Automotive News Canada - August 2019 - 21

* AUGUST 2019

2020 LOTUS EVIJA: The first new model in years from the

Britain-based automaker is also the first one to arrive
without a gasoline engine. Instead, the Evija
(pronounced E-vie-ya) uses a lithium ion battery
pack that supplies power to four electric motors
(one for each wheel). Total output is
estimated at 1,972 horsepower and 1,253
pound-feet of torque. Each of the
planned 130 copies costs
US $1.3 million.

2020 CORVETTE STINGRAY:

No production Corvette has
ever had the engine in the back, which makes the new 2020 model a turning
point for the sportscar nameplate. The base engine makes 495 horsepower
and a standard 10-speed paddle-shift transmission means there's no manual
offered, at least not yet. Buyers can configure their ideal combination of
colours and options online. The base price in Canada is just under $70,000.
Deliveries are expected in early 2020 and a convertible is in the pipeline.

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

2020 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA: It's slightly larger than before - although the CLA
is still mostly style over function - and now based on the same platform as the new
A-class sedan. It looks similar to the outgoing model, but the inside receives significant
upgrading including the MBUX voice-command system with optional twin 21-centimetre screens. There's still a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder for the base CLA 250 as well as a
seven-speed paddle-shift transmission, but the power has been upped to 221 horses from
208. Front-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is optional. Two AMG models
will offer 302 and 382 horsepower,
both with 2.0-litre engines.
BENTLEY EXP 100 GT: In celebration of its 100th

birthday, Bentley created this futuristic model that
imagines how the Continental GT might appear in 2035.
The concept can be operated autonomously or driven by a human.
The battery-electric drive can push the coupe to 60 mph (96 km/h) from rest
in about 2.5 seconds, while battery recharging to 80 per cent of capacity
takes a claimed 15 minutes. - ANC

New moulding technique could put Magna in the driver's seat
BY AUTOMOTIVE NEWS CANADA

CANADIAN AUTO-PARTS SUPPLIER
Magna Corp. has developed an
approach it says offers more freedom in
designing vehicle seating.
The patent-pending FreeForm seattrim-cover technique creates a clean,
sculpted and seamless surface, expanding seating-design possibilities, the
company says. FreeForm allows for
various shapes and crisp styling lines,
achieving design details
as sharp as a three-to-four
millimetre radius, compared with 20-26 mm for
traditional cut-and-sew
techniques.
Magna said the technology also provides improved
seat-back comfort with highly concave
surfaces and body-hugging contours,
offering a soft touch and up to 10 centimetres of additional rear-seat knee
clearance. Seamless seats are also easier to clean, Magna claims.

Magna's new FreeForm technology
allows for sharper seat contours and
more sculpting, which could give it an
edge in the marketplace. P H O TO : M A G N A

tain any Ballard fuel-cell technology
although the company has worked with
Toyota in the past.
Ballard, celebrating its 40th anniversary as a fuel-cell maker, last year
extended its 2013 contract with Audi
AG to 2022 as the automaker develops
its HyMotion technology, expected to
debut in a future model.

Seating is a critical touchpoint for
consumers who want their vehicle's
cabin to feel cozy, while manufacturers are looking for ways to make their
brands distinctive. The technology is
applicable for both high- and low-volume production, Magna says.

GM STORES PICK DIGITAL PARTNERS
GENERAL MOTORS CANADA
approved six website and digital-advertising providers to compete in a
cross-Canada roadshow for
dealer business.
CDK, 360 Agency, Dealer
Inspire, Dealer.com, Fox
Dealer and EDealer were
selected to take part.
Kyle Orlando, president
of Toronto-based EDealer,
said GM is among a growing number of
automakers using the multiple-vendor
approach for selecting website companies for its dealers.
"Vendors get the opportunity to compete for, earn, and retain business. This
keeps the space competitive and evolving. The [automaker] gets consistent
brand message and standards. The dealer gets flexibility and choice in what
works best for their dealership."
More than 100 dealers chose EDealer
following the roadshow, the company
said, with a decision deadline of July
12. There are about 450 franchised GM
dealerships in Canada.
EDealer also works with other automakers.

NAVIGATE USING JUST THREE WORDS
Although employees of hydrogenpropulsion specialists Ballard Power
Systems are getting special pricing
on the Toyota Mirai, the car contains
no Ballard components.
P H O TO : B A L L A R D P O W E R S Y S T E M S

BALLARD STAFF GET DEAL ON TOYOTA FCV
TOYOTA CANADA IS OFFERING
employees of hydrogen-fuel-cell pioneer
Ballard Power Systems an "attractive
sales price" on the automaker's Mirai
fuel-cell vehicle (FCV), the companies
have announced.
The Mirai sedans, nine of which
were delivered in July, are privately
owned and not part of a corporate fleet,
a Ballard spokesman said. The cars
will carry signage identifying them as
hydrogen-powered to help raise the visibility of FCVs as a zero-emission alternative.
Toyota is offering the Mirai to
B.C. customers through 12 authorized
Vancouver-area dealers.
Ironically, the Mirai does not con-

MERCEDES-BENZ CANADA HAS
recruited musical artists Charlotte
Cardin, Allie X and the Strumbellas to
introduce what3words, a novel navigation system, to Canada via a series of
videos.
The automaker said it is the first
to embrace what3words, designed to
find locations by dividing the world
into three-by-three-metre squares and
attaching a three-word name to each
one.
Users can find a precise location,
such as a building entrance or a spot in
the wilderness, without an address by
using the three-word name. A driver
simply gives the voice command "navigate to what3words," followed by the
three-word address that can be found
via the what3words app or at
what3words.com.
The feature, so far in English only,
will be available in select Mercedes
vehicles equipped with the latest-generation COMAND or MBUX systems and
linked to a Mercedes-me account.
- ANC

http://www.Dealer.com http://www.what3words.com

Automotive News Canada - August 2019

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