December | 2017 | The Car Magazine

Did you attend last night’s Killers concert in Vancouver or the Jimmy Eat World show in Toronto? Planning on taking it to the limit one more time with The Eagles this spring or singing “Stay With…

Latest News

Mercedes sponsorship deal with Live Nation making imprint on Canadian concertgoers

Mercedes-Benz and Live Nation Canada sponsorship deal — Mercedes-Benz and Live Nation Canada are celebrating a new arrangement that brings exclusive benefits to Mercedes, Smart and commercial Van customers. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz)

Did you attend last night’s Killers concert in Vancouver or the Jimmy Eat World show in Toronto? Planning on taking it to the limit one more time with The Eagles this spring or singing “Stay With Me” at the top of your lungs at the Sam Smith show in the fall? Chances are you won’t only be enjoying your favourite songs while taking in some great live shows, but you’ll see Mercedes’ three-pointed star branding on site as well.

Mercedes-Benz Canada inked a deal with Live Nation Canada earlier this year, which now gives the automaker excellent exposure at fun, uplifting events that are ideal for positive brand association.

Along with other key branding at venues, an animation of colourful dancing concertgoers will appear on digital screens at key points throughout the event (see video below), culminating with an emotive “Be Moved” message.

“This partnership with Live Nation is about celebrating our passion for performance,” said Virginie Aubert, Vice President of Marketing at Mercedes-Benz Canada. “Be Moved” plays on both the literal and figurative meaning of the word, making a bold statement about the Mercedes-Benz brand, while also extending an invitation for concert-goers to embrace, enjoy and be inspired by the live music experience.”

The Live Nation Canada deal allows Mercedes to connect with music fans of all ages, from teens, which will soon be learning to drive, potentially with the brand’s innovative Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy, attending Katy Perry’s upcoming concert tour, young adults at the same event that might choose to get there and go home using the automaker’s forward-thinking Car2go ride sharing program, to parents who may consider one of Mercedes-Benz’ wide array of cars and SUVs for their next new vehicle, while the slightly more mature Foo Fighters faithful may need something larger like Mercedes’ GLC, GLE or GLS sport utility for their growing families.

The Live Nation Canada partnership extends for multiple years, “striking a chord with Canadians by celebrating the power of music and live performance,” said the automaker in a press release.

Along with sponsorship, Mercedes introduced an exclusive concierge service for its current customers (including Pre-Owned, Vans and Smart cars) dubbed Mercedes-Benz Star Access, which personally assists with ticket purchases between 11am and 7pm ET (8am and 4pm PT) by calling 844-389-STAR or emailing [email protected].

What’s more, a separate program called Mercedes-Benz Star Access VIP is designed to “create unique experiences for their customers at Live Nation Canada events across the country.” The program reserves blocks of premium concert tickets for its customers, which will be especially helpful at events that only offer general admission tickets otherwise.

“We believe our customers deserve the best,” said Brian D. Fulton, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada. “It’s what they expect from our vehicles and it’s what we strive for in every customer interaction. Through this partnership, we can now facilitate access to the best live events in the country. Live music has the power to move people. We want to be a part of that fun and excitement.”

“Live Nation and Mercedes-Benz are both brands that are passionate about performance,” added John May, President, Media and Corporate Partnerships, Live Nation Canada. “That passion has made us best-in-class in our respective fields and we’re thrilled to now be working together.”

If you’re already a Mercedes-Benz customer, you can sign up right now at: http://promo.livenation.com/email/setlist/?camefrom=CFC_MercedesBenzCA_website (note: don’t include a space with your postal code). Alternatively, we’re quite certain your local Mercedes-Benz retailer will be only too happy to tell you how you can gain privileged access to all the special perks just mentioned, which are only available to Mercedes-Benz and Smart owners.

Now, go ahead and check out the Mercedes-Benz and Live Nation Canada “Be Moved” video:

Canadians choosing to fully equip their 2018 Nissan Rogue SUVs will soon receive the benefit of new semi-autonomous “hands-on-wheel” ProPilot Assist technology, a new system that could make your rush…

Latest News

Nissan adds new ProPilot Assist tech to 2018 Rogue

2018 Nissan Rogue with ProPilot Assist — The 2018 Rogue comes with ProPilot Assist in top-line SL models with the Platinum Package, providing semi-autonomous driving at a very affordable price point. (Photo: Nissan)

Canadians choosing to fully equip their 2018 Nissan Rogue SUVs will soon receive the benefit of new semi-autonomous “hands-on-wheel” ProPilot Assist technology, a new system that could make your rush hour commute to and from work a lot easier.

“Nissan continues to democratize technology, bringing our most advanced systems to our highest volume models, rather than reserving them for our most expensive vehicles,” said Bert Brooks, senior manager, product planning, Nissan Canada Inc. “Customers are delighted when they realize they can afford technology usually reserved for high-end, expensive luxury vehicles. Bringing unexpected value is core to the Nissan brand and our Nissan Intelligent Mobility mission.”

Wouldn’t it be nice if your car “took over the wheel” while in bumper-to-bumper traffic? That’s part of an autonomous vehicle’s appeal, and while such a utopian experience may be years or possibly decades away from being adopted en masse, some manufacturers are slowly inching us toward the dream.

Nissan introduced its ProPilot Assist technology in the 2018 Leaf, and now they’ve announced it will also be available in the 2018 Nissan Rogue SL with the Platinum Package, a compact SUV priced at $36,998 so equipped.

Choosing the Rogue as one of its first semi-autonomous vehicles makes a great deal of sense, being that it’s the best-selling Nissan in North America. Here in Canada the Rogue’s year-to-date sales of 33,180 units over the first nine months of 2017 have resulted in a gain of 11.6 percent compared to the first three quarters of 2016, and last year the Rogue sold in record numbers too.

So how does it work? ProPilot Assist controls acceleration, braking and steering during single-lane highway driving, but keep in mind you’ll need to remain totally alert and involved in the process, with your hands on the wheel (at least most of the time).

Nissan has driven more than 320,000 kilometres of North American roads using ProPilot Assist, the automaker stating that the semi-autonomous system was specifically designed to respond to North American road markings and driving situations. Nissan also promises it will be “more intuitive and user-friendly compared to other driver-assist technologies,” and furthermore can “potentially help lessen driver fatigue and create a more confident driving experience – especially for drivers who experience heavy highway traffic on a daily basis.”

For those wanting even more autonomy from their future cars, take heart that Nissan will be evolving ProPilot Assist to include “increasing levels of autonomy” in future updates, with the ability to also “navigate city intersections.”

Additionally, Nissan plans to make ProPilot Assist available in 10 more Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance models by 2020, and North America, as well as the European, Japanese and Chinese markets, will be in on the action.

Of note, ProPilot Assist is part of a larger technology suite dubbed Nissan Intelligent Mobility, which the automaker describes as a “blueprint for transforming how cars are driven, powered and integrated into society.”

“The world is facing serious challenges such as climate change, traffic congestion, road fatalities and increasing air pollution,” added Brooks. “Through Nissan Intelligent Mobility, we are committed to addressing these challenges by making transportation safer, smarter, and more enjoyable. The new ProPilot Assist technology is a perfect example of how we can make drivers feel more confident and more connected to their vehicles.”

ProPilot Assist will be available in the 2018 Rogue SL Platinum and the 2018 Leaf early next year.

Before then, check out this short explanatory video that accompanied the initial ProPilot Assist announcement as part of the 2018 Leaf:

Has there ever been a tougher looking Toyota pickup? We can’t think of one from the factory. New TRD Pro trim gets zero chrome and available Cement grey paint, plus glossy black 18-inch alloys within…

New Car Reviews

2017 Toyota Tundra Double Cab TRD Pro Road Test

I have to say, this Tundra TRD Pro took me off guard. It's bold, brazen, and just plain baddass! Chrome? Not. It's matte black all the way, except for its superb "Cement" grey paint.

I can't tell you how many rubberneck looks it received from passersby during its test week, but suffice to say it's pulled more eyeballs than most of the ultra-exotic hardware I've driven this year, and the sound its big 5.7-litre V8 makes at full throttle is almost as intoxicating as the exhaust note of one of those supercars (the amount of gas it guzzles is almost as dizzying too). At 381 horsepower and 401 lb-ft of torque it's quick for a 2,480-kilo (5,467-lb) behemoth too, but its ultimate capability is meant to be experienced off-road.

TRD Pro trim, which sits just above the similarly named TRD Off-Road model, adds 18-inch alloys on 275/65 rubber (my tester's in Bridgestone Blizzaks due to a winter test week), TRD-customized dual internal piston Bilstein shocks with remote reservoirs Read Full Story

Nissan recently celebrated the global production milestone of 150 million vehicles, a feat that took the Japanese company 84 years. Founded in 1933, Nissan was first known to Canadians as Datsun (a company…

Latest News

Nissan celebrates 150-millionth production milestone

1965 Datsun Sport 1600 — Nissan has a rich history, which includes plenty of sports cars like this fabulous little Datsun 1600. (Photo: Nissan)

Nissan recently celebrated the global production milestone of 150 million vehicles, a feat that took the Japanese company 84 years. Founded in 1933, Nissan was first known to Canadians as Datsun (a company that started in 1931 and was taken over by Nissan in 1934), and under that name gave us such game-changers as the Sports 1600, 510, 240Z/260Z/280Z, Pickup, and B210, plus when its North American branding was changed to Nissan in the early ‘80s these legendary models were followed up by new household nameplates like Maxima, Pathfinder, 240SX, 300ZX, Sentra SE-R, 350Z, GT-R, Leaf, and the list goes on.

1972 Datsun 510 — The 510 was the go-to compact during the early ’70s, on the street and racetrack. (Photo: Nissan)

It took Nissan 73 years to build its first 100 million vehicles, that milestone achieved in 2006, and then only 11 years to produce the next 50 million. Interestingly, 76.5 percent of Nissan’s first 100-million vehicles hailed from its production facilities in Japan, but since then the company has done an about face by building the exact same percentage (76.5 percent) of vehicles outside of its home market, with production growth especially strong in the U.S. and China.

The original 1970 Datsun 240Z remains one of the most sought after collectors cars around. (Photo: Nissan)

An important part of Nissan’s success has long been an extensive model lineup, with the majority of market segments filled. Most recently Nissan has become particularly strong in the world’s fastest growing SUV sector, with its current Canadian SUV lineup including the subcompact Juke, slightly bigger compact Qashqai, even larger compact Rogue, mid-size Murano, larger seven-passenger mid-size Pathfinder, and full-size seven-passenger Armada. Starting in June 2018, Nissan will replace the Juke, one of the first entrants in the modern subcompact crossover SUV category, with the new Kicks subcompact SUV.

2018 Nissan Kicks — The upcoming 2018 Kicks will hit the market next June. (Photo: Nissan)

Of course, Nissan’s SUV lineup also includes a full complement of passenger cars, sports cars and trucks, its Micra dominating in the city car sector, its GT-R a legendary racetrack record-breaker, and its Leaf becoming the world’s best-selling electric vehicle. Now, check out this great historical video of Nissan’s 84 years of global production:

Mercedes’ B-Class isn’t the newest kid on the compact luxury block, but it’s still a worthy tall wagon that easily outperforms most of its rivals when wanting a practical yet premium experience.…

New Car Reviews

2018 Mercedes-Benz B 250 4Matic Sports Tourer Road Test

The B-Class moves into 2018 mostly unchanged, but this is hardly a bad thing considering its attractive tall wagon/MPV shape, superb interior, and finely balanced ride and handling.

Mostly unchanged? True, Mercedes has added plenty of new standard features to the base B 250 mix, this raising the entry price by $4,050 to a still very affordable $35,900, or $38,200 for the all-wheel drive 4Matic. And you get a lot for that money. Now standard is the previously optional Avantgarde Edition package, which adds high-performance auto on/off LED headlamps, blindspot assist, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.0-inch tablet-style infotainment display filled with a dynamic guideline-enhanced backup camera plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, this package continuing with power-adjustable front seats with four-way powered lumbar support and a panoramic sunroof, turning what was a good little albeit more rudimentary luxury compact into something you can really Read Full Story

The Focus EV may be aging, but Ford’s made up for it by increasing range and reducing its MSRP. At just under $32k it drives the best value amongst EVs, a price that drops a lot when applying available…

New Car Reviews

2017 Ford Focus Electric Road Test

Let's be clear. Two things matter most with the majority of electric car buyers: range and price. If it can drive far enough on a single charge to be practical and doesn't cost too much more than a conventionally powered equivalent then some semblance of sales success will follow. Being that the latter situation hasn't fully materialized I probably should've mentioned a third criteria to electric vehicle success, government support. Everywhere that EVs are relatively plentiful you'll also find well-funded taxpayer programs, first to reduce the cost of initial purchase through rebate programs, and secondly to supply the necessary public charging stations to facilitate life with a plug-in vehicle. Until recently, the highest EV rebate payout in Canada was Quebec at $8,000, compared to $5,000 in BC and zero anywhere else, other than Ontario that now gives buyers of some electric cars, including Ford's Focus Electric, up to $14,000 back through various programs. We can discuss how fair it Read Full Story

Sometimes news stories fly under the radar, which is certainly the case for this year’s Toronto-based Infiniti Lab, an accelerator program created for growing companies focused on Internet of Things…

Latest News

Infiniti Lab an innovative idea for assisting useful new tech startups

Infiniti Lab Toronto focused on startups creating Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and smart city initiatives. (Photo: Infiniti)

Sometimes news stories fly under the radar, which is certainly the case for this year’s Toronto-based Infiniti Lab, an accelerator program created for growing companies focused on Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and smart city initiatives. The first Infiniti Lab was launched in the company’s global home base of Hong Kong two years ago, which makes its choice to follow that program up in Canada’s largest city quite the national compliment, while many of the startups chosen for the program could definitely improve life for people across Canada and the world.

The Toronto lab was a first for North America as well as the first such initiative launched by an automotive manufacturer in Canada. “We chose Toronto as the first North American launch of Infiniti Lab because of its role as an IoT hub, and now we’re excited to see what the companies in our Toronto program can do on the global stage,” said Dane Fisher, General Manager of Global Business Transformation for Infiniti Motors.

To make sure the Canadian program succeeded, Infiniti partnered with Toronto-based nonprofit Multiplicity, a group that already provided education and mentoring to startups. “Canada is brimming with talent and opportunity when it comes to startups, and Infiniti Canada is proud to help accelerate the country’s next entrepreneurial stars,” said Stephen Lester, managing director of Infiniti Canada. “Multiplicity is the ideal partner for the launch of Infiniti Lab Toronto. Parallel to Infiniti, they do not wait for change to come to them, they are the change. They drive the ideas that will make a tangible difference to our daily lives.”

Rover Parking, a shared parking app, earned the opportunity to continue the mentorship on a three-month program in Hong Kong. (Photo: Rover Parking)

A total of nine Internet of Things (IoT) and/or smart-city initiative startups were chosen mid-year, including DRVEN (connected cars and smartphones), InnerSpace (indoor mapping), NXCAR (connected vehicle safety), Pitstop Predictive Maintenance (virtual technician), Pull Technologies (contacts on IoT), RoadLaunch (shipment management), Rover Parking (shared parking), Tap Report (inspection tracking), and Ubiqweus Inc. (data sharing). The companies were able to work with corporate and industry partners such as Techstars, OMERS Ventures, TELUS Ventures, the City of Toronto, and Fleet Company, all of which provided participants with access to technology, mentorship, and education throughout the month-long program.

RoadLaunch is an app for commercial shipment management. (Photo: RoadLaunch)

Infiniti Lab Toronto culminated in a demo day, where participating startups pitched their companies to a panel of Canada’s top venture capital firms. Rover Parking, a shared parking marketplace that lets users access available parking spaces throughout the city by smartphone, took top honours at the event, and was therefore fast-tracked into a further three-month program in Hong Kong that launched in July. “Rover Parking came out on top because of the potential they have to use IoT to change our cities, and the impact we believe they can have as part of the Hong Kong program,” added Fisher.

NXCAR offers an app for connected vehicle safety. (Photo: NXCAR)

“We partnered with Infiniti to bring this program to fruition because we fully align with their focus on innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Chris Kay, co-founder, Multiplicity. “Infiniti Lab has produced two cohorts of IoT innovators in Hong Kong, and the Toronto program presents a huge opportunity for local founders who want to get noticed on the global stage.”

Pitstop Predictive Maintenance provides a virtual technician app. (Photo: Pitstop Predictive Maintenance)

Some key startups benefiting from the Infiniti Lab Hong Kong program include Kraftwerk, a company that developed a breakthrough low cost, lightweight fuel cell; Drop.ai, a visual intelligence startup responsible for software that helps cars and drones make decisions through contextualized video and artificial intelligence; and Dagmy Motors, which helps lower the production cost of batteries and therefore the cost of electric vehicles. Rover Parking, now dubbed the “Airbnb of parking,” is enjoying success in Toronto thanks to an innovative idea that’s been developed more fully through the Infiniti Lab program. Hopefully it will find its way to other cities in Canada and throughout the world. For more about the Infiniti Lab program, check out this short video:

To most of us, the thought of owning a new Acura NSX is enough of a dream, but the Japanese premium brand nevertheless arrived at last month’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las…

Latest News

ScienceofSpeed Dream Project makes stunning NSX supercar even more sensational

2017 Acura NSX ScienceofSpeed Dream Project — The second-gen Acura NSX “Dream Project” by ScienceofSpeed features plenty of powertrain, suspension and styling upgrades. (Photo: Acura)

To most of us, the thought of owning a new Acura NSX is enough of a dream, but the Japanese premium brand nevertheless arrived at last month’s Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada with something even more alluring than the stock road-going supercar. Say hello to the NSX “Dream Project,” the second ScienceofSpeed creation in as many years. The first was a gorgeous NSX GT3 racecar with hybrid parts removed, sitting atop a customized trailer that was pulled behind a modded MDX in the same decaled white livery the team uses on the track. Now the colour has changed to a deep glimmering blue and the powertrain’s hybrid guts remain intact, this dream meant for the road.

Acura worked together with Arizona-based ScienceofSpeed for this year’s Dream Project, this NSX GT3 more of a race replica that future owners can hopefully bring home. The result is a lighter, better handling, quicker, more potent NSX with much more downforce thanks to extensive aero upgrades. Reference other sports cars wearing the GT3 subset and you’ll see plenty of wings and NACA ducts, all designed to benefit traction at high speed, so why should this NSX be any different. The ScienceofSpeed kit includes front side strakes, extended rocker panels with radical ducting, a supersized pedestal-style rear wing (albeit smaller than on last year’s car), and a larger, deeper rear diffuser, the latter highlighted with red painted fins.

Speaking of colour, the grey and red side stripes with artfully scripted “Dream Project” signage below chunkier “NSX” lettering, almost go unnoticed next to the fabulous five-spoke Advan GT forged rims on Pirelli Trofeo R rubber that frame equally eye-grabbing gold powder-coated carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes. Carbon in mind, there’s no shortage of carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) elsewhere, all of the aforementioned aero add-ons wearing its glossy woven fibres proudly next to yet more red highlights, while the roof gets painted a glossy black and that beautiful blue paintwork mentioned earlier finishes off the exterior aesthetics, the latter a two-tone mix dubbed Andaro Nouvelle Blue Pearl.

Inside, Recaro Pole Position seats keep driver and passenger firmly in place while a gaugeART OLED display adds ancillary information, important given the power unit gains 37 horsepower for a new max of 610, plus an additional 31 lb-ft of torque resulting in 507 foot pounds. ScienceofSpeed shaved 7.2 kilos (16 pounds) from the NSX Dream Project’s curb weight by replacing the stock exhaust with a lightweight stainless unit, while reworked suspension geometry drops the car by an inch. Those with steep driveways or need to overcome speed bumps needn’t worry about scuffing all the added ground effects either, as an iLIFT was added to the front suspension to automatically raise the body up two inches if it senses obstacles in its path.

This race-winning Acura NSX GT3 race car was on display as well. (Photo: Acura)

The NSX ScienceofSpeed Dream Project wasn’t the only car on Acura’s SEMA stage, the theme focused on motorsport thanks to a race-winning Acura NSX GT3, which had just completed its inaugural season with two teams competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship series as well as the Pirelli World Challenge series, achieving four podiums and three victories. Even more noticeable, the ARX-05 (Acura Racing eXperimental, generation 5) Daytona Prototype points the Japanese premium brand back to prototype racing, the first event to be the Rolex 24 at Daytona in January next year. Team Penske, legendary in motorsport circles, will campaign two cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, while a who’s who list of winning drivers includes Juan Pablo Montoya, Helio Castoneves, Graham Rahal, Dane Cameron, Ricky Taylor and Simon Pagenaud.

Acura Acura ARX-05 Daytona Prototype — It’s easy to appreciate why Acura’s ARX-05 Daytona Prototype might garner plenty of attention. (Photo: Acura)

Also on hand, the Pikes Peak Acura TLX A-Spec won its Exhibition Class at its Pikes Peak debut earlier this year, its 500 horsepower 3.5-litre V6 pushing the car up the heroic cliff-side track to its 14,115-foot summit in just 11:03.655, with Pikes Peak veteran and engineer Nick Robinson at the wheel. If you think that was fast, newcomer Peter Cunningham set a new Open Class record at the wheel of the Pikes Peak Acura TLX GT this year, his time of 9:33.797 earning second overall as well as “Rookie of the Year” honours.

Acura TLX A Spec Pikes Peak — There was no shortage of Pikes Peak hillclimb cars on hand for the SEMA event. (Photo: Acura)

Lastly, the Pikes Peak GT3-inspired Acura NSX split the difference with a 10:03.433 time over the 21-kilometre (13-mile) course, with Acura’s in-house North American R&D powertrain development group member James Robinson placing third in the competitive Time Attack 1 class. Robinson won the class in a first-generation NSX in 2011, and has charged up Pike Peak’s death-defying 2,289 vertical metres (7,510 vertical feet) in an NSX every year since. “Motorsports has been an integral part of the Acura brand since our founding,” said Jon Ikeda, Vice President and General Manager of Acura. “We have had some tremendous success this past year and are looking forward to our return to prototype racing with Team Penske in 2018.”

News & Reviews- Month: December 2017