2018 Ford F-250 Super DutyDerek McNaughton / Driving Ford is recalling more than 56,000 Super Duty trucks in Canada because, in a collision, the seat belt pretensioners might spark and cause a fire, the automaker said mid-December.Some 56,112 examples of Super Duties built between October 2015 and October 2019 are affected in Canada, part of a total 547,538 trucks recalled across North America altogether. In some of these trucks, the front seat belt pretensioner could throw off excessive sparks during a collision, possibly igniting the vehicles carpeting or carpet insulation around the B-pillar. Ford has, in fact, already received one report of a post-collision interior fire happening in just this way.Dealers will correct the issue by adding a foil tape over the carpeting and insulation in the area that could
Origin: Ford recalls more than 56,000 trucks in Canada over fire risk
Canada
Porsche Taycan price covers three years of charging in Canada
2020 Porsche Taycan 4SHandout / Porsche Canadian Porsche Taycan customers will be happy to hear that when their super-EV arrives on their doorstep, theyll be getting aside from the blistering speed and the sleek styling three years of charging, already included in the purchase price.Yes, the price tag ($119,400 for the base 4S) will cover 36 months of charging at Volkswagen-owned Electrify Canada public charging stations.Electrify Canada’s highway and metro stations offer 350-kW DC fast-charging as do many Porsche dealers which means the Taycan, which runs on 800-volt tech and uses a combined charging system (CCS) plug to charge at a max 270 kW, can be juiced up from five- to 80-per-cent charge in only 22 minutes and 30 seconds.(Fine print: your complimentary charge runs out after 30 minutes, and while the 32 Electrify Canada stations set to open across the country by 2020 will have an average four charging dispensers, only a minimum one of those will be guaranteed to be a 350-kW charger.)Still, that would be great news if the vehicles range was anywhere close to what Porsche claimed it was. According to new numbers just released by the EPA, it might not be. Porsche claims the Taycan can nail 300 miles (482 kilometres) of driving range with a fully charged battery, and the European WLTP testing standard showed it could indeed net up to 280 miles (450 kilometres) of range in the real world.The U.S.-based EPA tests delivered a bombshell mid-December, however, showing the Taycan could realistically only manage 201 miles (323 kilometres) of range in its tests.To combat the poor rating, Porsche has already hired an independent testing firm to put the Taycan through its electric paces. The numbers that third party delivered were much more favourable 269 miles (433 kilometres) highway, and 283 (455 kilometres) city.Whatever the Taycans real-world numbers end up looking like, range anxiety aint stopping people from wanting to drive it. In Europe, there have already been 30,000 customers whove put down money to get the Taycan in their garage. Some 20,000 Taycans are expected to be delivered to Europeans in 2020.LISTEN: What do you get when you combine a cross-country electric vehicle road trip with a poignant love story? Mary Ann’s Electric Drive, that’s what. In this week’s episode of Plugged In, we chat with Harvey Soicher, a Vancouver man who tragically lost his soul mate 18 months ago but found some semblance of healing by embracing what he calls a ‘pioneer spirit’ to drive his Audi e-tron from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean and back.
Origin: Porsche Taycan price covers three years of charging in Canada
CUSMA trade deal could keep auto jobs in Canada, but car prices could rise
Workers are seen at the FCA Windsor Assembly Plant on Oct. 5, 2018 in Windsor.JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP/Getty Images A new trade deal between Canada, Mexico and the United States has taken a major step toward implementation, and it looks like it could be good news for the auto industry.The agreement which the Canadian government calls CUSMA (Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement) but which the U.S., unsurprisingly, refers to as the USMCA will replace NAFTA (the North American Free Trade Agreement), which has been around since 1994.All three countries had tentatively agreed on the deal in 2018 but wanted several amendments, including on automotive rules of origin.The two American political parties have finally agreed on the terms, while Chrystia Freeland, Canadas Deputy Prime Minister, signed on to the amendments yesterday. Mexico has also stated it is satisfied with the new agreement.The CUSMA deal now has to be ratified by all three countries, which could potentially happen as early as the end of 2019. In the U.S., General Motors and Ford issued statements approving the deal, as did the president of Canadas Unifor auto workers union, who told Automotive News Canada that it could level the playing field between Canada and Mexico.Among the agreements rules are a requirement that 70 per cent of the aluminum used in North American-built cars be of North American origin. The amount of domestic steel is also mandated, and the amendment tightens up the definition of exactly what constitutes North American steel.Under NAFTA, 62.5 per cent of a cars components had to be made in North America in order to move duty-free between the three countries. Under the new agreement, that will rise to 75 per cent by 2023. The deal also prevents the U.S. from imposing future tariffs on specified numbers of Canadian- and Mexican-built auto parts.At least 30 per cent of a vehicle must be made by workers who earn more than US$16 per hour, and Mexican workers will have the right to demand fair pay and freely form unions. An inter-agency committee will be put in place to inspect factories suspected of having poor working conditions an amendment to the original deals provision for U.S. officials to enter and inspect Mexican facilities, which Mexico opposed.Its expected this agreement will keep more auto jobs in Canada and the U.S., rather than seeing them moved to Mexico. However, some experts say this could cause car prices to rise and to reduce the number of smaller vehicles available to buyers, since many of these are currently made in
Origin: CUSMA trade deal could keep auto jobs in Canada, but car prices could rise
Ford recalling 30,000 heavy-duty trucks in Canada for tailgates falling open
2018 Ford F-250 Super DutyDerek McNaughton / Driving Ford is recalling more than a quarter-million heavy-duty trucks in North America over concerns their tailgates could fall open while driving.Some 29,953 Ford F-250 and F-450 pickups from model years 2017 through 2019 are affected in Canada, and another 231,664 in the U.S.On affected vehicles, the electric tailgate latch release switch inside the tailgate handle could short circuit when it comes in contact with water, letting the latches the loose and dropping the tailgate unexpectedly, either while the vehicle is sitting still or driving.Only trucks with an electronic tailgate handle are affected, of course.A separate recall the automaker also announced early December will see some 4,000 new Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs recalled in North America over a possible fuel leak risk.On 2020 models, a protective sleeve on the liquid fuel line may be too short, allowing it to contact a vapor fuel line and, over time, possibly rub through it. If this happens, it could create a gas
Origin: Ford recalling 30,000 heavy-duty trucks in Canada for tailgates falling open
VW Canada removing front-wheel-drive options from its Atlas
Volkswagen Canada is taking away the front-wheel-drive option on its Atlas SUVs and fitting the trucks 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with AWD standard, citing low take rates on the FWD.The soon-to-be-released mid-size 2020 Atlas Cross Sport wont see FWD when it hits dealers here in March 2020, reports Automotive News; and when the full-size Atlas gets refreshed for the 2021 model year in mid-2020, itll drop that drivetrain.That means, for the first time, AWD Atlases can be paired with the 2.0-litre turbo four. Having the (all-wheel drive) with the four-cylinder allows us to offer it at a better price point, VW Canada public relations manager Thomas Tetzlaff told the outlet. The people that were on the fence, now weve given them that
Origin: VW Canada removing front-wheel-drive options from its Atlas
Kia Canada sells its 1 millionth vehicle in Quebec – and this customer gets her Kia Soul for free
Walking into Kia Sherbrooke to shop for a new vehicle, Sonia Blais was not in high spirits.The special education teacher from Magog, Quebec had recently become a single mother of two, with a looming divorce sapping her finances, an expensive holiday season at her door and an already harsh winter blowing over her Eastern Townships home.But a new car is what she need, so after weighing her options, she picked out a Kia Soul, a stylish subcompact, delivered, of course, with Quebecs mandatory winter tires. She paid via a roughly $25,000 loan, with financing.The purchase also made Blais, unbeknownst to her, Kia Canadas one millionth customer, a milestone that coincidentally lined up with the Korean brands 20th anniversary in this country.Even more coincidentally, Kia Sherbrooke was among the brands first concessionnaires here, selling more than a handful of the first 1,417 Sportage and Sephias to hit Canadian shores back in 1999.When Kia head office rang dealership owner Daniel Beaucage, from Groupe Beaucage, over Blais new purchase, he assumed it was over a problem with the order. Not quite, it turns outBlais was invited back to the dealership with her millionième Kia for a little ceremony this past Thursday, hosted by the new VP and COO of Kia Canada, Elias El-Achhab.She figured out from that she was in for some sort of surprise. Beaucage and co-owner Tommy Morissette started off by announcing a list of $2,000 worth of options they wanted to gift her like a remote start to keep her warm, and a bike rack, since shes a frequent rider.Then El-Achhab interrupted the declaration: C’est nous qui payons votre Kia Soul, or We are going to pay your Kia Soul.Blais croaked out a Really? before starting to cry. Kia means it when it says its cars have the power to surprise.Morissette told Driving.ca that Blais really touched its sales representatives, and everybody at the dealership was so happy luck befell her in particular.She moved us with the work shes been doing for the past 22 years with learning disabilities kids, he said. She said she never won anything in her whole life, but now shes driving one of our vehicles her second Kia were going to take very good care of her, and her Soul.For those wondering if a million vehicles is a big milestone, consider that, these days, about two million new vehicles are sold in Canada every year.When Honda Canada celebrated its 50th anniversary March 2019, the manufacturer of Canadas best-selling car, the Civic, claimed just over four million vehicles
Origin: Kia Canada sells its 1 millionth vehicle in Quebec – and this customer gets her Kia Soul for free
Nissan’s 2020 Qashqai starts at $21,498 in Canada
The newest version of Nissan Canada’s second-best selling model, the Qashqai, has been given a price tag for 2020. With a fresh exterior design and a host of new and upgraded safety features coming standard, the popular crossover, which lives between the Kicks and Rogue in the brand’s lineup, will start at $21,498 for the base S MT front-wheel-drive model. Front-wheel-drive comes standard on the S and SV trims, while intelligent all-wheel-drive is offered on the S, SV and SL trims.For that base offering, the 2020 version rings in at a minimum of $1,300 more than the previous model-year Qashqai. But that additional stack of cash does earn a fair bit of extra safety and comfort tech, including a six-way manual adjustable driver’s seat, rear-seat heating and cooling, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, intelligent auto headlights, traffic sign recognition, driver attention assist, rear sonar, rear intelligent emergency braking, high-beam assist, lane-departure warning and intelligent emergency braking with pedestrian detection, all of which comes standard. As options, Nissan will also throw in perks like ProPILOT Assist, door-to-door nav and NissanConnect powered by SiriusXM. The new Qashqai received a visual refresh, too, creating an all-around sportier feel. A reconfigured front end with updated LED headlights, a V-motion grille and an aggressive hood provide a more angular first impression, which is backed up by new 19-inch alloy wheels and visually adjusted taillights.Power, meanwhile, comes from a 141-horsepower 2.0-litre four-cylinder mated to either an Xtronic transmission with eco mode; or a six-speed manual in the S FWD model. Above the S MT FWD base model sits the S Xtronic FWD ($24,198), SV Xtronic FWD ($26,798), S Xtronic AWD ($26,198), SV Xtronic AWD ($28,798), SL Xtronic AWD ($31,848) and the SL Xtronic PLAT AWD ($33,998). The 2020 Nissan Qashqai is set to go on sale any day
Origin: Nissan’s 2020 Qashqai starts at $21,498 in Canada
Ford recalling more than 5,500 Rangers in Canada over faulty taillights
Ford is recalling more than 5,500 Ranger pickups in Canada over taillights that may not work properly.The recall covers trucks from the 2019 model year, and applies to some 78,264 Rangers globally specifically, 5,564 are affected in Canada.On those affected trucks, the rear lights may function intermittently or simply not work due to badly installed or misaligned terminals.This means the position lights, brake lights and turn signals may not illuminate fully, reducing the visibility of the truck to other road users.Dealers will repair the issue by adjusting the terminals. This marks the fifth recall for the Ranger this year, its first model year on sale in Canada, which suggests Ford is still working out the bugs on the new
Origin: Ford recalling more than 5,500 Rangers in Canada over faulty taillights
More than 10,600 Fiat 500s recalled in Canada over rollaway risk
The 2018 Fiat 500 Spiaggina 58, a limited-edition retro-inspired convertible. Fiat Chrysler is recalling more than 10,600 older Fiat 500 cars in Canada over a transmission issue that could pose a rollaway risk.Some 10,627 cars from model-year 2012 and 2013 are part of the campaign, which covers a total 72,761 cars globally.On affected vehicles, shift cable bushings could degrade prematurely due to heat and humidity, separating the shift cable from the transmission and keep it from shifting into the selected gear; that means in PARK, the vehicle could roll away.In fact, FCA is aware of three minor accidents potentially related to the issue, though none resulted in any injury. Customers should be wary if they notice loose shifter movement, but as a precaution should always select the parking brake
Origin: More than 10,600 Fiat 500s recalled in Canada over rollaway risk
Lexus unveils its first all-electric vehicle — but Canada won’t get it
Well, we lose out again. After many years of selling hybrids, Lexus has finally gone all-electric with the upcoming UX 300e. The compact crossover is the brands first to run exclusively on battery power.But rather than unveiling it at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where we saw the Mustang Mach-E, Chevrolet EV pickup, and Tesla Cybertruck break cover, Lexus chose a show in Guangzhou, China.Thats because the UX 300e is only planned for China, Europe and Japan. Lexus Canada confirmed it won’t be sold in North America. (Lexus sells hybrids in Canada, as does Toyota, but neither has had an all-electric vehicle up until now.)And we cant figure how a nimble little luxury sport-ute, perfectly sized for the city and with no tailpipe out the back, wouldnt be a slam-dunk on our shores. Instead, Lexus Electrified, the companys global electrification strategy, will start with the UX 300e overseas next year.But that said, a closer look reveals a model that isn’t about performance. Lexus even says it will have natural-yet-brisk acceleration character, which doesnt exactly translate into pushes you into the back seat.Its 54.3-kWh battery puts it below other premium brands: Audis e-tron is 95 kWh and Mercedes-Benzs ECQ is 85 kWh. Even the Chevrolet Bolt and Nissan Leaf Plus have bigger batteries.The UX 300e makes 221 lb.-ft. of torque below the Leaf Plus 250 lb.-ft., or the 266 laid down by the Bolt. Audi and Mercedes-Benz scream by it at 413 and 560 lb.-ft. respectively. When its time to top up, the UX 300e has a fast-charge capacity of just 50 kW, while the e-tron rates as high as 150 kW.All of that might be understandable if the UX 300e went forever on a charge, but that doesnt seem to be the case either. Lexus claims 400 kilometres but thats on NEDC (New European Driving Cycle), an outdated method that can be more than 25 per cent more generous than how electric vehicles are rated here.Doing the math and assuming the UX 300e nets 300 km in Canadas tests, were still looking at 363 km for the Leaf Plus, and more than 400 for the Bolt. For the higher performers here, the e-trons estimated at 328 km, and the EQC at 360 km.Of course, we have to account for the largest factor in all of this North Americans. Specifically, our neighbours to the south, who usually eschew pint-sized in favour of portly when it comes to vehicles, and who buy enough automobiles to dictate our market. The UX 300e is probably the right size and the right power for its target markets overseas. Were guessing the next Lexus Electrified will probably be an RX, with a bigger battery and more power for
Origin: Lexus unveils its first all-electric vehicle — but Canada won’t get it
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