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2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class vs big luxury off-roaders: How they compare on paper

During our first drive of the 2019 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, the all-new SUV's product manager was asked to identify competitors that might have been benchmarked in its development. The look on his face was about the same as if someone had asked him to recite King Lear in Klingon. As far as Andreas Hoeppel was concerned, the G 550 and AMG G 63 doesn't actually have a rival, or at least something the engineers and designers thought to compare it against. The G-Class is a G-Class, who cares what the other guys are doing? Well, in case you care, we figured we'd plug the new G-Class' specs into the old Autoblog Comparo Generator 3000 (TM) to see how the G 550 and AMG G 63 compare to the Range Rover and its mightiest SVAutobiography Dynamic model, plus the Lexus LX 570 and Bentley Bentayga V8. Frankly, Heir Hoeppel was onto something as each of these is wildly different. But, they do share some common elements: giant size and weight, ultra-lux interiors, and far more off-roading capability than other luxury SUVs offer and any of its owners are likely to ever utilize. Sad. So enjoy this trip down specification lane, and if you're still left hungry, you can always check out our Range Rover comparison or create your very own comparo. Off-Road Clearances and Capability All the fancy off-roading software and special cameras in the world won't do you a lick of good if your SUV is too close to the ground or has low-hanging body work that'll get easily ripped off. As such, check out each of these uber-SUV's ground clearance, approach and departure angles, and wading/fording depths. In this case, the Range Rover has an advantage due to its air suspension that can raise itself into an Off-Roading height that's a whopping 2 inches higher than the new G-Wagen. Sadly for itself, Lexus only provides figures for its air suspension when in normal height. It could match or surpass the Range Rover for all we know (but doubt it). As Land Rover does provide figures for the Range Rover's approach and departure angles in normal and Off-Road height, you can get an idea of just how much clearance the new G-Wagen has without any fancy (and expensive to fix) raising and lowering air suspension hardware. In fact, its departure angle is better than even the Range Rover's Off-Road height. Bentley doesn't provide any such information despite touting the Bentayga's surprising off-roading talents.

Toyota develops new pre-collision system with steering assist

A number of automakers are working on developing fully autonomous cars, but it looks like the groundwork for such technologies will likely show up first as semi-autonomous systems for both safety and convenience. Following recent announcements from Nissan and Ford in this area, Toyota has now released information for some of its advanced semi-autonomous technologies that could be offered in production cars over the next few years.
On the safety front, Toyota's new pre-collision system with pedestrian-avoidance steering assist is aimed at protecting the folks who aren't in the car. This system combines visual and audible alerts with automatic brake assist and automatic steering. If warnings don't get the driver to slow down, the brake assist kicks in if a collision is very likely, but if that is still not able to avoid the impending collision (and if there is enough room to do so), the car can automatically steer itself around the pedestrian. This sounds most beneficial for last-second dangers such as a person accidently stepping out into the road in front of a car. Toyota hopes to have this technology available to customers by 2015.
The Japanese automaker is also testing a suite of technologies called Automated Highway Driving Assist (AHDA). The key part of this is a new adaptive cruise control system that uses vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications rather than a radar-based system. This cooperative-adaptive cruise control allows vehicles to communicate their acceleration and deceleration data with other cars, which Toyota says this helps to improve fuel efficiency and traffic flow. Also a part of AHDA is the Lane Trace Control feature, which sounds like a next-gen lane keep assist. This system uses cameras, radar and a computer to keep the vehicle in a "smooth driving line" by being able to change steering angle, engine torque and braking force. Toyota says this technology could be in place by the "mid-2010s."

2018 Lexus LS 500 gets the F Sport treatment

Lexus has used this year's auto show season for a continuous rollout of its all-new flagship sedan, the 2018 LS 500. It debuted in Detroit, followed by the hybrid LS 500h in Geneva. For New York, the updated LS gets the F Sport treatment, which includes design touches, chassis tuning and added stopping power. The 2018 Lexus LS F Sport, whether in gas-only or hybrid trim, receives a set of 20-inch alloy wheels and larger, six-piston caliper front and four-piston rear brakes. Up front, the F Sport grille is refined beyond that of the standard LS, and Lexus notes that it took CAD designers five months to get the desired look, with its 7,100 individual surfaces. Other visual changes include an enlarged side grille, unique rocker panels, trunk moldings, and, of course, F Sport badging. The Ultra White exterior is exclusive to the F Sport version. Inside the car, F Sport front seats offer more support for spirited driving. The driver commands the car through an F Sport steering wheel, aluminum pedals, and a perforated shift lever. Details like the Ultrasuede in the seats and headliner and brushed aluminum trim add to the interior's sporty refinement. For a bolder look, Lexus offers the F Sport-exclusive Circuit Red interior. Just one version, though – the rear-drive, gasoline LS 500 – will offer a handling package for more prowess on curvy roads. It features Lexus Dynamic Handling, which includes variable ratio steering, and active rear steering to help guide the rear wheels around corners. The sport tuned air suspension includes the Active Stabilizer system for flatter cornering. The powertrain and its output figures remain unchanged from the standard version. The new Lexus LS is set to go on sale in early 2018. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Lexus LS 500 F Sport: New York 2017 View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Lexus LS 500 F Sport View 27 Photos News Source: LexusImage Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com New York Auto Show Lexus Luxury Sedan f sport