FRANKFURT, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Daimler and BMW deepened their alliance on Thursday to share spiraling development costs for highly automated driving technologies, even as each carmaker pursues separate efforts to develop fully self-driving cars. The enormous cost of designing and building computer-powered vehicles has already prompted Honda to pool its efforts with General Motors, while Volkswagen is pursuing talks with Ford about an alliance on autonomous cars. BMW and Daimler deepened their alliance for similar reasons, said Michael Hafner, head of automated driving at Mercedes-Benz research and development said in a blog post which accompanied a joint press release by the companies on Thursday. 鈥淲e have learned that the development of these systems is a bit like climbing a mountain,鈥?he said. 鈥淭aking the first few meters from the base station to the summit seems easy. It made sense to distribute the technological and financial challenges of automated driving, Hafner said, so BMW and Daimler will jointly develop technology to enable automated driving on highways.
鈥淚nitially, the focus will be on advancing the development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and parking features,鈥?the companies said in the statement. BMW and Daimler鈥榮 move comes as even deep pocketed technology companies struggle to gain traction in autonomous driving. Apple Inc said on Wednesday it planned to lay off 190 employees in its self-driving car program, Project Titan. 3 billion in 2015, according to Goldman Sachs. BMW and Daimler already cooperate in high-definition mapping with HERE and in the area of procurement, and earlier this month unveiled a joint ride-hailing, parking and electric car charging business. They said on Thursday their new partnership will center on so-called level 3 and level 4 automated driving technologies, including cars that still require steering wheels and drivers. Daimler will pursue a separate development alliance for level 5 robotaxis between its luxury brand Mercedes-Benz and supplier Robert Bosch. Level 5 cars require no driver.
The ESP acts as a safety feature, providing better handling when road conditions are unfavorable. The GLI interior included Recaro bucket seats and even sported the letters GLI embroidered in red. Volkswagen debuted its fifth generation of Jetta at the LA Auto show. New innovations for the Jetta ranged from a dual clutch transmission (DSG) to the first Jetta independent rear suspension. The North American Jetta base engine was a derivative of the V10 in the Lamborghini Gallardo. While upgrades were prevalent with these newer models, Volkswagen opted to add a Value Edition trim model as a base/entry-level option for the budget-minded. Jetta SportWagen. The VW Jetta SportWagen debuted in 2007 at the New York International Auto Show and was produced through 2014. The SportWagen sold in Europe as the Golf Variant. 2010 VW Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition. A replica racer, the TDi Cup Street edition had 18-inch wheels, wide-mouth front,side skirts, larger brakes, and a sport suspension. The 2-liter, turbo-diesel, 4-cylinder engine was available in a 6-speed DSG or 6-speed manual.
In 2011, the Jetta sported a new Audi-inspired interior plus almost three additional inches of leg room. This sixth generation Jetta still has its traditional European sporty ride and concise handling plus a general fuel economy of 42mpg/highway and 30mpg/city for its turbo diesel. NAV, satellite radio, and Bluetooth are features available. 2012 saw few changes but features do include a touch-screen sound system and navigation and a panoramic sun-roof option. New in 2013 in both the SEL and GLI trim level is the 6-way power seat option. Also new in 2013 is the optional 2-liter TDi diesel engine with 140-horsepower. In 2014 the Jetta sedan now was available with a 1.8-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. Car-Net. New in 2014, Car-Net is a connectivity service allowing the driver to access easily a variety of convenience and security features as needed. 2014 Best Car for the Money. The Jetta SportWagen was named by U.S. News & World Report as a 2014 Best Upscale Small Car for the Money. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with its forward collision warning system, an optional vehicle feature.
