Automotive News Canada - April 2019 - 20

* APRIL 2019

PORSCHE CAYENNE
COUPE: Following in the

tracks of the Mercedes-Benz
GLE Coupe and the BMW
X6, both of which are coupelike versions of more functional square-back siblings,
Porsche has announced a new
Cayenne Coupe. According
to Porsche, "The highlights
include sharper lines with a
redesigned rear section, an
adaptive rear spoiler, individual rear seats, and either a
panoramic fixed glass roof fitted as standard, or an optional carbon-fibre roof." Base
price in Canada is just under
$90,000 including destination
charges. Powertrains mirror
those of the regular
Cayenne.

2020 FORD ESCAPE: The fourth gener-

ation of this small utility vehicle arrives in
the fall with a comprehensive redesign that
puts two hybrid models in lineup, reduces
weight over the outgoing model and adds a
long menu of safety features. The new Escape
is lower, wider and longer than before, and
the plug-in hybrid is claimed to have 48 kilometres of battery range, taking 3.5 hours (at
240 volts) to recharge. The base engine
is a new turbocharged 1.5-litre
four-cylinder mated to an
eight-speed automatic
transmission.

2020 CADILLAC CT5

Replacing the retired ATS sedan
this fall, General Motors' luxury
division is introducing the brand
new CT5. As was the case with
the ATS, the CT5 is aimed at the
compact end of the spectrum
that's dominated by the BMW 3
series, Audi A4 and MercedesBenz C class. A standard turbocharged four-cylinder and
optional twin-turbo V-6 will be
available, as will both front and
all-wheel drive.

2019 LEXUS ES: The makeover of

Lexus's midsize sedan begins with Toyota's
scalable TNGA platform that also underpins
the latest Camry. The new ES is longer and
wider than before and has a longer wheelbase. The standard 3.5-litre V-6 returns, but
output increases to 302 horsepower from 268.
It's connected to an eight-speed automatic
transmission. The hybrid model returns, but
with more output and significantly lower
highway fuel consumption. The F Sport
package certainly looks sporty,
but it has no more power
or performance over the
base ES.

B y J E F F M E L N Y C H U K , E D I TO R - I N - C H I E F

2O20 JEEP GLADIATOR: This new Jeep pickup is

based on the four-door Wrangler Unlimited, but with a
frame and wheelbase that are longer by 79 and 49 centimetres, respectively, to accommodate the cargo bed. A
285-horsepower V-6 is standard, while a 260-horsepower V-6
turbodiesel will be optional in calendar-year 2020. Definitely
a premium niche vehicle, the Gladiator's base price in
Canada is $47,390, including shipping.

Blackberry might want to Google 'Android threat'
BY AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

BLACKBERRY'S QNX OPERATING
system is an acknowledged leader in
connected-car technology, but a report
by research firm Frost and Sullivan
suggests the Canadian company will
face competitive challenges.
Frost and Sullivan analysts said in a
release that some automakers - including Audi, Volkswagen and the RenaultNissan-Mitsubishi alliance - are opting for Android in their next-generation
vehicles.
The report found that while QNX
provides "rich ecosystem support covering every layer of in-vehicle infotainment," automakers want an operating
system that allows them to enhance the
user experience by leveraging the technology used in consumer electronics.
"By enabling access to Google Play

Frost and Sullivan researchers
say Blackberry QNX faces greater
competition from Google's Android
Automotive. P H O TO : B L O O M B E R G

Store, Google Assistant, Google Maps
and other proprietary application programming interfaces from Google,
Android Automotive could well emerge
the market leader by 2025," the report
said.

DRIVERLESS FEARS TO FADE: SURVEY
A NEW SURVEY BY THE CANADIAN
Automobile Association (CAA) indicates that while most Canadians are
wary of
autonomous
cars, they
believe in the
benefits of
the technology.
Citing
According to a CAA
concerns
such as vehi- survey, Canadians
cle hacking, will, in time, trust
theft of data autonomous vehicles.
generated
by the vehicle and accountability in the
event of a collision, almost two-thirds of
respondents said they would not trust
a vehicle to drive itself while they were
in it.
But more than half of the 2,090
respondents saw benefits of self-driving cars, such as improved accessibility for people with mobility problems
and fewer collisions because of reduced
human error. Fifty-seven per cent of
Canadians said self-driving technology
will advance to a point within 10 years
that it could be fully trusted.

KAL TIRE SEEKS TRACTION ONLINE

IN THE WAKE OF GROWING
expectations of consumers in the online
world, Kal Tire has partnered with
Quebec-based OSF Commerce to offer
enhanced service in areas
such as product
selection and
visualization.
Vernon,
B.C.-based Kal
Tire, Canada's
largest independent tire retailer,
said its platform provides consumers detailed information about tires
and accessories using a highly specialized product-selection tool. In addition,
an enhanced tool to book installation
appointments directs the customer to
the nearest store.
Kal Tire, which has 250 retail and
commercial stores, said the new platform has increased loyalty, reduced
returns and improved its sales goals.
OSF Commerce said Kal Tire's website was moved over to Salesforce
Commerce Cloud. OSF then integrated
Kal Tire's Retail.net point-of-sale system with Salesforce Commerce Cloud,
making this the first storefront integration of these two technologies.

A JUMP-START FOR CHARGING STATIONS
THE NEW CAR DEALERS
Association of B.C. is supporting the
provincial government's decision to

British Columbia new-vehicle
dealers hope an exemption in rate
regulations will encourage more
charging stations and wider use of
electric vehicles. P H O TO : B L O O M B E R G

exempt landlords, strata corporations
and other service providers, such as
parking garages, that are not public
utilities, from electricity-rate regulation
for electric-vehicle charging services.
The British Columbia Utilities
Commission requested the exemption
but will retain oversight of the safety
aspects of EV charging stations.
The move would allow providers
of EV charging services to set rates
without needing commission approval. Association President Blair Qualey
said it will spur private investment in
charging infrastructure, which in turn
will encourage wider adoption of electric vehicles.
Qualey said competition in the
charging market could keep rates competitive, while less regulatory oversight
might encourage greater market participation. - ANC

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Automotive News Canada - April 2019

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