The new small overlap front crash test instituted by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) is proving to be challenging 2014 Honda Fit (Photo: IIHS) for small city cars to pass, with only…

New IIHS frontal offset crash test fails most subcompacts

The new small overlap front crash test instituted by the IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) is proving to be challenging for small city cars to pass, with only the Chevrolet Spark taking home an "Acceptable" overall rating out of the 11 cars tested, earning it a nod for Top Safety Pick.

Honda's Fit fared worst of all, scoring "Poor" ratings for structure, hip/thigh injury measures, and lower leg/foot injury measures, which garnered it a "Poor" overall rating. As a result, Consumer reports removed the Fit from its list of recommended cars. The silver lining for Honda is that a new generation 2015 Fit just debuted in Detroit and is due out later this year, and because it was engineered with the new test in mind it is expected to perform much better than the outgoing model.

Owners and potential buyers of small cars can also take heart from the fact that all of the cars tested, including the Fit, got "Good" or "Acceptable" scores in the critical head/neck and Read Full Story
After only three years on the market Nissan’s Leaf has proven that if you can build an electric car that gives owners the features The Garners with their new Nissan Leaf, the 100,000th example sold.…

Nissan Leaf breaks 100,000 sales for best-selling electric status

After only three years on the market Nissan's Leaf has proven that if you can build an electric car that gives owners the features they want and the driving range they need, you can achieve sales success.

In this case, success is counted as 100,000 Leafs sold since the distinctive electric car first hit the showrooms.

"For such a revolutionary car, to achieve this sales milestone in such a short space of time is a major achievement," said Guillaume Cartier, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan Europe. "Don't forget that when Nissan Leaf was launched in 2010, the charging infrastructure was in its infancy. But that didn't deter the pioneers who immediately appreciated the benefits of a purpose-designed electric vehicle."

The 100,000th Leaf was sold to British dentist and self-confessed "technology freak" Brett Garner and his wife. To commemorate the sale, Nissan created a coin-covered Leaf for display at the dealership where Garner bought Read Full Story
When most of us think “Eco” something miserly on fuel yet ho-hum to drive likely pops to mind. Almost every automotive brand Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press has something offered…

2014 Toyota Corolla Eco LE Road Test Review

When most of us think "Eco" something miserly on fuel yet ho-hum to drive likely pops to mind. Almost every automotive brand has something offered with the Eco prefix in its name, even premium brands like BMW, but all too often press that dreaded button and all the fun gets sapped out of an otherwise sporty experience. Not so for the 2014 Toyota Corolla Eco, however. It actually adds more power to its fuel-friendly, ultra-green 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine.

That Eco-tuned engine includes Toyota's state-of-the-art Valvematic variable valve opening process that varies the lift of the intake valves to control air intake, freeing up airflow past the throttle valve into the cylinders. The innovative system saves on fuel and adds performance, my favourite combination, but strangely it can't be had with the sportiest Corolla of them all, the S. Altogether it makes 140 horsepower, eight more ponies than the standard Corolla engine, although it gives up a smidge in thrust, the engine's Read Full Story
Porsche chose the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to introduce a pair of retro-cool new models to the extensive   911 lineup: the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S. Unlike the so-called…

New 2014 Porsche 911 Targa 4 and Targa 4S revealed in Detroit

Porsche chose the North American International Auto Show in Detroit to introduce a pair of retro-cool new models to the extensive 911 lineup: the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S. Unlike the so-called Targa models of 1994-2012, which featured a sliding glass roof and were visually almost indistinguishable from the hardtop models except for redesigned C-pillars and rear quarter glass, the new Targa models represent a faithful stylistic throwback to the classic Targa design introduced in 1967 and last seen on the 1988 3.2 Carrera series.

Key to the new models' look is the iconic brushed-metal rollover hoop (a.k.a. "Targa bar") and wrap-around rear window. As is typical of Porsche, however, the classic looks hide some advanced technological wizardry. Where the original Targa had a manually removable roof panel that could be stowed in the front luggage compartment, the 2014 Targa has a power-operated top, but the roof panel is stowed behind the rear seats, much like a folding hardtop. Read Full Story
Detroit’s North American International Auto Show is a huge event, and with all the hype surrounding the show’s concept cars   and key debuts – think next-generation Ford F-150 and…

Nissan debuts Canadian-exclusive 2015 Micra in Montreal

Detroit's North American International Auto Show is a huge event, and with all the hype surrounding the show's concept cars and key debuts - think next-generation Ford F-150 and Chrysler 200 - it would be easy to miss a small car like the 2015 Nissan Micra, mainly because the Micra wasn't at Detroit and won't be sold in the U.S.

Instead, the latest version of Nissan's supermini city car debuted at the smaller Montreal Auto Show, for sale only in Canada. The current, fourth-generation Micra (also known as the Nissan March and Renault Pulse) is a European-influenced world car that debuted in 2010, but the Canadian version has been exclusively tailored for Canada's northern culture and climate.

Cold-weather features include standard rear heater ducts to keep back seat passengers warm, and available heated outside rear mirrors. In acknowledgment of Canada's hockey culture the rear seats were redesigned to provide a 60/40-split bench, ensuring hockey sticks can be easily Read Full Story
I’m lounging with my girlfriend at Starbucks within the Rendezvous Plaza at the Narita airport Terminal 2 and a brand new Mazda Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press Axela hatchback is staring…

2014 Mazda3 Sport GS Road Test Review

I'm lounging with my girlfriend at Starbucks within the Rendezvous Plaza at the Narita airport Terminal 2 and a brand new Mazda Axela hatchback is staring back at me, the shapely new car sitting atop a display stand and looking mighty fine in its Velocity Red Mica coated sheet metal, the one bright spot in the drab white and gray departure area. Japan can't be too proud of this airport terminal, but they should be waving their white and red Hinomaru at this beautifully shaped Hofu, Japan-built automobile.

Just before you start lamenting about all the cars sold in other countries that we Canadian's can't buy, the Axela is nothing more than a Japanese-market Mazda3 with a different badge. Entirely new for 2014, few cars are as stylish no matter the price. It's drop-dead gorgeous, a smaller take on the elegantly sporty Mazda6 that was revised for 2013.

I drove a new Mazda3 in GS trim late last year, just before I tested the slightly sportier GT. The big difference between Read Full Story
You have to give Kia credit for getting the most out of its GT4 Stinger Concept at the North American International Auto Show   in Detroit. The Korean automaker first teased us with an announcement…

Kia takes the sheet off its stunning GT4 Stinger Concept in Detroit

You have to give Kia credit for getting the most out of its GT4 Stinger Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Korean automaker first teased us with an announcement of the then-unnamed concept back in early December, accompanied by an overhead silhouette image. Then, early this month, Kia kept the buzz going by revealing the car's name and a few pertinent technical specifications, accompanied by a single head-on image.

Now with the show underway the curtain of secrecy has been raised and the GT4 Stinger concept is wowing the public in person. The excitement isn't just because the GT4 Stinger Concept is stunning to look at - after all, that's expected of a concept car. No, what really has auto enthusiasts a-twitter are the impressive but easily achievable technical specifications that draw from Kia's successful racing efforts in the Pirelli World Challenge series and hint strongly at a possible production version.

Under the hood the GT4 Read Full Story
Amid the dazzling concept cars and flashy displays at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show, one of the most significant   debuts was Ford’s all-new 2015 F-150 pickup truck.…

Next generation Ford F-150 unveiled at Detroit auto show

Amid the dazzling concept cars and flashy displays at Detroit's North American International Auto Show, one of the most significant debuts was Ford's all-new 2015 F-150 pickup truck.

The F-150 is hugely important for Ford: The F-Series has been the best-selling vehicle on North American roads for 32 years, and for the 13th generation version Ford has gone far beyond the usual mechanical updates and styling changes, essentially reinventing the workhorse pickup with a high-strength steel frame and a new aluminum body. The only significant steel body panel is the sound-deadening firewall between the engine compartment and the cab.

The alloy bodywork, which is stylistically very close to the bold Atlas Concept shown at last year's Detroit Auto Show, shaves an impressive 318 kg (700 pounds) of weight from the truck. This helps the F-150 tow more, haul more, accelerate quicker and stop shorter, all while contributing to improved fuel economy.

To illustrate the inherent Read Full Story