Fast Lane
Geely Safety Centre, Wheel Insights on sustainable travel, Dongfeng Vigo, Mazda CX-5, VW’s autonomous vehicle
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Geely's new vehicle testing centre in Ningbo, China, is the largest of its kind in the world.
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
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World’s largest vehicle-testing centre opens
The Geely Safety Centre in Ningbo, China, opened on Dec 12. Spanning 45,000 sq m, the facility is touted as the world’s largest vehicle-testing centre, not only in terms of physical size, but also scope and capability.
Besides Chinese-based brands such as Geely Auto and Zeekr, the mega auto group also owns European brands – including Lotus, Volvo and Polestar – through the larger Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. It owns a 49.9 per cent stake in Proton from Malaysia.
The facility can conduct the full spectrum of evaluations, including high-speed crash tests and pedestrian protection, battery health assessments, cyber security and health-related safety checks.
The centre also houses a “Golden Nose” team tasked to test vehicles for volatile materials and odours.
Compact electric SUV on sale
The Dongfeng Vigo is a compact electric SUV with an unusual split-tailgate design.
PHOTO: DONGFENG
The Vigo is the third model from Chinese brand Dongfeng to be offered in Singapore. First previewed at The Car Expo in May, the compact electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) was approved for sale here in early December.
The car’s overall length of 4,306mm puts it between compact SUVs like the Hyundai Kona (4,205mm) and BYD Atto 3 (4,455mm). The Dongfeng’s wheelbase, at 2,720mm, is longer than the Toyota RAV4’s 2,690mm, so expect the Vigo’s cabin to be rather spacious.
The Dongfeng has an unusual split tailgate where the rear windscreen opens upwards while the lower portion folds down. It is a feature more associated with premium SUVs like the Range Rover.
The single-motor electric has 99kW of power, which is sufficient to accelerate it to 100kmh from rest in 9.5 seconds. The 51.9kWh battery is good for 471km of driving range. In terms of charging speed, the Dongfeng can take up to 6.6kW of alternating current, which is the same as the BYD Atto 3. For direct current, the maximum charging speed is 167kW, which is quicker than the BYD’s 100kW, but behind the Aion V’s 180kW.
VW tests driverless vehicle
Over the next few weeks, VW is testing its self-driving car around the town of Wolfsburg, Germany.
PHOTO: VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen has unleashed an autonomous vehicle onto the roads of its home city of Wolfsburg, Germany, as part of its research into driverless technology.
The Gen.Urban research vehicle is said to be able to drive autonomously in real-world urban traffic. At this stage of the study, Volkswagen wants to find out how humans will behave and react when seated in a vehicle which does not have a conventional steering wheel or foot pedals.
Before jumping into the driver’s seat, participants will be able to customise their preferences – for, say, cabin temperature and ambient lighting – through an app. It is also possible to adjust the settings directly in the vehicle.
As a precaution, a safety operator armed with a control panel will be in the passenger seat, who can intervene during an emergency.
Over several weeks, the vehicle will follow a fixed 10km loop that involves traffic-light intersections, roundabouts, and residential and industrial areas. Each run takes around 20 minutes to complete. Currently, only Volkswagen employees have been recruited for the test.
Sustainable travel
The latest episode of Wheel Insights discusses green transport in the air and on land.
PHOTO: THE STRAITS TIMES
The latest episode of Wheels Insights, a monthly podcast by The Straits Times on transport issues, focuses on green transport.
The discussion centres on the sustainable aviation fuel levy that airline passengers on flights departing Singapore have to pay from October 2026 to help reduce the sector’s carbon footprint.
Mr Andrey Berdichevskiy, partner and associate director of Boston Consulting Group, and Professor S. Viswanathan from Nanyang Business School give their views on the impact of the levy.
Go to str.sg/5cqR
Mazda CX-5 European launch
Mazda’s CX-5 boasts a new design and enhanced connectivity to Google services.
PHOTO: MAZDA
Mazda is slated to roll out the new CX-5 in Europe in 2026, before it is launched in other global markets. The new car is slightly bigger than the existing model and features a sharper design.
Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre engine and the car will be available in two- and four-wheel drive. The car has already undergone the Euro NCAP independent safety assessment and received a five-star rating.
The biggest news, though, is the adoption of the Google platform into Mazda’s cabin to allow seamless access to services including Google Maps, Google Play and Google Gemini, which is the tech giant’s artificial intelligence assistant.
The CX-5 is the second Mazda model after the electric 6e saloon to have a large touchscreen infotainment system, doing away with the rotary command dial and compact display interface.
Both the 6e saloon and the CX-5 are expected to be in Singapore in 2026.
