Here’s something to ponder for a moment. The cute little 2014 Scion iQ offers a luxury very few other cars can match. Let’s say   you live in a larger city like Montreal, Toronto, or…

2014 Scion iQ Road Test Review

Here's something to ponder for a moment. The cute little 2014 Scion iQ offers a luxury very few other cars can match. Let's say you live in a larger city like Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver; finding someplace to park once your destination is reached can be a challenge. Large cars are at a definite disadvantage in this regard.

But, the diminutive Scion offers the potential for exploiting spaces most cars have to pass right on by, and herein lays one of the model's primary strengths-convenience. Sized in between the Smart ForTwo and the Mini Cooper, the Scion readily fits into places even the Mini can't. Further, it's billed as being capable of seating four people where the Smart car will only accommodate two people-as its name implies.

Of course, anybody accustomed to the significant proportions of the cars typically calling the roads of North America their native habitat will take one look at the Scion and ask; "Is that thing safe?" You best believe we did too. Soothing Read Full Story
At the heart of any hybrid or electrical vehicle is a PCU (power control unit) that’s responsible for channeling energy from the 2014 Toyota Prius (Photo: Toyota) batteries to the electric drive…

Toyota pushes technology barriers to boost efficiency

At the heart of any hybrid or electrical vehicle is a PCU (power control unit) that's responsible for channeling energy from the batteries to the electric drive motor during acceleration, and directing energy recaptured during coasting or braking back into the battery.

Until now, PCUs have been made using traditional silicone semiconductors. Silicone is a reliable material for semiconductors, and has been around since the days of the very first transistor. But it's not terribly efficient: silicone-based PCUs can lose as much as 25 percent of the energy they are required to handle, which in a power-intensive device like a car adds up to a whole lot of wasted electricity.

To reduce these internal power losses, Toyota and partner Denso Corp. have been working to develop a more efficient semiconductor with less internal resistance. The companies now say they've found a candidate in silicone carbide, a material that's nearly as hard as diamonds and has traditionally been Read Full Story
As part of its ambitious five-year product plan, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced that it intends to steer Dodge in   a more performance-oriented direction, which means axing the popular…

Dodge unleashes Challenger SRT Hellcat

As part of its ambitious five-year product plan, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently announced that it intends to steer Dodge in a more performance-oriented direction, which means axing the popular Dodge Grand Caravan minivan and the mid-size Avenger sedan.

Dodge loyalists fretted that this was the beginning of the end for Dodge, but to balance the ledger Dodge has now revealed the 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat, a new range-topping Challenger model that gives substance to the brand's performance promise with a 600-plus horsepower supercharged V8.

While the final numbers have yet to be officially established, SRT powertrain director Chris Cowland remarked that the Challenger SRT Hellcat will be "bloody fast," with a minimum of 600 horsepower and something in the order of 575 lb-ft of torque. That makes the car's 6.2-litre Hemi engine the most powerful V8 ever offered by any of Chrysler's brands.

The Hellcat shares many of the same basic components with the already Read Full Story
The first book of the Bible is called Genesis. Most people know that. Similarly, the first true Hyundai luxury car was also called   Genesis. And no, this wasn’t a coincidence. When Hyundai…

2015 Hyundai Genesis Road Test Review

The first book of the Bible is called Genesis. Most people know that. Similarly, the first true Hyundai luxury car was also called Genesis. And no, this wasn't a coincidence. When Hyundai released that car back in 2008, the company's management team was well aware of the model's potential to be the beginning of a whole new story for the company.
And so it came to pass.

In fact, the Genesis was so successful that Hyundai's executive team was encouraged to go even farther up market. Thus, it can be said Genesis begat Equus, and Equus begat a whole new level of respect for the Korean automaker from all around the auto industry. In other words, just like in the Bible, Hyundai's Genesis also represented a new beginning.

Now, with the mostly-new 2015 Hyundai Genesis, a new chapter in the story of the value-conscious luxury car begins. If our recent road test of the new car is any indicator, it looks as if Hyundai is going to find itself sitting rather nicely with this Read Full Story
With every new BMW 3 (or 4) Series debut, each updated C-Class launch, and all new Audi A4 and A5 arrivals, special M, AMG   and RS versions soon follow. The same holds true for Cadillac and its…

Cadillac to limit 2015 CTS-V Coupe to 500 special-edition examples

With every new BMW 3 (or 4) Series debut, each updated C-Class launch, and all new Audi A4 and A5 arrivals, special M, AMG and RS versions soon follow. The same holds true for Cadillac and its V series. Now with the all-new CTS in our midst, including the fabulous twin-turbo V6-powered CTS V Sport, we've been told a new super-powerful CTS-V will debut sometime next year, but before this occurs Cadillac will entertain us with a special edition of its much-lauded CTS-V Coupe.

Unlike the four-door CTS, the CTS Coupe hasn't received a major update just yet. The chiseled two-door is still a sleek piece of contemporary rolling art, mind you, and the CTS-V Coupe a variation of that art in hyper-speed, so why not give it one last hurrah before it makes way for an entirely new iteration.

"The special edition is a stepping stone to the next-generation V-Series, which will move to the next level with more dynamic design and technical sophistication," said Uwe Ellinghaus, chief Read Full Story
If you think that the new Ford Fusion is only enjoying phenomenal sales success because it’s great looking, a closer look is needed. Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press Its nod to the beautiful…

2014 Ford Fusion SE Road Test Review

If you think that the new Ford Fusion is only enjoying phenomenal sales success because it's great looking, a closer look is needed. Its nod to the beautiful Aston Martin Rapide guaranteed it would be one of the most attractive cars in the mid-size class when it arrived in blue-oval dealerships last year, but what new car buyers couldn't see behind the sheet metal was an upscale interior filled with top-level features, strong performance from a variety of fuel-efficient powertrains, and overall versatility.

No other manufacturer offers as many powertrain options with a single model as Ford does with the 2014 Fusion. No less than six different power units are available, starting with the base 2.5-litre Duratec four-cylinder, which is followed by the 1.5-litre Ecoboost four, the 1.6-litre Ecoboost, the 2.0-litre Ecoboost, the 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle I-4 in the Fusion Hybrid, and the same engine with a plug in the Fusion Energi. The only mill it's missing from models past is a Read Full Story
Every year, Nissan performance enthusiasts gather to celebrate Zdayz, a tribute to the iconic Z-car and other Nissan speed machines   such as the GT-R. The annual celebration changes venues each…

2015 Nissan 370Z Nismo debuts at Zdayz

Every year, Nissan performance enthusiasts gather to celebrate Zdayz, a tribute to the iconic Z-car and other Nissan speed machines such as the GT-R. The annual celebration changes venues each year, taking place in various locations around the U.S. The first Zdayz was held in 2004, but at its roots is the stylish and well-loved Datsun 240Z of the early 1970s.

This year, Zdayz was held at the Fontana Village Resort in North Carolina, and Nissan surprised the enthusiast participants by debuting the 2015 370Z Nismo at the event.

Compared to the 2014 370Z, the 2015 has a somewhat more subtle and refined look, matched by a newly available automatic transmission and more comfortable seats.

The exterior changes include a smaller, more mature looking ducktail spoiler at the back, new charcoal grey twin-spoke 19-inch Rays wheels, LED running lights, and a deeper front chin spoiler with red accents that flow into the side sills to the rear fascia.

Inside, the Read Full Story
With BMW’s 2 Series now firmly established in the German maker’s lineup, it’s no surprise that new variants are beginning to   appear. Starting this summer, BMW will offer its xDrive…

BMW 2 Series gets all-wheel drive option

With BMW's 2 Series now firmly established in the German maker's lineup, it's no surprise that new variants are beginning to appear. Starting this summer, BMW will offer its xDrive all-wheel drive system on the M235i, marking the first time that all-wheel drive has been available for the 2 Series. The convertible will also get optional xDrive, at least in Europe (North American availability has yet to be announced).

The M235i xDrive Coupe gets the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline-six as the rear-drive M235i Coupe, generating the same 326 horsepower (320 horsepower in the North American market). It also gets the same eight-speed automatic transmission, but the power is channeled to all four wheels allowing a 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds – 0.2 seconds quicker than the rear-drive car.

Another upgrade for the summer of 2014 sees BMW 1 Series, 2 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series and 5 Series cars equipped with automatic transmissions and navigation getting a new proactive Read Full Story