IIHS: Automatic emergency braking has trouble in darkness

IIHS: Automatic emergency braking has trouble in darkness

Automatic emergency braking is a life-saving feature that effectively prevents crashes, even grisly vehicle-to-pedestrian wrecks. But according to a study released on Thursday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, this technology's effectiveness is dramatically reduced in low-light situations. It turns out, just like drivers, cars have trouble seeing at night.

The IIHS found that automatic emergency braking with pedestrian-detection technology reduced crashes of all severities by 27% in all lighting conditions. Wrecks that cause injuries were reduced by an impressive 30%. But there's a bit of bad news in this. The watchdog organization found that at night, on roads that aren't lit, there was no difference in the crash risk for vehicles that feature automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection compared to models not fitted with these features, a troubling discovery.

Automatic emergency braking absolutely saves lives, but there's a caveat. "Unfortunately, it also shows these systems are much less effective in the dark, where three-quarters of fatal pedestrian crashes happen," says Jessica Cicchino, the author of this study and IIHS vice president of research. Short of installing streetlights on every mile of thoroughfare across the country, automakers will have to improve how these systems work in the dark.

Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection absolutely saves lives, it's just often dramatically less effective in darkness.

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To address this issue, the IIHS is developing a new nighttime pedestrian test. Later this year, the organization will publish the first ratings for vehicles evaluated in this category. Ahead of these official scores, the group tested eight small SUVs to see how well they were able to avoid crashing with pedestrians at night. This group included the 2019 Subaru Forester, 2019 Volvo XC40, 2020 Honda CR-V, 2020 Hyundai Venue, 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer, 2021 Ford Bronco Sport, 2021 Toyota C-HR and 2022 Volkswagen Taos. This wide range of makes and models covers a variety of diffe rent sensing technologies, from single- and dual-camera setups to radar-only affairs.

The performance of these vehicles' pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking tech declined in the dark and when the low-beam headlights were used compared to high beams. One outlier is the Taos, which only has radar, a sensor that doesn't rely on visible light. Its performance did not decline in the dark, though it was also the worst in daylight driving, so pick your poison. The two best vehicles in nighttime testing proved to be the C-HR and Bronco Sport, both of which have cameras and radar sensors.  

Acing the organization's upcoming test may sound like yet another hoop for automakers to jump through, but there's good reason to make sure automatic emergency braking works in all lighting conditions. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 6,205 pedestrians were killed in crashes in 2019, an increase of more than 50% since 2009. Putting things in perspective, that total makes up about a third of all traffic fatalities. Beyond that, according to the IIHS "around 76,000 more pedestrians sustained nonfatal injuries in crashes with motor vehicles," so clearly there a lot of work to be done here.

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2022 Buick Enclave Avenir Review: A Big Ol' Softie

2022 Buick Enclave Avenir Review: A Big Ol' Softie

Buick is in a weird spot. The fancier, sportier shadow of Cadillac looms large over this brand, so in order to deliver a product unique enough to earn its own badge, Buick chose to lean in hard on softness, especially with its higher-end Avenir trims. The recently redesigned 2022 Enclave best exemplifies how Buick is positioning itself in the US, and while it's pretty darn boring, it's also pretty darn comfortable and decently well equipped.

The three-row family crossover shape isn't the most daring from the outset, and while the 2022 Enclave's exterior redesign does look fresher than before, it's still not turning too many heads. Swapping out the single-piece headlights for a dual-layer getup does really sharpen things up in the front, but if you strip the badges from the rear end, people could easily confuse it for a Mazda or any other mass-market family machine. The Avenir badges and unique grill help set it apart a bit, but really only from other Enclaves.

The interior has a few more ups than downs. The Enclave Avenir's dashboard is nicely designed, offering some interesting angles without being intrusive. The leather feels nice, but I wish the Avenir's matte wood trim was offered on more than just the door panels and center console; instead, the dash wears a swath of piano-black plastic that picks up smudges and feels a little cheap. Half the controls are parts-bin GM bits. The ugly gear lever is gone, and in its place is a nicer set of buttons that doesn't take long to get used to. The rear windows lack auto-up capability, a signature Detroit cost-cut that shouldn't really happen on a $60,000 SUV.

But even with those warts, practicality and comfort ooze out of every corner. The Enclave's front seats, which pack ventilation and massaging on my tester, are seriously comfortable. The center console is high, but it has a honkin' hidey-hole under the gear lever, in addition to a capacious cubby under the armrest, and the sizable door pockets can pick up whatever's left lying around. The second-row captain's chairs are just as cushy as the front seats, and even with the rails ratcheted as far forward as possible, there's still a surprising amount of room for a 6-foot beanpole like me. Moving the captain's chairs even a little bit gives the power-folding third row an impressive amount of legroom, and headroom is plenty suitable for adults. With 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, there's enough room to shove a family's worth of groceries or a few weekender bags, and stowing the way-backs opens up an impressive 57.7 cubes of storage.

The 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir's on-road character is probably best described as slow and steady, like every input is being fed through David Gilmour's delay pedal, or a bowl of molasses. Turn into a corner and the body takes a second to react with some roll. Lean onto the gas pedal and it takes a second for the 3.6-liter V6 to convert throttle position to motive force, although once the nine-speed transmission finally settles on a gear, the engine's 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque will be enough for most drivers. Step on the brake pedal and expect a bit of squish before speed begins to shed.

The Buick's V6 is plenty peppy, but electrification is still en route.

Andrew Krok/CNET

My tester packs Buick's $1,595 Avenir Technology Package, which feels like a mandatory addition. Along with fancier headlights, the upgrade includes an adaptive suspension that really ramps up the comfort factor. Nasty bits of road disappear underfoot, and all that's left is a soft ride that feels properly luxurious. There's a Sport mode that firms things up, but… come on, it's a Buick, nobody's taking this thing out to the switchbacks unless it's on the way to the golf course.

The Buick Enclave can be had with either front- or all-wheel drive, but AWD doesn't really affect fuel economy. FWD models are rated at 18 mpg city and 26 mpg highway, with AWD variants coming in 1 mpg lower in each scenario. A combined average of 20 mpg isn't exactly praiseworthy in 2022, but it's about on par with competitors like the Acura MDX (21 mpg combined) and Lincoln Aviator (20). Maintaining a light right foot on the highway helped me see 30 mpg for several minutes at a time, which is nice, but even mild electrification would be better.

Buick's infotainment system is more than fine, but as dashboards across the industry grow to contain ever-larger screens, this one feels a little lacking.

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On the tech front, the 2022 Enclave has just about everything you could want, although it lacks any sort of real attention-getter. The standard 8-inch infotainment display runs a newer iteration of the Buick's interface, which is plenty fine and includes all the modern fripperies like a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but the screen is a little small by modern standards (and based on the size of the dash surrounding it). All three rows offer a pair of USB ports, but only the front row gets a zippy USB-C. The Avenir also includes a head-up display that's nice and bright, in addition to a gauge cluster display that shows all the usual information about the vehicle and infotainment system.

Safety-wise, the Enclave Avenir comes with everything Buick can slap on its SUV, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parking sensors, haptic seat feedback and a surround-view camera system. You know what it could use, though? Super Cruise. Too bad there isn't a single Buick that offers GM's limited handsfree tech, as its entire lineup predates the required electrical and data-processing upgrades to handle it.

Buick's ADAS is easy to use, it's just a shame GM couldn't find a way to make Super Cruise work on this generation of vehicles.

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For a marque that isn't even at the top of its conglomerate's food chain, the 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir can be a pricey proposition. My AWD tester's sole upgrade is a $1,595 package that brings the base price from $58,295 to $59,890, including $1,195 for the mandatory destination charge. Fully loading up this bad boy can send the price closer to $65,000 territory. That puts it on par with a well-equipped Acura MDX Advance or Lincoln Aviator Reserve, both of which feel far more modern, and the latter can even pack a plug-in hybrid powertrain for some additional scratch. If you'd rather save some simoleons, a fully loaded Mazda CX-9 offers three rows of Nappa leather seats for about $50,000, and its engine is more potent, but you'll have to make do with Mazda's middling infotainment. Hell, if you don't need the third row, you're sitting in Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class territory at this price point, and that is a tough act to top.

The 2022 Buick Enclave Avenir is kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place. While it's done a commendable job carving out its own niche in GM's hierarchy by focusing on smoothness above all else, efforts that pay off in on-road placidity, it lacks any sort of stand-out factor that brings new customers through dealership doors. That might be enough for legacy buyers, but it may be insufficient against a wave of ever-more-impressive large SUVs.

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2022 Kia EV6 Review: Best Foot Forward

2022 Kia EV6 Review: Best Foot Forward

I wouldn't blame you for thinking the newly released Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, both of which ride on the same EV platform, were largely the same under the skin. But despite some powertrain similarities, the two vehicles do a good job of carving out their own unique niches. The EV6 does a great job standing apart -- not just from the Ioniq 5, but from the compact EV segment as a whole -- thanks to a solid mix of driving character and style.

Believe it or not, Kia drew inspiration from the Lancia Stratos, of all places, when designing the EV6, and honestly, I can see it. The EV6's wildly styled taillight design, which protrudes beyond the body panels, bears more than a passing resemblance to the Stratos' wing. There's some inspiration in the shape of the cabin, too, as a chunkier rear pillar gives way to a greenhouse that looks a bit like a helmet visor.

The front end is its own beast, but it's also lovely, thanks to some exaggerated shapes on the hood ending in an aggressive little nose. Throw in my GT-Line tester's specific 20-inch alloy wheels and some Runway Red paint, and there's quite the aesthetic here. It's a far cry from the blockier, almost pixelated Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Kia looks far less SUV-ish than the Volkswagen ID 4.

The EV6's interior carves its own path, as well. The floating center console lacks the sliding capability of the Ioniq 5, but I don't miss it. Instead, I'm appreciating just how much crap I can leave in the massive lower-level tray and the sizable cubby under the armrest. The dedicated spot for the wireless device charger is a nice touch, too. My tester's seats are wrapped in a comfortable, grippy microfiber (a $295 upgrade) that plays well with the black-and-silver motif.

The rear seats offer plenty of space, too. I'm also a big fan of the climate controls, which live in a touch panel below the multimedia screen and can be swapped to control the volume and infotainment with a single tap. Also unlike the Ioniq 5, the EV6 has direct controls for the heated seats and steering wheel, making chilly mornings go away that much faster.

Out back, the EV6's trunk offers 24.4 cubic feet of storage, which is enough for a few suitcases or a whole lot of groceries. However, it comes in a few cubes behind the Ioniq 5 (27.2 cubic feet), and both lag behind the VW ID 4 (30.3 cubic feet). There's a frunk, too, sort of; it's actually a small box surrounded by other random hardware, and with just a couple cubic feet of capacity, its presence neither makes nor breaks the car.

The EV6 isn't going to win any cargo-capacity awards, but the trunk is easy to load things into, and it's more than enough for a couple or a family on the grow.

Andrew Krok/CNET

The Kia EV6 is available in a single-motor, rear-wheel drive configuration with a choice of battery sizes, but my tester packs an additional motor and the largest battery on offer. Its 77.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery delivers juice to the two motors, generating a net 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. With that much power, it's no surprise the EV6 can scoot, reaching 60 mph in less than 5 seconds. It's not hard to be the first car away from every red light, and that torque can be accessed whenever my right foot desires, making every passing maneuver a breeze.

Despite a curb weight north of 4,500 pounds, the Kia feels quite light on its feet. The static suspension setup does a great job of keeping things smooth and composed, whether the car is putting down the highway or heading into some curvy backroads. It's pretty darn fun to drive, with well-weighted steering and pedals that are easy to modulate.

However, in many scenarios, you may only need to use one pedal. Like the Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 relies on a multi-stage regenerative braking system that can be adjusted by the steering wheel paddles. In its strongest setting, it enables one-pedal driving that does a great job teaching drivers how to provide smoother and smoother inputs. Each vehicle restart requires the driver to re-enable one-pedal mode, but that's hardly a complaint.

Ready to juice up? The Kia's port is located under the taillight, so hopefully it's a space you can back into.

Andrew Krok/CNET

Being smaller than the Ioniq 5 gives the Kia EV6 an efficiency advantage. Whereas the 77.4-kWh, AWD Ioniq 5 receives a 98-MPGe rating from the EPA with 256 miles of estimated range, the similarly equipped Kia EV6 bumps those figures up to 105 MPGe and 274 miles. Both are more efficient than the VW ID 4 AWD Pro, as well. The EV6's onboard computer measures efficiency in miles per kilowatt hour, and my personal driving style elicited an average of 2.9 mi/kWh, not far off the EPA's 3.1 mi/kWh.

When it comes time to charge, the EV6's underlying 800-volt architecture is capable of accepting up to 240 kilowatts of juice, enough to send the battery from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes. Most of the chargers around me top out at 62.5 kW, though, which takes me from 50% to 100% in about an hour, and the lion's share of that time is spent between 80% and 100%, where the charging speed gets progressively slower. Some folks don't like how the charging port's flap integrates into the taillight assembly, but I think it's cool. Just make sure you back into the parking space.

With the exception of what's on the dual displays atop the dashboard, the Kia EV6 bears very little interior resemblance to the Ioniq 5.

Andrew Krok/CNET

As for cabin tech, the 2022 Kia EV6 packs it in spades. A pair of 12.3-inch screens span half the dashboard. The gauge display on the left is pretty much a carbon copy of Hyundai's, which is not a bad thing at all, as it does a great job displaying all the pertinent information in a few different ways. The screen on the right runs Kia's latest infotainment system, which I quite enjoy and which is also shared between Genesis, Hyundai and Kia. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, but they can't be done wirelessly, which is a bit of a bummer. Further frustrating the smartphone-mirroring experience is the sole USB-A port for data, which is located near the floor under the HVAC controls. There's a USB-C port up front for fast charging, as well as two USB-C ports for the rear, which are cleverly embedded into the front seat backs.

Safety tech abounds, as well. The EV6 comes standard with Kia's Drivewise suite of active and passive driver aids. This covers automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, remote parking assist and lane-keeping assist. The ACC will work in conjunction with its other systems to hold the vehicle in its lane and keep pace with traffic, including stop-and-go situations, and it performs admirably for a hands-on setup.

The EV6 oozes cool from every pore.

Andrew Krok/CNET

Even though Kia is known for offering some of the most value-laden vehicles on the market, EVs are still an expensive proposition and the 2022 EV6 is no outlier. Base models start at $42,115, including $1,215 in destination charges. My tester, a top-of-the-line GT-Line AWD with the upgraded suede seats, waters the eyes a bit with an out-the-door price of $57,410. That's a smidge more expensive than the Ioniq 5 in comparable trims, and it's a few thousand dollars more than what you'd pay for a VW ID 4 AWD Pro S.

Kia did an excellent job with the 2022 EV6. Despite sharing many of the same bits as its sibling from Hyundai, the Kia stands apart with its styling, more compact body and slightly boosted range. The EV6 is great to drive, great to look at and its in-car technology doesn't disappoint.

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