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Nissan’s Popular Compact SUV Adds Four-Camera Parking Assist System to SL Package

When it comes to favourite things to do in a car, parallel parking likely ranks right down there with mobile root canals. Until now. With the addition of the highly innovative Around View Monitor to the 2012 Nissan Rogue, drivers can maneuver into parking spaces with more ease. Rogue is the first non-luxury vehicle in North America to offer the unique Around View Monitor feature, which is available as part of the optional Rogue SL Package.

“More driver’s license tests have probably been failed due to the applicant’s inability to parallel park than any other task,” said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc. “It’s anxiety provoking at best, and risks damage to a vehicle and surrounding property at its worst. Around View Monitor now comes to Rogue drivers’ rescue.”

Rogue’s Around View Monitor utilizes four small superwide-angle cameras – mounted on the front, side mirrors and rear of the vehicle – to provide a virtual 360° view of objects around the vehicle, helping the driver maneuver it in tight spots. The system converts image data taken by the four cameras to create and display the virtual image of the vehicle from above.

The system has been designed to be easy-to-see, easy-to-use and easy-to-understand. The virtual overhead view makes it easy for the driver to position the vehicle for parallel parking, with the front/rear view enabling the driver to simultaneously confirm the front or rear of the vehicle. When the transmission is shifted into drive from reverse the system automatically switches to the previous screen.

By displaying the rear view and front-side view simultaneously, the driver can easily confirm the two most worrisome areas; the rear and front passenger side of the vehicle.

Views shown on the split-screen display can be changed as desired through use of a button on the center console. For example, front and side or rear and side views can be shown together to help gauge the distance of the Rogue to the curb.

“Unlike complex systems that take complete control of the parking function, Rogue’s Around View Monitor allows the driver to remain in charge – with a heightened view of the vehicle’s surroundings,” said Castignetti. “It’s amazing technology, an amazing innovation, and we’re proud that Rogue is the first vehicle in its segment to offer it.”

TOKYO, JAPAN (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. said Wednesday it is recalling about 550,000 vehicles worldwide — mostly in the United States — for problems that could make it harder to steer.

The recall affects 447,000 vehicles in North America, as well as 38,000 in Japan and another 25,000 in Australia and New Zealand, said Toyota spokesman Dion Corbett. In Europe some 14,000 vehicles are being recalled along with 10,000 in the Middle East and 14,000 in Asia outside Japan.

Toyota has received a total of 79 reports about the defect dating back to 2007, said Corbett. There have been no reports of accidents or injuries related to the problems, he said.

Toyota's reputation has taken a hit over the last two years due to a string of huge recalls that have ballooned to 14 million vehicles over that time, including millions recalled last year for acceleration problems. It faces damage lawsuits and lingering doubts in the U.S. about whether it had been transparent enough about the recall woes.

Japan's largest automaker has been trying to communicate better with customers and empower regional operations outside Japan to make safety decisions.

The news comes a day after Toyota said its July-September profit slid 18.5 percent to 80.4 billion yen ($1 billion) on plunging sales caused by parts shortages from the tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan.

It now faces such uncertainties from flooding in Thailand, where it has many suppliers and three assembly plants, that it declined to release an earnings forecast for the full year through March.

The latest recall is due to the possibility that the outer ring of the engine's crankshaft pulley may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise or a warning signal to light up, the company's U.S. sales unit said in a press release. If the problem isn't corrected, the belt for the power steering pump may become detached from the pulley, making it suddenly more difficult to turn the steering wheel.

In the United States, the automaker is recalling 283,200 Toyota brand cars, including the 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna and Solara, the 2004 Avalon and the 2006 Highlander HV. Its recall of 137,000 Lexus vehicles includes the 2004 and 2005 ES330 and RX330 and 2006 RX400h.

Those affected elsewhere include certain models of the Alphard, Highlander, Highlander hybrid and some Lexus models, Corbett said.

The recall notification process varies from country to country.

In the U.S., Toyota will mail owners a notification to make an appointment with an authorized dealer to have their car inspected once replacement parts have been produced in sufficient quantities.

If needed, parts will be replaced for no charge, the company's American sales unit said. Notifications will be mailed starting in January.

In the meantime, if an abnormal noise is heard coming from the engine compartment, the owner is asked to make an appointment with any Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the vehicle inspected for this condition, the release said.

Ford to upgrade MyFord Touch in 250,000 vehicles after taking heat for glitches and design

DEARBORN, MI -- Ford Motor Co., stung by falling quality ratings because of its glitch-prone MyFord Touch system, is planning a major upgrade that it hopes will fix the problems -- and repair its own reputation.

Early next year, Ford is sending flash drives with a software upgrade to approximately 250,000 U.S. customers with MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch, the equivalent system in Ford's luxury Lincoln brand. Owners can do the upgrade themselves in about 45 minutes, or dealers will do it for free. Ford is still deciding how it will offer the upgrade to 200,000 buyers outside of the U.S.

Ford knows of no other car company that has given owners the option of upgrading their own software on this scale. The unprecedented step underscores the urgency of the problem for Ford, which last month fell from 10th place to 20th place in Consumer Reports' annual reliability rankings largely because of MyFord Touch. Ford also plummeted in a J.D. Power quality survey earlier this year.

MyFord Touch, which debuted last year on the Ford Edge, replaces traditional dashboard knobs and buttons with a touch screen. Drivers control climate, navigation, entertainment, phone calls and other functions using touch or voice commands. It's a $750 option on lower trim levels, but comes standard on higher-end ones. Ford quickly rolled out the system on the Ford Explorer, Ford Focus and other models.

Dealer phone lines and Internet chat rooms were soon buzzing with complaints. The system shut down without warning and took too long to reboot. It didn't understand voice commands and didn't always respond to owners' touch. Some owners found the information-packed screens overwhelming.

Ford had dealers perform four software updates and paid dealers to hold owner clinics. But it soon realized it had to do more. The latest upgrade makes significant changes. Screens are now simpler and cleaner, with larger text and shading to outline buttons. Voice recognition is improved. Ford says the new system responds to touch commands more quickly and is less likely to shut down.

New models due out next year, including the redesigned Ford Escape and Ford Taurus, will automatically get the upgraded system.

Ford won't say how much it's spending on the upgrade.

Ford is unapologetic about the system, saying MyFord Touch is an advanced technology that's drawing new customers to the brand. Sales of the new Ford Explorer have more than doubled so far this year, for example. But the company also learned quickly that buyers aren't as forgiving with glitches in their cars as they are with their phones or computers.

"People's expectation of what's in the car is totally different than what they brought home from Best Buy," Gary Jablonski, Ford's manager of Sync platform development, told The Associated Press in a recent interview. Sync, a four-year-old voice command system that Ford designed with Microsoft Corp., serves as the platform for the more advanced MyFord Touch.

Forrest Brown, a Ford dealer in Dyersville, Iowa, got a barrage of complaints last winter when customers were unable to defrost their windshields or turn up the heat because their screens were going blank. But the problems have become less frequent as Ford updates the software. Brown has also started inviting customers back to the dealership so he can answer questions about the system.

"We've come to the realization that this type of technology is going to be in almost all vehicles in the future, so you might as well get used to it and understand it and make your customers aware of it," Brown said.

Jablonski insists MyFord Touch was thoroughly tested and not brought to the market too soon, as some critics contend. The problem, he said, is that not everything is testable. The system syncs up to more than 70 different kinds of mobile phones, for example, which are constantly getting updates of their own. Customers may blame the car for something that is really the fault of the phone.

But Ford realizes it may have gone further than its customers wanted to go. The company is planning to bring back volume and tuning knobs, for example, because it found people didn't like using a touch screen for those functions.

Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of auto information site Edmunds.com, once watched a MyFord Touch screen freeze up during a Ford demonstration. Still, he gives Ford credit for taking a chance on new technology, even at the expense of its quality scores. Vehicle quality is getting so good that customers are increasingly basing their buying decisions on high-tech options, he said.

"I'd rather have MyFord Touch and Sync and take the heat from than not have it at all," he said.

OTTAWA, ON - Winter driving can be risky, so be ready and be safe. As the cold weather is fast approaching, Transport Canada is pleased to launch the 2011-2012 winter driving campaign. Transport Canada is joined this year by the Canadian Automobile Association and Canadian Tire to promote safe winter driving.

As part of the campaign, Transport Canada encourages Canadians to prepare their vehicles for this coming winter season and to drive safely throughout the coming season.

Canada's winter roads can be a challenge for drivers, so give yourself every advantage by preparing yourself and your vehicle before setting out on Canadian roads this winter. Keep in mind that proper vehicle maintenance, coupled with safe driving techniques, will help get you through the winter safely.

You can reduce the chance of collision and help improve road safety by following these Transport Canada safety tips:

•Install matching winter tires on all wheels of your vehicle. Winter tires outperform all-season tires when the temperature falls below 7°C, whether the roads are dry or covered in snow and/or ice.

•Pack a winter driving emergency kit in your vehicle.

•Check tire pressure at least once a month.

•Have your battery, ignition system, lights and brakes tested.

•Ensure your wipers are in good working condition.

•Clear the snow and ice off your vehicle.

•Give yourself extra distance to stop, as roads may be icy.

•Check weather conditions before hitting the roads.

•Dress properly — wear warm clothing.

•Bring a cell phone for emergency purposes, but never use it while driving.