:what's in a name
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
This month, Toni Marshall looks to the future and is not
happy being any part of a cougar world....
I must say, I'm not so sure about the choice of name for Ford's
new 'all-terrain' vehicle. While on a Natural Science level the name
cougar is indeed synonymous with a wild cat that displays stealth,
speed and the ability to conquer rough terrain... in our large cities
and even our provincial towns a 'cougar' is of course better known
for… well, you know what!
The poorly chosen name aside, the Ford Kuga is of interest to me
because it is one of many new vehicles coming to the market with
truly 'smart' technology as standard.
While usually such 'smart technology' is directed at mechanical
efficiencies such as fuel consumption and 'all wheel drive', the
focus in many new vehicles, including the Kuga, is erasing risk and
enhancing driver safety.
Like many women, the dreaded parallel park is a manoeuvre I
can manage but I do like to take my time and prefer to locate a
generous parking space - just to reduce the risk of fluffing it! The
Kuga provides for stress and risk free parking. Like a good number
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of newer car models, it will check the space you have selected is big
enough and then with very little input from the driver complete
the necessary parallel park.
Another very useful development available on the Kuga is a
'blind spot' radar system that allows you to "see what you cannot
see." How often have we all begun to change lanes, confident
we have checked and seen nothing but a safe space, only then to
receive a blast from a car that appeared from nowhere right in the
the space you were about to fill!
The Kuga has nifty warning light glows on its side mirror if
something is in your 'blind spot' - potentially a life saving device.
Further smart technology ideas found on other vehicles include;
systems that keep you at a safe distance from the car in front of
you, these also warn you when you 'stray' out of the lane you are
traveling in. Still others gently activate the brakes in wet weather
to ensure they remain dry and ready to perform at their optimum
level. The list of 'smart' applications is quickly becoming extensive
