1986 Suzuki Samurai Jx Sport Utility 2-door 1.3l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar I-Pace named World Car of the Year

NEW YORK — The Jaguar I-Pace has been named World Car of the Year, an award meant to honor the most significant new car introduction and conferred by an international jury of automotive journalist judges. The group announced the winners of additional awards at the New York Auto Show, with the Audi A7 named World Luxury Car of the Year, the McLaren 720S recognized as World Performance Car of the Year, and the Suzuki Jimny named World Urban Car. The I-Pace additionally took home two other awards: World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car of the Year. The WCOTY team of 86 jurors hail from 24 countries, and the organization is independent and not tied to any publication. This is the 15th year for the awards. For this year's World Car of the Year award the top three finalists were the I-Pace, the Audi E-Tron, and the Volvo S60/V60. Previous WCOTY winners were the Volvo XC60 in 2018 and the Jaguar F-Pace in 2017. View 74 Photos

Pentagram aims to cut through the noise of EV sound design

What does an electric vehicle sound like when it goes from 0 to 60, when it signals a turn, when it’s powered down for the night? EV motors have fewer parts and are therefore incredibly silent, which presents safety concerns for drivers who recognize speed by sound and pedestrians who canÂ’t hear an approaching vehicle.  In 2019, regulators in Europe and the U.S. began requiring EVs to have warning sounds, but they left it up to the car manufacturers to choose those sounds. Many have taken the new legislation as an opportunity to not only create a branded sound, but also to stir up some marketing hype by enlisting famous musicians to compose the noise of an electric engine. Hans Zimmer created the Blade Runner-esque sound concept for BMWÂ’s i4 electric sedan, and, strangely, Linkin Park is creating EV sounds for BMW.  Sound designer Yuri Suzuki, a partner at design consultancy firm Pentagram, recently conducted a research project into the crucial role electric car sound has on a userÂ’s safety, enjoyability, communication and brand recognition, out of which he developed a range of car sounds. Suzuki says that while some automakers have chosen beautiful and interesting car sound designs, chasing celebrity clout is not the way to go when designing the sound behind serious machines.  “We really have to design carefully based on the psychological effects on a human,” Suzuki told TechCrunch. “ItÂ’s all about the relation between the human being and the machine itself.” Suzuki says smart sound design can help ease the difference between human and car by providing a shared language. Based on surveys he conducted, Suzuki came up with two new skeuomorphic electric engine sounds as well as adaptive sounds that reflect the time of day and the location of the drive.  His engine sounds are reminiscent of internal combustion engine revs, providing both drivers and pedestrians with a recognizable indication of speed increasing and decreasing. The sounds are placed at different pitches: one quite low, like a spaceship taking off; the other a bit higher, like a hovercraft vertically ascending. Audi, Ford and Jaguar Land Rover have also chosen to make futuristic copies of gasoline engines for some of their new electric vehicles.  SuzukiÂ’s sound design also includes in-car sounds, like powering on, turn signals or horn honking, that use AI to adapt to the time of day.

Suzuki iK-2 and iM-4 concepts suggest future style

Suzuki might no longer sell cars in the US, but the Japanese brand is showing that it's still vibrant in the rest of the world by unveiling two concepts at the Geneva Motor Show. The models also debut some the company's future technology and preview the look of upcoming production vehicles. The iK-2 Concept (top) foreshadows a future compact hatchback, and Suzuki is clear that a production version is due to arrive in Europe in 2016. Its styling is a flowing take on the traditional five-door hatchback, especially around the front fenders. More importantly, the model also rides on the Japanese brand's next-gen platform that promises to be lighter, more rigid, offer better efficiency and improve safety. Power comes from the new Boosterjet engine, but despite the speedy name, it's a 1.0-liter, direct-injected, turbocharged three-cylinder. A mild hybrid system is also going to be offered on the iK-2, but outputs for the powertrains aren't specified yet. The more interesting of the pair visually is the Suzuki iM-4 Concept (pictured inset) that imagines a simple, mini offroader, possibly a replacement for the Jimny. It's on the same platform as the iK-2 but with a much higher ride height and quirky styling. The grille and headlight configuration take inspiration from a pair of sunglasses, Suzuki claims. The model also features broad, fairly unadorned surfaces and short overhangs. The whole look just gives the impression of a little mountain goat ready to go anywhere. Power goes to all four-wheels thanks to a 1.2-liter engine and mild hybrid system. With Suzuki long gone from the US, your best chance to look at the brand's latest concepts might be to check out our live galleries from the Geneva show. iK-2 – SUZUKI'S NEW COMPACT HATCHBACK CONCEPT The smartest compact car developed by pursuit of compact hatchback ideals to a new even higher level for Suzuki Excellent design and utility integrated into a single package Design theme of "Liquid Flow", elegant design with flowing lines suggestive of an energetic movement of liquid Built around a new-generation platform and equipped with BOOSTERJET engine Production model to be released in Europe in 2016 Making its global debut at the 85th Geneva Motor Show, Suzuki Motor Corporationreveals its new compact hatchback concept car, the iK-2. The iK-2, the smartest compact car, offers all the elements expected in a car of this size.