The 2020 Toyota Prius is finally here, and it boasts a ton of tech to go along with its brand-new electric drive system.The styling hasnt been changed at all, unfortunately, but when it comes to the Prius the only things that ever mattered anyway were fuel economy figures, which have unfortunately not been released for Canada yet.However, in the U.S. the EPA estimates 58 mpg city, 53 highway and 56 combined, which is about 4.0 L/100 km city, 4.4 highway and 4.2 combined. Pricing for the 2020 Prius in Canada starts at $28,550, which gets you front-wheel drive, a 7-inch display, Toyota Connected Services by Toyota, and Apple CarPlay compatibility. For $1,000 more, you can spec the AWD-e version, which has an electric motor powering the rear wheels for extra traction, mileage and emissions. You also get fog lights with the AWD-e version, which immediately turns it into a rally car.The Technology trim will set you back $32,590, but adds integrated Sirius XM Satellite Radio, heated steering wheel, auto-dimming rearview mirror, wireless phone charging pad, an eight-way power-adjustable drivers seat and a host of safety features. These features are also available on the $33,450 AWD-e Technology, and include Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and rain-sensing wipers. The AWD-e Technology adds an 11.6-inch high-definition touchscreen with embedded navigation, and fog lamps.The top of the heap is the Advanced AWD-e trim, which adds auto-levelling headlamps, heads-up display, adaptive front lighting, integrated garage door opener and intelligent clearance sonar with intelligent parking
Origin: The 2020 Toyota Prius finally offers AWD, Apple CarPlay
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New Ford scrappage scheme offers £2000 for old cars
Ford has launched a new scrappage scheme that gives UK car buyers a £2000 discount on new vehicles when they trade in an older car. The discount applies to most of Ford’s mainstream passenger and commercial vehicles, when customers trade in any make or model of older machine. The objective of the scheme, Ford says, is to “take older, less fuel-efficient vehicles off UK roads, replacing them with cleaner and more fuel-efficient new Ford models”. The company says its previous scrappage scheme (2017-2018) took 25,500 older vehicles off the road. Traded-in vehicles will be scrapped at a government-certified disposal facility. To qualify for the discount, customers must order their new Ford model before 30 September, and register it before 31 March 2020. Any passenger or commercial vehicle registered before December 31 2012 can be traded in against a new Ford, regardless of make or model. It must have been registered to the new car buyer for more than 90 days prior to swapping. Passenger models not eligible for the discount include the Ka+ supermini, Mustang, Zetec models and the full range of ST performance cars like the Focus ST and Fiesta ST. The Ranger Raptor pick-up and Transit Connect small van are also exempt. The discount cannot be applied to any vehicle purchased before 1 July. Ford’s UK boss, Andy Barratt, said: “To help reduce the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the use of our vehicles, we are committed to making more efficient, lower-impact vehicles and technologies accessible at scale.” The first scrappage scheme was government-backed, and ran from 2009-2010. Since then, a number of manufacturers have run their own schemes as a means of attracting new customers and contributing to an industry-wide assault on emissions. Mitsubishi, for example, was recently offering £4000 in trade-in value against its Outlander plug-in hybrid, which, when added to the UK government’s now axed subsidy for hybrids, meant customers could save £6500 on the electrified SUV. In December 2018, a new £23 million commercial vehicle scrappage scheme was introduced by the UK government, to help small businesses meet the requirements of London’s new ultra-low emission
Origin: New Ford scrappage scheme offers £2000 for old cars
Prank lands victim hundreds of offers to buy Weinermobile he doesn’t own
An Oscar Mayer Weinermobile replica for sale in Californiacraigslist It sounds like it would’ve been the perfect daily driver. Priced under $10,000, well-tuned with 110,000-plus miles on the engine, shaped like a giant hot dog? Yes, that’s what was promised in a craigslist ad for Oscar Mayer Wienermobile replica, allegedly still currently up for sale in California. But as hundreds of too-tempted hot dog fans have found out, the listing is part of a prank, pulled on a man named Noah by his friends, who posted the ad with his phone number attached to it just so he’d be inundated with calls. No, none of the parties involved own a Weinermobile or have one for sale. Long story short, it worked, especially since several media outlets, including this one, fell for it and spread the ad around. Noah says he’s been fielding at least 20 to 30 calls per day, as of two days ago. The not-real vehicle was listed with a price tag of US$7,000 and looked like a legit replica of one of Oscar Mayer’s iconic Wienermobiles, which have travelled the U.S. selling meat tubes since 1936. “Hey all, I’ve got an Oscar Meyer Wienermobile replica for sale. Bought several years ago, had won several shows and many awards,” the Craigslist listing reads. “Currently has 110,400 miles but will continue to rise as I use it daily for transportation to work.” An Oscar Mayer Weinermobile replica for sale in California craigslist Noah’s alleged motivation for getting rid of such an epic ride? “Works and runs wonderfully, just need a new car for work,” the seller explains. “The Weinermobile as a daily driver was a novelty and enjoyable for about a week. Now I suffer.” To top it all off, Noah’s prankster friends marked the listing to say delivery is available and that cryptocurrency is also accepted.
Origin: Prank lands victim hundreds of offers to buy Weinermobile he doesn’t own
Genesis still offers a manual G70 because enthusiasts still want one
2019 Genesis G70 2.0T SportChris Balcerak / Driving Genesis is proving manual transmissions still matter by keeping the three-pedal option around in its G70 sport sedan. According to Carbuzz, in the United States, just four per cent of buyers have chosen the G70’s manual transmission option to date. In Canada, the take rate also hovers around four per cent, working out to about 1,300 cars to date since the option was introduced late last year. But for Genesis, that’s completely OK. That’s because Genesis knew the take-rate would be low for the three-pedal option, but still chose to include it anyway, because the G70’s performance and position in the market warrants it. The car itself already punches above its weight class, taking on Germany’s Big Three — notably the BMW 3 Series, which no longer offers a manual. Evidently, Genesis offering a manual G70 has won over enthusiasts. For 2019, the Genesis G70 can be optioned with a six-speed manual transmission paired to a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The engine itself produces a healthy 255 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque; opting for the manual in the G70 also adds a limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes, and dedicated performance tires. To say the least, it’s an excellent performance package — and economical, too. The G70 2.0T Sport alleviates a mere $45,500 from your
Origin: Genesis still offers a manual G70 because enthusiasts still want one
Burger King now offers food delivery to people stuck in traffic
Eating in your car isn’t a new concept. We’ve been dropping French fries down the sides of our seats for generations now. And neither is food delivery a novel concept. Yet somehow it’s taken this long to bring the two together in the way that Burger King has with its “Traffic Jam Whopper,” a new product system that delivers Burger King menu items directly to your car window while you’re stuck on a highway moving at 2 km/h. What you’re about to witness is evolution, folks: The program was introduced in Mexico City where gridlock traffic is a part of daily life for many, AdAge reports. Basically, digital billboards use real-time data to let drivers know how long they’ll be stuck in traffic and tempt them into an in-vehicle meal. “You’ll be stuck for 59 minutes. Order to your car now,” one of the digital billboards in Mexico City read. To discourage hungry drivers from texting while behind the wheel, the BK app apparently also functions with voice commands. Once the order is made, a motorcycle courier tracks the customer down with Google Maps tech and, by traffic filtering, or lane-splitting, delivers the meal. The program has proved so successful, with Burger King’s daily delivery order seeing a 63-per-cent increase and the BK app a 44-per-cent boost to its download rate, according to a campaign case study, that the fast food brand has decided to expand to the congested streets of Los Angeles, Shanghai and Sao Paulo. With numbers like that, it won’t come as a shock if other players start to enter the traffic-food-delivery game, too. Imagine getting a hot coffee delivered to your window while you wait out the morning traffic. A service like this wouldn’t be of much use to drivers in Canada, though, where lane-splitting on motorcycles or mopeds is illegal. Which is ironic, as the traffic jam is usually caused by the lineup to the Tim Hortons drive-through.
Origin: Burger King now offers food delivery to people stuck in traffic
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