BMW recalls 257,000 cars to ensure owners can’t turn off the rearview camera

By Ronan Glon October 10, 2019

BMW is recalling nearly every single car it has made since 2018 — plus two Rolls-Royce models and a lone Toyota — to fix a minor problem with the rearview camera. The issue isn’t linked to accidents or injuries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explained motorists can turn down the screen’s brightness to the point where the rearview camera’s footage is no longer visible. This is like turning down the brightness on your smartphone; if you step outside in broad daylight, you might not see what’s showing on the screen, and you might think the device is off. Modern phones normally have built-in light sensors that make the screen brighter, but cars lack this feature so the rearview camera becomes unusable unless motorists find a way to turn the brightness back up.

BMW says 257,481 cars made during the 2018, 2019, and 2020 model years will need to take a trip to the dealership and receive updated rearview camera software that prevents the screen from going dark. The update will be free, of course, and it shouldn’t take long to upload. BMW will notify owners of affected cars. Rolls-Royce and Toyota will do the same.

The scope of the recall is impressive. It includes the usual suspects, like the 3 Series, the 5 Series, the X5, and the X6. New additions to the company’s range, such as the 8 Series and the X7, are included in the campaign, too. BMW owns Rolls-Royce, so the Phantom and the Cullinan need to receive new software as well. The 2020 Toyota Supra is on the list because it shares many parts with the BMW Z4.

There are no Mini models on the list of cars included in the recall, which is surprising. The British firm is part of the BMW empire, and the two automakers often share components. The electric i3 and the plug-in hybrid i8 are spared, too.

BMW isn’t the first automaker to run into this problem. Nissan recalled 1.2 million cars made during the 2018 and 2019 model years to fix a similar issue in September 2019. Numerous models were included in the campaign, ranging from the GT-R supercar to the NV200 van. Three Infiniti vehicles were also affected.

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Sporty Polestar 3 SUV is an EV guiding star

Front three quarter view of the Polestar 3.

For Volvo’s EV-focused Polestar spinoff brand, the third time really is the charm.
The brand’s first model, the Polestar 1 plug-in hybrid coupe, was built in low volumes and still had a combustion engine. The current Polestar 2 is a derivative of the Volvo C40 Recharge and XC40 Recharge. With the Polestar 3, the brand is really finding its footing.
Scheduled to go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2023, the Polestar 3 is the brand’s first SUV, and while it still shares much hardware and software with parent Volvo, it’s next-generation tech that’s blended with a unique design aesthetic and a greater emphasis on performance.

Design
Where the Polestar 1 and Polestar 2 recycled styling from old Volvo concept cars, the five-seat Polestar 3 debuts a new brand-specific design language. The scrunched-up “face” and minimal air-intake opening advertise the 3’s electric powertrain, while the pinched rear side glass gives it a more streamlined appearance than other SUVs — particularly those of parent Volvo. The headlights look like an enlarged version of the “Thor’s Hammer” LED elements from current Volvos, however.
While not officially confirmed, the Polestar 3 is expected to be twinned with the Volvo EX90, the parent brand’s upcoming all-electric flagship SUV. Both are expected to use Volvo’s SPA2 platform, a successor to the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) platform underpinning most current Volvo models.
Because eliminating tailpipe emissions doesn’t totally erase a vehicle’s environmental impact, Polestar also emphasized sustainable materials, such as wool upholstery that, the automaker claims, can be certified as sustainably produced. Polestar also plans to conduct a lifecycle assessment of the 3’s environmental impact when production starts, and follow up with additional assessments through the production run to look for ways of reducing its carbon footprint.

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2023 Kia Niro EV first drive review: Practical doesn’t have to bore you to tears

Front three quarter view of the 2023 Kia Niro EV.

If you want to see just how quickly the electric car landscape has changed over the past few years, take a look at the redesigned 2023 Kia Niro EV.
When the first-generation Niro EV launched for the 2019 model year (following hybrid and plug-in hybrid Niro variants), it was a pretty big deal. The Niro was Kia’s first EV not based on a conventional gasoline model, and the first intended for high sales volumes.
The second-generation 2023 Niro EV boasts more tech, more space, and more extroverted styling than its predecessor, but it’s still very much in the shadow of the Kia EV6. Once Kia’s main EV attraction, the Niro is being refocused as a more affordable option to take on the likes of the Chevrolet Bolt EV/Bolt EUV, Volkswagen ID.4, and Nissan Leaf.
Kia plans to offer the Niro EV in trim levels named Wind and Wave, but hasn’t released pricing for either. Note that the previous-generation 2022 Niro EV started at $41,245; the new model could see a price increase because of its updates. And because it’s assembled in South Korea, the 2023 Niro EV won’t qualify for the revamped federal EV tax credit, Kia has confirmed.

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Like the previous generation, the Niro is part of a three-pronged lineup that also includes the Niro Hybrid and Niro PHEV (plug-in hybrid models). All three maintain the tall-wagon shape of the first-generation Niro, but with much bolder styling.
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Tesla to fix window software on 1M of its U.S. cars

A 2021 Tesla Model S.

Tesla is sending out an over-the-air update to a million of its vehicles in the U.S. to fix faulty window software that could leave occupants with pinched fingers.

According to a document issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Tesla engineers discovered that the affected vehicles may not meet certain automatic window reversal system requirements. It said that in some cases, the window may exert more force before automatically retracting when sensing an obstruction such as a person’s fingers. The condition “may increase the risk of a pinching injury to the occupant,” the NHTSA’s document says.