Features

With Chinese cars just as quickly winning over many Jordanian and international drivers as the products themselves have dramatically and swiftly improved over recent years, the BAIC Beijing X7 is one of the latest and most convincing of such recent arrivals.

Produced by one of China’s largest and most experienced auto manufacturers — boasting collaborations with several foreign manufacturers — the X7 proved to be a refined, confident, elegant, spacious, well-equipped and good value proposition, even next to other moderately priced and impressive new generation co-national competitors.

Elegantly athletic

Under new management in Jordan since earlier this year and with a auto building history going back to 1958, the Chinese manufacturer is marketing the X7 and other models from different sub-brands under the core BAIC brand in the region instead. Known elsewhere as a product of the Beijing brand, the BAIC X7 is a handsome and sleek mid-size front-drive crossover that well hides its height and size with sharp, crisp lines, smoothly muscular surfacing, subtle lower black cladding and an assertive yet elegantly athletic fascia treatment. 

With slim, heavily browed headlights, and similarly narrow and a jutting upper grille element contrasting with a wide and tall — almost Aston Martin-like — lower grill, flanked by blistered side gills, the X7 cuts a dramatic figure with a sense of momentum. Its sportily flavoured styling also features a stepped clamshell bonnet emphasising height at the centre, but minimising sheet metal above the wheel-arches. Meanwhile an elegantly descending “floating” effect roofline, jutting slim rear lights and evocative Coke-bottle haunches further play to the X7’s urgent demeanour.

Quiet conviction

Offered with a single, small but prodigious engine option in Jordan, the X7 280T is powered by a transversely-mounted turbocharged 1.5-litre 4-cylinder motor driving the front wheels through a smooth shifting 7-speed automated dual-clutch gearbox. Developing 185BHP at 5,500rpm and 203lb/ft torque throughout a broad, accessible and versatile 1,500-4,500rpm plateau, the X7 is estimated to be able to propel its 1,665kg mass through the 0-100km/h acceleration benchmark in approximately 10-seconds or less. Meanwhile combined cycle fuel consumption is frugal for its class at 6.8l/100km.

Smooth and quietly well-insulated, the X7’s engine is quick-spooling and responsive, with only faint evidence of the lag often associated with turbo engines. At its best throughout its wide, rich and flexibly useful peak torque band, the X7 pulls hard through revs, and overtakes with conviction, even on briskly driven inclines. Underwritten by generous torque, the X7’s engine meanwhile builds power progressively to a comparatively low-revving maximum, where it feels confidently capable, before the next gear engages and revs drop to its mid-range sweet spot.

Refined ride

Intuitive in finding the right gear for the right moment in response to throttle input, whether in default or more responsive “sport” driving modes, the X7’s gearbox can be shifted in a sequential manual mode through the gear lever. Shifting so gives added driver control, but with shift speed-favouring smoothness over snappiness, and no steering mounted shift buttons, the X7’s gearbox is best in auto mode. Its stylishly elegant gear lever button locations meanwhile take a few minutes to get accustomed to when first manoeuvring in tight confines.

A refined and relaxing ride with terrific stability at speed and cabin noise suppression — including active noise cancellation tech — the X7 meanwhile fluently dispatches uneven and lumpy road surfacing, without the pronounced side to side jostling of occupants that some significantly more up-market competitors suffer from. Similarly better-settled and comfortable in vertical movements than many costlier crossovers, the X7 dismounts large bumps with poise and control. Forgivingly comfortable and poised over most potholes, the X7 finds a good balance between comfort and cornering body control.

Confident comfort

A comfortable, high-riding front-driven cruiser, the X7’s handling nevertheless proved to be unexpectedly adept. Turning tidily and precisely into corners, with above average agility for its class, the X7 meanwhile displayed reassuring road-holding at the rear. With dampers pushing tyres firmly into the tarmac, the X7 — unlike some better-known rivals — resisted any unintended mid-corner skips or slides on brisk, narrow and poorly paved switchbacks. Braking was similarly reassuring, while well-damped steering was accurate, intuitive and light, if not especially textured in nuance, feel and feedback.

Competitively priced, the X7 looks and drives above expectation, and is thoroughly equipped with numerous convenience, infotainment, safety and driver assistance systems, including 8-speaker sound system, three touchscreens, 360° camera, lane departure assistance, blind spot and forward collision warnings, adaptive cruise control, and parking assistance. Elegant inside, the X7 has an airy and fresh ambiance, with modern trim and good quality textures. Its driving position is supportive and well-adjustable, while rear space and cabin access is comfortable and generous, even for larger and taller occupants.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1.5-litre, transverse, turbocharged 4-cylinders

Valve-train: 16-valve, DOHC

Gearbox: 7-speed dual-clutch automated, front-wheel-drive

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 185 (188) [138] @5,500rpm

Specific power: 123.4BHP/litre

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 203 (275) @1,500-4,500rpm

Specific torque: 183.4Nm/litre

0-100km/h: approximately 10-seconds (estimate)

Fuel consumption, combined: 6.8-litres/100km

Fuel capacity: 60-litres

Length: 4,710mm

Width: 1,892mm

Height: 1,715mm

Wheelbase: 2,800mm

Ground clearance: 200mm

Kerb weight: 1,665kg (estimate)

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/multi-link

Steering: Electric-assisted rack & pinion

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/discs

Tyres: 235/55R19

Price, on-the-road, with third party insurance: JD27,000

Warranty: 6-years or 200,000km

Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City

Matthew Teller

London: Profile Books, 2022

Pp. 336

In his new book, author Matthew Teller takes the reader on a somewhat unconventional tour of the Old City of Jerusalem. While there are captivating descriptions of the city’s famous landmarks as well as less known nooks and crannies, the emphasis is on people, their lives and history.

The dynamics of the book stem from the author’s interviews and friendships with scores of the Old City’s inhabitants from different walks of life, different religious communities, and sometimes different ethnic and language groups. Though some speak of catastrophes and injustices, including those brought on by Israel’s ethnic cleansing and restrictions, the overall effect is upbeat. 

One cannot help but be impressed by the interviewees’ energy, resourcefulness, originality, persistence, and accomplishments against the odds, as well as by the author’s depth of historical knowledge, his mastery of linguistics and choice of subjects. 

Teller is quick to warn that things are not as they seem, comparing the city to an iceberg where only a fraction appears above the surface. It soon becomes apparent that he is out to dispel certain myths that are cherished by parties that benefit from them. The most important premise that he contests is the idea that the Old City of Jerusalem can be neatly divided into four quarters with a single religious community inhabiting each one.

In recent times, this myth has been contested by a few serious scholars, but it is still reflected in popular travel literature and Israeli-issued information. Teller’s insistence on demolishing this myth is politically motivated, because if the Old City can be so divided, it feeds into the false perception that the conflict over Palestine is all about religion rather than being about colonialism and occupation. 

According to Teller’s research, no ancient map depicted religiously-defined quarters. He makes a side trip to Jordan to view the Madaba map, considered the oldest in the world, which showed one unified city. As he also points out, all during the 20th century and up until today, most quarters had a mixed population. So, how did a map, dated 1837, which divided Jerusalem into four religiously-defined quarters, evolve? Though unable to find out much about the European cartographer who drew it, Teller did not give up but continued to examine the beginnings of British colonialism in Palestine, and the maps made in the following decade.

He learned that when the British sent troops against Mohammad Ali’s incursion into Ottoman-controlled Palestine, they assigned two military engineers and a missionary to make a map to guide their efforts. Influenced by Protestantism, these men were only interested in Jews and Christians, used archaic terms from Crusader times, and introduced the concept of a Muslim quarter--all in the service of divide-and-rule. (Teller notes how Israeli urban policy built on that of Britain.)

The book is a delight to read because Teller has a way with words reflected in clever chapter titles and a keen sense of irony, poking fun at illogical assumptions. In this case, he terms it bizarre to designate a particular quarter as Muslim, since the city as a whole was majority Muslim; it is equivalent to defining a part of Rome as the Catholic quarter. 

Having dismissed the veracity of the Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian Quarters, Teller proceeds to lead readers through the Old City guided by other landmarks, usually the city gates, but also Khan Al Zeit (the main Jerusalem market), the Stations of the Cross in Via Dolorosa, and the Al Aqsa compound. For each, there is a brief history of the surrounding area, then on to the real target—Jerusalemites who have something to share. There is a visit to Stork Tower (Bab Az-Zahra), the Old City’s poorest and most underdeveloped area; to a Sufi lodge, hospices established by various countries, private library collections, etc.

At the Lions Gate (Bab Al Asbat), an articulate young woman relates the marginalised status of the Dom community, Arabic-speaking, mainly Muslims, and wrongly called gypsies, and how she put herself through college and now works to improve their situation. At Aladdin Street, we learn about the origins of the story of the same name, and how this area is populated by African Muslim pilgrims who came to the city as early as the 15th century and stayed at the gates of Al Aqsa. 

A whole chapter is devoted to the stories of remarkable women from ancient times until today, and another to the Moroccan Quarter (Bab Al Magharba) and how it was bulldozed in the immediate aftermath of the June 1967 war, so that now only one zawiya remains. In contrast, the Jewish Quarter is clearly delineated and almost all new. Teller also interviews an Armenian musician whose playing ranges from rock to folksongs, and the owner of the only art gallery in the Old City. He also visits the Syriac community that still speaks Aramaic, and the café founded by Khalil Sakakini near Jaffa Gate (Bab Al Khalil). 

Matthew Teller is a well-known journalist who writes for a variety of respected international media. He has published several travel guides, including “The Rough Guide to Jordan”. In this new book, he combines architecture with social history and current reality to shake up common presuppositions about Jerusalem. He interviews famous people as well as little known ones, deliberately eschewing false notions of balance to focus on those whose stories are usually excluded, especially the Palestinians.

By Dr Tareq Rasheed
International Consultant 
and Trainer

To gain a competitive edge in today’s world, an individual, group or organisation must be continually evolving. If you’re looking to enter the dynamic and progressive area of coaching and leadership, there are important tools for the continuous development of individuals and organisations-begin by understanding the five levels of leadership.

Leaders play different roles in organisations to help achieve business continuity and growth. These roles are: teachers, trainers, facilitators, coaches, mentors, consultants and counsellors, and I define each in two words: 

• Teachers: Knowledge Providers 

• Trainers: Skill Providers 

• Facilitators: Support Providers

• Coaches: Energy Investors 

• Mentors: Goal Motivators 

• Consultants: Problem Solvers 

• Counsellors: Path Advisors

Situational leadership

Situational leadership directs leaders towards their roles depending on the situation followers face. Vary your style according to the situation. Leaders can delegate most roles except coaching and mentoring, which are the roles that ensure leadership effectiveness.

Level #1: Make the most of your position to understand people, their emotions and their motivators to help influence their abilities to higher levels. Management is position and authority, while leadership is character and power. Once you master this secret, you can gradually move to the next one.

Level #2: Gain people permission. Leadership is dynamic; people will respond to you based on your level of trust with them. To gain trust, consider competency and credibility. Are you competent for the position as a leader? Are you credible in your values and ethics? If yes, then you master the second secret and people will grant you permission to lead.

Level #3: Start the production process and each advance allows you to be more effective in leading others. Greater effectiveness is achieved once you are productive and can affect others. Good leaders always make things happen. They get results. They are productive individually, but they can also help the team produce. This ability gives leaders increased influence.

Level #4: Develop your people, apply the roles mentioned, teach them, train them, support and facilitate their performance and maximise their energy. Here you need to understand the psychology of people. The law of circles comes in handy here. Leadership is the art of influencing followers; once you know their centres of concern, you can influence and lead. We all have concerns and people can be classified according to their centres of concern:

• Money-centred people

• Work centred people

• Family-centred people

• Society-centred people

• Friends-centred people

• Pleasure-centred people

• Self-centred people

• Spouse-centred people

• Fear-centred people

Level #5: Empowerment of others to create second, third and fourth layers of leaders; leaders develop leaders. You can achieve this by applying these steps: Teach, Train, Develop, Qualify, Delegate, Support, Appreciate and Empower. At this leadership level, you achieve greatness, not only effectiveness. Great leaders leave a legacy and are remembered for what they left in their people, community and country. On the other hand, ordinary managers leave the position and no one remembers them. Leave a legacy to have the greatest influence.

Reprinted with permission from Family Flavours magazine

SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Wednesday said it is strapping a smartwatch onto its Pixel hardware line as part of an “ambient computing” vision to make its services available anywhere at any time.

The Alphabet-owned Internet titan used its annual developers conference to showcase a Pixel line expanding to include a smartwatch and tablet, as well as upgraded earbuds and a more affordable version of its flagship smartphone.

Backed up by artificial intelligence, cloud computing and sophisticated custom mobile chips, the family of gadgets is intended to work seamlessly together, Google senior vice president of hardware and services Rick Osterloh said during a briefing.

“All these things work in concert on our vision of ambient computing,” Osterloh said. “Providing the help people need, whenever they need it.”

The Pixel Watch will be released late this year, along with a new premium Pixel 7 smartphone, with pricing and other details to be disclosed closer to launch, Google said. 

The first Pixel smartwatch designed and built by Google will integrate health features from Fitbit, which Alphabet bought in a $2.1 billion deal that closed last year, and take on market leading Apple Watch.

“It just takes time to integrate a company with all the technology and people that Fitbit has,” Osterloh said of the Pixel smartwatch timing.

There will be a version of the Pixel Watch that synchs to Android-powered smartphones and one that has its own wireless Internet connectivity, the Internet giant said.

Google is also working on a Pixel tablet computer expected to be released next year, figuring there is an interest in large screen mobile devices even if that overall market has been lacklustre.

“We’ve got a lot going on in the Pixel pipeline and it represents investments across all different kinds of technologies,” Osterloh said.

A smaller version of the Pixel 6 smartphone released by Google late last year will hit shelves on July 28 at a price of $449, along with new Pixel Buds Pro ear pieces priced at $199.

While smartphones powered by Google’s free Android operating software dominate the global market, the Silicon Valley company’s Pixel models have amassed scant share.

“We’re really investing a lot and expanding the mobile part of our vision,” Osterloh said.

“It’s like an iceberg and that you didn’t see a lot of what was happening underneath, but now you can really see all these things coming to the surface.”

Software smarts

Alphabet chief Sundar Pichai provided a peek of augmented reality glasses that Google is working on, providing few details but demonstrating how they could translate conversations in real time, showing wearers transcriptions.

“All of this work is in service of a timeless mission to organise the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” Pichai said of what Google shared during a 2-hour presentation before a live audience in a concert venue near the company’s Silicon Valley headquarters.

Google’s hardware announcements were backed by a slew of enhancements to software powering its core search service, artificial intelligence capabilities, and Android mobile devices.

Improvements included enabling artificial intelligence to converse with people more naturally, and to “read” through pages of documents or messages and provide people with insightful, terse summaries of their contents.

An enhancement to search lets images captured by smartphone cameras and queries uttered by users be combined to allow, for example, someone to ask Google to scan a market shelf to find a top-rated brand of nutless chocolate, demonstrations showed.

And a new Google Wallet being rolled out in the weeks ahead is being designed to one day replace real-world billfolds, right down to holding digital versions of driver licenses.

KIMBOLTON, United Kingdom — Angela Wood proudly recalls the poached chicken in creamy curry sauce recipe that she helped create for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953, and which has since become a British culinary classic. 

Coronation Chicken — also called “Poulet Reine Elizabeth” — is now so popular it can be found in supermarket ready-meals, pre-packed sandwiches and on the pages of many recipe books. 

“It’s not the same recipe though. It’s just mayonnaise with a bit of curry put in,” Wood, 89, says laughing as she talks about some modern versions of the famous dish.

Wood was only 19 when, as a student at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Winkfield, near Windsor, west of London, she was asked to perfect a recipe created by the school’s director, Constance Spry.

Spry had been given the task of putting on a banquet for foreign dignitaries after the coronation on June 2, 1953. 

“Constance Spry walked into the kitchen and said ‘this is something we’re thinking of doing for the coronation... we’ll keep testing it until we get it right,’” said Wood at her home in the picturesque market town of Kimbolton in eastern England.

“Knowing that it was going to be foreign dignitaries from all over the world, she decided that it had to be slightly spicy but not over spicy,” she told AFP.

Another constraint was that the dish had to be prepared in advance so had to be cold, added Wood, looking elegant with short white hair, fuchsia-coloured lips and a matching cardigan. 

The ingredients also had to be available in the UK, where, even for a royal banquet, imported food was limited after World War II because of rationing. 

A strange mix

So Wood set to work in the kitchen, experimenting “two or three times a week, for possibly three or four weeks”.

“We were forever boiling chickens,” she said.

After constantly tweaking the ingredients, they found the right balance.

Wood showed AFP the original recipe, published in an old edition of the British gastronomic classic “The Constance Spry Cookery Book”.

The chicken should be poached with a bouquet garni, while the sauce is a reduction of chopped onions, curry powder, tomato puree, red wine and lemon juice.

The mixture is then cooled and added to mayonnaise, lightly whipped cream and apricot puree. 

“It’s a strange mixture. And people do the first bit [curry powder and wine] and taste it and it’s just so horrible and strong,” she laughs. 

“I mean you can’t believe that it can be right.”

Wood is sometimes asked why she didn’t use mango, as is used in many of today’s versions of the classic.

“Well, we didn’t have mangoes..., we didn’t have Greek yoghurt,” she said, adding that “nowadays people add all sorts of things”. 

The dish was described on the banquet menu, written in French, as “Poulet Reine Elizabeth” and was served to the 350 foreign guests with a rice salad containing peas and herbs.

It followed a tomato and tarragon soup and trout. 

Strawberry galette was served for pudding, all washed down with Moselle and Champagne wines.

Platinum pudding

Wood never pursued a professional career as a cook, and instead ran the family farm after she got married.

But for special occasions, she and her daughter still sometimes prepare the recipe that has assured her place in British culinary history. 

She said she is “honoured” to have helped create the British classic, which earned her a reception with the Queen at the royal estate in Sandringham in February to mark her 70 years on the throne. 

To celebrate the monarch’s record-breaking Platinum Jubilee, which will see four days of celebrations in early June, Britons have been invited to create a dessert for the Queen.

“It’s quite surprising how it [Coronation Chicken] certainly stood the test of time and I hope whoever wins the pudding, the same thing happens,” said Wood. 

It would be a fitting tribute to “the most incredible reign” and a woman who “dedicated her whole life to the country”, she adds.

KAPFENBERG, Austria — Fans still sing and dance away to Russkaja’s Soviet nostalgia beats, but the Austrian ska-punk band say their mission to bring “fun and love” has become tricky since Russia invaded Ukraine.

“We were concerned. To what extent can you represent something Russian?” Moscow-born lead singer Georgij Makazaria tells AFP in a joint interview with Ukrainian bassist Dimitrij Miller.

“Singing ‘The Russians are here’ gets stuck in my throat.”

The group — one of whose tag lines is “peace, love and Russian roll” — started in Vienna 17 years ago, after a chance encounter between the two men. 

They shot to fame as the house band of one of Austria’s most popular late night shows, electrifying young, western Europeans with their blend of “Russian Turbo Polka Metal”.

They have now released six albums — many with left-leaning political messages, like the most recent “No one is Illegal” about a young refugee — and regularly tour Europe.

But since Moscow invaded Ukraine in late February, the seven-piece band have found themselves in a bind and has even considered changing their name, which stands for “Russia”, “ska” and “yes”.

They have also rewritten some of their lyrics, which generally mix Russian and English. For example, their plea to Moscow “let’s tear down all these walls” has morphed into “Hello, Moskva, let’s stop this f*cking war”.

Miller concedes that since the invasion, bringing fun and partying to their fans has been “extremely hard”. 

“To be happy on stage when my best friends are fighting there, in war, that’s inconceivable,” says the 41-year-old, whose cousin headed to the frontline last month to defend his country against Russian troops.

‘Music connects’

But still the party goes on. 

In March, the band toured the United States for the first time, as the supporting act for Celtic punk band Flogging Molly. It has some 20 concerts lined up this summer in Austria and neighbouring Germany, France, Hungary and the Czech Republic. 

“Look, for us it’s about the music,” explains Makazaria, 48, on the sidelines of a concert in the small town of Kapfenberg, about 150 kilometres south west of Vienna.

For this gig in late April, the band performs its infectious, high-energy numbers in front of a Ukrainian flag embellished with a peace symbol.

“Dimitrij here is from Ukraine,” Makazaria tells the crowd after the song “Russkij Style”. He puts his arm around Miller to loud applause.

“And I am from Russia... What’s happening now is an extreme catastrophe for us, for everyone and we condemn this insane war!” he yells.

Social media posts about their shows have sparked some critical responses, with commentators asking why a band glorifying Russian culture and music is still allowed to play in Europe.

“Music connects but it can also separate. There are people who feel that way and that’s something we have to accept,” says Makazaria. 

In Kapfenberg, black-clad fans, a few sporting Russian fur hats, are keen to enjoy the music and ask for autographs. 

“To me, this war is senseless and music connects, whether you’re from Ukraine or you’re from Russia,” says 38-year-old tattoo artist Daniel Mayerhofer. 

Markus Heil, a 28-year-old designer, thinks it would be “absolutely wrong” to boycott the group now. 

“Of course, I really don’t like what some people in Russia are doing. But Russia itself has an interesting culture and you can’t forget that in this situation.”

PARIS — With his hand pushed firmly into his cheek and his eyes fixed on the table, Garry Kasparov shot a final dark glance at the chessboard before storming out of the room: The king of chess had just been beaten by a computer.

May 11, 1997 was a watershed for the relationship between man and machine, when the artificial intelligence (AI) supercomputer Deep Blue finally achieved what developers had been promising for decades. 

It was an “incredible” moment, AI expert Philippe Rolet told AFP, even if the enduring technological impact was not so huge. 

“Deep Blue’s victory made people realise that machines could be as strong as humans, even on their territory,” he said.

Developers at IBM, the US firm that made Deep Blue, were ecstatic with the victory but quickly refocused on the wider significance. 

“This is not about man versus machine. This is really about how we, humans, use technology to solve difficult problems,” said Deep Blue team chief Chung-Jen Tan after the match, listing possible benefits from financial analysis to weather forecasting. 

Even Chung would have struggled to comprehend how central AI has now become — finding applications in almost every field of human existence.

“AI has exploded over the last 10 years or so,” UCLA computer science professor Richard Korf told AFP. 

“We’re now doing things that used to be impossible.”

‘One man cracked’

After his defeat, Kasparov, who is still widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, was furious.

He hinted there had been unfair practices, denied he had really lost and concluded that nothing at all had been proved about the power of computers. 

He explained that the match could be seen as “one man, the best player in the world, [who] has cracked under pressure”.

The computer was beatable, he argued, because it had too many weak points. 

Nowadays, the best computers will always beat even the strongest human chess players. 

AI-powered machines have mastered every game going and now have much bigger worlds to conquer.

Korf cites notable advances in facial recognition that have helped make self-driving cars a reality. 

Yann LeCun, head of AI research at Meta/Facebook, told AFP there had been “absolutely incredible progress” in recent years. 

LeCun, one of the founding fathers of modern AI, lists among the achievements of today’s computers an ability “to translate any language into any language in a set of 200 languages” or “to have a single neural network that understands 100 languages”. 

It is a far cry from 1997, when Facebook didn’t even exist. 

Machines ‘not the danger’

Experts agree that the Kasparov match was important as a symbol but left little in the way of a technical legacy.

“There was nothing revolutionary in the design of Deep Blue,” said Korf, describing it as an evolution of methods that had been around since the 1950s.

“It was also a piece of dedicated hardware designed just to play chess.”

Facebook, Google and other tech firms have pushed AI in all sorts of other directions.

They have fuelled increasingly powerful AI machines with unimaginable amounts of data from their users, serving up remorselessly targeted content and advertising and forging trillion-dollar companies in the process. 

AI technology now helps to decide anything from the temperature of a room to the price of vehicle insurance. 

Devices from vacuum cleaners to doorbells come with arrays of sensors to furnish AI systems with data to better target consumers. 

While critics bemoan a loss of privacy, enthusiasts believe AI products just make everyone’s lives easier. 

Despite his painful history with machines, Kasparov is largely unfazed by AI’s increasingly dominant position. 

“There is simply no evidence that machines are threatening us,” he told AFP last year. 

“The real danger comes not from killer robots but from people — because people still have a monopoly on evil.”

SAN FRANCISCO — As urban traffic gets more miserable, entrepreneurs are looking to a future in which commuters hop into “air taxis” that whisk them over clogged roads.

Companies such as Archer, Joby and Wisk are working on electric-powered aircraft that take off and land vertically like helicopters then propel forward like planes.

“’The Jetsons’ is definitely a reference that people make a lot when trying to contextualise what we are doing,” Archer Vice President Louise Bristow told AFP, referring to a 1960s animated comedy about a family living in a high-tech future.

“The easiest way to think about it is a flying car, but that’s not what we’re doing.”

What Archer envisions is an age of aerial ride-sharing, an “Uber or Lyft of the skies”, Bristow said.

Neighbourhood parking garage rooftops or shopping mall lots could serve as departure or arrival pads for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

Commuters would make it the rest of the way however they wish, even synching trips with car rideshare services such as Uber which owns a stake in Santa Cruz, California-based Joby.

Joby executives said on a recent earnings call that its first production model aircraft should be in the skies later this year.

That comes despite a Joby prototype crashing early this year while being tested at speeds and altitudes far greater than it would have to handle as part of an air taxi fleet.

Joby has declined to discuss details of the remotely piloted aircraft’s crash, which occurred in an uninhabited area, saying it is waiting for US aviation regulators to finish an investigation.

“We were at the end of the flight test expansion campaign at test points well above what we expect to see in normal operations,” Joby Executive Chairman Paul Sciarra told analysts.

“I’m really excited about where we are right now; we have demonstrated the full performance of our aircraft.”

Its eVTOL aircraft have a maximum range of 241 kilometres, a top speed of 322 kilometres per hour and a “low noise profile” to avoid an annoying din, the company said.

Joby has announced partnerships with SK Telecom and the TMAP mobility platform in South Korea to provide emissions-free aerial ridesharing.

“By cooperating with Joby, TMAP will become a platform operator that can offer a seamless transportation service between the ground and the sky,” TMAP chief executive Lee Jong Ho said in a release.

Joby has also announced a partnership with Japanese airline ANA to launch air taxi service in Japan.

And Toyota has additionally joined the alliance, with an aim to explore adding ground transportation to such a service there, Joby said.

Hurdles on the path include establishing infrastructure and adapting attitudes to make air taxis a part of everyday life.

“For mass adoption, people need to have a mindset change,” Bristow said.

“Getting people to want to travel in a different way will take some rethinking.”

The need for the change, though, is clear, she reasoned.

Roads are congested with traffic that wastes time, frays nerves and spews pollution.

“There is nowhere else for traffic to go,” Bristow said.

“You have to go up.”

Miami and Los Angeles are already exploring the potential of aerial ridesharing, and Archer is hoping to have a small air taxi service operating in at least one of those cities by the end of 2024.

“It’s a monumental task that we’re taking on,” Bristow said.

“It’s going to take a while before the infrastructure supports the mass expansion of what we’re trying to do.”

Archer last month announced that it teamed with United Airlines to create an eVTOL advisory committee.

The US airline has pre-ordered 200 Archer aircraft with an eye toward using them for “last-mile” transportation from airports, Bristow told AFP.

“Imagine flying from London to Newark, New Jersey, then getting in an Archer and being deposited somewhere in Manhattan,” Bristow said.

Silicon Valley startup Xwing specialises in making standard aircraft capable of flying safely without pilots, with an aim of turning commuting by air into a cheaper and more efficient way to travel.

“We’re strong believers here that the industry is going through a pretty dramatic transformation,” Xwing chief and founder Marc Piette told AFP.

“In a few years you’ll start seeing taxi networks of electric aircrafts regionally or on long hauls and it’s going to be quite a different landscape.”

Thousands of regional airports used mostly for recreation could become part of aerial commute networks, air mobility consultant Scott Drennan told AFP.

To Drennan, the primary reason for taking to the skies is to “give people back their time”.

With certain “grey” Volkswagen independent imports from China and elsewhere growing in sudden popularity in recent months almost exclusively consisting of less than exciting, heavy and un-sporting EV crossovers and saloons, one’s attention instead turns to the German auto giant’s less complex, lighter and sportier offerings. Smallest and least powerful, yet, closest to the brand’s historic hot hatch recipe, the Volkswagen Up GTI is conversely among Volkswagen’s most interesting and exciting sporting current European models, which in many ways would be well suited for Amman.

Uptown appeal

Launched in early 2018 but never officially imported to the region, the Up GTI presents a fresher face and more desirable driving prospect than the many bloated and bland “grey” EVs increasingly populating local roads. With its stylish design, tiny dimensions, frugal fuel consumption, nippy performance and eager dynamics, the Up GTI would be an ideally suited quick commuter for Amman’s busy and increasingly congested but often fast moving roads, as well as for ever more limited city parking situation, and incrementally rising fuel prices.

Harking back to the iconic original Giugiaro-designed 1976 Volkswagen Golf GTI in its uncomplicated but effective recipe — not to mention similar output, dimensions and weight — the Up GTI’s design is that of a modern and narrow city car, with short stubby bonnet and relatively high roofline. Angular and upright, the hot Up GTI version of Volkswagen’s urban runaround is subtly more athletic, with a tailgate spoiler, bigger alloy wheels, more prominent bumper and sills, bigger exhaust and the telltale red pinstripe detailing customary to Volkswagen’s GTI models. 

Upbeat and off-beat

If not quite the high performance heavy puncher that is the current model Golf GTI Clubsport, the Up GTI and its small but prodigious turbocharged direct injection 1-litre 3-cylinder engine, nevertheless pack plenty of pep. Producing 114BHP at a comparatively low-revving 5,000-5,500rpm peak and a mighty 147lb/ft torque throughout a broad and easily accessible 2,000-3,500rpm plateau, the lightweight 1,070kg Up GTI can briskly sprint through the 0-100km/h acceleration benchmark in 8.8-seconds and onto a 196km/h top speed, yet return enviable 5.6l/100km combined cycle fuel efficiency.

A perky performer with an off-beat three-cylinder soundtrack, the Up GTI is eager from standstill with its turbocharger spooling up swiftly and with little lag. Launching with its driven front wheels digging in to tarmac and a slight torque steer tug, the Up GTI is a brisk and upbeat drive that feels even quicker, given its lightweight, small size and comparatively narrow 195/40R17 tyres. Pulling with conviction from low-end, it is confidently quick on inclines and when overtaking as it rides its muscular mid-range torque band.

Up, up and away

Somewhat low-revving for a hot hatch, one works through the Up GTI’s slick and satisfying 6-speed manual gearbox quickly and easily. With a relatively short lever throw action and intuitive clutch biting point, the Up GTI’s manual gearbox perfectly complements its frisky and fun character. Easily manoeuvrable zipping around in town and easy to place on narrow roads and to park in tiny spaces with its excellent visibility and tight 9.8-metre turning circle, the Up GTI is, meanwhile, more stable and refined at speed than expected.

Given its diminutive dimensions, it is, however, the Up GTI’s darty and nimble handling which best characterises it. With a short wheelbase and low weight and more basic torsion beam rear suspension, the Up GTI has a charming and rewardingly connected driving feel. Agile and eager into corners and ever-alert and responsive to directional changes, the Up GTI turns on the proverbial dime and delivers good steering feel. Body roll is, meanwhile, well controlled through fast sharp corners, even as the inside rear wheel goes almost lifts up.

Uplifting ambiance

Reminiscent of an old school hot hatch in its light-footed, fun-loving handling, the Up GTI, however, delivers quicker, lighter and more precise steering, and far more reassuring braking than its distant original Golf GTI predecessor. An effortlessly agile corner carving and playful hot hatch, the Up GTI also delivers reassuringly good grip levels, and is meanwhile settled in its ride, if slightly firm over sharper edged lumps and potholes. Comfortable for its class, the lightweight Up GTI well absorbs and dispatches most imperfections without feeling harsh.

Fresh and vibrant with red accents and stitching, trim graphics and tartan upholstery rather than over-ambitiously luxurious, the Up GTI’s narrow cabin is well-organised, user-friendly and intuitive, with its thick flat-bottom steering wheel, short gear lever and controls falling easily to hand. Providing good front headroom and an alert and comfortable driving position, its two-passenger rear seats are adequately if not generously sized, and accessed by folding down the front seats. Luggage volume meanwhile expands from 251-litres to a spacious 959-litres with rear seats folded down.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 1-litre, transverse, turbocharged 3-cylinders

Bore x stroke: 74.5 x 76.4mm

Compression ratio: 10.5:1

Valve-train: 12-valve, DOHC, direct injection

Gearbox: 6-speed manual, front-wheel-drive

0-100km/h: 8.8-seconds

Maximum speed: 196km/h

Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 114 (115) [85] @5,000-5,500rpm

Specific power: 114BHP/litre

Power-to-weight: 106.5BHP/tonne

Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 147.5 (200) @2,000-3,500rpm

Specific torque: 200Nm/litre

Torque-to-weight: 187Nm/tonne

Fuel consumption, combined: 5.6-litres/100km

Fuel capacity: 35-litres

Length: 3,600mm

Width: 1,641mm

Height: 1,478mm

Wheelbase: 2,412mm

Track width, F/R: 1,412/1,408mm

Headroom, F/R: 993/947mm

Legroom, F/R: 1,009/789mm

Hip room, F/R: 1,417/1,388mm

Luggage volume, min/max: 251-/959-litres

Unladen weight: 1,070kg

Steering: Variable electric-assisted rack and pinion

Turning circle: 9.8-metres

Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs/drums

Suspension, F/R: MacPherson struts/torsion beam

Tyres: 195/40R17