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2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Looking for a hatchback with difference? Needing a bit of style in that mix? The 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class mainstream variants are said to be hitting showrooms in August of this year – and could offer you a sense of luxury you’ve been craving.

We’re particularly excited for the new MBUX, the Mercedes-Benz User Experience, this will be housed within two 10.25-inch high-resolution screens on top of the dash.

Yes, we hear you – the display concept isn’t that new, however, Mercedes-Benz has added a few nifty touches within the functions – as well as how occupants interact with it – showing us the cutting edge of connectivity.

The MBUX links embedded data sources within your car – such as GPS and vehicle parameters – with cloud based services, artificial intelligence and an advanced voice recognition system. What does this mean for you though? Well, besides the conventional capabilities of being able to personalise your climate control settings or make calls out, your car will start to learn your driving habits – and tailor the screen options to suit YOU. So for instance, perhaps you are on your way to work in the morning, and prefer to listen to a particular radio station, or make a call to your significant other at the same time every day? Maybe it is that you stop for petrol at the same station on your way to work every morning? – your car will start suggesting the quickest route based on traffic or dial your significant other’s number.

Cool right?

Mercedes-Benz has once again brought the lux to the 2018 A-class, with the interior not only looking fantastic, but also setting a new standard for luxury small cars. With more thought out small item storage solutions as well as more space in the back seat and boot.

With the 2018 Mercedes-Benz A-Class estimated to be selling at $41,000 plus on-road costs, perhaps this is one to consider if you are needing more style, usability and speed than ever before.

Not sure how to choose the right car for you?

So you are in the market for a new car – but you have no idea where to start? There are so many options, and these can sometimes be overwhelming for the mainstream car buyer.

Perhaps your needs are simple – you need a safe and reliable car that will get your family around town (between sports practices which need sufficient boot space through to family outings that may include taking your family pet along for the ride).

Confused at where to start? Maybe someone has mentioned that a Jeep is your best bet but you aren’t necessarily sure that this is the right car (or brand) for you. With an overloaded choice, there are many considerations. Here are a few key questions to answer before you get too confused.

Step 1 – decide on car manufacturers that you will not go for

Everyone may have a slightly different answer here, but perhaps you know that Ford will not suit your style or you’ve just never liked Mazda and Toyota. Create a list of car manufacturers that are no go’s for your list. This will help your car broker stay on track when selecting cars that will interest you.

Step 2 – What type of vehicle will suit you for the next couple of years?

What is your lifestyle like at the moment? Will this set to change in the next year or two? Perhaps you need an SUV, with more space and seven seats. Maybe it’s a hatchback or sedan that will be more than big enough to quickly zip you through town. Will you need to tow any trailers or caravans? Think about the type of boot space you require as well as where you will be driving (Going off-roading anytime soon?)

Step 3 – What’s your budget?

Let’s get real – what is your total available budget monthly, what type of deposit do you have available. Be clear on your limit and budget, and stay away from test driving cars that you really can’t afford.

Step 4 – Features? Did you say features?

Make a list of non-negotiable features that you want in your car. Then take this list and prioritize the most important to you – your budget may not allow for everything but be clear on what you’d need vs what you’d like or want.

Be sure to have a good conversation with your car broker about all of these things – they will be best to find you your ideal car! Working alongside a car broker can help alleviate traps and dodgy deals as well as give you access to a wider selection of vehicles to choose from.

The Revamped 2018 Hyundai i30 and the All-New i30 N

While the 2018 Hyundai i30 N is peaking interests and ahead of the mid-April release, Hyundai has released details of the 2018 Hyundai i30 N. Starting at around $39,990 - before any on-road costs - the i30 N will come standard with the higher-output 202kW/353Nm version (378Nm on overboost) of Hyundai’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

A few special highlights in the 2018 i30 N will include an active variable exhaust, an electro-mechanical limited-slip differential, launch control, 19-inch alloy wheels with Pirelli P-Zero HN tyres, LED headlights and tail-lights with LED daytime-running lights, dual-zone climate control to just name a few.

Safety has also been highlighted in the i30 N, with seven airbags as well as the Hyundai SmartSense package. The SmartSense package includes autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, driver attention alert and lane-keep assist.
Perhaps a downside or negative to the 2018 Hyundai i30 N is that there is no adaptive cruise control or blind-spot monitoring – modern comforts that are lacking.
But what about the standard Hyundai i30 – the Korean manufacturer has certainly not forgotten about its standard i30 range and the revamped i30 range now includes the introduction of the 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine to the elite and premium ranges.
Perhaps the most interesting update has been the availability of Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of safety features on the Go and Active models (the lower tiers). The SmartSense is an optional extra at $1750 but brings many great safety features.

2018 Hyundai i30 prices

Go (petrol, man) - $19,990
Go (petrol, auto) - $22,290
Go (diesel, man) - $22,490
Go (diesel, auto) - $24,990
Active (petrol, man) - $21,090
Active (petrol, auto) - $23,390
Active (diesel, man) - $23,590
Active (diesel, auto) - $26,090
SR (petrol, man) - $25,990
SR (petrol, auto) - $28,990
SR Premium (petrol, auto) - $34,490
Elite (petrol, auto) - $27,790
Elite (diesel, auto) - $30,490
Premium (petrol, auto) - $32,790
Premium (diesel, auto) - $35,490

*All prices exclude on-road costs

Random facts you probably didn’t know

We spend so much time in our cars nowadays, from driving to work to carrying out errands, but we bet you don’t know these random facts about cars and driving!

There are over 13 million vehicles on the road in Australia, and the average Australian drives 14 000 Kilometres every year – so 182 billion kilometres are travelled every year in a motor vehicle! This is twenty times more than the distance between Earth and Pluto!

According to the 2017 World Car Awards, the Jaguar F-PACE is the best car on earth – being awarded World Car of the Year as well as World Car Design of the Year.

The largest land vehicle on earth is the Bagger 288 excavator, manufactured by the German company ThyssenKrupp and costing around $100 million.

The cheapest car in the world is the Tata Nano manufactured by Tata Motors in India, costing around 100 000 Indian Rupees, or about AUD 2000.

The first ever person to be killed in a motor vehicle accident was Bridget Driscoll, who stepped off a kerb in London, and was hit by a gas-powered car driven by Arthur Edsall. Edsall was travelling at less than 10 kms/h.

A Nissan Leaf recently set a world record as the fastest car to drive over a measured mile in reverse, when Terry Grant, a stunt driver, averaged about 55 km/h.

In Switzerland, law dictates higher penalties for traffic infringements for those who can afford to pay. Millionaire CEO Richard Anderson picked up a speeding fine of 290 000 Swiss Francs, driving at around 136 km/h per hour in a 80 km/h zone – that equates to about AUD 300 000.

Animal-related car accidents account for about 6% of accidents on Australian roads. Animals that you may encounter are kangaroos, cattle, emus, sheep, cassowaries or camels, deer and crocodiles.

Some strange driving laws that exist around the world:

In Alaska, you are prohibited from tethering a dog to the roof of your vehicle
In Alabama, it is illegal to drive while wearing a blindfold
In Denmark, you are legally obliged to check underneath your vehicle before driving off, in case there is a person underneath your car.

The best selling car in Australia is a ute – the Toyota Hilux. The next best selling is also a ute – the Ford Ranger.

Hybrid cars

A hybrid car is one that uses more than 1 type of technology to provide motion. Usually, these cars will have an internal combustion engine as well as an electric motor – where the electric motor is sometimes able to power the vehicle on it’s own – or to assist the internal combustion engine.

The benefit of a hybrid car is that it will typically use less fuel, and also produce fewer emissions than a conventional vehicle of a similar size. The disadvantage of a hybrid car is that it is generally more expensive than a conventional car, due to the cost of the technology.

There are a few different types of hybrid vehicle systems:

Electric motor that assists the petrol engine. This type of hybrid cannot be driven on the electric motor only. The electric motor changes to a generator during braking, deceleration and light cruise conditions. The energy produced is stored in a battery pack, and then used to assist the petrol engine to accelerate when needed.
A second type has both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, both of which can power the vehicle independently, although the electric motor can only handle low speeds and short distances. Power generated by the electric motor is stored in battery packs and the electric motor can assist the combustion engine when required.
A plug-in hybrid provides for the battery pack to be charged from mains power.
A mild hybrid is a conventional vehicle that can generate and store energy during braking and deceleration, to be used later thereby reducing fuel costs.
A range-extended electric vehicle has a full electric drivetrain supplemented by a petrol engine that drives a generator. This is not really a true hybrid.

Hybrid vehicles are most suited to a city environment with a lot of stop/start driving that will charge the battery pack. Significant fuel savings can be achieved in these conditions. Highway driving will not show much in the way of fuel savings, however, and the hybrid vehicle’s highway fuel consumption could well be bettered by some of the modern diesel turbo vehicles.

Why do cars get recalled?

The number of recalls issued by manufacturers of motor vehicles is rising, probably in line with the complexity of modern engines and electrical systems. Not all recalls are for major fixes – vehicles are recalled for smaller-scale fixes all the time. Smaller issues are sometimes addressed when you take your vehicle in for a service. At the other end of the scale, it has happened that the manufacturer has issued a “do not drive” instruction – such as was issued with Porsche for its 911 GT3 model that started catching fire.

Modern cars are built with mechanical and electrical systems – any part of which could fail. The safety of consumer goods (including their components) such as motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts is regulated by the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). Among other things, such as statutory warranties as to acceptable quality, the ACL imposes obligations on suppliers and manufacturers of consumer goods concerning product recalls.

Under the ACL, goods (such as motor vehicles) are deemed to have a safety defect ‘if their safety is not such as persons generally are entitled to expect’. This means that whether a motor vehicle is considered to have a safety defect will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

If a safety or non-compliance issue is found in a vehicle, manufacturers are responsible to fix these, and that means that they will recall the vehicle. Vehicle recalls can be voluntary, where the manufacture decides independently to recall a vehicle, or compulsory – where the manufacturer is compelled in terms of the law to conduct a recall.

The website recalls.gov.au lists all recalls for major car brands. In 2015 there were 158 car recalls, 199 in 2016, and 183 in 2017. We are still in the first month of 2018, and already 6 recalls for cars are listed.

In addition to the complex systems and potential for failure in modern cars, manufacturers are concerned about reputational damage should they be aware of a problem without recalling the models concerned, and later are exposed for trying to hide the situation. Car companies are now acting to address faults much earlier than they may have in the past.

Autonomous Emergency Braking

Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and forward collision warning can stop your vehicle and avoid cars or obstacles ahead. In some cars the system operates only for lower speeds, and in others, a warning is provided to the driver if a potential collision is identified – this technology is applied differently in various vehicle makes and models.

The technology uses a sensor at the front of the car to judge distances and closing speeds between your car and other vehicles, objects or people. If it calculates that a collision is imminent, the car will apply brakes to stop or slow the car without any intervention from the driver.

This technology can avoid or lessen the damage caused by collisions due to driver inattention, fatigue or speeding – saving the lives of both the occupants of the car as well as other road users including pedestrians. The technology is programmed to act quickly – and reaction time is therefore more effective than even an attentive driver in the same situation, as most people are not used to dealing with critical situations and therefore don’t react quickly enough, or apply enough brake pressure to avoid a crash.

According to ANCAP (the Australian New Car Assessment Program), Australia’s independent vehicle safety advocate, low-speed AEB results in a 38 percent reduction in real-world rear-end crashes. The low-speed version – referred to by ANCAP as “AEB (City)” – usually consists of an automatic brake function that operates for speeds up to 30km/h or 50km/h.

According to Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission, AEB can avoid 35 percent of all rear-end crashes and mitigate damage in 53 percent of rear-end collisions.

Clearly AEB has tremendous potential to reduce injuries and costs associated with crashes.

As stated at the start of this article – not all AEB systems work in the same way. Some will not prevent a crash but will only slow down the vehicle thereby lessening the severity of the impact. It is important to note that no two systems are the same – there will be differences in the hardware used (cameras/radar/lasers) as well as the speeds at which the systems become effective. It is therefore really difficult to compare AEB systems between models – however, if you are in the market for a new vehicle, at least understand whether the models that you are looking at have AEB capability, and if so, to what extent.

Snakes and your car

“What on earth would snakes have to do with your car?”, you may ask. Well, earlier this year a Sydney motorist had to deal with a venomous red-bellied black snake that had slithered into the engine of his car. This particular snake is a native of eastern Australia, and can grow up to 2.5 meters – one of Australia’s largest venomous snakes. Snakes are found all over Australia – not only in the outback – so you would do well to be prepared for the scenario that our Sydney motorist faced.

Snakes are cold-blooded reptiles; they require external heat to keep warm. Snakes in the wild enjoy sunbathing on rocks under direct sunlight; snakes living in human-occupied areas are attracted to cars that are easily heated by the sun. Snakes use heated cars to sunbathe like they do in the wild. Removing snakes from a car is dangerous, especially if they are poisonous.

So, firstly – prevention is better than cure, right? How do you keep snakes out of your car? Be sure to keep your doors and windows of your car closed when your car is parked – and try not to park your car near long grass or heavily wooded or swampy areas. If a snake is going to set up home in your car, it is most likely that it will head for the engine area which is nice and warm, rather than the inside of the car. As long as your doors and windows are closed, when you return to your car a quick check under the bonnet will reveal whether you have any uninvited guests of the slithering variety, or not.

What are you to do if, as was the case for our Sydney motorist, you lift the bonnet and low and behold – a coiled up snake is warming itself in your engine? The answer is to leave the snake alone, and call a snake catcher. Removing a snake may seem to be a simple operation – but, given that Australia is home to more venomous species of snakes that non-venomous snakes, if you haven’t removed a snake before, you could get killed very quickly.

So – along with contact details for your insurance, roadside assistance etc, add the number for your local snake catcher to your phone.

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