Tesla and competitors race to dominate luxury car market: originally published in The Tartan

The Jaguar I-Pace at the 2017 New York City ePrix

     For a company founded 14 years ago and having only been making a true production vehicle since 2012, Tesla is doing quite well. But the established automakers, and particularly the German luxury giants, are not happy to see a new player joining their ranks. Over the past couple of years, companies like BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche have been announcing their intentions to introduce a luxury electric vehicle to battle the Tesla Model S or Model X, showing off flashy quasi-SUV concepts with electric powertrains and allegedly impressive specifications. The dominant carmakers were caught a bit off guard by the success of Model S, which is now more than five years old, and so their production models aren’t due to hit the streets until next year. However, through concepts and leaked information, Tesla should have a pretty good idea of what type of competition to expect. 

     Most luxury companies initially stated plans for slinky four-door “coupes” like the Model S, but the relative success of the Model X SUV and the general market trend towards crossovers have changed several automakers’ minds. Audi’s e-tron quattro and e-tron Sportback concepts preview an electric SUV rumored to debut within the next year. If the concepts are any indication, the SUV with use three electric motors (one on the front axle, two on the rear) that would propel the Audi to 60 mph in the mid-four seconds with a battery range of more than 300 miles. Jaguar is also prepping an SUV due next year, the I-Pace. The bodywork of the stunning concept is supposedly quite close to the production version, and with one electric motor at the front and one at the rear, the Jaguar matches the Audi’s acceleration figures. 

     BMW has taken a slightly different route. BMW has created a sub-brand, trendily dubbed “i,” and has already put two electric models into production, the i3 and the i8. The i3, a quirky little hatchback, has had relative success globally, while the futuristic and gorgeous i8 sports car has sold in small numbers. While the fate of these two models is undetermined, BMW has previewed a future “i” car, to be called the i5, with its i Vision Dynamics Concept. While this concept is a sedan, rumors also suggest a car called the iNext, which may be a codename for the i5 or a separate SUV model. 

     Mercedes is following in the footsteps of its Bavarian competitor, announcing its “EQ” electric sub-brand with the Generation EQ Concept two years ago. This concept, which had a two electric motor setup and scalable battery parts for different amounts of power, hinted at a midsize SUV that is due out next year. The EQA Concept, on the other hand, will be a swanky little hatchback when it comes out in 2020. With the same setup as the SUV, it will get less power but still be able to do the 60 mph sprint in 5 seconds and have a range of up to 400 miles. 

     Sports car connoisseurs Porsche have even jumped on the bandwagon, with its achingly beautiful Mission E Concept. Expected to arrive next year, the Mission E promises to maintain the classic Porsche look while delivering over 600 horsepower, 60 mph in less than 3.5 second, and a range of approximately 500 miles. The Mission E is also rumored to be a true performance car, and might spawn an SUV variant not long after. 

     A recent entry is Polestar—formerly Volvo’s performance arm, Polestar is now a separate electric sports car brand. Their first vehicle, the “1,” will actually be a hybrid coupe based on the handsome Volvo Concept Coupe, and will begin production in mid-2019. With financial backing from Chinese car giant Geely and track-car know-how from Lotus (who Geely also acquired), the Polestar brand looks to have a bright future. 

     While all of these automakers rush to bring their electric cars to market, Tesla is continuing to expand. Along with the Model S and Model X, a smaller sedan called the Model 3 is ramping up production now, a new Roadster supercar is coming in 2020 and a semi-truck arrives sometime before that. There are also rumors of a pickup truck, a passenger van, and a small SUV in the pipeline. The established carmakers are going to have to work even faster if they want to catch Tesla. 

**This story was originally published in The Tartan: http://thetartan.org/2018/2/26/scitech/teslacompetitors**

Artistic Photo #10

Lamborghini Egoista Concept at the Lamborghini Museum in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
(Taken on August 20, 2015)

10 Worst Current Car Model Names

A little while ago, I covered my top ten favorite car model names, and now it's time to look at the worst ten of the current crop of vehicles. Note that this is only for the United States market, which excludes all of the absurd names from Japan-only cars, like the Nissan Homy Super Long. This also leaves out the European markets, but in the future I will do a top ten list that covers those vehicles. Without further ado, here are the worst ten current model names:

10. Toyota Yaris

Toyota Yaris at the 2015 NYIAS

The unusual name Yaris is derived from the singular form of "Charites," the Greek goddesses of charm and beauty. All three generations of the Yaris (sold as the Echo in the US in its first iteration) have been neither beautiful nor charming, instead being bland and forgettable. I guess Toyota thinks too highly of its designers, because the name Yaris simply doesn't fit.

9. Volkswagen Tiguan

VW Tiguan GTE Active Concept at the 2016 NYIAS

Tiguan sounds weird, but it gets even stranger once you know where the name comes from. Supposedly, Tiguan is a portmanteau of the German words for Tiger ("tiger") and iguana ("leguan"). I am not sure how tigers and iguanas are related, and what either animal has to do with a German compact crossover. This combination is odd and very contrived.

8. Buick LaCrosse

Buick LaCrosse at the 2016 NYIAS

I always assumed that the LaCrosse was named for something other than the sport, but believe it or not, it is. Why a sensible premium sedan is named for an often violent, fast-paced sport is beyond me, but what I also dislike about this name is the way GM decided to spell it out. Last I checked, lacrosse did not have a uppercase "C," so this capitalization feels totally unnecessary.

7. Mitsubishi Mirage

Mistubishi Mirage at the 2016 NYIAS

Mirage is a fun word to say since the "aaj" sound rolls off the tongue well, but the definition makes customers second-guess the hatchback's abilities. The official definition according to Merriam-Webster is "something that you hope for or want but is not possible or real." Considering that Mistubishi's fuel economy numbers have been a mirage for many Japanese customers since 2002, this is not a moniker that establishes confidence in the customer.

6. Hyundai Veloster

Hyundai Veloster at the 2014 NYIAS

According to Hyundai, Veloster is a combination of "velocity" and "roadster." The first thing that is obviously wrong with the name is that the Veloster is not a roadster, but a hatchback. The "velocity" part is also misleading--the base comes with a paltry 132 hp (adding a turbo gets the inline-4 to 201 hp), and the zero to sixty times never breach the 6.8 second mark. While the name is not in any way applicable to the hatch, my biggest issue with it is that the word simply sounds childish.

5. Maserati Ghibli

Maserati Ghibli at the 2016 NYIAS

Yes, I know the Ghibli name hearkens back to 1960's grand tourer, but still the name sounds really odd to me. The combination of i's and l's does not communicate luxury or sportiness to my ears--instead I picture a small Japanese kei car. Perhaps it is that Ghibli makes me think of the comedic dwarf character Gimli from the Lord of the Rings franchise, but this does not feel like an appropriate name for a luxury sedan.

4. Mercedes-Benz Metris

Mercedes-Benz Metris at the 2015 NYIAS

I love vans, and I welcome any new entry to the American van market, but the name Mercedes chose for their newest small van confuses me. I haven't been able to find a meaning behind it, and whenever I read or say it I think of Tetris, the famous tile-matching puzzle video game.

3. Jaguar F-Pace

Jaguar F-Pace at the 2016 NYIAS

Admit it. F-Pace does not sound smooth, despite the SUV's sleek bodywork. The name does not follow Jaguar's current naming scheme, an X followed by another letter (XE, XF, XJ). By starting the name with an F, it inherently sounds like a vulgar insult. Overall, the name is not dynamic and does not conjure up images of speed or luxury.

2. Ferrari LaFerrari

Ferrari LaFerrari at the Ferrari Museum in Modena

Oh no! A Ferrari on a "worst of" list! What a sacrilege! The LaFerrari is certainly an automotive spectacle, both for its beauty and insane performance, but the name is completely lazy. It translates as "Ferrari TheFerrari," and the repetition does not sound as sexy as the supercar looks. It is easy to overlook such a bad name when the styling is so stunning and the performance is so dazzling, but when it comes down to it, LaFerrari is a disappointing name.

1. Bentley Bentayga

Bentley Bentayga at the 2016 NYIAS

Bentley's first foray into the SUV segment also has a repetitive name. The name supposedly comes from a mix of the company's name and Taiga, the world's largest transcontinental snow forest, while also being inspired by the Roque Bentayga, a peak in the Canary Islands. The name Taiga is intriguing and exotic, and would have worked great. However, by incorporating the "Bent," the name sounds repetitive and doesn't fit with the staid, luxurious presence of Bentleys. 

Lincoln Continental Concept

      The 2015 New York Auto Show was dominated by lazy refreshes (I'm looking at you GMC and Infiniti) and sensible family car redesigns, so Lincoln grabbed the spotlight when it rocked the Javits Center with its revival of the classic Lincoln Continental nameplate. At first glance this rebirth looks fresh and luxurious, unfortunately however, the new Continental's design is a mishmash of elements stolen from other luxury vehicles.

     The biggest mistake is also the most glaring one: the signature split-wing grille has been replaced by a new oval, chrome-laden grille, which has a Kia Tiger Nose-like indent on the bottom. The chrome is set back, and this, combined with the shape, is reminiscent of the Jaguar XJ's grille. While the similarities between the grille of the Lincoln and Kia and Jaguar are disconcerting, what makes this new component more disturbing is what it is replacing. The split-wing grille has been a key part of Lincoln's design for nearly a decade since it was introduced on the MKR Concept in 2007. The elegant look that the split-wing grille gives off was part of what made a Lincoln a Lincoln. Furthermore, Lincoln just redesigned almost their entire model line, the Navigator, MKX, MKZ, and MKC, with the wing grille design (see below for examples). It seems strange that Lincoln would revamp its entire lineup and almost immediately introduce new design language.

     The headlights, while handsome and modern, are reminiscent of those on the Hyundai Genesis, in both its shape and the LED strip running down the side. The five vertically oriented headlamp units also bring to mind the recent Acura headlights, known as the "Jewel-Eye" design.

     Lincoln's copycat antics don't stop with the headlights and the grille. The full-width taillights are very beautiful and intricate, but are very similar to the taillights of the recently revealed Audi Prologue Concept.

    There are some memorable new touches. The daytime running lights are simple yet elegant, and the chrome lining the bottom of the front fascia reinforce the Continental's luxurious presence. The silver, multi-spoked wheels and the other chrome on the side of the Lincoln continue its bold look. The font of the word Continental on the trim piece on the front door is particularly striking, adding an air of sophistication to the concept.

     The Continental also has a few gimmicks, which, while unlikely to make production, are fresh and exciting. The door handles sprout from the silver trim piece beneath the windows, adding a luxurious flourish to a typically overlooked design element. The futuristic door handles are referred to as "E-latch" by the company, and are operated by simply pressing a button. Another cool feature of the concept is the lighting sequence. As one approaches the car with the key, a light behind the badge as well as the head and taillights fade on. These cool tidbits enhance the sedan's design, but seem less significant considering their lack of production viability.

     Overall, while the design is quite attractive, there are too many elements that strongly resemble parts of other cars, making it hard to truly appreciate the design of the new Continental.


Grade:
Front: B-
Rear:  B
Overall: B

Brand new MKX with split-wing grille

Refreshed Navigator with split-wing grille

Recently redesigned MKZ with split-wing grille

Subaru WRX Concept

WRX at NYIAS

      When I reached the Subaru section, I ran past the boring family cars for which they're known, the Outbacks and Foresters. I even skipped the sportier BRZ to get a look at the WRX concept. This car exudes excitement, from the aggressive headlights to the glowing exhaust tips. The headlight shape is very unorthodox, as an "eyebrow" extends beyond the bulb itself towards the grille, where it features "eyelashes" dropping down below the inner section of the "eyebrow." I particularly like the way Subaru experimented spatially, as the main rectangular bulb is set back deep in the car, and is outlined by emerging rectangular halos. 

WRX at NYIAS

       The hexagonal grille juts out in front of the angular headlights, and has a light-up neon green "WRX" badge on the lower right corner. The concept's lower front fascia is dominated by large attractive air vents, which lends to the sedan's sporty vibe. Below the headlights are equally futuristic fog lamps, which have backwards L-shape pieces accented by three vertical lights, which enhances the glowing effect of the front fascia. 

      The body features many strong character lines, which reinforce the vehicle's athletic nature. On the hood, the air intake is flanked by to converging creases, and a deep "canyon" extends from the intake to the front of the car. A sharp line goes from the headlights over the wheel arch and into the vent behind the wheel, where it then sweeps back to the taillights, create the sedan's coupe-like profile. This crease makes the car feel as if it is traveling through the air extremely fast, giving the sense of motion even when it's at rest, which unfortunately it will be forever, as it is purely a design study. 

WRX at NYIAS

WRX at NYIAS

       The vent, which sits behind the large silver twin-five-spoke wheels (accented by highlighter green brake discs) is a basic but necessary opening that allows for cooling for the brakes. Around back are the WRX's backwards C-shaped taillights, which protrude from the much narrower upper rear end. The taillights stand out because of the differently shaped crystals inside, which glowed and reminded me of lava. Beneath them are the exhaust tips, which have one last unique detail--a ring of bright green light around the edge.

      Hopefully Subaru will take as many of these awesome details into production as they can when the next-generation WRX model comes out in the next couple of years.

Grade

Front: A

Back: A

Overall: A