Porsches Macan GTS is back for 2020 after a three-year hiatus, and now it has more power, more tech and a slightly higher price.Powering the GTS is a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 making 375 horsepower and 383 lb.-ft. of torque. With a PDK transmission and the Sport Chrono package, the small crossover can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in just 4.7 seconds, some 0.3 seconds faster than the previous Macan GTS.Top speed is now a rule-breaking 261 km/h.The standard GTS comes with Porsche Air Suspension, which includes Active Suspension Management tech, and the vehicle has been lowered by 25 millimetres for better handling.The exterior has changed slightly, and features a revised fascia, new front and rear trim with side skirts and LED headlights and taillights. Cast-iron brakes with painted red calipers are standard, but carbon-compsite brakes are an available option. A set of 20-inch RS Spyder Design wheels round out the exterior changes.Inside the Macan, the sporty theme is continued with a large instrument panel and infotainment screen. Alcantara adorns the centre panels of the eight-way adjustable sports seats, the centre console armrests and the door panels, and aluminum trim is found everywhere else. A GTS interior option is available that adds Carmine Red or Chalk stitching, as well as a Bose sound system and wireless charging.All this sportiness will cost a little bit more money than the previous model at $77,100 in Canada, its $4,000 more than it was in 2017. Deliveries should start summer
Origin: The 2021 Porsche Macan GTS now makes 375 hp and tops out at 261 km/h
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2020 GMC Sierra, Silverado 1500 diesel tops segment in highway fuel economy ratings
2020 Chevrolet Silverado Diesel In the never-ending Detroit truck wars, manufacturers are looking for any and all advantages with which to beat their competition over the head like a coked-up wrestler towing, payload ratings, and most recently, fuel economy.For 2020, the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra duo are available with a snazzy new 3.0-litre inline-six diesel engine lashed to a 10-speed automatic transmission. This option allows the truck to cut back on its drinking, with the EPA awarding the powertrain an estimated 7.1 L/100 kilometres (33 miles per gallon) highway fuel economy for rear-wheel drive models. If youre keeping track at home, the other two diesel-powered pickups in the half-ton segment the Ford F-150 and Ram 1500 are rated at 30 and 27 mpg on the highway cycle, respectively. In a market where manufacturers go to great lengths to eke out a single mpg over their rival, GMs accomplishment is remarkable.With 277 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the 3.0L Duramax is the first diesel engine offered in a GM half-ton since 1997. It has an aluminium block, active thermal management to heat critical components more quickly, and an automatic start/stop system. Working in concert with the 10-speed automatic, this power team is one of six in the lineup for 2020. Truck fans of the brand are spoiled for choice. Having sampled the Silverady 1500 Duramax about a month ago, we came away impressed with its drivetrain, providing plenty of shove without clattering like the diesels of old. In terms of price, expect to pay roughly the same premium for the Duramax as one would for the 6.2L V8 in comparison to the 5.3L V8.To be clear, the press bumf specifies the 2020 Chevrolet Silverado as receiving this plaudit, but theres no reason to imagine its GMC twin wont earn the same rating. City economy is pegged at 10.2 L/100 kilometres, or 23 mpg. Models with 44 drivelines are rated at 29 mpg highway and 23 city.While the Silverado outsells the Sierra by a wide margin in the U.S., the Sierra actually outsold the Silverado in Canada last year by about 1,000 units. Expect these Duramax half-tons to show up on dealer lots later this
Origin: 2020 GMC Sierra, Silverado 1500 diesel tops segment in highway fuel economy ratings
Eglinton Avenue East tops CAA’s worst roads list
Traffic moves past closed lanes at the corner of Eglinton Avenue and Dufferin Street in Toronto.Darren Calabrese Motorists detest Eglinton Ave. East. It has been voted the most horrible road in a city rife with complaints about bumps, holes and congestion, according to the Canadian Automobile Association’s (CAA) list of worst streets for 2019. Toronto’s Eglinton Ave. E. is currently undergoing one of the largest transit expansions in North America (construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT), which has significantly impacted road conditions during construction, says a CAA release. Taking the second spot was Riverdale Dr., in Washago – north of Orillia – and third place went to Dufferin St., also in Toronto. In 2018, the title of worst road went to Eglinton Ave. W., and one can again point to the building of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT; that construction is expected to continue until 2021. “While the condition of Eglinton Ave. is of concern to the public, many of the challenges for all road users will hopefully be resolved with the completion of the Eglinton Crosstown project,” CAA’s Raymond Chan said in a release. “The gridlock and congestion that many motorists are currently experiencing should ease as construction winds down, repairs to the road are made and as more people choose new transit options.” Chan added some roads have fallen off the CAA’s annual list. Those campaign success stories are because governments are prioritizing infrastructure through multi-year capital investments, Chan said. CAA will continue to advocate for longer-term dedicated infrastructure funding to help municipalities prepare, plan and budget and execute on repairs backlogs and capital projects. About three-quarters of the votes for this year’s list of worst roads came from drivers; 12 per cent were from cyclists, and another 12 per cent of votes came from pedestrians. Potholes and congestion were the top
Origin: Eglinton Avenue East tops CAA’s worst roads list
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