Toyotas most popular model in Canada is about to become more popular, with the addition of a brand-new TRD trim and a plug-in hybrid variant.The RAV4 already came with a Trail trim meant to add some excitement to the daily driver, with a longer wheelbase and widened track to provide more stability; and shorter overhangs to keep the body from getting hung up on obstacles.Standard Trail trim models feature 19-inch TRAIL alloy wheels; a 1,590-kg towing capacity; and Dynamic Torque Vectoring with Rear Driveline Disconnect.Now the 2020 Toyota RAV4 TRD Off-Road trim offers even more capability than the RAV4 Trail trim, adding $2,900 to the price tag to total $41,790. That one comes with 18-inch TRD alloy wheels clad in Falken All-Terrain Tires, a TRD Off-Road exclusive, plus an off-road-tuned suspension, LED fog lamps, special TRD badging and an 11-speaker JBL Audio System.All gasoline trims are available in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Hybrid models use a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle engine, combined with an electric motor and a CVT transmission, and feature all-wheel-drive.All models also get Android Auto and Apple Carplay capability, something previously unheard of in a Toyota showroom.Toyota is also readying a third variant to be added to the lineup, a plug-in hybrid, set for a debut in Los Angeles at that auto show. According to Toyota, the model will become the most powerful RAV4 yet. Were hoping this means the focus for the new vehicle will be driving pleasure, rather than
Origin: Toyota reveals a new RAV4 TRD Off-Road trim ready to hit the dirt
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Ford brings luxury King Ranch trim to 2020 Expedition SUV
King Ranch® edition of 2020 Ford Expedition and extended-length Expedition MAX reintroduces premium option for buyers of large SUVs inspired by iconic Texas ranch, extending 20-year collaborationFord Ford is bringing its luxury King Ranch trim back to its Expedition SUV, slotting it above the Expedition Platinum at the top of the range.The King Ranch is set apart largely by a supple brown leather interior; a two-tone paint scheme; and lots of oversize badging inside and out calling out the truck as the top dog. Plus, of course, all the options youd already get on the Platinum.The automakers motives in the trims return are simple: luxury trucks boast massive profit margins, and, Stateside, Expedition sales are rising rapidly. One in five buyers go for the top-end Platinum, and two-in-five opt for the Limited just below it. They want luxo-trucks.Lucky for them, the King Ranch delivers, pampering them in a Texas-sized barge absent the frou-frou of a Lincoln Navigator. Indeed, the King Ranch is unabashedly cowboy-themed, with gray paint on the grille and lower bodywork regardless of the body colour chosen.The acres of leather on the dash, doors and steering wheel comes only in brown, with second-row captains chairs decked out in the cowhide, too. King Ranch® edition of 2020 Ford Expedition and extended-length Expedition MAX reintroduces premium option for buyers of large SUVs inspired by iconic Texas ranch, extending 20-year collaboration Ford Pricing was not revealed, but the 2019 Expedition Platinum starts at $72,552 in Canada. The Ford F-150 King Ranch pickup starts at $55,415, just below the $58,522 of the F-150 Platinum.The Expedition last wore a King Ranch badge in 2015, though the nameplates carried on via the F-150 range since then and to
Origin: Ford brings luxury King Ranch trim to 2020 Expedition SUV
New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe spotted in range-topping M Sport trim
A new prototype of BMW’s upcoming 2 Series Gran Coupé offers the clearest look yet at the four-door Mercedes-Benz CLA rival’s exterior styling. Spotted carrying out advanced road testing ahead of its November debut, the development model sports less camouflage than any yet seen, with a QR code and web address hinting at an imminent publicity campaign for the new car. Details like black alloy wheels, large brake discs, aggressively styled bumpers and prominent rear lip spoiler suggest that this is the range-topping M Sport variant, likely powered by the same 302bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbocharged unit as the new M135i hot hatch, with which it shares a front-wheel drive platform. These photos closely match previous spy images of the car, suggesting that development is reaching the final stages before launch. The need to accommodate two conventional front-hinged rear doors and sufficient rear seat leg room is said to be behind the decision to give the new car a wheelbase that’s halfway between the 2690mm span of the 2 Series Coupé and the 2810mm of the 3 Series saloon. Inside, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will sport a new interior layout that’s also set to be adopted by the successors to today’s 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible, which are due in 2020. The turbocharged three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines for the 2 Series Gran Coupé will mirror those of the existing pair. On the petrol side, expect a 134bhp 1.5-litre three-cylinder unit in the 218i, 181bhp and 242bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units in the 220i and 225i, as well as the M235i’s more potent unit. Among the diesels will be 148bhp, 187bhp and 221bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder units in the 218d, 220d and 225d respectively. Like its two-door siblings, the 2 Series Gran Coupé will offer a choice of a standard six-speed manual or optional eight-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, as well as optional xDrive four-wheel drive. However, the latter will be offered in combination with only a limited range of engines. The highlight of the new line-up, though, will be the M2 Gran Coupé. This model will use the same 365bhp turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder engine as its highly lauded two-door sibling. It will be offered with a standard six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. Although it’s still early days, the S55B30-designated engine is expected to provide the M2 Gran Coupé with similar performance to the M2, which has an official 0-62mph time of 4.4sec in manual form and an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The 2 Series Gran Coupé will be produced alongside the 2 Series Coupé and 2 Series Convertible at BMW’s plant in Leipzig, Germany. A plug-in hybrid model is also mooted. This is expected to use BMW’s turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor mounted within the forward section of a standard eight-speed automatic gearbox. In combination with a lithium ion battery pack positioned within the floor of the boot, this is intended to provide the 225e with an electric-only driving range of up to 31 miles. The four-door coupé will have its world debut at this year’s Los Angeles motor show before going on sale in early
Origin: New BMW 2 Series Gran Coupe spotted in range-topping M Sport trim
The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic gets extra-cool with new Sub Zero trim
What’s a company to do when it’s selling a truck with a ten-year old design alongside a brand new one? Give it as many special editions as possible, of course. Earlier this year, we saw Ram bring out a Warlock package for the Ram 1500 Classic. Today, it introduced a Sub Zero package. In the middle of summer, no less. Offered on ST, Tradesman and Express models, the Sub Zero trim adds heat to the front split bench seat and steering wheel, a remote start for those cold mornings, and a 10-way power driver’s chair. Other goodies include the 5-inch Uconnect with satellite radio and an overhead console. “The new ‘Sub Zero’ package was designed by Canadians for Canadians,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO of FCA Canada before getting back to the business of bringing a lawsuit against his own company. “We created an exclusive package with affordable, all-weather comfort and conveniences to complement the award-winning capability and features of our Ram 1500 Classic, helping our Ram customers better conquer tough Canadian winters from coast-to-coast.” Through to the end of May, sales of Ram pickups have fallen off by six percent compared to the same time last year, down to 37,152 units sold. Across all its brands, FCA Canada is down by about 14 per cent so far this year, not having yet cracked the 100,000-unit barrier. It had done so at this point in 2018. Ram pickup trucks, by the way, are head-and-shoulders above the other products in FCA’s portfolio in terms of sales, with the next-best-selling vehicle being the Caravan, at 13,199 units sold. In fact, Ram pickups outsold the entire Jeep brand in this country by a wide margin. Having two half-ton pickups at different price points surely helps. This all-weather goodness, which the cynical amongst us will say is simply a way to use up remaining Ram 1500 Classic parts they keep finding in FCA warehouses, will add $1,495 to the window sticker. It’s offered on Quad or Crew Cab 44 Ram 1500 Classic models with all engine configurations and is available
Origin: The 2019 Ram 1500 Classic gets extra-cool with new Sub Zero trim
VW brand to trim as many as 4,000 jobs amid digital overhaul
A Volkswagen badge on a Golf GTI steering wheel.Nick Tragianis / Driving Volkswagen’s main car brand will let lapse as many as 4,000 general and administrative jobs while adding at least 2,000 IT positions over the next four years, avoiding layoffs at its German factories as it negotiates a major shift toward electrification and self-driving cars. The move, brokered with VW’s powerful unions, includes job guarantees through 2029, the manufacturer said Wednesday in a statement. The brand will rely on partial retirement and attrition to help reach targeted staff reductions as it culls models and focuses on new technologies that require fewer factory workers. With earlier job cuts, VW is on track with a plan announced in March to improve profit by 5.9 billion euros (US$6.7 billion) a year, the unit’s chief operating officer, Ralf Brandstaetter, said in the statement. “We are making the company fit for the digital age in a sustainable way.” The prospect of deeper cutbacks had alarmed VW’s union leaders as manufacturers wrestle with the transformation of sprawling industrial operations. App-based services like ride-sharing and car-sharing are already threatening the industry’s traditional business model of individual car ownership — a trend that may accelerate once self-driving vehicles reach critical mass — and electric cars require fewer parts and workers for assembly. The extended job guarantee is “an important signal,” VW works council chief Bernd Osterloh said in Wolfsburg, near the company’s headquarters. VW signed a broader labor pact in 2016 to cull 30,000 jobs worldwide, with Germany accounting for 23,000, to generate about 3 billion euros in annual savings. The VW car brand, which accounts for about half the group’s global deliveries, employs roughly 110,000 workers in Germany out of a global workforce of 663,000 across the Volkswagen group, the world’s largest automaker. The unit has been pushing to rein in bloated expenses to lift profitability that’s trailing rivals like PSA
Origin: VW brand to trim as many as 4,000 jobs amid digital overhaul
Rivian unveils a Camping Special trim for its upcoming all-electric pickup
Electric vehicle start-up Rivian showed off a “camping special” trim available for its all-electric pickup truck late May—even though it’s yet to actually build its first production all-electric pickup truck. The California-based company showed the camper-equipped truck last weekend to visitors at the Overland Expo adventure travel show in Flagstaff, Arizona. The camping package includes a tent on top of the bed, roof racks for accessories, and a slide-out kitchen that fits into a storage compartment, called the Gear Tunnel, under the front of the truck’s bed. The kitchen included a two-burner induction cooktop, which runs off the truck’s battery. We’ve cooked up a mobile kitchen prototype that showcases just one of the many ways to utilize the extra storage space in the #R1T. It features 2 induction burners, a sink, 5 gallons of water storage and keeps all your cookware and utensils organized while youre out in the wild. pic.twitter.com/qsVXZUvCw8 Rivian (@Rivian) May 17, 2019 Founded in 2009 by R.J. Scaringe, the company unveiled its R1T electric pickup and R1S sport-utility vehicle at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. It says production models will go on sale in 2020, and claims specifications of around 800 horsepower, a battery range of about 750 kilometres, zero-to-96 km/h in less than three seconds, and towing capacity for the pickup of more than 11,000 lbs. The vehicles will also be capable of semi-autonomous highway driving. Prices haven’t been officially released, but the first higher-performance vehicles are expected to be around US$90,000, with less-potent models added later and starting at around US$50,000. They’ll be built in Normal, Illinois, in a former Mitsubishi plant the company bought from the Japanese automaker last
Origin: Rivian unveils a Camping Special trim for its upcoming all-electric pickup
Mini Clubman facelift brings styling tweaks and trim changes
Mini has performed a mid-life refresh on the four-year old Clubman, rival to the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. Most of the changes are aesthetic, but there are improvements in lighting and some fresh colour and alloy wheel choices. There’s also a new sports suspension option, which lowers the car’s ride height by 10mm, while adaptive dampers remain an option. The line-up remains unchanged, save for the deletion this coming July of the Clubman City, an entry-level model aimed at fleets that will be dropped. Its absence and an across-the-board price increase of £900 means that the range will start at £21,200 rather than £19,995. The refresh is most obvious from the front, where the black bar bisecting the grille has been removed to tidy the Clubman’s nose, while the black grille of the Cooper S features a slender horizontal décor strip. A chrome grille finish can also be specified. The lower air intake has also been redesigned, as have the LED headlamps and adaptive Matrix lights, which automatically maximise illumination without dazzling other road users, are an option. LED tail-lights are now standard and feature the distinctive Union Jack design of smaller Minis. The Clubman’s door mirrors have also been resculpted. There are two new colour choices – Indian Summer Red and British racing Green – and three new alloy wheel designs. As before there are three engine choices, a 135bhp three-cylinder petrol, 189bhp four-cylinder petrol and 148bhp four-cylinder diesel, all turbocharged. A six-speed manual is standard, a seven-speed automatic optional. Three trim packs can be applied to the Cooper and Cooper S models, consisting of Classic, Sport and Exclusive. The Clubman accounted for only 11 per cent of UK Mini sales in 2018, a little less than for its worldwide share of 14 per cent. The three-door hatch accounts for 27 per cent of global sales, the five-door 18 per cent, the Countryman 33 per cent and the Convertible eight per
Origin: Mini Clubman facelift brings styling tweaks and trim changes
Audi makes performance trim out of new diesel S7 in Europe, sticks with gas in U.S.
Static photo, Colour: Daytona greyAudi Audi has already released the A6 and A7, but now the so-called performance versions are here in the form of the S6 and S7, which are a little different depending which side of the pond you’re on. In Europe, the sole engine option is a diesel-powered 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 with a 48-volt electrical system that powers a supercharger. Some 349 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque is all you get with the oil-burner, enough to get the huge Audi to 100 km/h in 5.0 seconds in S6 guise; the S7 and S6 Avant get there a little slower at 5.1 seconds. We all know Audi has done well in LeMans with its diesel race car, but nobody on the street cares about that. We want revs and horsepower, and the diesel version just isn’t going to deliver that. Luckily for us in North America, we don’t have to suffer. The diesel will be left off the plate on this side of the pond in favour of a gasoline-powered 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that makes 450 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque; a 48-volt electrical system is also on the table, again powering the same supercharger. Audi has not released the full performance figures for the gasoline engine in the S6 or S7, but we don’t expect them to change drastically. On top of the new engine options, the S6 and S7 now feature four-wheel steering to make up for the lack of V8. Inside, a new digital gauge cluster and touchscreen dash showcase the new technology present for 2020. Although the V6 will never make as nice a soundtrack as the V8, the new car is sure to be faster and more
Origin: Audi makes performance trim out of new diesel S7 in Europe, sticks with gas in U.S.
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