In the quest to reduce carbon emissions, the rise in electric vehicle (EV) sales has not been effective enough, according to Trinity College Dublin professor, Brian Caulfield. He explains that the increasing popularity of sports utility vehicles (SUVs) is offsetting the positive impact of EVs, causing a rise in transport emissions just when they should be falling. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) interim energy balance report for 2022 confirms that the pace of reducing energy-related emissions in Ireland is too slow to meet the 2030 targets. The report also shows an increase in demand for road diesel, motor petrol, and jet fuel as pandemic restrictions ease, further increasing transport emissions. Even with major fuel price hikes, driving behavior has remained the same, highlighting the difficulty of getting people to switch to more sustainable forms of transportation. Prof. Caulfield calls for SUVs to be phased out of the market as they are more polluting than regular cars and are extremely dangerous. As SUVs continue to be the most popular type of car sold, additional taxes and parking restrictions are some of the measures that could be used to discourage SUV use. Even fully electric SUVs are not a solution as they are larger and produced in an emissions-intensive way. To achieve the necessary reduction in emissions, emissions must fall by 7% each year; otherwise, greater cuts in later years will be necessary to achieve the carbon reduction targets.
SUVs
Ubud, CNN Indonesia —
Honda The WR-V is in class small SUVs. This car is aimed at the younger generation of consumers as it is said to be a fun and safe SUV to drive on urban roads.
I tested the WR-V for three days in Bali, starting from Monday to Wednesday (12-21/12) to prove this claim.
The WR-V test route in Bali starts from mountainous areas such as Ubud, Kintamani, up to the plains of Kuta where the traffic is more congested.
With this itinerary, the roads that were traveled over the three days were quite diverse, ranging from hilly roads with ups and downs, sharp curves, narrow streets, to cities full of traffic jams.
The car used in the test this time was the tallest variant of the WR-V, the RS CVT with Honda Sensing. Honda valued this car at IDR 309.9 million.
It should be noted that this price will most likely increase in 2023. This is because there are vehicle tax adjustments every year and the availability of semiconductor chips is still a barrier to car production in Indonesia.
Before discussing the ride feel further, I’m going to look at the exterior and interior of Honda’s all-new SUV.
External
From the front view, the Honda WR-V is at first glance similar to the City Hatchback launched last year. This can be seen from the appearance of the elongated front grille which is equipped with a modern headlight design.
The Honda WR-V is also equipped with sharp and long LED lights and sequential turn signals, so that a modern and sporty impression is increasingly felt on the front fascia of this car.
From the side, the car appears even more elegant and sporty with the car line continuing from the headlamps extending to the sides, the bodywork and ending at the rear lights. This makes the look of this car more dynamic.
The impression of a robust SUV is also noticeable by the front and rear wheel fenders protruding from the body. This design is paired with 17″ aluminum wheels. The WR-V adopts the HR-V design through the exterior rear door handle that blends into the window frame, thus creating the feel of a two-door car.
Towards the rear, the sporty impression is also not eliminated by Honda. There are prominent and distinctively designed LED lights that extend to emphasize the car’s sweeping impression.
Similar interior to the BR-V next door…
Honda WR-V interior
The new head of the Volkswagen group wants to increase the quality of cars and improve the design
In his speech, Oliver Blume confirmed several recent reports and indicated the closest direction of the Volkswagen concern. The quality of cars will increase, while the design languages of the brands will become more distinct.
After the unexpected the departure of Herbert Diess from the post of head of the Volkswagen concern, Oliver Blume took over, who at the same time will continue to hold the post of head of the Porsche brand. In his recent speech, he mentioned what we can expect from the Volkswagen concern in the coming years.
One of the areas Blume will focus on is increasing the quality of the company’s cars, particularly for the Volkswagen brand. His models, such as the Golf or the ID.3, are often criticized (even by us) for the too plasticky and low-quality-looking interiors, despite the nonchalant tags.
He also confirmed what Volkswagen boss Thomas Schäfer promised not so long ago, and that infotainment improvements and the return of steering wheels with classic buttons instead of touch. In addition, Blume will focus on the purity of the individual brands’ design language. The goal is to make it easier for customers to distinguish cars from one automaker from another. After all, that was before suggested by Thomas Schäfer.
At the same time, Blume confirmed previous reports that the Golf and Tiguan models will survive even after the Volkswagen brand’s European transition to an all-electric portfolio from 2033. He has not yet provided any further information, only that VW is currently thinking about how and in what form to transfer cars into the electric future. In the case of the Golf yes also survive the GTI version.
The current eighth generation of the Volkswagen Golf is expected to be updated next year, while the Tiguan will come in a new generation. But while the Golf and Tiguan have their immediate future secured, the same cannot be said for the Polo, which would be difficult to sell due to its high emissions-enforced price. After all, not even the competing Ford The Fiesta will not see another generation.
In closing, Oliver Blume confirmed several recent reports and added some new details. Volkswagen’s direction towards electromobility is still valid, the Golf and Tiguan will survive, but the Polo will not, the quality of cars should increase, and the individual brands of the concern should have a more distinct design.