A new crash test program from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety aims to ensure that manufacturers pay attention to the safety of front passengers as well as drivers.
The test was developed after it became clear that some manufacturers were giving short shrift to the right side of the vehicle when it comes to small overlap front crash protection. A good or acceptable passenger-side rating will be required to qualify for the Institute’s 2018 TOP SAFETY PICK+ award.
The first test group in the passenger-side small overlap front test program did better overall than vehicles IIHS previously evaluated for research. Ten out of 13 midsize cars tested earn a good rating, while one is acceptable and two earn a marginal rating.
In contrast with a group of 2014-16 model small SUVs tested for research, none of the 2017-18 midsize cars had a poor or marginal structural rating. Instead, the biggest problem in the new group was inconsistent airbag protection in five cars, which would put passengers’ heads at risk.
With lower fuel cost and less emissions, many automakers and fleets are turning to compressed natural gas (CNG) as a vehicle fuel. Even though the fuel has been used in this capacity for decades, increasing prices of gasoline and growing concern for the environment has reignited interest. In this video we talk with Kathryn Clay, the executive director of the Drive Natural Gas Initiative, and Stephe Yborra, the director of market development at NGV America, about the growth, development and future of CNG in America.
The vehicles deemed the 16 Best Family Cars of 2016 were announced today by Kelley Blue Book, www.kbb.com, the only vehicle valuation and information source trusted and relied upon by both consumers and the automotive industry. After extensive testing and evaluation, with a keen focus on safety, comfort, convenience, spaciousness for both passengers and cargo, and fit of various rear-facing and forward-facing child safety car seats, the KBB.com expert editors recommend their choices for a diverse group of vehicles that best meet the needs of today’s modern families.
“For two weeks’ time we drove, lived-with, folded-down-seats-of, paired-phones-to and installed-baby-seats-in each and every one of the contenders,” said Jack R. Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst of Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com. “We loaded cargo, contorted ourselves into third rows, watched movies on rear-seat screens, toted rowing teams to marinas – in short, we did everything that you and your family might do with a vehicle day-to-day. And we did all this with a certain sense of what a family needs and wants, since many of our testers are simultaneously parents of kids ranging from mid-twenties to newborn. So this wasn’t just a cursory exercise, but instead it drew heavily upon our family-car experiences, needs and wants.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7748351-kelley-blue-book-best-family-cars-2016/
New subcompact SUVs Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 top the list of vehicles debuting this week at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show, says Edmunds.com, the premier destination for car shopping. The unveilings underscore the surge of interest that car shoppers have shown in compact and subcompact SUVs. Edmunds.com sales data shows that the segment has doubled in market share over the last decade.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7382851-edmunds-com-los-angeles-auto-show-small-suv-s/
Volvo Cars and Swedish artist & producer Avicii announce a creative cooperation to celebrate their Swedish roots with a new recording and music video, due for global release on May 8th. The collaboration will form the basis for a global brand campaign entitled ‘A New Beginning’.
Stockholm-born Avicii, 25, has made a huge impact in the world of music in recent years, and is renowned for being one of the world’s top DJs, remixers and record producers. With a shared Swedish heritage, Volvo Cars and Avicii are now both entering a new phase in their existence.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7506451-volvo-avicii-a-new-beginning/
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is warning drivers to take their keys and lock their vehicles, or risk becoming a statistic. Some 45,000 drivers last year admitted that they had left their keys in the car when it was stolen.
“This may sound like a broken record,” said NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. “But the simple fact is, too many people make it easy for car thieves. We repeatedly warn motorists to lock it up and take the keys, but our research shows that in too many cases, that’s not happening. Today’s vehicles have excellent anti-theft systems, but they don’t work if you don’t use them.”
The new PSA, “If Only Cars Could Talk,” uses animated cars to drive home the point that a thoughtless driver may regret the decision to leave the car unlocked with the keys inside because they are only making a quick stop.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523154-nicb-psa-warns-of-car-and-cargo-theft/
Drivers of vehicles with good small overlap front ratings from the Insurance Institute from Highway Safety can expect to be protected well in a frontal crash involving the left corner of the vehicle. But how would the passengers sitting next to them fare in a right-side small overlap crash? A new study shows that good protection doesn’t always extend across the front seat.
The Institute conducted 40 mph passenger-side small overlap tests on seven small SUVs with good driver-side small overlap ratings. Only one of the vehicles, the 2016 Hyundai Tucson, performed at a level corresponding to a good rating, and the others ran the gamut from poor to acceptable.
The results have prompted IIHS to consider instituting a passenger-side rating as part of its TOP SAFETY PICK criteria.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7856251-ad-council-embrace-refugees/
Holiday car thieves had their busiest day in 2014 on, ironically, Labor Day, stealing 2,200 vehicles according to new data released today by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). NICB’s 2014 Annual Holiday Vehicle Theft Report analyzes data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which showed a total of 695,246 vehicle thefts for the year.
After Labor Day, New Year’s Day was the next most active holiday with 2,011 thefts. Halloween came in third with 2,010 thefts followed by Memorial Day with 1,933 thefts. Independence Day rounds out the top five holidays for 2014 with 1,877 thefts.
The holidays with the fewest thefts in 2014 were Christmas Day with 1,225 thefts and Thanksgiving with 1,384 thefts.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523155-nicb-holiday-vehicle-theft-report/
GAC Motor, China’s fastest-growing automaker, has wowed the Fortune Global Forum 2017 (“the Forum”) as the official service car provider with 380 cars including the GA8 sedan, the GS8 SUV and the GM8 MPV. The vehicles have provided safe and reliable service for leaders of the 152 Fortune 500 companies who attended, in addition to more than 1,100 distinguished guests from around the world. During the Forum, 40 CEOs from Fortune 500 companies including McKinsey & Company, Aisin Seiki (China) Investment Co., Ltd. and iFLYTEK Co., Ltd visited GAC Motor’s factory in Panyu, Guangzhou to get a glimpse of China’s advanced smart manufacturing capability.
“We are proud to have had the chance to display our advanced smart manufacturing capabilities to some of the world’s top corporate leaders,” said Yu Jun, president of GAC Motor. “Being chosen as the official service car provider for the Forum is a recognition of GAC Motor’s accomplishments in openness and innovation; it further enhances our brand’s international influence. After years of development, the Chinese automotive industry is now capable of creating top auto brands, and we hope to build GAC Motor into a world-class Chinese brand.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8241551-gac-motor-fortune-global-forum/
Vigilant Solutions, a global image recognition and analytics company serving sovereign nations, municipalities, and law enforcement agencies, announced today a new parking solution that leverages its license plate recognition technology and extensive vehicle location data to assist parking agencies and municipal parking units in enforcing policies, collecting outstanding fines and locating repeat violators.
Vigilant’s license plate recognition cameras and software have been trusted by law enforcement agencies throughout the U.S. and across the globe for more than a decade to identify and locate suspect vehicles and solve crimes faster. The company is now using this technology to develop a license plate-enabled parking (LEP) enforcement solution that, coupled with its expansive commercial data network, empowers parking enforcement to work more efficiently with local law enforcement to quickly address violations involving on-street spaces and off-street lots.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8134352-vigilant-solution-license-plate-recognition-parking-enforcement/
