Despite the attention being focused on Suzuki’s new middleweight platform, it’s important not to overlook the other bikes in the brand’s lineup. Suzuki has recently announced its returning models for the 2024 model-year.
One of the returning models is the GSX-R750. Although considered a dinosaur by some, this supersport bike is beloved by sportbike enthusiasts and offers solid performance at an affordable price of $12,999. Powered by a 750cc, liquid-cooled, inline-four engine, the GSX-R750 features a compact and lightweight chassis.
The 2024 model-year introduces new color options for the GSX-R750, including the Pearl Brilliant White/Metallic Triton Blue combination, Pearl Brilliant White and Metallic Matte Stellar Blue, and Metallic Matte Black No. 2 and Glass Sparkle Black.
The Suzuki DR650S is also back for 2024, offering rugged capability and unwavering dependability for dual-sport enthusiasts. Equipped with a 644cc, oil-cooled, single-cylinder engine and housed in a robust steel frame, the DR650S is designed to handle various terrains. It is available in Solid Black and Iron Gray, as well as Solid Special White No. 2. The retail price is $7,099 USD.
For those seeking off-road performance, the DR-Z400S is also making a return. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the 2024 DR-Z400S is available in a race-inspired Champion Yellow colorway and a sleek Solid Black option. It features a 398cc, liquid-cooled, single-cylinder engine and an adjustable suspension system for personalized handling. The price is set at $7,199 USD, and it comes with black Excel rims and stainless steel spokes.
Last but not least, the Suzuki DR-Z400SM is back to cater to hooligan supermoto riders. Based on the reliable DR-Z400S platform, the DR-Z400SM features a 17-inch wheel setup and road-focused tires for exceptional handling on twisty roads. With its lightweight frame and slim profile, this bike is ideal for a versatile riding experience in the city and on curvy roads. The 2024 model is priced at $7,899 USD.
In addition to the models, Suzuki offers a variety of Genuine Accessories to customize the bikes according to individual preferences. For more information on availability and test rides of the 2024 lineup, contact your nearest Suzuki dealership.
Also, let’s not forget Toyota’s reputation and history. Toyota trucks are well-known for their reliability which is a big selling point within the off-road community. Buyers look for something that can take them out in nature or around the country reliably for years to come. And, in many cases, the first choice is Toyota simply because of past reliability scores and reputation.
Now, the new Tundra, although more modern, keeps the underpinnings that make a true 4×4. It still features a body-on-frame design with a solid rear axle and independent front. Now, that solid rear axle is coil-sprung rather than leaf sprung making the new model more comfortable and more capable than before.
Since this is such a good base to build upon, it would only make sense to create a list with the 10 best modifications one could do to their Tundra. This will make an already capable truck, even more capable.
A detail shot of the Toyota Tundra Trailhunter’s front bumper
The new Tundra is a great truck, however, there is one area Toyota could have done much better. Aside from the fact that the front bumper hangs down low, the new truck also doesn’t offer front recovery hooks. This is true even on the TRD Pro models and is rather disappointing from a company such as Toyota.
That being said, this issue can be addressed by going for an aftermarket front bumper. To suit the front, you can also upgrade the rear. Upgraded bumpers will provide better approach and departure angles, body protection, and a solid recovery point to easily snatch a vehicle when it gets stuck. Furthermore, most upgraded bumpers will provide a spot for a winch which can be invaluable in certain situations.
Pros
Off Road Protection
Recovery Points
Better Off-Road Angles
Cons
More Weight
Revised appearance might not vibe with everyone
9A Winch Can Get You Out Of Very Sticky Situations
Toyota
Side view of the Toyota Tundra
One of the main reasons people love off-roading is the challenge involved with the activity. Because of this, people can sometimes push their selves and their truck a bit too far which can result in getting stuck. Now, recovering a stuck vehicle with a snatch strap works in many instances. However, if you are alone or have gotten stuck in a dangerous or very boggy location, your only option is the winch.
A winch can be hooked up to any solid object and through the power of a motor paired with low gearing, can pull out a truck from most situations with relative ease. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the winch can be an invaluable addition to your off-road vehicle – especially if you travel alone.
Pros
Will Get You Out Of Most Situations
Allows you to easily help others
Cons
It Adds Weight
It Needs An Aftermarket Bumper To Be Mounted
8Off-Road Suspension Will Drastically Increase Your Tundra’s Abilities
Toyota
A detail shot of the suspension on the Toyota Tundra Trailhunter
Upgrading the suspension on a 4×4 is one of the most common upgrades people do. This modification would also work wonders for the Tundra. Because this is a full-sized truck, it is designed with quite a long wheelbase. The longer wheelbase means that its break-over angles aren’t the best which can lead to getting hung up on the belly of the vehicle.
One of the best ways to minimize this issue is to go for a suspension lift. As you can imagine, this will provide the truck with more ground clearance but will also improve its payload capacity and off-road durability. Suspension upgrades come with a verity of stiffness levels enabling you to choose the perfect setup according to the weight you are carrying (like a winch with steel bumpers and a bed rack with a rooftop tent). Furthermore, aftermarket suspension provides more articulation and better damper cooling to ensure your suspension doesn’t overheat over rough terrain.
Good tires are important for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they provide more grip, meaning that you will be able to drive over tougher obstacles. Secondly, off-road tires are made from tougher materials that reduce the possibility of punctures. The last thing you want is a flat tire in the middle of nowhere. Now, depending on your intended usage, you can go either for an all-terrain or mud terrain tire. If you will be doing a lot of off-roading, especially in mud, then the mud terrain is the more aggressive and more capable tire. If on the other hand, you will be going for easier trails, then the all-terrain is perfectly suited.
Pros
More Grip
Better Puncture Resistance
Cons
Decreased Fuel Consumption
More Road Noise
6Off-Road Wheels Are Important
Off-road wheels aren’t a must, but they can have a significant impact on your truck’s abilities. Good quality wheels can be lighter than factory units, which will make your Tundra more responsive while also putting less stress on the suspension. Also, you can choose the design of your liking, which will help personalize your truck.
Now, if you want to take your Tundra to the extreme, you can go for beadlock wheels. Beadlock wheels do exactly what they say – they lock the bead in place. This prevents the tire from slipping off when off-roading with low tire pressures. Keep in mind that beadlock wheels aren’t road legal in all states. Therefore, it is a good idea to do some local regulation research before you spend your money on them.
Pros
Less Weight
Better Economy
Less Wear
More Grip
Cons
They Can Be Pricey
5A Set Of Rock Sliders Will Keep Your Sills Straight
As mentioned before, the Tundra is a long beast. Even with a suspension lift and larger tires, there is a big possibility that you may run out of clearance on some obstacles. The last thing you want is to put some big dents in your brand-new Tundra’s sills. To avoid this, you can get a set of rock sliders that will act as sill protectors.
Rock sliders are made from steel and act both as protection but also as side steps. Therefore, getting in your truck won’t get any harder when you install them. Make sure that the rock sliders you go for mount on the frame of the truck not on the body, as frame-mounted sliders are much tougher.
Many would argue that a snorkel doesn’t really improve a car’s water-wading ability and is only there to help the truck breathe cleaner and colder air. This, however, isn’t true. There are many instances in which water can go over the bonnet when off-roading, and if your Tundra doesn’t have a snorkel you will end up with an eye-wateringly expensive bill thanks to a hydro-locked engine. It goes without saying that if you are planning on hitting deep river crossings, a snorkel, and water-sealed airbox are a must.
However, the statement that snorkels help your truck breath cleaner air is also true. The fact that the intake is mounted higher up leads to less dust intake which prolongs the life of your engine.
Pros
Helps your engine make it through deep rivers.
Provides cleaner intake air.
Acts as a cold air intake.
Cons
Requires drilling into your fenders.
Can break off-road as it is mostly made from plastic.
.
3Take Extra Camping Gear With A Bed Rack
Toyota
A Toyota Tundra Trailhunter in the snowy mountains
A rack system will increase your Tundra’s off-road and adventure abilities even further. In many cases, off-roading goes hand in hand with camping, and camping means taking a lot of stuff with you. A bed rack can help you organize all your gear by providing more space to mount things. Throwing everything inside the bed simply won’t work as after a long day of wheeling, nothing will be in the same spot.
A bed rack simply mounts on your Tundra’s bed and extends roughly to the same height as your roof. This means that the truck won’t become much taller than it already is. Also, the fact that the rack goes all the way to the roof means that you can still use your bed to haul items.
Pros
Increased Storage Space
Tent accessories allow you to camp right on your truck
convenience
Cons
More Weight On Board
Worse Aerodynamics
Decreased Fuel Economy
2A Drawer System Will Further Organize Your Tundra
If you want to organize your off-road gear even further, it is a good idea to go for a truck bed drawer system. This is essentially a box with a drawer that is made to fit the Tundra’s bed, providing you with tidy storage areas to keep all your gear organized. Furthermore, most bed drawer systems are lockable, making everything a bit safer. One of the biggest downfalls of truck beds is the fact that your gear can get stolen easily.
Keep in mind that this is a modification for people who mostly use their Tundra for off-road purposes. Once the drawer is in, you will lose quite a bit of depth in the bed; therefore, storage space will be reduced.
Since the Tundra is such a great adventure machine, it would only make sense to equip it with a rooftop tent to ensure baby-like sleep in nature. A rooftop tent mounts on your bed rack and provides elevated sleeping space. This means that you are safer from animal strikes but can also enjoy nature from a higher perspective. In most cases, rooftop tents also come with great-quality mattresses that are extremely comfortable.
Rooftop tents are expensive; therefore, when shopping, it can be tempting to go for the cheaper ones. However, it is better to spend the additional cash and get one that is lightweight, comfortable, and tough. Cheap rooftop tents tend to be noisy when nights get windy; they are heavier and don’t last as long.
In recent years, independent showcases by platform leaders and standalone events from big-name studios have overshadowed E3, stealing its thunder. Furthermore, Geoff Keighley’s Summer Games Fest show now dominates the June slot that was once reserved for E3 announcements.
Opinions on E3 differ. In a podcast interview with VGC earlier this month, Keighley said, “I think E3 sort of killed itself in a way.” The absence of Microsoft and Sony, the platform overlords, from E3 has reduced the incentive for the event. Additionally, the recent rivalries and conflicts over multi-billion acquisitions have driven the competitors further apart.
It is possible that Xbox and PlayStation may never share the E3 stage again, especially given the tension between Microsoft and Sony over the Activision Blizzard fiasco. In June, Microsoft hosted its Xbox Games showcase event, followed by a dedicated show for a Starfield deep-dive. On July 11, the company will host the next ID@Xbox Showcase to reveal trailers and gameplay details of new titles. Sony and Nintendo also held their own events in June, and Keighley had his own gaming event during the same window. This does not mean that E3 is doomed, but the opportunity for E3 to regain its former glory is diminishing.
MQB evo – the latest evolutionary stage of the modular transverse matrix platform brings a variety of modern technologies on board the Tiguan
In future, the successful model will be launched with premium features such as HD matrix headlights and new adaptive chassis control
New cockpit and infotainment generation for intuitive and logical operating concept has been developed in response to customers feedback
World premiere will take place in the autumn; the market launch is scheduled for 2024
As part of final test drives, the Volkswagen brand is announcing the first details of its currently best-selling model: The third generation of the new Tiguan will be available with a newly developed active suspension control system and full-size features such as HD Matrix headlights. It is based on the new generation of the modular transverse matrix, MQB evo. With plug-in hybrid drive, the new Tiguan will achieve electric ranges of up to 100 kilometres in the future. The world premiere will take place in autumn, and the bestseller will be launched on the market in 2024.
The Tiguan has been the Volkswagen brand’s best-selling model worldwide for years. Since its debut in autumn 2007, more than 7.4 million people around the world have chosen this SUV.Now Volkswagen is completely relaunching the successful model.
Volkswagen has further developed the modular transverse matrix for the new Tiguan. The new generation is called MQB evo. Kai Grünitz, Member of the Brand Board of Management responsible for Technical Development: “State-of-the-art technology components interact perfectly in the MQB evo: a new generation of plug-in hybrid drives with electric ranges of up to 100 kilometres, probably the best active chassis control in its segment, premium interior quality and an equally new and intuitive infotainment system deliver what drivers expect from Volkswagen.”
IQ.LIGHT HD matrix headlights. The Tiguan will be one of the first vehicles in its class to be available with optional HD matrix headlights. The IQ.LIGHT HD matrix headlight technology was developed jointly for the Tiguan and Touareg. Based on the top-down principle, the lighting technology of a premium-class model will now be used in the mid-sized Tiguan.
New display- and operating concept. The interior of the Tiguan has been revamped and designed.Volkswagen has taken specific customer requirements into account for intuitive operation. For example, the Tiguan comes onto the market with a newly developed cockpit and a new infotainment system. A screen with a diagonal of up to 38 centimetres (15 inches) clearly displays important functions such as navigation, music and climate control and can be customised with quick access. The center console also houses the Driving Experience Control. The rotary control with its own mini-screen can be used to control drive mode, radio volume or ambient lighting colours. High-quality materials, newly developed seats and effective noise insulation increase value and comfort. In particular, in conjunction with a new “acoustic package” (optional), the Tiguan is designed to provide premium-class noise comfort. The centre consoles also offer more space for storage.
In future, the Tiguan will be offered exclusively with an automated shift gearbox (DSG). Like on the Volkswagen ID. models, the gear position is now changed by means of a steering column switch on the right of the steering wheel with a self-explanatory operating principle. The switch is turned forwards to “D” to drive forwards and backwards to “R” to reverse, while the parking brake is activated by pressing the side of the switch. In addition, paddle shifters are available behind the steering wheel.
Electronically controlled suspension for more comfort and dynamics. The MQB evo provides the starting point for a new generation of the adaptive suspension control DCC: the optional DCC Pro with two-valve shock absorbers. The new model is now additionally equipped as standard with a vehicle dynamics manager – an MQB system that made its debut in the current Golf GTI. The system controls the functions of the electronic differential locks (XDS) and the lateral dynamics components of the controlled shock absorbers in the DCC Pro system. Thanks to the Vehicle Dynamics Manager, which performs wheel-specific braking interventions and wheel-selective adjustments of the shock absorber hardness, the handling characteristics are more neutral, stable, agile and precise. This progress will be noticeable on board through increased comfort as well as significantly improved performance in dynamic cornering.
TDI, TSI, eTSI and eHybrid. Thanks to MQB evo, different drive types are possible for the Tiguan. It will be offered with turbodiesel engines (TDI), turbocharged petrol engines (TSI), mild hybrid turbocharged petrol engines (eTSI) and plug-in hybrid systems (eHybrid). The electric range of the new plug-in hybrid drives has been increased to up to 100 kilometres compared with the predecessors, depending on equipment. In addition, AC charging will be faster in all eHybrid versions, and DC charging will also be possible as standard for the first time.
Premium-class seats. The Tiguan will be optionally available with ergoActive front seats. Among other things, these seats come with pneumatic four-way lumbar support adjustment and a pneumatic 10-chamber pressure point massage function in the backrests – features that are usually found in premium-class models. They are also equipped with seat heating and ventilation.
Larger luggage compartment in the Tiguan. The new Tiguan grows in length by around three centimetres. Height, width and wheelbase remain almost identical to the predecessor. The luggage compartment capacity of the new generation shows just how good the use of space is: although the SUV is only slightly longer, its luggage compartment capacity has increased by 33 litres to 648 litres (when loaded up to the height of the rear seat backrests).
BMW has announced a safety recall for the iX, an all-electric utility vehicle. A total of 11,180 units are being called back to address the issue of unintended cruise control activation. To resolve this problem, a software update will be provided.
In late 2022, BMW started taking this issue seriously after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration received reports of unintended cruise control activation in the iX vehicles. As a result, the German automaker is taking proactive measures by issuing this recall.
The iX is built on a unique platform called the Cluster Architecture, developed specifically for this electric model. However, despite the advanced technology, it appears that there is a flaw in the cruise control system that causes it to engage unintentionally.
Owners of the affected iX vehicles will be notified by BMW and instructed to take their cars to authorized service centers for the necessary software update. This update is designed to prevent the cruise control from activating unintentionally, enhancing the safety of the vehicle and its occupants.
The recall serves as a reminder that even with cutting-edge technology, automakers must ensure that all safety systems are thoroughly tested to avoid any potential hazards. BMW is committed to addressing this issue promptly and efficiently to maintain the trust and satisfaction of its customers.
The BMW Group has teamed up with AirConsole, a gaming platform, to introduce a unique in-car gaming experience for the first time in the new BMW 5 Series. Passengers and drivers can enjoy playing casual games while the vehicle is stationary, waiting for the vehicle to charge or a meeting to start, for instance. The AirConsole app will be introduced in other BMW vehicles, but the new BMW 5 Series will be the first. The BMW i5 with a unique gaming design created by the BMW Group Design will be unveiled exclusively for the new BMW 5 Series launch.
The in-car gaming experience is easy with the smartphone acting as the controller and the BMW Curved Display. Starting the AirConsole app in the vehicle and scanning a QR code on the Curved Display intuitively establishes the connection between the smartphone and car. Multiple players can go straight into playing, and the app can support participation from rear passengers as well. Players can play alone, jointly, or in competition mode.
AirConsole offers casual games that are easy to understand and control, including racing, sports, quizzes, music quizzes, simulation, strategy, jump-and-run, and puzzle games, with about 15 titles available for the market introduction of the new BMW 5 Series saloon. Examples of the games available at launch include “Go Kart Go”, “Golazo”, “Music Guess,” and “Overcooked”.
To mark the launch of in-car gaming, the BMW Group presents a BMW i5 with a unique gaming wrap that honours the 8-bit era of computer games, with large pixels serving as a symbol for the gaming experience and a nod to the various games available on AirConsole. The design captures the essence of the in-car gaming solution of AirConsole, where users leverage their smartphones as controllers to access all gameplay options.
Other BMW models from the mid-range and luxury segments will gradually get the AirConsole app. BMW Operating System 8.5 updating via Remote Software Upgrade will be set up for BMW 7 Series made after 07/22 and BMW iX made after 03/23, as well as BMW X5, BMW X6, BMW X7, BMW XM, BMW X5 M, BMW X6 M produced after 04/23.
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