AUTONEWS

How to protect your car from the summer heat?

Getting into a parked car on a sunny summer afternoon literally feels like getting into an oven. Thanks to the greenhouse effect, the air inside the car can easily become 50 degrees warmer than the outside air – as if the outside temperature wasn’t already high enough.

Getting into a car that has been standing in the sun for hours is like opening an oven, according to RTS. When it comes to cars, the temperature jump is extremely rapid, and the trapped hot air not only makes the stay unbearable, but also permanently damages sensitive surfaces such as the dashboard, steering wheel and seats.

The first and most important line of defense: sun visors...The most effective way to combat overheating is a windshield visor. High-quality reflective models can significantly reduce the temperature in the cabin. Their principle of operation is simple: the reflective, silver surface reflects sunlight and UV rays. The key is that the reflective side always faces outward. The market offers several styles, depending on needs and budget. The most popular are foldable models, which are cheap and easy to store, but their quality and coverage are often questionable.

Tests that tested the effectiveness of sunshades showed that placing them on the inside of the windshield had minimal effect. For example, while a reference vehicle parked in the sun without a sunshade heated up to 53 degrees Celsius, a car with a sunshade was only 4 degrees cooler.

For better protection, an inside sunshade would have to cover the entire surface of the windshield, which is almost impossible to achieve. A sunshade placed on the outside of the windshield is much more effective. Thanks to such a sunshade, the interior was 8 degrees cooler than the reference vehicle. A full cover that shields the entire vehicle from solar radiation provided even better protection, keeping the interior 10 degrees cooler.

Does the color of the car matter...It is often said that, for example, white or light-colored vehicles heat up less than dark-colored vehicles. In a test conducted by the German Automobile Club, the surface of a black vehicle heated up significantly more than the surface of a white vehicle – 65 degrees compared to just 44. However, this had surprisingly little effect on the temperature inside the cabin. In the test in a black car, the cabin was only 5 degrees warmer.

Strategic parking and other habits that make a difference...The simplest method is often the most effective: smart parking. Whenever possible, park your car in a garage, under a carport or in the shade of trees and buildings. The shade drastically reduces the temperature and protects the paintwork and plastic from deterioration.

Keep in mind the movement of the sun. A place in the shade in the morning can be exposed to the sun in the afternoon. A useful strategy is to park with the windscreen facing north, thus avoiding direct exposure to the sun.

In addition to protecting the windscreen, it is also useful to cover the areas in the interior that heat up the most. A simple towel or light-colored cloth draped over the steering wheel, gearshift, and seats can prevent unpleasant and even painful burns upon first contact. This is especially important for vehicles with dark leather seats, which become extremely hot. Installing light-colored seat covers during the summer is also an excellent and more aesthetically pleasing solution, which protects the materials from damage caused by UV radiation in the long term.

You may often hear advice to leave the windows slightly cracked to allow air to circulate. However, research shows that this method has a negligible effect on reducing the maximum temperature in the cabin, while at the same time significantly increasing the safety risk. An open window, even just half a centimeter, is an easy target for thieves and makes the vehicle vulnerable to sudden summer showers. This practice is therefore generally not recommended.

Quick cooling: What to do before getting into a hot car...If all other prevention measures have failed, there are a few tricks to quickly cool the cabin before leaving.

Trying to get the air conditioner to cool our car can take about 5 minutes and is not worth it. Instead, try another, more scientifically-based method. Open one of the windows on the opposite side of the driver's seat, preferably the rear door. Then, with quick movements, open and slam the door near the driver's seat. This way, the door acts as a fan, actively expelling hot air from the cabin through the open window. It takes two or three, some say five attempts, and the same technique can help cool rooms in your house.

Keep in mind, you’re starting with a car that can be up to 50 degrees warmer than the outside air. So if you can get rid of that super-hot air and replace it with regular outside air (which is just hot), you’ve taken a big step toward cooling the interior and given your air conditioner a big boost.

Once you’re inside, the way to get the hot air out of your car is to simply roll down the windows for the first minute of driving. If you have a sunroof, opening it is especially helpful, because hot air rises while cooler air descends. Then turn on the air conditioning (if you have one), but not to maximum. Once the car’s interior starts to cool down from the outside air—after you’ve rolled down the windows—only then should you turn the air conditioning to “maximum” and recirculate that cooler air through the air conditioning system.

Finally, it’s important to note that no method makes a car safe for children or pets. Even with a sunroof, the temperature can rise to dangerous levels. Leaving a child or animal in a vehicle, even for a few minutes, can be fatal.

 

AUTONEWS

Some robotaxis approved to operate without steering wheels and losing the brake pedal could be next

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Federal regulators are clearing the way for robotaxis to operate without manual controls like steering wheels or eventually even brake pedals as the rules start to catch up to the evolving technology.

Amazon's fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year. At least a couple people were waiting at most stops Thursday afternoon for rides up and down the Vegas strip aboard one of the distinctive boxy-shaped vehicles.

"It's kind of scary at first, but when I just got used to it, it's really cool and chilling. I really liked the music and how you can adjust the temperature," Chloe Huu from Ann Arbor, Michigan, said after taking a ride in a Zoox Thursday. But the projected wait time for the ride kept changing, which made it hard to plan.

he National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to update the regulations to fit these fully autonomous vehicles while still acting as the "cop on the beat to make sure that this is being done right."

Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren't really needed in an autonomous vehicle.

"If you're going to be developing a standard in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, nobody at that time had this imagination, nobody had a crystal ball that you might have technologies that would enable the vehicle to drive itself," Morrison said.

NHTSA...The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to clear the way for the safe development of autonomous vehicles.

"By removing unnecessary barriers to innovation, developing industry guidance, and providing strong enforcement oversight while we create performance requirements, NHTSA is taking a balanced approach to AV regulation,” Morrison said in a statement. “These advancements will ensure that the United States continues to lead the world in AV technology in a safe and responsible manner.”

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

“Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of ‘We believe, we think we’ll do this.’ Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that’s really concerning to us,” said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said this approval is an important milestone for autonomous vehicles.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” Evans said.

Questions remain about robotaxi safety...The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox's plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn't provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

"Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of 'We believe, we think we'll do this.' Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that's really concerning to us," said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Morrison said this technology does offer the promise of never driving distracted or drunk like human drivers do, but robotaxis have had some problems. Sometimes they're just weird behaviors like stopping in the middle of the road or struggling to get out of a parking lot. But he said NHTSA responded to the incidents of autonomous cars passing school buses or interfering with first responders, with investigations, recalls and calls to action.

"Sometimes we have seen unsafe behaviors, and we jump on that really quickly again. That's our job at NHTSA," Morrison said. But he said Americans shouldn't be terribly worried about the safety of these robotaxis.

"By and large we're really excited about the promise of this technology and we want to see that promise fulfilled," he said.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said recently that the limited crash data the government requires autonomous vehicle companies to submit makes it hard to assess the safety record of these robotaxis as they continue to expand across the country.

Most companies don't report how many miles their autonomous vehicles drove, which makes it impossible to calculate a crash rate, according to the IIHS. And there isn't a clear standard for which incidents must be reported. So autonomous vehicle companies are reporting many more minor incidents than human drivers, who tend to only report a crash when there is significant damage or injuries.

Robotaxi industry is expanding quickly nationwide...Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Amazon hopes to eventually produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley as it works to challenge Waymo. Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire self-driving startup Zoox. Initially, Zoox will only be allowed to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles without steering wheels over the next two years as it works to prove the technology is safe. The company said that more than half a million people have already ridden in its vehicles.

AP Transportation Writer Josh Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

Source: AP

 

AUTONEWS

Suzuki Swift Comfort now from €15,990 – more equipment, more safety and affordable financing

Swift Comfort is now available at a new price of €15,990 or from €161 per month.

Euro Sumar, the official importer and distributor of Suzuki vehicles for Serbia, has reduced the price of the Suzuki Swift Comfort model from August 1, 2026, which is now available at a price of €15,990. One of the best-selling city cars in Europe can also be purchased through financing, with a down payment of €4,797 and a monthly installment of €161, with a Suzuki Pro warranty of up to 10 years or 200,000 kilometers.

The new price makes Swift even more accessible to customers looking for a modern, economical and safe car for everyday driving, without compromising on equipment.

Powered by a new generation 1.2-liter gasoline Mild Hybrid engine, Swift has low fuel consumption, lower emissions and a pleasant experience in city and intercity driving. Thanks to its compact dimensions, easy handling and small turning radius, it is an ideal choice for everyday driving, while Suzuki reliability remains one of its greatest strengths.

Comfort package – more than you expect...The Comfort package already in the standard configuration brings a 9-inch multimedia system with Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ connectivity, a reversing camera, adaptive cruise control, automatic air conditioning, LED lights, alloy wheels and a multifunction steering wheel with Bluetooth controls, providing a high level of comfort and connectivity in everyday driving.

Safety first...Safety is one of the key features of the new Swift. The Suzuki Safety Support package brings the latest generation of driver assistance systems, including Dual Sensor Brake Support II (DSBS II) with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, lane keeping assist, blind spot monitoring, cross traffic alert when reversing, hill start assist, as well as a reversing camera and parking sensors.

Thanks to these systems, Swift offers a high level of safety, making it an excellent choice for both new drivers and families and everyday city users.

Is the Suzuki Swift a good car? Suzuki has been taking notes from Porsche over the past few years. Not in the sense that it’s started building rear-engined supercars, but more in the way the new Swift Hybrid hasn’t changed a great deal compared to its predecessor. It’s just been tweaked and updated to improve upon what was already there, resulting in a refreshingly simple small car.

You can think of the Swift as the Custard Cream of the small car world. It’s not the most exciting, and there are certainly more adventurous options out there, but the Custard Cream is a solid and reliable choice, and it’s not as expensive as those posh chocolate-covered biscuits.

To look at, the Suzuki Swift is clearly an evolution of the old car. The overall shape is very similar, but it looks like it’s been given some lip filler thanks to the more pronounced grille, and the bonnet has a more rounded shape than before.

Inside, the dashboard is pretty simple and logically laid out. It feels on the cheap side, a Renault Clio has much more plush-feeling materials, but the Swift feels like it’s built to last. It also gets a freestanding touchscreen and simple dials in front of the driver, as well as physical switches for the climate controls which are easy to use on the move.

For a small car, the Swift feels pretty roomy inside. Four adults will be able to get comfortable, although five will be a squeeze thanks to the narrow middle seat. The boot isn’t exactly cavernous either at 265 litres, but it’s still slightly bigger than an MG3's and there’s enough space for a decent-sized supermarket shop.

''The Swift may not be the most refined small car, but it’s great value for money and that frugal engine will save you money at the pumps'' 

Powering the Swift is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine. It may say hybrid on the boot, but in day-to-day life you’ll find it hard to tell. It’s a 48-volt mild hybrid system which means it can’t drive on electric power alone - it’s essentially a more advanced start-stop system which improves efficiency.

Still, it does a great job of both lowering emissions and saving fuel, only emitting 99g/km of CO2, and 60mpg is easily doable. It’s not a fast car - 0-60mph takes a rather pedestrian 12.5 seconds thanks to an 82hp output - but it still feels pretty, well, swift from behind the wheel. A five-speed manual gearbox comes as standard, with a CVT automatic also available as an option.

This hatchback is sweet to drive. It’s not as much fun as a Mini, nor is it as refined as a Volkswagen Polo, but the low weight and crisp steering means it’s an enjoyable car to fling through corners. Refinement is a weak point for the Swift though, because it lets in quite a lot of wind and road noise at speed and the suspension isn’t the most comfortable around town.

The Suzuki Swift is a simple and honest small car, which is a breath of fresh air in this age of ever more complex hatchbacks. It may not be the most refined, and the interior does feel built down to a price, but it’s very cheap to run, affordable to buy and generously equipped.

Financing further facilitates the purchase...In addition to the new price, attractive financing is also available to customers, making the Suzuki Swift Comfort even more affordable. The model can be financed with a down payment of EUR 4,797.00, while the monthly annuity is EUR 161.08 for a repayment period of 84 months. The loan amount is EUR 11,415.74, with a fixed nominal interest rate (NAI) of 4.99% per annum and an effective interest rate (EIR) of 5.72% per annum.

More information about the model, financing and test drive options is available at www.suzuki-srbija.rs or at an authorized Euro Sumar Suzuki showroom.

TUNNING

Novitec Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider

As has been the successful tradition at Ferrari for decades, an open-top version of the 12Cilindri is also available – the Spider. NOVITEC, the world’s leading automotive refinement specialist for the powerful cars from Maranello, offers an exclusive customization range for the 12-cylinder front-engine sports car with retractable hardtop.

The extensive product lineup includes exposed-carbon aerodynamic enhancement components and tailor-made high-tech wheels in the new NOVITEC NF12 design, which were developed in cooperation with Vossen.

NOVITEC sports springs lower the ride height of the Spider by about 30millimeters.

The NOVITEC high-performance exhaust systems are tuned precisely to the 6.5-liter V12 engine and deliver upgraded sound and performance.

The NOVITEC designers refine the looks of the 12Cilindri Spider with high-quality exposed-carbon parts with a high-gloss finish sealer. The development of these precise-fit components focused not only thrilling looks but also on high aerodynamic efficiency.

The production front fascia is thus upgraded with a combination of NOVITEC lip spoiler and surrounds for the side air intakes. Together these two enhancements give the 12Cilindri Spider an even more distinctive face. What is more, they also optimize the handling stability at high speeds. To make the striking looks even more prominent, the central air intake and the two vertical bars are covered with that same high-tech composite material. In addition, the production panel between the main headlights is replaced by an exposed-carbon NOVITEC part.

NOVITEC adds further emphatically sporty touches with carbon-fiber components for the two air outlets on the hood and for the trim panels behind the front wheel arches.

The NOVITEC racing look is continued systematically under the hood by the exposed-carbon engine bay panels and the two air filter boxes.

A three-piece rear lip spoiler was developed as the counterpart to the NOVITEC front spoilerI order to further increase aerodynamic downforce at high speeds. It is complemented to perfect visual effect by the diffuser, which is likewise made from carbon with a high-gloss finish sealer.

That same high-tech material is also used for the NOVITEC rocker panels, which in concert with the carbon covers for the exterior mirrors lend the Spider an even more dynamic appearance from the sides.

The high-tech alloy wheels designed in cooperation with the American manufacturer Vossen also play an important role in the thrilling looks of the Ferrari Spider refined by NOVITEC. A new addition to the range – and shown for the first time here on the Spider – is the NOVITEC NF12 design with a hub cover in centerlock style and five spokes tapering off into the rim in the shape of a ‘Y’. Precisely calculated cutouts as well as the use of state-of-the-art forging technology and CNC machining optimize the weight of these wheels.

Like the three other wheel designs offered by NOVITEC for this Ferrari model, the NF12 wheel comes in a multitude of colors and with different surface finishes, buffed, brushed or polished.

The Spider is fitted with staggered wheels of different diameters to emphasize the athletic wedge shape of the sports car. The vehicle pictured here runs on wheels of size 10Jx21 and 275/35 ZR 21 high-performance tires at the front and size 12Jx22 wheels with 325/30 ZR 22 tires at the rear.

NOVITEC sports springs lower the ride height of the Ferrari by about 30 millimeters. The lower center of gravity benefits not only the striking looks of the Spider, but gives it even more agile handling to boot.

The NOVITEC specialists also developed a high-performance exhaust system designed for optimal exhaust gas routing in order to make the open-top super sports car even more exciting. Its actively controlled butterfly valves gives the V12 either a subtle or decidedly sporty exhaust note. The system is available made from stainless steel or from ultralight INCONEL, which is also used in Formula 1 racing. This variant is optionally available with 999 fine gold plating for improved heat dissipation.

NOVITEC sports catalysts, sheathed in special insulation, are available for further performance optimization.

The NOVITEC tailpipes provide an additional visual upgrade. They are designed to match the contours of the rear end of the Ferrari and come with a matte black finish or with particularly exclusive 999 fine gold plating. 

NOVITEC also offers refinement of the highest quality for the cockpit of all 12Cilindri models. To this end, the company uses the finest leather and Alcantara in an endless variety of colors.

 

Autonews

 

AUTONEWS

As the skies get busier, will AI help air traffic controllers keep planes flying safely?

Global air travel is predicted to more than double by 2050, threatening to exceed the capacity of air traffic control officers (atcos) to oversee our skies safely.

One solution would be to recruit more controllers – but that’s not as easy as it sounds. Airspace in the UK and elsewhere is broken up into geographically and altitude-bounded sectors – with each sector normally the responsibility of one atco (the tactical controller) at any time. So, increasing the number of controllers to deal with a greater concentration of aircraft could require a major redesign of UK airspace.

An alternative is to move beyond the current generation of air traffic control technology by increasing the role of AI systems – including providing real-time decision support for atcos.

AI agents could continuously monitor each airspace sector and recommend instructions (known as “clearances”) to issue to aircraft in that sector. These would then be assessed for their appropriateness by the tactical controller.

The UK’s air traffic control provider NATS (a public-private partnership) is, like other national providers, on an automation journey. It has collaborated with the University of Exeter and the Alan Turing Institute on Project Bluebird, which is investigating how AI systems could help meet the challenge of growing air travel volumes.

As part of this project, I have been using immersive participant observation and interviews to investigate how atcos use their existing tools, explore how they feel about the adoption of AI, and how the trust relationships that are key to safe air traffic operation could be affected.

As one controller reflected about existing air traffic procedures: “It’s an overall improved system when you have more trust in the people that you’re working with, and you’re more familiar with them.”

Trust in the AI...Atcos are organised into “watches” – groups of about 15 controllers who regularly work together on the same shift in the same control centre to oversee sectors within their region. While each sector is the responsibility of one tactical controller, the movement of aircraft between sectors requires seamless teamwork.

Automated short-term conflict alert systems to prevent air collisions have been a key part of air traffic control for several decades now. This offers an example of how AI tools may be received, as one atco recalled:

''We were all quite nervous when that [conflict alert] system came out – we didn’t know how it was going to work. But very soon, you get your confidence in the system. You understand that the predictions that have been given to you are correct 98% of the time, or whatever they are – and you learn the small minority of situations where it isn’t''.

From my discussions with atcos, it is clear that if AI agents are to be trusted, their recommendations must be presented in ways that controllers can quickly make sense of, and decide if they are appropriate. One told me:

''There could be all sorts of possibilities where an AI agent is becoming your support controller, your secondary controller, and making suggestions you can either accept or decline … it’s a very interesting concept, if it can demonstrate to me why that’s a good idea – because that’s the bit we don’t know''.

Concerns were raised with me about AI agents being “black boxes” whose workings lack transparency. This could make it difficult for an atco to determine when AI recommendations should be accepted and – just as important – when they should not be.

Delivering transparency means satisfying two requirements: explainability (knowing how the AI system reached its decision) and interpretability (understanding why the AI system reached that decision). As part of the project, we have identified ways to ensure transparency – such as the AI agent always revealing which aircraft within a sector it is taking into account when recommending clearances, and why.

In short, teaming atcos with AI agents could play an important role in handling growing air traffic volumes safely – but only if atcos develop strong levels of trust in the AI agents first.

A digital twin...Project Bluebird is working on more efficiency benefits for air traffic control and other air traffic management services. These include more accurate methods for aircraft trajectory prediction, using models trained on tens of thousands of observations of how aircraft behave in flight.

It is building a digital twin of UK airspace – a virtual model of airspace sectors, routes, procedures and other factors that form the operational context for air traffic. This high-fidelity model could be used for the training and evaluation of new types of AI agent, and testing the viability of new airspace designs.

Bluebird is also developing an assurance framework that regulators and other air traffic control stakeholders could use to determine if the safety requirements for AI-based systems are met.

These systems are likely to play an increasing role if the projected growth in air traffic is to be managed safely. While NATS is committed to keeping humans in the loop for the foreseeable future, the atcos I spoke to are cautiously optimistic about the benefits of AI. As one observed:

''[Unlike a tactical controller,] an AI agent can think of the whole network. It can look at the whole trajectory of a flight … and even a small adjustment to an aircraft speed or heading can make a big difference to the overall flight''.

As global air travel volumes continue to surge, major aviation authorities are implementing artificial intelligence to transition from reactive traffic management to predictive risk mitigation. Human controllers will retain final oversight, using AI as an advanced digital "co-pilot".

How AI is transforming the control tower:

Predictive bottleneck prevention: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) partnered with Air Space Intelligence to roll out the SMART system. This tool analyzes complex weather patterns, airport capacity, and airspace constraints to predict and resolve routing conflicts before planes even take off.

Conflict detection and resolution: AI agents continuously monitor specific airspace sectors. While human controllers handle a flight's immediate tactical path, AI reviews the entire network trajectory. It can suggest microscopic adjustments to speed or heading that ripple across the airspace to prevent close calls.

Runway safety and ground operations: Advanced visual AI co-pilots automatically scan airport tarmacs to flag unauthorized vehicles or personnel, helping to eliminate dangerous runway incursions.

Increased capacity: Comprehensive simulations by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) LOKI project demonstrate that human-AI collaboration can safely increase an airspace sector's traffic capacity by up to 25%.

The human-in-the-loop challenge...Despite its immense computing power, AI is not taking over entirely. Global regulators like EUROCONTROL and national airspace managers stress that human intuition is irreplaceable during unforeseen, chaotic emergencies.

A major barrier to full adoption is the "black box" nature of machine learning. Air traffic controllers must be able to trust the AI's recommendations. Initiatives like the UK's Project Bluebird are focusing heavily on explainability—ensuring the AI explicitly communicates why it recommends a specific clearance and which aircraft it factored into the decision.

by: NATS (a public-private partnership)

UAZ

The iconic UAZ-452 became the Buhanka: The nickname became the official name

The UAZ van family first appeared back in 1958 and was an immediate success in the former USSR. The initial model, the UAZ-450, based on the rugged GAZ-69 SUV, was modernized seven years later (1965) and received the UAZ-452 designation. Since then, this family of vehicles has been produced without any significant changes and is the oldest Russian cars in factory production. Although in the meantime, the UAZ company has started producing more modern SUVs and vans, interest in the “new old-timer” 452 has never waned.

Throughout all these years, the UAZ classic has carried simple numerical designations, recently the manufacturer has called them the SGR family (Old Cargo Series), but the colloquial name “Buhanka”, or “loaf” in Russian, has long been familiar to the public. Now the iconic name, derived from the shape of the van, has finally become official. UAZ announced that the renaming took place on July 31, which means that from the beginning of August 2026, the SGR family will officially be called UAZ Buhanka.

Above the front axle of the “Loaf” is installed a 2.7L gasoline engine, which transmits 112 “horses” and 208 Nm of torque to all four wheels via a 5-speed manual transmission. The Bukhanka scores points with its excellent off-road capabilities – thanks to its 205 mm ground clearance, it can overcome water obstacles 500 mm deep, an approach angle of 30 degrees and a departure angle of 27 degrees. Prices for cargo Bukhankas start at 1.64 million rubles (17,640 euros).

Although, in technical and accompanying documentation, the ancient UAZ is still designated by the old numerical indices, the popular name, now official, is already used in corporate communication materials: on the website, price lists, brochures and catalogs of additional equipment. Despite the name change, the UAZ Buhanka remains available as a minibus, cargo van, van and flatbed truck with a cabin with one or two rows of seats.

You can improve the high variability of your Buchanka with a wide range of retrofitted accessories. You can turn it into an expedition special with maximum terrain pass ability or to a comfortable leisure caravan. You can find the necessary equipment for work use in our offer, but also comfortable elements such as air conditioning, car radio or heated seats.

Another advantage is the minimal use of electronics, simple construction that emphasize reliability and low maintenance costs. 

 

Autonews

 

AUTONEWS

The best car mechanic in Spain reveals which models break down the least

A few years ago, when any problem or doubt arose with a vehicle, the only option was to go to the service station and rely on the opinion of a trusted mechanic. Today, many of these experts have gone a step further, sharing their experiences from the jack on social networks. The topic that interests drivers the most is the reliability of new cars and breakdowns in the service station, and Javier Sendin(image above), officially declared the best car mechanic in Spain in 2023, decided to open the cards.

In an interview with the reputable “Mundo Deportivo”, Sendin gave answers that could seriously disappoint fans of expensive and famous German brands. The Spanish expert explains that the quality of workmanship that we were used to 15 or 20 years ago no longer exists in that form today and that new models are more prone to problems than before.

The city access factor...Sendín also pointed to Spain’s environmental label system, where some drivers now face real limits if their car does not qualify for the cleaner categories. In practical terms, that can affect where people park, where they drive, and whether a downtown trip turns into a headache.

Spain’s traffic authority says its “Cero Emisiones” label includes plug-in hybrids with a minimum electric-only range of about 25 miles. That label can matter in restricted urban zones, where a sticker on the windshield may decide whether a driver gets easy access or a fine.

This is why the question is bigger than fuel economy. For some families, especially in cities, the choice is not just what engine they like. It is what car still lets them move around without checking a rulebook before every errand.

The expensive repair warning...Then comes the part many buyers do not see at the dealership. Modern cars are safer and smarter, but Sendín warned that they are also far more expensive to maintain than cars from just a few years ago.

Also Read: A new report ties the mystery drones grounding European flights to Russia’s shadow fleet, with the ships’ activity raising fresh alarm

He gave two examples that jump off the page. A multimedia screen can cost about $10,260 to $11,400, while a matrix headlight can reach about $2,850, based on the European Central Bank’s July 8, 2026 reference rate of 1 euro to $1.1404.

That changes the math after a crash. As Sendín explained, a simple front impact involving two headlights and airbags can be enough for an insurer to declare the vehicle a total loss.

Safety has a price...To be fair, Sendín did not dismiss modern cars. He acknowledged that today’s vehicles are much safer, more comfortable, and easier to drive thanks to driver-assistance systems and safety technology.

That matters. Anyone who has driven through stop-and-go traffic, heavy rain, or a noisy school pickup line understands why better visibility, automatic braking, and comfort features are not just luxuries.

But every sensor, screen, camera, and lighting system adds another expensive part. The car may protect its occupants better, but the owner also has to live with the cost of repairing all that technology when something goes wrong.

What buyers should keep in mind...Sendín’s advice is not a blanket order for everyone to buy a plug-in hybrid. It is more like a mechanic’s reality check. The best choice depends on where someone lives, how much they drive, whether they can charge at home, and how much risk they can absorb when repairs arrive.

For drivers with predictable daily routes and access to a charger, a plug-in hybrid can cut fuel use while keeping long-distance flexibility. For drivers without easy charging, the benefit may be much smaller.

The word of the master ignites the networks...The truth is that today there is no longer a brand that is extremely reliable as it used to be. In general, reliability has declined for almost all manufacturers, and practically any vehicle can have faults, regardless of segment or price, Sendin began.

Speaking of the cars that most often appear in service channels, Sendin did not hesitate to mention the largest European concerns:

We see vehicles from the Stellantis group quite often in the service, which includes brands such as Peugeot, Citroen, Opel, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, DS, Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge. We also see a lot of vehicles from the VAG group (Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda), as well as BMW and Mercedes, both due to the large volume of sales and the complexity of their electronic systems.

Mechanics "love" Fiat, Peugeot, Volkswagen, Mercedes...

However, there are exceptions that prove the rule. When asked which cars are least often seen in the workshop due to serious faults, the Spanish mechanic had a ready and very clear answer:

Japanese vehicles come to the service the least often. The cars that come to the workshop the least often due to breakdowns are Japanese, and they still stand out for their reliability and durability.

Talking about what kind of car he would choose when buying a new vehicle, Sendin admits that he is cautious by nature, but that he has his favorites when it comes to modern technology:

''Honestly, I don't feel like buying any new cars these days. But if I had to, I would definitely opt for a plug-in hybrid, preferably a Japanese one. This type of vehicle combines the best of both technologies: thermal and electric engines. It allows you to move around the city in 100% electric mode, at very low costs and without emissions, while at the same time offering the possibility of longer journeys thanks to the internal combustion engine. In addition, since it is a plug-in, it has the CERO label, which makes it easier to move in zones with limited traffic and brings tax and parking benefits'', Sendin concluded.