Honda has been at the forefront of production car electrification since the first modern-day hybrids hit Canadian roads way back at the turn of the millennia, but the Japanese automaker has been cautious…

152 Honda Canada dealerships to add electric charging stations

2017 Honda Clarity Electric
Clarity PHEV to ride “safe” ground between pure EV and non-plug-in hybrid, but the full electric will arrive later in 2018. (Photo: Honda)

Honda has been at the forefront of production car electrification since the first modern-day hybrids hit Canadian roads way back at the turn of the millennia, but the Japanese automaker has been cautious to add plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) or pure electric vehicles (EVs) to our smaller market despite previously offering the Accord Plug-in Hybrid and Fit EV south of the border.

This will soon change thanks to the new Clarity Plug-In Electric Hybrid that will go on sale across Canada starting mid-winter 2018 and the Clarity Electric expected next spring, so in preparation for the arrival of these two models a total of 152 Honda dealerships will have outfitted their facilities with electric charging stations before 2017 comes to a close.

2017 Honda Clarity Electric
152 Honda Canada dealerships will soon have EV recharging capability in preparation to their new Clarity Plug-in PHEV and EV. (Photo: Honda)

“The investment by our dealer network is an indication of our commitment to supporting Honda’s Global 2030 Vision of electrifying two thirds of our fleet,” said Jean Marc Leclerc, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Honda Canada. “This electrification project is essential to our future business as we begin to introduce more electrified vehicles in Canada starting with the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid sedan later this winter.”

The commitment represents close to two thirds of Honda Canada’s entire dealer network, with each getting two 240-volt charging stations apiece. Either charger will be capable of replenishing the Clarity Plug-in Hybrid’s 17-kilowatt hour (kWh) battery pack in about two and half hours.

2017 Honda Clarity Electric
Despite being a forerunner in the hybrid sector, Honda has been slow to adapt to plug-in technology. (Photo: Honda)

Honda’s first dedicated PHEV is said to have an overall driving range exceeding 530 km (329 miles) and a pure EV range of 68 km (42 miles), which should be enough for many would-be owners who live in urban environments to travel to and from work on electricity alone, although they will need to utilize the car’s electrically-assisted hybrid mode for extended trips.

According to a Honda Canada press release, “… the Clarity Plug-In Electric Hybrid aims to ease Canadian’s concerns about driving range with a no-compromise alternative fuel vehicle that meets the needs of Honda’s customers today while building the foundation of an electrified future.”

2017 Honda Clarity Fuel Cell
Honda first offered a fuel cell powered Clarity in the U.S. (Photo: Honda)

The Clarity Plug-In Hybrid’s electric motor is capable of 181-horsepower and 232 lb-ft of instant torque, while the internal combustion engine (ICE) portion of the power unit is a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder.

With plenty of plug-in contenders already vying for early adopters, plus no shortage of alternatives arriving each year as well as new additions announced regularly, Canadian PHEV and EV markets are already very competitive, so therefore aggressive pricing, financing and leasing options, along with Honda’s reputation for quality, will determine the new Clarity’s success.

2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid
The new 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-In Hybrid offers an upscale interior filled with premium features. (Photo: Honda)

This said, despite being one of the original innovators in the HEV sector and producing a wide variety of hybrid models since that initial two-seat Insight, Honda hasn’t had much success with its electrification program to date, the now discontinued Civic Hybrid and the recently introduced second-generation Accord Hybrid aside.

Honda’s U.S. division has already launched the Clarity at select dealerships in Oregon and California with pricing approximately equivalent to $42,500 CAD, while the Clarity Fuel Cell car, which is more representative of the automaker’s long-term alternative fuel plan, went on sale in December of last year, followed up by the aforementioned Clarity Electric, a full EV capable of up to 130 kilometres of range on a single charge.

For 2017 Honda has expanded its Civic lineup to include a roomier Hatchback version that also adds more performance and features to its base configuration than the Sedan. The entry-level Hatchback comes…

2017 Honda Civic Hatchback LX Road Test

Those who've lived long enough to remember the advent of the original Honda Civic in the early '70s may still think of it as the quintessential hatchback. Strange then to contemplate that our market has been mostly devoid of Civic hatchbacks for 17 years until now.

Other than a blip on the screen that saw the British-built Civic SiR arrive and leave between 2002 and 2005, this brand new 2017 Civic Hatchback is the first of its kind on North American shores since Honda abandoned the practical design way back at the turn of the millennia. Now, after a week behind the wheel, all past sins are forgiven. Or should I say, most. It's clearly better than ever, although it's styling is somewhat controversial.

Yes, the new Civic Hatchback is a love-it-or-hate-it design that at the very least will turn heads. Its frontal styling pulls plenty of cues from the four-door Civic Sedan and two-door Civic Coupe, which is arguably a good thing, whereas its rear design melds some of both Read Full Story
Nissan’s pint-sized Micra has long been one of our favourite entry-level cars, especially when loaded up in SR trim. That’s how we tested today’s review model, complete with aero styling upgrades…

2017 Nissan Micra SR Road Test

Just in case you're not already aware, there's no better new car for your money than the Nissan Micra. For just $9,988 plus freight and fees, which makes it the least expensive new car in Canada, the 2017 Micra represents the best value in the entire auto industry.

What's more, it's so much fun to drive that Nissan Canada developed a spec racing series dubbed Nissan Micra Cup to tout its performance prowess, a smart way to change common perceptions about life with an entry-level sub-subcompact economy car.

In case you're wondering, the Micra Cup racing-spec car is no more formidable off the line than the just noted stock machine, its DOHC, 16-valve, 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine providing an identical 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque to the front wheels, which is sports car territory when factoring in the model's scant 1,044-kilo (2,302-lb) curb weight.

To put that last claim into perspective, the pre-owned 1985 Toyota MR2 mid-engine sports car that Read Full Story
Mazda’s compact 3 sedan and 5-door Sport model combine for lots of sales in the Canadian market, their success due to great styling, superb performance, impressive interiors and plenty of features.…

2017 Mazda3 Sport GT Road Test

Mazda has a much stronger following in Canada than the U.S. We tend to like smaller, sportier, fuel-efficient cars and SUVs, while our American friends traditionally purchase their vehicles one size larger.

Yet that doesn't explain stronger sales of the Toyota Corolla family, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra, Hyundai Elantra/Veloster, Volkswagen Jetta/Golf/GTI, Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Subaru Impreza/WRX, and Kia Forte last year. The salt gets further rubbed into the wound when learning the only two direct competitors it outsells in the U.S., the Dodge Dart and Mitsubishi Lancer, have already been officially discontinued. Yikes!

By comparison, the Mazda3 may not be rivaling the Civic for top sales anymore, or for that matter rubbing shoulders with the Corolla and Elantra, but it's still ahead of the others. Therefore Mazda Canada should probably feel pretty good about the job they're doing here, or cry in their coffee cups about the poor results their American counterparts Read Full Story
Heartbreaking news of children and animals left to suffer in the back seats of cars during sweltering summer heat might eventually become history if Nissan has its way, much thanks to an innovative new…

2018 Pathfinder receives potentially life-saving Rear Door Alert

2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
Did you leave something or someone in the back seat of your car when you went into the house or grocery store? (Photo: Nissan)
Heartbreaking news of children and animals left to suffer in the back seats of cars during sweltering summer heat might eventually become history if Nissan has its way, much thanks to an innovative new technology that gently reminds drivers of someone or something that may have been left in the back seat, or if they’re still not paying attention, multiple honks from the horn once out of the car with the door closed. Nissan’s “Rear Door Alert” (RDA), which will be exclusive to all 2018 Pathfinder trims when it debuts this fall, starts monitoring the rear door switches as soon as the SUV is unlocked, and if a back door has been opened and then closed again it banks the “memory” for later when the driver arrives at a destination and shuts off the engine.
2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
Nissan’s new Rear Door Alert reminds when you might have left a little something or someone in back, potentially saving a life. (Photo: Nissan)
When parking the 2018 Pathfinder, a reminder will pop up on the primary instrument cluster telling the driver not to forget whatever was previously placed in the back seat. If these subtle prompts are ignored, by the SUV’s rear doors not being reopened after the driver’s door has been closed, the Pathfinder’s horn will deliver a series of short, distinctive chirps to get the driver’s attention. “The idea is if you open a rear door, whether to put a child or a package in the rear seat, the vehicle will help alert you when you get to your destination that you may want to check the rear seat,” said Marlene Mendoza, who together with fellow Nissan engineer Elsa Foley came up with the idea. “We’ve built in enough time that you don’t have to rush, but if you don’t open the rear door again when you get out of the vehicle, we want to think for a moment about what you may have put in the back seat.”
2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
The difference between other systems and new Rear Door Alert, is it both reminds when inside the car and honks if you leave without checking behind. (Photo: Nissan)
In the event you don’t have children, aging parents/grandparents, pets, or anyone/anything else that shouldn’t be left behind, it’s possible to override the RDA completely or merely limit the reminders to the instrument cluster alone. After all, it’s best to keep a low profile if you just went shopping and don’t want to alert any would-be burglars that something valuable is in the back of your vehicle, or simply would rather leave your groceries, briefcase, gym bag or what-have-you in back while doing something else. Then again, even if you’re childless you still might appreciate having the system’s built-in memory ready and waiting as a backup. “We pushed each other along and knew we were on the right track one morning when Marlene discovered she had left a pan of lasagna in the back seat of her car one night after coming home after a long day at the office,” said Foley. “The worst thing was the car smelled for days, but it made me ask myself, “what if that had been something else back there?’”
2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
For those without small children or grandkids, Nissan provides a way to turn it off. (Photo: Nissan)
The concept of automaker employees turning real-life experiences into potentially lifesaving innovation is certainly refreshing, and something that Nissan is said to foster in its global corporate culture. “There’s a culture of innovation along with the Nissan Intelligent Mobility mission that really encourages employees around the world to seek out new ideas every day,” added Mendoza, who is also a mother of three. “We’re thankful that we were able to use our perspective as moms, and our backgrounds as engineers, to bring forward an idea that is now going into production — providing drivers with a reminder to check their back seats.” While the Rear Door Alert is new to Nissan, General Motors introduced something similar called “Rear Seat Reminder” with the 2017 GMC Acadia last year, and is already rolling out the system on other models this year. This said Nissan’s RDA should be even more effective than GM’s, because the Acadia gives no warning once its driver has left the vehicle.
2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
Rear Door Alert will be standard in all 2018 Pathfinder trims. (Photo: Nissan)
Concerned citizens can only hope Nissan and GM either license their technologies or other automakers follow suit shortly, because the problem of children and animals dying from heat stroke in the back of hot cars doesn’t seem to be abating, despite the continued news stories surrounding the subject. Back in August of this year, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hosted a public awareness event on the dangers of heat stroke for children left in hot vehicles, stating the number of child heat stroke deaths in the U.S. increased by 63 percent from 2015 to 2016—no similar data was available for Canada. As of July 31, 2017, both NoHeatStroke.org and KidsAndCars.org claimed that 29 children had died from the same problem year-to-date in the U.S., while the average number of children suffering a similar fate has been 37 since specifically recording heat stroke deaths in vehicles began in 1998. What’s more, 54 percent of those children were left behind by caregivers who completely forgot they were there, which makes both General Motors’ and Nissan’s rear seat alert systems all the more critical.
2018 Nissan Pathfinder Rear Door Alert
Rear Door Alert could reduce child heat stroke deaths and injuries significantly. (Photo: Nissan)
“The Rear Door Alert uses a similar honking cue that has been proven successful with Nissan’s Easy Fill Tire Alert,” added Foley, who is also a mother of two children. “By drawing your attention back to the vehicle once you’ve walked away, you are more likely to recheck the back seat than with a visual alert alone.” While the Rear Door Alert will be standard equipment on the 2018 Pathfinder, Nissan plans to add it to other models across its lineup as quickly as possible.
Nissan has given its popular Versa Note a refresh for 2017, changing up its styling and improving its feature set. Today we test it in top-line SL trim, complete with fog lamps, 16-inch alloys, heated…

2017 Nissan Versa Note SL Road Test

Living with an entry-level economy car doesn't have to be a boring or uncomfortable experience, and Nissan's Versa Note is especially good at dealing with the latter issue.

The Japanese brand's second smallest hatchback gets a mid-cycle update for 2017, highlighted by a particularly attractive new "V-Motion" chromed grille design sourced from previously restyled models within Nissan's ever-growing lineup of cars, SUVs and trucks.

Along with the tiny Micra city car, plus the Juke and new Qashqai SUVs, the Versa Note is in charge of attracting newcomers and fixed income earners to the automaker, its very approachable $14,498 base price one of its more agreeable attributes. For that you get a nifty looking little runabout that's better made than many in the subcompact class.

It's motivated by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing a rambunctious 109 horsepower and 107 lb-ft of torque, yet its claimed fuel economy is even more smile-inducing at 7.5 L/100km Read Full Story
Mazda’s CX-3 remains one of Canada’s most popular subcompact SUVs, a segment that’s grown by leaps and bounds since its inception 7 years ago. Now, with 13 entries and 3 more on the way, does the…

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I don't know about you, but 2010 doesn't seem that long ago to me. Can you believe there were only three competing models in the subcompact SUV category back then? In only seven years that number has skyrocketed to 13, while another three have been announced for next year. Just for fun, do you want to guess how many mid-size sedans have been added to the Canadian market since 2010? None. In fact, back then there were 13, whereas now only 11 go up against each other, and one of those is slated for cancellation at the end of this model year. How's that for a turn of events.

You've spoken Canada, and the automakers are listening. Yesterday's Mazda6 owner is today's CX-5 and CX-9 buyer, while even the once mighty Mazda3 is watching its market share slowly erode thanks in part to the highly successful compact CX-5 and this little subcompact CX-3. I can understand why. As much as I still like the Mazda3, especially in five-door Sport form, if push came to shove I'd more likely lay Read Full Story
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In August of last year, while writing up the brand spanking new 2017 Jaguar XE 35t AWD R-Sport I had just tested, I couldn't find any sales information to determine how well you, Canada's buying public, was responding. Wowed by its beautiful lines, advanced aluminum construction, superb performance, and luxurious, nicely featured interior, I believed it would likely build a reasonably solid following of luxury consumers bored of their mostly German sport sedans, but I couldn't have imagined how dramatically the F-Pace sport utility would steal the show.

By the close of Q2 2017, Jaguar Canada had sold a considerable 1,388 F-Pace models compared to 411 XEs, which once again made the British brand's SUV the most popular vehicle in its lineup, a new reality that probably won't change until the upcoming 2018 E-Pace compact SUV arrives early next year. While XE sales are just 30 percent of F-Pace numbers, it's still Jaguar's strongest selling four-door sedan. Traditionally, when premium Read Full Story