Welcome to the future

The next automotive game-changers place greater emphasis on autonomous driving and electrification. Our man Sheldon Trollope (todaycars [at] mediacorp.com.sg) looks at how car makers are introducing higher levels of automation with each new model — some of which can already be seen at the Singapore Motorshow.

FOR THE FUTURE

While fully autonomous vehicles are some way off and have numerous technical, legal and ethical hurdles to clear, automated features like assisted parking systems and adaptive cruise control are gradually being introduced into current models.

The Honda Legend, for example, features an array of automated functions that still requires the driver’s input, but helps the driver follow the vehicle in front even in slow traffic conditions. At expressway speeds, adaptive cruise control takes over to automatically maintain a safe following distance to the vehicle in front, slowing the car to a halt if necessary.

PARKING PERFECTION

Drivers who recall the horrors of learning to parallel park will probably appreciate park-assist systems the most.

Early systems required the driver to control the vehicle mainly with the brakes and selecting forward or reverse gears as needed for a parallel parking manoeuvre while the car handles steering duties.

The next generation of park assist such as the ones found in the new BMW 5 Series, for example, are almost fully automated. All the driver has to do is keep a finger pressed on the button in the centre console throughout the operation. Braking, gear selection and steering are all carried out automatically.

ELECTRIC DREAMS

The BMW i3 (94Ah) is a pure electric car that now has a significantly increased battery capacity that is capable of a 200km range on a full charge. The car is available with a petrol-powered range extender to ensure that drivers are never caught with a flat battery.

However, if going full electric is not a practical proposition for you, the latest generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) allows us to enjoy the advantages of battery-powered motoring even without a comprehensive charging infrastructure.

When only the electric motor is used, PHEVs typically have a longer range than conventional petrol-electric hybrids. As the “plug-in” part of PHEV suggests, the battery units can be charged from the EV charging points located in some car parks or from a wall socket at home. This means that you may rarely need to top up the petrol tank if your daily driving distances are within the range of the car’s EV mode.

On longer road trips, the PHEV will be just as capable with its petrol engine and electric motor working in tandem.

HYBRID HOPES

Conventional hybrids still make a lot of sense as they tend to be more accessible yet offer terrific fuel efficiency. The Toyota Prius is probably the world’s best-known petrol-electric hybrid while the smaller Prius C is the most affordable hybrid car on sale here.

A new entrant to the hybrid segment at the Singapore Motorshow is the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid that looks set to be the closest alternative to the Toyota Prius in terms of price and performance.

Look higher up the spectrum and you’ll find hybrid models from Honda in the form of the Legend flagship sedan and NSX supercar while Infiniti offers the Q70 Hybrid and Lexus with a hybrid variant throughout its model lineup.