Although its F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in Canada, Ford isn’t having quite as much luck with the midsize Ranger. All-new in Canada for 2019, the Ranger sold only 755 copies in the first three months of 2019—beating out only the SUV-based Honda Ridgeline in sales, and by only 23 trucks at that. All-new models usually do well in their first year, and with the nameplate’s history and its previous popularity, it was expected the Ranger would clean up on its introduction. Instead, the Toyota Tacoma rang up the highest sales numbers in the first quarter of 2019, with 2,640 copies sold. The Chevrolet Colorado was second at 1,788, while its GMC Canyon mechanical twin racked up 1,288 sales. Even the Frontier, the oldest design on the market, outdid the Ranger with 959 sold. While Ranger sales are also slow in the U.S., it’s doing slightly better there. According to Car and Driver, Ford sold 15,169 units in the first three months, outselling the GMC Canyon at 9,374 copies, and the Ridgeline at 9,606 units. But it couldn’t touch the Tacoma at 78,558, or the Colorado at 45,149 units. The Frontier also outsold the Ranger, with 24,479 copies. Ford reported Ranger production ramped up early, according to Car and Driver, and says trucks are spending just 20 days on U.S. dealer lots, much shorter than average. However, it’s also possible the supply isn’t yet getting from the factory to dealers as quickly as it should. In Canada, Ranger sales were 201 units in January, dropping to 173 in February and staying flat in March. However, sales climbed to 381 units in April, which could indicate that either supply, or customer demand, or both are picking up—although Ranger’s April sales still trailed all but the Ridgeline, with Tacoma leading the pack at 1,055 sold for the
Origin: Ford Ranger sales off to a slow start in Canada and the U.S.
U.S.
Volkswagen is planning some serious changes to the Golf lineup in the U.S.
2018 Volkswagen GolfHandout / Volkswagen Volkswagen is poised to release the eighth-generation of its venerable Golf hatchback, but the future of lower-end models could be in jeopardy in the U.S. According to Motor1, a spokesman suggests only the next-gen GTI and Golf R will be available in the U.S. as the base Golf will be dropped, leaving budget-minded buyers out in the cold. VW’s U.S. division hasn’t confirmed this, but sales figures support the rumour. VW Canada, however, remains committed to a full lineup. Almost half of Golf sales in 2018 were the GTI and R, with the GTI selling almost three times as much as the base model. Only 6,642 base hatchbacks were sold in the U.S., which accounts for less than two per cent of the brand’s overall car sales down there. The Golf Sportwagen is also on the chopping block in the U.S., which doesn’t bode well for the Alltrack on which it’s based. In Canda, a base Golf with a manual transmission starts at $22,500. Stepping up to the GTI requires an extra $8,345. The Golf R requires even more cash, starting at $42,495 — nearly double over a base hatch. Last year, Canadians bought just over 17,000 Golf models of all
Origin: Volkswagen is planning some serious changes to the Golf lineup in the U.S.
Smart calls it quits in Canada and the U.S.
The Smart brand is being powered down in Canada and the United States. Mercedes-Benz Canada has confirmed that sales of the tiny car, which is currently sold only as a battery-powered electric vehicle, will end at the end of the 2019 model year. In a statement, the company cited “a number of factors, including a declining microcar market in the U.S. and Canada, combined with high homologation costs for a low-volume model.” Mercedes-Benz will continue its electric strategy with new EQ models, which will initially arrive in Canada with the new EQC in 2020. Smart initially launched in 1998 as a joint venture of Daimler-Benz and watch company Swatch – resulting in a tiny city car with replaceable coloured plastic body panels that could be switched out to change the car’s appearance, like a Swatch. The cars used a three-cylinder, 800-cc diesel engine, rated at just 40 horsepower, when they arrived in Canada in 2004. They didn’t arrive in the United States until 2008, when the powertrain switched to a three-cylinder gasoline engine. They were initially imported by United Auto Group, owned by Roger Penske, who transferred the distribution rights back to Mercedes-Benz in 2011. The car’s best sales years were shortly after its Canadian introduction, and declined after that. An electric EQ version was added for 2014, and for 2018, the Smart lineup of coupe and cabriolet dropped its gasoline engine and went strictly electric. Range was approximately 130 kilometres on a charge, which also limited its appeal when other electrics were offering much longer driving distances. Only 368 Smarts were sold in Canada in 2017, and that dropped to just 345 in 2018. The little car should carry on in other markets, though. Daimler recently announced a joint venture with Zhejiang Geely to build the electric Smart in China, with sales beginning in 2022. In both Canada and the U.S., Mercedes-Benz will continue to provide service and replacement parts for gasoline and electric versions through authorized
Origin: Smart calls it quits in Canada and the U.S.
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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