CAR ADVICE

The human who was behind the wheel of the first autonomous car to kill a pedestrian has avoided jail time – while ride-sharing giant Uber has continued to dodge criminal responsibility for the fatal incident. Image credit: San Francisco Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images The ‘driver’ of an autonomous car – operated by ride-sharing giant Uber – which killed a pedestrian has reportedly been sentenced to three years of supervised probation, more than five years after the fatal incident occurred. In March 2018 , 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg was fatally struck by an Uber autonomous test vehicle in Tempe, Arizona – becoming the first pedestrian to be killed by a ‘self-driving’ car globally. In 2019, an National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation found the autonomous car’s human ‘safety back-up driver’, Rafaela Vasquez, was not looking at the road as she was legally required to throughout the journey – instead alleging she was watching a TV show on her mobile...

Car companies in the US will be forced to drastically reduce the average fuel economy rating of their model line-ups within a decade, if a proposal from the US Government becomes law. The United States National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has put forward a proposal that would require all new cars to meet strict fuel economy standards by 2032. While it has yet to be enacted, it would require the average fleet of a car-maker to meet 58 miles per gallon by 2032 – or approximately 4.06 litres per 100 kilometres. For context, the latest-generation of the hybrid Toyota Prius (not sold in Australia) has an official fuel economy rating of 57 miles per gallon (4.13L/100km). Under the proposal – known as the Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards (CAFE) for 2027 to 2032 passenger cars and light trucks – all new vehicles would require gradual improvements over the five-year period. The sliding-scale approach seeks a 2 per cent annual improvement in fuel economy fo...

A Mitsubishi-badged competitor to the Ford Ranger Raptor is under consideration – and the upgrades could go beyond uprated suspension, tyres and looks. Mitsubishi has given the best indication yet there is an intention to launch a high-performance Mitsubishi Triton Ralliart ute to rival the Ford Ranger Raptor, Toyota HiLux GR Sport and Nissan Navara Warrior. Company executives say a high-performance variant of the new-generation Triton is “under consideration”, and plans are yet to be finalised for a flagship version of Mitsubishi’s all-new ute. The chief product specialist for the new Mitsubishi Triton now said a range of Ralliart variants are on the cards – from an appearance pack for the standard vehicle, to a full Ford Ranger Raptor competitor with more power than regular models. “In the pick-up we have a base [standard] model – we have different versions based on the customer. And then [we could have a] sports version, a rally version – a Ralliart maybe? I don’t kno...

Is it legal to drive with a cracked windscreen? It depends. We break down the laws for driving with a cracked windscreen in each Australian state and territory. It started about a millimetre long, but as you’ve driven over more bumps, the crack in your windscreen has gotten longer and longer, to the point where you can no longer ignore it. As well as being an irritation in your line of sight, did you know that crack could get you in trouble with the law? RELATED: Is it illegal to flash your headlights to warn of police? RELATED: How much does it cost to replace a windscreen? We consulted the police or transport authorities for every state and territory to get the lowdown on the legalities of driving with a cracked windscreen. The general advice is this: while most authorities might let you off with a stern talking to, at worst you might get defected – which means you have to get it fixed immediately or face a fine. In other words, get it fixed as quickly as you can. Disc...

The Australian division of Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker Cupra is considering a high-performance Leon wagon – capable of 0-100km/h in less than five seconds. UPDATE, 1 August 2023: Volkswagen-owned Spanish car maker Cupra has shown further interest in the Cupra Leon wagon for Australian showrooms. In a press release overnight detailing its one-year anniversary in Australia, Cupra said “hard thought is being given” to the Leon wagon – known as the Sportstourer overseas, and a twin to the VW Golf wagon – for local showrooms. “The obvious Sportstourer variant, given [the] Cupra customer’s preference for the quickest and the best-equipped, is the 228kW all-wheel-drive range topper,” Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks said in a media statement. “There are other versions that suggest themselves. We’ll see.” Cupra has previously expressed interest in VZx petrol all-wheel-drive and VZe plug-in hybrid front-drive versions of the Leon wagon. Since our original story was publ...

The full episode of Drive TV from last weekend is available to view below. If you missed  Season 5 Episode 7 of Drive TV  on Channel Nine on Sunday, you can  watch it on  9Now  here . In the meantime, you can read about our drive through the Adelaide Hills. Or, if you want to know more about the car, check out our latest review on the Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid EV . If you missed Season One, Two, Three, or Four of  Drive TV ,  you can catch up on all episodes here . Tune in on  Channel Nine  or  9Now  to watch Season 5 of  Drive TV  every week – Sunday at 1 pm. The post Drive TV S5 Episode 7 – everything you need to know. Watch the full episode here. appeared first on Drive .

A turbo-diesel V6 could fit under the bonnet of the new Mitsubishi Triton, but there may be no suitable engine available in the Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi range. Mitsubishi has left the door open to adding turbo-diesel V6 power to the new 2024 Mitsubishi Triton ute later in its life. But the Japanese car maker faces a number of roadblocks – including finding a suitable engine that meets current emissions laws – before it can build a rival to popular six-cylinder versions of the Ford Ranger and VW Amarok . The new Mitsubishi Triton will launch solely with a trio of 2.4-litre four-cylinder diesel engine variants, developing up to 150kW and 470Nm in flagship twin-turbocharged guise. Mitsubishi Triton chief product specialist Yoshiki Masuda told Australian media at the ute’s unveiling a larger engine is not currently in the plan, but six cylinders could fit between the widened frame rails of the new model. “At the end of the day we chose the 2.4 diesel engine, and...