At the 2018 LA Auto Show – from trucks to SUVs to electric
The Los Angeles Auto Show is now known as Automobility LA, for good reason, as this year’s show represents a major transition from conventional vehicles, in this case trucks and SUVs, and the future of self-driving mobility as nearly all automakers are launching electric-powered and semi-autonomous vehicles over the next few years.
This “present vs. future” paradigm is evident with a quick stroll of the two giant showroom floors as we travel from the present to the future of mobility — the top-selling trucks and SUVs of today morphing into the all-electric vehicles of tomorrow and eventually leading us to the self-driving future of mobility.
From a business perspective, fully electric and autonomous technology is expensive for manufacturers, so most are finding their way into the high-end models now in order to recover the cost of this technology into the future. But even today we are starting to see this semi-autonomous, self-driving, technology finding its way into mid-level models.
While the headline grabbers are the new Jeep Gladiator pickup truck and SUVs like the Lincoln Aviator, Hyundai Palasade and Honda Passport, we also saw great entries into the small car market // like the new Toyota Corolla plug-in hybrid and sporty and efficient Mazda 3 compact sedan.
And in a clear merging of today with tomorrow, there’s the Rivian, and all-electric pickup truck that is both stylish and sustainable.
Family Car – 2019 GMC Acadia Denali goes to East LA
Loaded with safety features, comfort and technology, the 2019 GMC Denali Acadia edition is a mid-size Sport Utility Vehicle with seating for seven passengers and seats that fold easily down to provide extra cargo space.
We took the GMC Acadia across Los Angeles to see some of the innovative mobility technology — from self-driving vehicles to last-mile transportation — at the 2018 LACoMotion event.
Then, we took the Acadia Denali across the concreted Los Angeles River, on the iconic 4th Street Bridge, seen in countless movies, to enjoy East LA and the great views of downtown LA that can be glimpsed there.
Dynamic 2018 Land Rover Discovery
The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Td6 is a dynamic diesel-powered vehicle that we toured through the landscapes of the City Of Industry, California. What, there’s a city actually called Industry? I know, right. It’s a crescent of warehouses east of East LA with two Union Pacific railroad routes running through it.
The Rover line’s new diesel SUV, the Discovery Td6, has an appealing three rows of seats, two of which power down for cargo carrying activities (or to accommodate six foot tall individuals nicely stretched out).
Discovery is a multi-purpose family hauler featuring many interesting options.
“If you’re in the market for a seven person vehicle that offers everyone a comfortable ride,” Wayback (Dean Curtis’ auto journalist alter ego) states, “This baby is for you.”
Bucket seats and bumble-bee yellow enhance 2018 Ford Mustang EcoBoost
By Keith Turner
Celebrating fall and cruising through its colors in the foothills around California’s capitol, Sacramento, we enjoyed the bright bumble-bee yellow 2018 Ford Mustang coupe with EcoBoost, which delivers more than 300 hp from its 2.3 liter, 4-cylinder engine. We experienced 22 miles per gallon on our test drive through the hills.
Different driving modes are great, including Sport, Racing, and Drag Strip mode!
This year’s Mustang is great fun to drive, comfortable to be in, especially due to its leather bucket seats, and definitely stimulating to look at!
The fully loaded 2018 Ford Mustang coupe, EcoBoost Edition we test drove was listed at $42,765.
Driving a 2018 Terrain Denali to the coast
With all the luxury and comfort of a large, high-priced SUV, the Terrain Denali from GM has a more compact stance than most, while still providing plenty of space for families and cargo.
We drove the Terrain to Monterrey, to participate in the Western Automotive Journalists Media Days, where writers were given the opportunity to experience both off-roading and track-driving on the world famous Laguna Seca Raceway.
Without further ado, we share some of the experiences with you.
What’s So Hot About Turbo?
By Dean Adams Curtis and Keith Turner
SACRAMENTO, CA – What’s so hot about turbo? It creates smaller bits of gas, a spray that explodes hotter when ignited by a spark. The hotter explosion, captured within a cylinder with its head bolted on tight, causes a piston within the cylinder to slide down its well-oiled walls. Why? To help other pistons crank a shaft below, to ultimately turn the wheels of your car faster. Turbo is a word in our lexicon that need no translation, turbo = power.
Last week we had a turbo-charged automotive experience in the 2018 Volkswagen Golf S (SportWagen), taking it out for a tour of the California Delta region south of Sacramento. In addition to the Golf’s TSI turbo engine, its packed with safety features, which added an extra quantum of comfort to our day in the country.
Life in an Enclave
The new 2018 Buick Enclave is a fun and comfortable driving machine.
High technology abounds in the Enclave, as this General Motors 7-seater sports a host of cool family car features. Take for example, the rolling wi-fi hotspot that the Enclave offers, capable of handling up to 7 devices, one for the driver’s console, and six more for all the passengers who can fit in the SUV to enjoy independent web streaming, online gaming, or emailing.
A second-row moon roof, power rear seats and 8-inch infotainment screen are just some of the added tech and comfort items in the luxurious Enclave.
The Premium edition of the 2018 Buick Enclave also features an optional, very-neat birds’-eye 360-degree view of the area around the vehicle, providing a point-of-view high above of curbs and low-laying hazards.
How they manage that view is still a mystery to us.
