecurity market. BlackBerry Jarvis is software that looks for weak spots in a vehicle’s computer code before hackers can swoop in and cause havoc.
Thwarted by cars, hackers will have to go back to work trying to crack corporations, credit bureaus and political campaigns.
Pickups pick up — families
Once the purview of cowboys and contractors, the pickup is again looking like the family car of the future.
The rugged all-American icon is the hot vehicle for 2018, and the Detroit 3 know it. General Motors, Ford Motor and Fiat Chrysler all unveiled new pickups at the auto show this week.
It’s easy to see why. Sales are booming. Pickup sales in the U.S. jumped 4.8% to nearly 2.7 million in 2017, according to Kelley Blue Book. The nation’s three most-popular vehicles of any sort were the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado and Ram 1500 — all full-size pickups — last year.
The new 2019 Ram full-size pickup that Fiat Chrysler unveiled this week adds 4 inches to its crew cab, 3 inches of it going to the rear seat, with families in mind.
Price tags are growing as suburbanites outfit their trucks with features more likely found in luxury sedans, such as snazzy interiors and seats. Trucks could become the big accessory of the year, taking over from faux fur vests, purses big enough to conceal a teacup pig and the iPhone X.