Stories by Moses Akaigwe
08072100049
Kia Motors’ all-new 2018 Stinger fastback sedan was honoured with an Eyes On Design award for Production Car Design Excellence at the recent North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, United States.
At an event typically dominated by introductions from American auto companies, the Stinger stole the spotlight, giving a foretaste of what was on the road ahead.
“We’ve made a lot of great cars and I’m proud of all of them, but the Stinger is something special,” said Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors’ chief design officer.
The Eyes On Design awards honour the best production and concept vehicles making their worldwide auto show debut at the NAIAS. This year’s categories include Concept Car; Production Car; Concept Truck; Production Truck; Innovative Use of Colour, Graphics and Materials; Interior Design; User Experience and Designer Catalyst.
The all-new 2018 Kia Stinger design was overseen by Peter Schreyer and Gregory Guillaume, chief designer, Kia Motors Europe.
Brimming with power, passion and performance, the 2018 Kia Stinger is a sport sedan dedicated to the thrill of driving while cossetting occupants in luxury. From its sleek front clip through its svelte flanks, up to its powerful haunches, the Stinger exudes muscular confidence. The Stinger’s stance and visual balance are designed to lend the car an air of elegance and athleticism, rather than boy-racer aggression.
Inside is a purposeful cabin that is luxurious and exquisitely crafted. A strong horizontal plane across the dash presents the driver with a thick, leather-wrapped steering wheel. Front and centre of the driver is a single instrument binnacle with a combination of analogue and digital instrumentation.
A five-passenger fastback sports sedan poised to redefine a segment currently populated by European automakers, the Stinger promises to be the highest-performance production vehicle in the company’s history and is backed by Kia Motors’ industry-leading quality and reliability.
Offered with multiple engine and drive-train configurations and luxurious accommodations, the Stinger is planned to go on sale in the U.S. late this year, and thereafter in Nigeria, where the brand’s vehicles are assembled and (in some cases) imported by Kia Motors Nigeria.
Motorists ‘unaware’ as FRSC enforces use of speed limit device
By Johnson Adewale
The Federal Road Safety (FRSC) last week commenced enforcement of its policy on the use of speed limiting device. This is even as stakeholders claimed to be unaware of the take off.
Following months of public enlightenment and advisory enforcement of the speed limit device by the FRSC’s full-scale enforcement of the order commenced nationwide yesterday amid agitation and excuses from the transport operators.
The first phase of the enforcement, which began with commercial vehicles and fleet operators, witnessed booking of commercial and fleet vehicles owners who did not install the device.
Some of the defaulters, especially, fleet drivers, pleaded for leniency or more time. FRSC’s unit head, operation, Kirikiri, Apapa zone, Mr. Kabiru Abdusalam, said: “It has been established that speed contributed to 50 per cent of road accidents and the FRSC has found it necessary to introduce the speed limit device to all vehicles to reduce the needless loss of lives due to uncontrollable speed.
“The corps has embarked on series of enlightenment and advisory enforcement with several extended enforcement for months and from today any motorist who fails to comply shall be held liable.
“We want the transport operators and the general public to see this speed limit regime as a welcome development for us all and ensure the device is installed in their vehicles,” he said.
However, Abdusallam assured that the three ‘Fs,’ Friendly, Fair and Firm, policy of the FRSC would be enforced, therefore, the consequence for non-compliance would be booking. The defaulter’s vehicle shall also be impounded until fine is paid, he said.
Ford gives tips on safer, efficient driving
Nigerians learn a host of defensive driving rules and techniques when they are first taught to drive for their driver’s licence test. Most of this tends to be forgotten once the test is passed and daily driving becomes a combination of accelerating, braking, steering, and generally trying not to hit anything. But there is more to being a great driver.
Some of the best drivers in the world can be found in motorsport. Tackling the world’s toughest racetracks in vehicles like the 500hp, Le Mans-winning Ford GT race car requires a specific set of driving skills that is not only efficient and fast, but safe as well. We call this defensive driving.
“Defensive driving is to drive so as to prevent a collision in any road or weather conditions,” says Derek Kirkby, Training Director for advanced driving at MasterDrive and Ford’s own Driving Skills for Life, which is a comprehensive driving programme that teaches drivers techniques for defensive driving. Ford’s Driving Skills for Life programme was part of the Nigerian Auto Journalists Association’s annual training in 2016. Here, Kirkby offers a list of driving tips straight from the race track that will make you a better driver:
Hold the steering wheel like a racing driver
Conventional driving instruction teaches us to imagine the steering wheel as a clock-face and to keep our hands at 10 and 2 O’clock. Don’t do this, advises Kirkby. This convention is outdated. An airbag can inflate in 0.03 seconds, how quickly can you move your hands and arms out of the way?
Here is a very simple habit you can get into right away, use 9 and 3 O’clock. It is safer if an airbag inflates and should you lose control even for a second, you will know how to get the car pointed straight ahead instantly, just return your arms to their resting position. This position is also more responsive for quicker turns.
Do only one thing at time
Racing drivers have to make split-second decisions, and you can, too, if you concentrate on doing one thing at a time, either accelerate, brake, or steer. Remember that anything you do that changes the direction or speed of your vehicle can break traction, and loss of traction can mean loss of control. Smoother is safer and faster, brake before you turn into a corner, not while you are in it. Braking during a turn can either lead to spinning the car or not turning enough and skidding straight ahead.
Don’t follow
Have you noticed that Formula 1 race cars don’t have brake lights? Yet the drivers manage to not crash into each other at every corner. This is because they do not follow the car in front, and neither should you. We instinctively do what the car in front of us does, but you should never allow your decisions to be made by the guy in your path, it is downright dangerous.
Use your tongue to balance
Here is a fun one. According to Ross Bentley, former racing driver and author of the popular Speed Secrets series, pressing your tongue to the roof of your mouth activates the same area of your brain that is responsible for balance and your balance while driving is directly related to how you sense the movement of the car. Essentially, by doing this you are increasing your concentration, as well as your response time to any movement that your car makes.
Steer with the corresponding hand
When steering, the direction you chose to go should correlate with the corresponding hand. So, turning left? Use your left hand to guide the steering wheel. Going right? Use your right hand. Essentially, it should feel like you’re pulling your steering wheel down, rather than pushing it up. The car will go where you are looking
Ever notice how your car will wander in the direction you are looking when you get distracted or take your eyes off the road for just a moment? That’s hand-eye coordination, and it also works for where you want to go. Instead of focusing on the road right in front of you, focus on where you want to go.