TORONTO, Feb. 2 /CNW/ - Toyota Canada’s (TCI) January 26 decision to delay deliveries of 8 select Toyota division models while it addressed the sticking accelerator pedal issue that may, in rare circumstances, occur in those models, resulted in softer sales in January - with 8,246 Toyota models sold (down 14.8% from January 2009).

MISSISSAUGA /CNW/ - Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is pleased to announce that it set a new record for January results. Total sales of its lineup of Subaru symmetrical full-time All-Wheel Drive vehicles climbed to 1,729 units, up 45.8 percent over last January.

MARKHAM, ON - Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. kicked off 2010 by recording its best January ever. With 6,084 units sold, the company beat its previous best January by nearly 1,300 units. That record was set back in 1986.

Toyota Canada Inc., (TCI) today announced it will begin fixing accelerator pedals in recalled Toyota Division vehicles by the end of this week. Toyota’s engineers have developed a solution that involves modifying the pedal assembly to eliminate the excess friction that has caused the pedals to stick in rare instances.

It’s a darn shame that Acura/Honda seems to have fired its exterior designers because they make some really nice cars.

Or perhaps more accurately, which of these popular SUV’s turned my crank the most after spending back-to-back weeks with them: the Acura RDX or Mazda CX-7?

On January 1, 2010, Audi Canada replaced its current vehicle history report (VHR) provider with CarProof(R) Vehicle History Reports. Audi has built and maintained its reputation by relying on keen attention to detail. Every used Audi undergoes a rigorous inspection process before it can qualify as an Audi Certified pre-owned vehicle. Audi stands behinds its offering of performance and peace-of-mind by instituting a set of qualifiers for their CPO vehicles that are amongst the toughest in the industry.

A3: it’s small, it’s a wagon and, as usually happens when I live with an Audi for a spell, it tore at my heartstrings to give it back.

Remember when calling something “The Cadillac of (whatever)” really meant something? Those days may be dawning again, if the new Cadillac CTS is any indication.

The 2009 Chevy Aveo is a good little commuter car, suited perfectly for trips around town. It’s small, pleasant to drive and be in, and seems as easy to please as a new puppy.

If the Chevy Traverse is any indication, General Motors has the potential for a rosy future if the financial Sword of Damocles can be removed from over it.

Talk about making a fuel of yourself. The Dodge Dakota midsized pickup is a heavy duty beast that for 2008 is capable of driving right past the gas pump – and straight to the ethanol one.

Ford’s new Taurus SHO is another welcome sign the company may be making a comeback, product-wise at least, avoiding the government takeover to which its domestic competitors succumbed.
It deserves to sell. I spent a week in a loaded SHO (as opposed to “loaded in an SHO”) and liked it a lot – much more than I thought I would. Even its exterior, which had seemed bland, even frumpy, in my brief glances previously, grew on me.

Europe has it already, and now Ford’s terrific little Fiesta subcompact is getting ready to tackle the North American market.

The original muscle car finds itself facing serious competition from the government-controlled domestic car industry as the Dodge Challenger and Chevy Camaro vie for a slice of the Pony car market the Mustang once had to itself.

With the grass finally rizzing in my area, it’s safe for companies that make outdoors-oriented stuff to show off some of their latest wares without worrying excessively about getting snowed out. 

Well, if you smashed in the front and rear ends you might call it an “Accordion,” but perhaps more relevant is the new Accord Crosstour, a crossover/SUV-type beastie that raises Honda’s immensely popular car to new heights.

What used to be both companies’ entry level – and bread and butter – vehicles have grown up over the decades, getting bigger in every way and far more sophisticated. And that isn’t a bad thing; technology advances. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is that endearing simplicity and ease of use that Honda once used in its commercials: “We Make It Simple”.

“Fun to drive” may not be everyone’s priority, but if an everyday vehicle also has some of that factor built in it can certainly make life with it more pleasant.

Talk about retro!

The flagship Lexus LS 600h L long-wheelbase prestige hybrid sedan establishes a unique vision of the ultimate contemporary luxury for its owners. The LS hybrid marries unprecedented comfort, refinement and luxury with awe inspiring power, handling, and safety. It surrounds Canadian motorists with advanced technology that surprises and delights. And it delivers remarkable fuel efficiency and emissions performance that offers drivers a feeling of distinction without compromise as a more sustainable partner in their pursuit of automotive perfection.

Lexus has introduced an all-new, second-generation GX 460 luxury utility vehicle for 2010 that is more advanced, more powerful, more efficient, quieter and more luxurious than the GX 470 model it replaces. The 2010 GX 460 achieves all of these significant developments while its segment-leading 10 standard airbags and the available Pre-Collision System help enhance safety.

TORONTO, /CNW/ - The Lexus LF-Ch compact hybrid concept made its world premiere today at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. It will also be on display for the first time in North America at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show in December.

You certainly can’t accuse Mazda of false advertising for using “Zoom-Zoom” as their slogan.

Other than some tweaking of options, Mazda’s little six seater hasn’t changed much for 2009 – and that may be ‘cause this miniature minivan didn’t need much changing anyway.

It’s the Mazda6 , which the company says is all new from stem to stern and top to bottom – and which surely looks and feels that way. In fact, so far as its looks are concerned, I think this is one of the best-looking sedans on the road today, sporty and modern and lovely to behold. And that’s saying something; I thought the previous 6 was one of the nicest styling jobs around, yet park it next to the fresh 6 and the previous generation looks positively frumpy.

Take some world class cars from one of Germany’s top marques, add a day on a road course race track learning and honing your driving skills, and what do you have?

Mercedes-Benz’ C class is the most affordable of the German carmaker’s sedan line, but that doesn’t mean it feels like an entry level vehicle.
It is, after all, a Mercedes. And that means even its lower end cars are upper echelon in the grand scheme of things. So it is with the new C.

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN) announced, today, its new zero-emission electric car I MiEV could hit the streets of Canada as early as November 2009.

It’s raw! It’s visceral! It’s “Basic transportation on steroids”!

Mitsubishi Motor Sales of Canada (MMSCAN) announced, today, its new zero-emission electric car I MiEV could hit the streets of Canada as early as November 2009.

It may be a little funny-looking, in a kind of cute way, but Nissan’s new cube “van-like object” is a pretty nifty vehicle overall.

If you thought Nissan Murano Version 1.0 was a pretty decent vehicle, you’ll probably love what they’ve done to it in Version 2.0.

Pontiac’s little wagon is back, with new looks, new features and new power. It’s a nice car, too, roomy and reasonably fun to drive.

They called it the “Catch the Vibe”  Challenge, and it was definitely challenging.

Sports cars are a blast during good weather, and it might surprise you to learn they can even be a hoot after Old Person Winter has come a-calling.

How can you have a real sports car without a manual transmission?
That’s a question I’ve pondered much over the years, from my first three cars – MGB’s all – through my Datsun 240Z and Toyota Supra, all of which were blessed with stick shifts.

While the name Saab is also associated with cool jet fighters such as the Gripen, when it comes to the Saab 9-3 Aero sedan, the Swedish manufacturer’s automotive offerings are far more down to earth.

The Saturn Astra, according to a radio commercial in my neck of the woods, is the top selling car in Europe.

Really? It’s certainly not a “disAstra”, but the bestselling car of any sold in all of Europe? I don’t get it.

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) is delighted to announce that it has won the Mainstream Brand Canadian Residual Value Award from ALG, publishers of Automotive Lease Guide and the industry benchmark for residual values and depreciation data. In addition, Subaru received individual segment awards for Impreza (mid-compact car category), Legacy (midsize car category), and Impreza WRX /STI (sporty car category).

Subaru Canada, Inc. (SCI) today announced that it set a new annual record in 2009, retailing a total of 23,034 vehicles. Record-breaking results in December also marked the ninth month of sales growth for SCI. Total monthly retails reached 1,945 vehicles, up 27.2 percent over last December. With yearly sales up 15.8 percent over 2008, SCI closed out 2009 as the fastest growing Japanese manufacturer for the second year in a row.

TORONTO, /CNW/ - With a choice of 4-cyl or V6 and FWD or AWD, the versatility of an SUV and the comfort and drivability of a passenger car, the 2010 Toyota Venza is fresh yet sophisticated in design - leaving it in a class by itself. The latest Venza starts with an MSRP under $30,000 and includes new standard convenient and fun features.

The innovative Toyota Prius hybrid and fun, urban-friendly Toyota Yaris are the best in their class for fuel efficiency - something they have done each year since the respective models were introduced to Canadians.

Then there’s the New Beetle convertible.

I got to drive both vehicles back to back, spending about three weeks with them in total – mostly (fortunately) puttering around in the Golf, no pun intended. Well, okay; I did make the pun deliberately. The Golf City restored the good taste for Volkswagens that I’d had before I was infected by the nasty bug.

It’s cute and it’s a ute – and Volkswagen is hoping to score a share of the popular small SUV market with its new Tiguan.

Before I give you my impressions of Volvo’s newly-redesigned crossover, I’d like to correct some misinformation I disseminated in my piece on the Mazda Tribute a few weeks ago.  I wrote that it has disc brakes on all four wheels, which isn’t true: it has front discs/rear drums. I apologize for this sloppy reporting – though on the other hand it also helps to make my point that it’s time the Tribute were dragged into the 21st century.

Globalstar Canada Satellite Co., a leader in satellite voice and data services for commercial and recreational users, today announced that the SPOT Assist Roadside service is now available to SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger™ customers in Canada and the Continental United States. SPOT Assist Roadside is the world’s only portable roadside service provider to operate solely on satellite communications, independent of cellular networks.

What is a tune-up? Go and ask 10 vehicle owners their definition of the term and chances are there will be 10 different answers. Certainly the classic tune-up was once the heart and soul of the automotive business.

Whether high tech or low tech, there’s a gadget for just about every occasion these days. It seems that, wherever there’s a need perceived, there’s an inventor who wants to fill it.