Fords giving the world its first look at the 2021 Mustang Mach-E on November 17, just ahead of the Los Angeles Auto Show, but wasnt quick enough to get ahead of fans who discovered all the goods on this all-electric crossover three days before they were supposed to.A member of the MachEForum.com tracked down slides intended for the manufacturers consumer site, and grabbed screenshots before Ford caught on and covered them back up.With some of? most of? the cat out of the bag, we can say the cars a looker, with Mustang-inspired styling, an out-there nose with the pony in front and unmistakable taillights that cue up suggestions of its gasoline-fuelled sibling.Theres also a sunroof that covers most of the upper lid, while the dash is dominated by a Tesla-style tablet to control the functions.Depending on whether you choose rear- or all-wheel-drive, and what trim you select, youll get anywhere from about 300 miles (483 km) to 230 miles (370 km) on a single charge.If you get the GT trim with the right options, youll spring from zero to 100 mph (96 km/h) in the mid-three-seconds range, making this one super-quick (electric) Mustang, too.Plug it into a fast charger, and youll have enough power to cover 75 kilometres in just ten minutes.But wait, theres more the slides even included pricing. Its in U.S. dollars, of course, and wont be the same for Canadians, but the Mach E will run from the $43,895 Select trim up to the $60,500 GT, before any state or federal incentives for electric vehicles.Trim levels will include the limited First Edition, which will include exclusive Grabber Blue paint, the ulra-loaded Premium, and the extended-range California Route 1.LISTEN: Toyota has led the hybrid charge for two decades, and as Toyota Canada’s Stephen Beatty tells Plugged In host Andrew McCredie, is now all-in on EVs, particularly fuel cell vehicles. The company’s vice president also has some interesting things to say about some provinces’ push to create electric vehicle sales quotas for 2030, and tells us about Toyota’s fascinating, and potentially game-changing, work with Quebec to produce green hydrogen. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click
Origin: Ford’s Mustang Mach E specs leak three days ahead of debut
Bloodhound LSR reaches 628mph as testing concludes
The Bloodhound LSR reached a new top speed of 628mph as it wrapped up testing in South Africa ahead of a planned assault on the land speed record in around a year. The British machine, driven by current land speed record holder Andy Green, has completed a series of test runs of increasing speed on a specially prepared track on the Hakskeen Pan over the past month. Powered by a EJ200 Eurofighter Typhoon jet engine, Bloodhound completed its final test run with Green accelerating to 615mph before lifting off the throttle. The run was part of a test programme to evaluate how much drag Bloodhound generates at a variety of speeds, with data gathered from 192 sensors then compared with the figures previously calculated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. That data will determine the size and power of the Nammo-built rocket that will be fitted to Bloodhound for the final record bid. “The stability and confidence the car gives me as a driver is testament to the years of world class engineering that has been invested in her by team members past and present,” said Green. “With all the data generated by reaching 628mph (1010 km/h), we’re in a great position to focus on setting a new world land speed record in the next year or so.” Ian Warhurst, the British businessman who stepped in to save the project from administration, said hitting the speed was “a real milestone”. He added: “We will now move our focus to identifying new sponsors and the investment needed to bringing Bloodhound back out to Hakskeen Pan in the next 12 to 18 months’ time.” The current land speed record, set by Green in Thrust SSC in 1997, is 763.035mph. When Bloodhound was first launched, the ultimate target was to try and eclipse
Origin: Bloodhound LSR reaches 628mph as testing concludes
Western Canada’s biggest automotive street party is in Saskatoon this weekend
If youre planning to be anywhere this weekend, make it the capital of cool on the South Saskatchewan River.Saskatoons classic rock outdoor concert series and car-show extravaganza returns for its 37th edition this Friday through Sunday. Tickets for Rock the River 2019 have long since sold out, as they do every year. But owners of pre-1999 vehicles in show-ready condition still have time to join the more than 40,000 locals and tourists wholl take over 14 downtown blocks, where up to 1,000 classic cars, trucks and motorcycles will park for the car-show portion of the Rock 102 Show and Shine Western Canadas largest auto-themed street party.It started from very humble beginnings and has just blossomed into this massive event, says Brent Loucks, morning man at Rock 102s sister station CKOM since 1984.Not only because of everyones love for these cars, but because of the timing: were wrapping up another summer, so this a great social event tying in music and cars that everyone in the community can relate to. Were all getting together to celebrate here in one of the greatest cities in Canada. Whereas the AW, Burger Baron and Dog and Suds were once the prime car-spotting locations on Saskatoon’s Cruise Night, now, it’s the Dairy Queen. Or wherever you can park a lawn chair. Sarah Staples Loucks was at the first edition of the Show and Shine, in 1982, when owners of a dozen classic cars decided to get together by the AW on 8th Street East, Saskatoons major east-west thoroughfare. It started relatively innocently as a radio station promotion, Loucks continues.Wed play old music, there was a hula-hoop contest, people were dressing in 50s and 60s outfits, listening to retro music, and it was just a fun thing to do in the evening; then, more car clubs joined in and the classic car side kept growing every year. 1965 Corvette Stingray of Leonard Mazzei, of Eston, SK, at the city’s 2018 Show and Shine Sarah Staples This Saturday evening, vintage cars will again head to 8th Street East to loop around the long, wide boulevard, over and over. Some owners park and make it a tailgate party, opening their hoods to spectators of all ages who line the impromptu parade route.Parking lots are full all up and down the street, people are sitting on bus benches, lawn chairs, bleachers that are set up, says Neil Schneider, marketing manager at Wyant Group Raceway, which has organized its own events over the weekend for the past decade.8th Street was the original home of Saskatoons stock-car paved motordrome, the 8th Street Racing Oval, before it moved north of the city in 2006 and was renamed Wyant Group Raceway. Its one of only two tracks in Western Canada to host Pintys NASCAR Canada racing and is Canadas only volunteer-run racetrack, managed and staffed entirely by members of the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association Ltd. (SSCRA).This weekend there will be local Pro Trucks, Bandaleros (kids 8-16) and Mini Stocks (compact cars) competing, along with Baby Grands and Mini Cups series hosted from Alberta. And over at the Saskatchewan International Raceway, the citys drag strip will host Jet Cars racing.Every year, from the public and from the club, the response is getting bigger and bigger, says Schneider. Theres non-race fans, race-fans, families, just anyone curious to see these cars. (Tourist tip: for four Sundays every year, the track opens to anyone who’s keen to get behind the wheel of a stock car; the next Dakota Dunes Race Experience, monitored by qualified pro drivers, is Sept 8.)The radio station also organizes a Poker Run: participants drive classic cars to five different spots around Saskatoon, drawing a single card at each location, then meet up to determine who has the prize-winning poker hand.Theres a definite vintage feel to the entire weekend. It reminds me of the movie American Graffiti. You get really nostalgic seeing the old muscle cars, hearing the squeal of tires, explains Schneider. Its a feeling of parents being able to be kids again.Rock the Rivers concert series spotlights many classic Canadian bands, too. Loverboy, Platinum Blonde, The Headpins and Chilliwack will take to the main stage this weekend, by The Delta Bessborough hotel. Motorcycles are welcome at Saskatoon’s biggest car show. Sarah Staples Last year, I ran into Kim Mitchell sauntering out of an elevator at The Bessborough. His trademark blond mane had gone the way of those MTV-era pink pants, but bald or no, Mitchell still had it that recognizably Canadian, indescribably Rush-era something special. The iconic rocker disappeared from the iconic Canadian National Railway hotel before I could say, Hell yeah, go for that soda, Kim.While youre at it, Rock on, Saskatoon. You see families where grandparents used to cruise 8th Street 30 years ago, and now its their children or grandchildren bringing that same car that theyve inherited, or building their own, Loucks says. It goes to show how many people in this world love cars and
Origin: Western Canada’s biggest automotive street party is in Saskatoon this weekend
Ford Mustang MachE EV launched
Ford Mustang Mach-E EV launched The new crossover EV has a range of more than 370 miles The Ford Mustang Mach-E has been revealed in Los Angeles, with the company’s pure-electric crossover featuring a range of more than 370 miles on a single charge. There will be standard and extended range battery options, as well as single- or duel-motor set-up for rear- or all-wheel drive. A performance Mustang Mach-E GT model will be available, with a sub-five second 0-62mph time, thanks to a 342 kW power output and 830 Nm of torque. The batteries are placed in the underbody, allowing for a coupe-styled SUV with plenty of space for five. There’s a small load area up front to complement the traditional boot, and Ford has included a number of styling features to like the Mach-E SUV with its inspiration – the famous Mustang. Pitched as a vehicle on a par with the Model T by Ford, the Mustang Mach-E will have the next-generation of the company’s Sync infotainment system. A 15.5-inch screen promises more intuitive usage, and the Mustang Mach-E benefits from over-the-air updates over time. Kit includes a B&O sound system, the introduction for Ford of ‘phone-as-key’ technology, and a panoramic glass roof that has a special coating to keep the cabin cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Three modes – Whisper, Engage, and Unbridled – will provided different driving characteristics, depending on preference and situation. Technical features see the option of the 75.7 kWh standard range battery or 98.8 kWh extended range pack. Ultra-rapid DC charging will be available at up to 150 kW, with Ford one of the founding members of the Ionity network, which has installed chargers across Europe capable of up to 350 kW. UK pricing and specifications will be announced at a later date, though expect prices for the range to start between £40-45,000 mark, with a launch edition at £50,000 or more. Deposits of £1,000 are being taken now, and the Mustang Mach-E will arrive towards the end of 2020.
Origin: Ford Mustang MachE EV launched
Canadians can now rent classic cars via Hagerty’s DriveShare
Its an affliction befalling most gearheads: the desire to drive as many cool cars as possible. Given the opportunity, most of us would have a fleet of machinery rivaling the collections of Jay Leno or Jerry Seinfeld. This can get expensive.Hagerty recognized this as an opportunity to expand the type of products it offers to gearhead car collectors.Best known for its insurance, the company brought DriveShare to market in an attempt to help like-minded car nuts sate their appetite for getting behind the wheel of a neat machine.Think of DriveShare as airbnb for cool cars. The service allows owners of collector vehicles to rent them out short-term, not unlike picking up a mainstream car as a vacation rental from a service like Turo. Hagerty doesnt own any of the cars; rather, it maintains a website that connects renters with customers looking for an interesting set of wheels. Uses range from using the cars for weddings or photo shoots; to serving as a test bed for a curious buyer who is trying to determine if they can live with the quirks of a classic car.Its the latter group theyre hoping will become long-term customers of the Hagerty brand. If a person just getting into the collector car hobby is exposed to the Hagerty brand during a short-term rental, the name may stick and be top of mind when theyre shopping for insurance after they buy a cool car of their own, explained Steve Haas, Senior Manager of DriveShare operations at Hagerty.We currently have customers booking cars six months in advance for weddings, but also people who are looking to rent something in the next three hours. Up until July of this year, only American residents age 30 and over could use the service. A change in insurance details now allows Hagerty to permit rentals to those aged 25 and up, and to international drivers, meaning Canadians who travel south of the border can now rent a car from DriveShare. The cars still have to be registered in the States.This is great news for the gearhead couple who find themselves in California for a couple of days. Calling up the DriveShare website reveals an assemblage of bleedingly cool machines for rent in that state, most of which would be a blast to drive up Highway 1 or in and around the canyons.DriveShare facilitates a great deal of communication between the renter and car owner, explained Haas. Most cars of this nature have their quirks, and who better to explain hem to you than the owner themselves? In this, Haas makes a very good point. Like an old but sturdy house in which one has to kick the back door just right in order to get it open, the actual owner of the car youre renting can tell you just what way to turn the ignition key to get it to work or point out that running the A/C will also illuminate a harmless dashboard idiot light.Some renters provide delivery service, so with enough notice one could arrange for the car of their choice to be waiting for them when they land at LAX. Others choose to allow their vehicles to be rented as a chauffeured ride, or as a static display for fundraisers. Owners are free to set different fees for these purposes.Haas told us that convertibles and fun colours are quite popular on the site, as are Porsche 911s and Mustangs of all vintages. A car doesnt have to be an antique to be listed on DriveShare; newer exotic or hi-po machinery is very welcome.Hagerty helps with legalities on both sides of the rental agreement, with mechanisms in place to prevent renters without a valid drivers licence from finding themselves behind the wheel; while also providing roadside assistance and insurance liability to the renter as part of the deal. Like an auction house, Hagerty makes money off this service by charging a fee; in this case, the company keeps 35 per cent of the rental rate.Variety is the spice of life, and any service that permits gearheads the chance to sample a roster of cool cars ranks pretty high on our list. If youre planning a trip to the States, be sure to budget a few extra shekels and rent a cool set of wheels from
Origin: Canadians can now rent classic cars via Hagerty’s DriveShare
General Motors patents a slightly less annoying start-stop system
One of the many double-edged new features in vehicles is the modern start/stop system. Designed to save a few teaspoonfuls of fuel by shutting down a cars engine under certain conditions while its at rest, this invention amuses and annoys in equal measure.On one hand, it is saving fuel; on the other, it can kill power steering on some cars, and roar back to life with a rude judder in others.GM thinks it may have a way around some of these annoyances. At present, a start/stop system looks for a number of criteria before shutting down an engine, including road speed and accessory load. According to a new patent filed by The General, the addition of a camera and slick AI programming could make the systems that much more bearable. Using the cars onboard GPS to help determine location and situation, GMs patent will allow a start/stop system to recognize the difference between being in a parking lot or on the 401 during rush hour. Combined with machine learning, it would theoretically be able to deactivate the start/stop during parking lot maneuvers, or when pulling into a driveway.Few things in this life are more irritating than a car shutting off the instant one stops outside their home only for it to fire again when the driver moves their foot off the brake. If the driver is not quick enough to clue into whats going on raises hand theres a good chance theyll stab a finger at the ignition button to turn off the car but, because the system has already turned the car off, such action results in the engine re-firing for no reason. It can be infuriating.Technically, the system could also read traffic data from the cloud in an attempt to prepare itself for start/stop duty when it might not otherwise be needed. If ones commute is generally light on traffic, such knowledge harvested from the cloud would allow the car to recognize upcoming congestion and permit the start/stop system to operate once thrust into that environment. Since the car is monitoring its whereabouts, Luddites will surely carp about privacy.Its an intriguing solution to a wholly self-created problem. Well keep our ears to the ground for more
Origin: General Motors patents a slightly less annoying start-stop system
Rolls-Royce is letting the current-gen Ghost cross over
In not-so-surprising news for those who have been paying attention, Rolls-Royce has officially announced it’s planning to ship the current Ghost out to pasture, and soon.The farewell declaration was sandwiched within the announcement of the Black Badge Ghost, which will debut at the 2019 NEC Classic Motor Show in the U.K.The internet had already got ahold of some spy shots of the current-generation Ghost’s successor. Now it’s just official. “Ghost has been selected because 2019 marks the end of the model family’s remarkable ten-year tenure in which it has secured uninterrupted commercial and critical success,” said Rolls-Royce in a press release. The Ghost first debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009 and quickly earned a reputation as the British luxury manufacturer’s more youthful-feeling and approachable car, partly due to its design, but mostly because of its price. In 2011, Rolls-Royce dropped a long-wheelbase version, followed by a fully updated Ghost Series II in 2014. Five years (how long is that in new-car years again?) and one last special edition later and it’s time for the first-gen Ghost to step aside to let the next one take over.Similar to its brethren in black, the Black Badge Ghost will deliver more power and torque, and come finished in all the shades of black.
Origin: Rolls-Royce is letting the current-gen Ghost cross over
The most – and least – reliable brands for 2019, ranked by Consumer Reports
2019 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack 392 WidebodyChris Balcerak / Driving If youve picked up a copy of Consumer Reports at all in the past 15 years, you know by now their tests typically rank Japanese manufacturers at or near the top for dependability; see various European automakers fill up the middle of the reliability list, plus maybe a Ford or GM brand; and then round out the bottom with most of the Detroit Three and some luxury car companies.This year, though, that pattern got a little up-ended. Perennial worst-for-reliability automaker Fiat Chrysler actually saw one of its brands, Dodge, take a spot in the top 10 on the list for the first time ever.What gives? The eighth-place ranking in Consumer Reports’ Auto Reliability Survey can be chalked up largely to high reliability scores from the Dodge Grand Caravan and Dodge Challenger two models built right here in Canada.If thats not a big enough upset for you, typically-reliable Volkswagen slipped nine spots, as did Acura yeah, the premium marque built by Honda. The non-profit consumer organizations survey is based on feedback from some 400,000 vehicle owners and their experiences with models from 2000 to 2019. The reliability score is distilled from numbers crunched using that feedback.So what else did this number-crunching show? Well let the top and bottom five brands on the list speak for themselves.The Worst26. JeepThis is what makes Fiat Chryslers meteoric rise this year so incredible typically it falls into the lower third of the 30-strong list, along with many other American brands, like Jeep did as usual. Dodge was the only U.S. brand in the top 10, thanks largely to the above-average reliability of the Windsor, Ontario-built Grand Caravan; and the Brampton, Ontario-built Challenger, but the also-Brampton-built Chrysler 300 dragged the automakers namesake brand out of the dregs, too.Whats the secret? Theyre old, says CR. The 300, Challenger and Caravan havent changed in forever, so all the bugs are worked out and theyre pretty solid now. Unfortunately the same cant be said, somehow, for the Jeep Wrangler, which anchored that brand down here, pulling it from 23rd place.27. VolkswagenDoesnt VW know how to make a good car by now? Sure, but the company is still not as familiar with SUVs. CR blames the companys new Atlas and Tiguan utilities for sinking Volkswagen nine spots on the list. Specifically, the trucks much-worse-than-average reliability rating stems from the frequent failure of their emissions and fuel systems and electronics and power-assisted options.28. AcuraHonda has built a reputation on rock-solid reliability, but move up to its premium Acura brand and that reassurance goes away. Transmission issues and continuing problems plaguing the MDX took the companys scores way down nine spots as did the below-average reliability of the RDX.29. Alfa RomeoOutside of the Detroit Three, the bottom of the list typically is stuffed with niche European automakers that just cant get their dependability where they want it. Mini managed to shake off that ballast this year, moving up five spots, but the Giulia sedan kept Alfa Romeo right at the lists end. We have to point out for ironys sake that Alfa is owned by Fiat Chrysler, parent company of the above-mentioned rapidly-improving Dodge and the not-so-hot Jeep.30. CadillacChevrolets Camaro and Colorado are among the least reliable vehicles on the market today, if you ask Consumer Reports members that own em, but overall the brand ranked 25th on the dependability survey. General Motors luxury arm Cadillac wasnt able to escape the bottom five, though, ending up in dead last.That still seems mostly par for the course for many U.S. brands, though; outside of Dodge, the best America could muster was a dead-middle 15th-place finish via Lincoln, with Ford just behind.The Best5. GenesisIt took a long time, but the Korean trio of Kia, Hyundai and Genesis all owned by parent company Hyundai have gone from regularly showing up in the bottom half of CRs reliability scores to now taking three spots in the top 10. There is no gap anymore between the Korean manufacturers and the Japanese, said Jake Fisher, CRs senior director of auto testing. Their reliability is equal.If you cant afford the automakers upscale Genesis luxury cars, Hyundai itself was just behind in sixth place, and its Kona was ranked one of the top most-reliable models.4. PorscheWhile you arent always guaranteed the reliability youd assume youd be with a luxury marque, you do get it with Porsche, which moved up five spots this year to make it that spot just next to the podium.That bodes well for its upcoming Taycan electric sedan, which has a bunch of hype to live up to and cant afford to break down on buyers, especially with Tesla also climbing in CRs reliability ranks.3. ToyotaWhat can we say? You expected to see it here, and here it is. While Consumer Reports blame some brands falling scores on re-designs they still have to
Origin: The most – and least – reliable brands for 2019, ranked by Consumer Reports
Aristotle, Gestalt and the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR
The 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMRAston Martin NURBURG, Germany As inspirational as the age-old axiom is, it turns out Aristotle did not say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. What he actually said, according to a translation by W. D. Ross, was The totality is not, as it were, a mere heap, but the whole is something besides the parts.Doesnt have quite the same uplifting kumbaya spark, does it? Indeed, quite how we got from depressing mere heap to Gestaltian greater than the sum of its parts anthem is beyond me (and, if my cursory research is anything to go by, most historians). Nonetheless, we have come to take Aristotles axiom as gospel, and its inverse that individually we are weaker than the aggregate, the basis of nationhood.A perfect case in point, in the physical world, is Aston Martins latest supercar, the 2020 Vantage AMR. Listen to Matt Becker, Astons chief engineer, detail its upgrades compared with the regular Vantage which took but 15 minutes of PR blather rather than the customary hour-and-a-half and youd swear the trip to the Nurburgring to test the new AMR was a giant waste of time. The biggest news and, as Ive been intimating, it really is small potatoes is that it gets a manual transmission. Oh, and some ceramic brakes. Thats it. For this, they claim they made a special edition run of just 200! At US$179,995 apiece! Are you kidding me? Hell, the damned thing lost power it makes 502 foot-pounds of torque in the base Vantage, but this supposed Fancy Dan version only twists out 469 lb.-ft. at its peak. Doesnt sound so special certainly not super to me.And things do get off to a rough start; the AMR is still slower to 100 kilometres an hour than the automatic transmission-ed version. Oh, part of it is that we humans are relatively slow shifting of gear. Another is the lack of any kind of launch control.But whatever excuses you make, a 4.0-seconds-to-100-km/h time is barely super these days. Plenty are the sedans that are as fleet, and its pretty darn hard to find another coupe or roadster with a super even a GT appellation that cant.Now, the part I havent mentioned yet is thanks to the dumping of the automatic gearbox and jettisoning its e-diff for a real mechanical locking rear differential (not to mention those carbon brakes) the AMR weighs a full 100 kilograms less than the garden-variety Vantage. More importantly, says Becker, whats left over is evenly distributed 50/50 between front and rear axles.Thats why and now I am quoting actual Gestaltian philosophy rather than Aristotelian misrepresentation what is happening in the whole cannot be deduced from the characteristics of the separate pieces. In other words, specs that arent quite up to rich-guy bench-racing standards do not capture the total Aston Martin.That loss in torque, for instance necessitated because the manual transmission cant handle 500 pound-feet is hardly ever noticed. Indeed, the opposite. Every time you gun the big Mercedes-sourced twin-turbo V8, the AMR literally jumps, the throttle response so immediate. The Vantage may lose on paper, but out in the real world it is truly competitive. Up top, itll top out at a legitimately super 320 km/h, just in case youre Grand Touring Germanys autobahns. In other words, behind the wheel, there was nothing lesser about it. The 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR Aston Martin Then theres the transmission that is the supposed centerpiece that deserved limited edition status. Sporting seven no, not six forward gears, the Graziano-sourced unit uses the traditional manuals H6 pattern for 2nd thru 7th gears; with 1st down and left, reverse is up and left. Compared with the previous Vantage V12 where we first saw this tranny, 1st is a little deliberate to get into to prevent errant downshifts into what would otherwise be second gear. Reverse, meanwhile, is similarly delineated.All that newfound precision aside, while I like the gearbox thank to its AMShifts automatic blipping, it was slicker than the proverbial knife through a fairly solid emulsion of fat globules Im not sure I see the advantage over a more conventional six-speed. Oh, I get the attraction of a stick. And, like most things these days one, does have to promise more in this case, gears to attract attention. But I remain unconvinced that my drive is any better for having an extra cog in the gearbox.Automatics are almost always better with more ratios, but there may be a limit to the effectiveness with manuals. On the other hand, perhaps if Id spent more than 250 kilometres behind the wheel, Id have become more acclimatized.Specs that aren’t quite up to rich-guy bench-racing standards do not capture the total Aston MartinAs for the chassis, other than the jettisoning of 100 kilos and the subsequent weight redistribution, its really changed little. In fact, Astons engineers liked the comportment of the base Vantage so much they softened the AMRs rear springs so its wheel rate
Origin: Aristotle, Gestalt and the 2020 Aston Martin Vantage AMR
Production of Hyundai’s Santa Cruz truck confirmed for 2021
Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept Hyundai has dropped another bread crumb leading to the upcoming Santa Cruz compact pickup with the announcement it will come together at the brand’s production plant in Alabama. The South Korean automaker has been teasing its truck(ish) product with detail after detail, ever since it introduced the concept to the world way back in 2015 at the Detroit Auto Show. Honestly, with all this teasing, we’re starting to feel like the younger sibling at our older brother’s birthday party: teetering somewhere between exasperation and excitement, tears of joy or pain ready to fall at any moment. There’s still no sign of the production version of the Santa Cruz, which Hyundai says will be quite different in design than the concept, but we know it’ll be bodied like a ute and have a ladder frame. Now, Hyundai Motor Co. has confirmed it will drop a casual US$410 million to bring its Montgomery, Alabama plant up to spec for Santa Cruz production.Open since 2005, Montgomery is Hyundai’s first U.S. location. The expansion builds on a total investment of US$1.1 billion in the plant in the last 18 months. The Santa Cruz will bring in another 200 positions to the facility, with an additional 1,000 jobs for regional suppliers and logistics companies. When it finally arrives, the Santa Cruz will likely be the smallest pickup truck on the U.S. market, but that could change. Production is scheduled to begin in Alabama in
Origin: Production of Hyundai’s Santa Cruz truck confirmed for 2021
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