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December 2004
December 30, 2004 The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced civil penalties against Porsche and Ferrari totalling over U.S.$9 million for failing to meet Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) limits.
December 29, 2004 Infiniti released more sketches of its Kuraza concept vehicle that show three rows of seats and third-row doors. The Kuraza makes its global debut at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10, 2005.
December 29, 2004 CSM Worldwide, a market intelligence and forecasting services company, predicts the Toyota Group, which consists of the Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands, will pass DaimlerChrysler as the third largest seller of automobiles in the United States by 2009.
December 29, 2004 The U.S. National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that Ford is recalling Escape sport utility vehicles, and its Mazda equivalent, the Tribute, to fix the rear liftgate. The NHTSA said that it could pop open in a crash if left unlocked.
Land Rover released photos of the mildly restyled 2006 Range Rover that will be officially unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in January.
Ford announced a new Mercury concept car that gives a hint of what a Mercury production crossover vehicle might look like when it is introduced in 2007. December 23, 2004 The 2005 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit expects to showcase more than 65 exciting new vehicle introductions to more than 6,000 media during its Press Days from January 9-11, 2005. December 23, 2004 Canadian Lexus owners can now access their vehicle service information online at www.lexus.ca using their personalized password-protected Owner Home Page. December 23, 2004 The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) has officially confirmed the nine international records set by the BMW H2R for hydrogen-powered vehicles with a reciprocating engine. The records were set on September 19th at the BMW Testing Centre in Miramas (Southern France). December 22, 2004 Cylinder deactivation, gasoline-electric hybridization and advanced diesel technology all are represented by winners on this year's Ward's 10 Best Engines list. December 22, 2004 Truckin's SUV praised the 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee for its "refined ride, off-road performance, and high-feature content coupled with notable quality, excellent road manners, and a warm and inviting interior." December 22, 2004 American Idol superstar Diana DeGarmo will officially unveil the 2005 Ford Mustang Convertible at the Los Angeles Auto Show on January 5, 2005 with a performance of The Doobie Brothers Rockin' Down The Highway and the title track to her new album, Blue Skies. December 22, 2004 Europe's top six car manufacturers - Audi, BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler, Fiat, Renault and Volkswagen - have combined forces in the Car-2-Car Communication Consortium (C2C CC).
Nissan's Azeal concept car will be unveiled at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in early January. December 21, 2004 The Mazda3 was the best performer and the Kia Spectra was the worst in a recent series of frontal offset crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. December 21, 2004 Automobile Magazine announced the winners of the 2005 Automobile Magazine All-Stars awards, recognizing outstanding performance in 13 categories. The recipients are featured in the 2005 February issue, on newsstands January 11, 2005. December 21, 2004 Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced that a consensus has been reached among key players in the Canadian trucking industry on safety rules for inter-provincial commercial vehicle operations. December 21, 2004 Honda's CR-V sport-utility vehicle will be produced in Ohio starting in 2006, Honda of America Manufacturing announced. The CR-V is currently built in Japan. December 20, 2004 Ford Motor Company's 40-year relationship with Grand Prix racer-turned-businessman, Sir Jackie Stewart, draws to a close at the end of the year. December 20, 2004 39.9 percent of readers voted for the Touareg in the "Luxury SUV" category, and it had more than a 20 percent lead over the Porsche Cayenne and the Volvo XC90. December 20, 2004 The award, presented by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent GCVO, was accepted on behalf of DaimlerChrysler AG by Dr. Rodolfo Schoeneburg, Director of Safety, NVH and Durability and Roland Bachmann, Senior Manager, Passive Safety.
The Acura RD-X concept vehicle will make its debut at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Sunday, January 9, 2005. The RD-X is a concept version of the upcoming small Acura SUV, which is scheduled go on sale in 2006. December 17, 2004 Both the Mini Cooper S Convertible and the Mini Cooper S with six-speed automatic transmission are making their world debuts at the 2005 North American International Auto Show. December 17, 2004 Seven of the world's largest auto and oil companies announced a collaborative five-year, $10 million project to reduce road traffic fatalities in developing countries. December 17, 2004 Hyundai has announced a recall of 120,000 model year 2004 and 2005 Elantra sedans produced prior to December 17, 2004. December 17, 2004 Chrysler Group announced more details about its version of the "World Engine", co-developed by DaimlerChrysler, Hyundai Motor Company and Mitsubishi Motors Corporation for the Global Engine Manufacturing Alliance (GEMA). December 17, 2004 Mercedes-Benz is introducing a new V6 diesel engine which will replace the previous in-line five and six-cylinder engines in the Spring of 2005. December 17, 2004 Recent rulings by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will contribute to thousands of lives saved and billions of dollars in reduced health care and related costs, according to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. December 17, 2004 Hercules Tire Canada announced the official launch of two entirely new light truck tires under the Hercules banner - the Terra Trac A/T and Terra Trac SUV, specifically designed for the broad SUV vehicle market.
Scheduled to be shown in public for the first time at the 2005 North American International Auto Show early next month in Detroit, the Mazda MX-Crossport design concept represents the direction Mazda is considering as it works to expand its line-up. December 16, 2004 The BMW 5 Series with optional all-wheel-drive model will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show in January. As well, the new M5 will make its U.S. debut, and BMW's H2R Hydrogen Record Car, which set nine world speed records, will also be shown. December 16, 2004 The Governments of Canada and Ontario will fund a widening of the QEW through the Niagara region. The announcement was made today by Walt Lastewka, MP for St. Catharines, on behalf of Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre, together with Ontario Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar. December 16, 2004 Of the more than 17 million cars on the road in Canada, 3.8 million have a cabin air filter and Freudenberg OEM manufactured the vast majority of those filters.
Volkswagen released photos and details about the new 2006 Passat on Tuesday. The car will be unveiled in February, 2005 and will go on sale in North America in the 4th quarter of 2005 as a 2006 model. December 15, 2004 Lexus announced it will premiere its LF-A exotic sports car concept vehicle at a press conference during the North American International Auto Show on Sunday, January 9, 2005. December 15, 2004 Kia Motors released the first official sketches and details of the all-new 2006 Rio sedan that will make its world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 11, 2005. December 15, 2004 The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released new crash test results for selected model year 2005 vehicles. The agency also released new rollover ratings for several 2005 SUVs, vans and passenger cars.
At the upcoming Detroit Auto show Infiniti will feature the Infiniti Kuraza Concept, an exploratory look at future SUV interior design and the production version of the new 2006 Infiniti M performance sedan. December 14, 2004 Toyota announced it will stage the world premier of the all-new 2005 Avalon full-size sedan at a press conference on Monday, January 10 at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. December 14, 2004 General Motors and DaimlerChrysler announced a plan to work together to develop a new two-mode full hybrid propulsion architecture for applications in GM, Chrysler Group and Mercedes Car Group vehicles. December 14, 2004 Forty-eight automotive journalists from the United States and Canada have selected the 2005 Chevrolet Corvette, the Chrysler 300/300C and the Ford Mustang as finalists for the North American Car of the Year. December 13, 2004 Greg Smallwood, a combustion technology researcher at the National Research Council in Ottawa has won the Tag Heuer Formula 1 watch. December 13, 2004 The 2005 Honda CR-V equipped with standard side airbags and curtain airbags designed to protect occupants' heads and torsos earned the top rating of good in recent side impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. December 13, 2004 The Chrysler Group will recall approximately 600,000 model year 2000-2003.5 Dodge Durango 4x4 SUVs and Dodge Dakota pickup trucks to replace front suspension upper ball joints that may be subject to progressive wear. December 13, 2004 The newly-introduced Ford Five Hundred outpointed competitors including the Chrysler 300 in head-to-head tests of large sedans by Consumer Reports for their January, 2005 issue. December 13, 2004 This year, DaimlerChrysler Canada has donated more than 50 vehicles to the automotive technical training programs at secondary and post-secondary schools across Canada. December 10, 2004 In the United States, Toyota has the highest number of owners who purchase another model in the Toyota brand when they purchase a new vehicle, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Customer Retention Study released Thursday.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed photos and details about the new M-Class SUV which is to be unveiled in January at the Detroit auto show. December 10, 2004 Poor or uncomfortable lumbar support accounts for 35 percent of all automotive seat-related problems, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Seat Quality Report released this week. December 10, 2004 The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) today announced a final rule requiring that rear centre seats in all new passenger vehicles be equipped with lap/shoulder safety belts. December 10, 2004 DaimlerChrysler announced today that in December 2004, the company has doubled the amount of fuel cell vehicles that it currently manages in the United States to 38 vehicles. December 10, 2004 Nicholas Cage, Vin Diesel, Jodie Foster, James Garner and Eddie Murphy are just some of the celebrities connected to the cars to be auctioned off at "No Reserve" during the upcoming Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction January 25-30, at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona. December 10, 2004 Evergreen and Toyota Canada announced that they have renewed their Toyota Evergreen Learning Grounds Program and have recently launched the 2004-2005 grant program. December 9, 2004 he majority of Canadian drivers believe that drinking and driving is a priority social issue and the most serious road safety issue they face, yet nearly one in five (18%) admit to driving after drinking alcoholic beverages in the previous month, according to the findings of the Road Safety Monitor (RSM) released today by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation (TIRF). December 9, 2004 The construction was completed at a cost of $57.5 million with the Government of Quebec contributing $47.7 million and the Government of Canada contributing $9.8 million as part of the Outaouais Road Agreement to improve the road network in the National Capital Region. December 9, 2004 Hercules Tire Canada announced the addition of seven new tire sizes to its Hercules-brand line for commercial trucks. December 8, 2004 Twelve 2005 Canadian Car of the Year Award category winners were announced by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) during a press conference at the Holiday Inn Select Airport in Toronto on Tuesday. December 8, 2004 The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced a new standard for head restraints to reduce whiplash injuries in rear-end collisions. December 8, 2004 The British Columbia Automobile Association (BCAA) is urging vehicle owners to be more vigilant during the Christmas season. Last December, 40 per cent of all claims reported to BCAA Insurance were theft related, the highest rate for any month in the past three years. December 8, 2004 The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) has named Honda as the 2004 Greenest Automaker in the organization's biennial ranking of car manufacturers' environmental performance. It's the third consecutive number one ranking of Honda in the UCS study. December 8, 2004 General Motors recently announced it is on target to meet its voluntary goal to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from its facilities by eight percent in five years from 2000 levels. This is an unprecedented commitment from any corporation, to date.
Porsche announced it will introduce the 2005 911 Cabriolet, in the first quarter of 2005. Based on the 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupes released earlier this year, the 2005 911 Carrera Cabriolet and Carrera S Cabriolet feature a wider range of standard equipment and offer higher levels of performance and safety than previous Cabriolets. December 7, 2004 Canada's manufacturing industry will shed over 400,000 jobs by 2007 if the Canadian dollar stays at current levels, according to a study released today by the Canadian Auto Workers union. December 7, 2004 DaimlerChrysler opened its second Maybach sales outlet in China this week in Shanghai. The first was opened a few weeks ago in Beijing, and a third centre will open in the first half of 2005 in the city of Guangzhou. December 7, 2004 During a festive ceremony on Monday, DaimlerChrysler AG and its long-term partner Beijing Automotive Industry Holding Company (BAIC) laid the cornerstone for the Mercedes-Benz manufacturing facility, which is part of the new joint venture, Beijing Benz-DaimlerChrysler Automotive Co. Ltd. December 6, 2005 Vehicle sales were up 3.9% in November over the same month last year, but most of that increase was in light trucks (pickups, SUVs, minivans). Light truck sales rose 7.5% while car sales rose 0.8%. December 6, 2005 Ford Motor Company of Canada announced the appointment of Joe Hinrichs as president and CEO, effective January 1, 2005, replacing Alain Batty who has been named director of European sales staffs, Ford of Europe. December 6, 2005 The Chrysler 300 and the Land Rover LR3 have been named the 2005 Urban Elite Car and SUV of the Year by Automotive Rhythms Communications, LLC. December 6, 2005 General Motors reminded owners of certain 2000-2004 full-size pickup trucks to have their tailgate cables replaced at their dealers as soon as possible.
Volkswagen added a new Golf model to its line-up on Thursday. The taller, roomier Golf Plus has different bodywork and a higher seat height, but resembles the standard Golf. December 3, 2004 On Thursday, Ford showed illustrations of a Ford Explorer Sport Trac concept with a wider and longer stance and improved power, and Ford's Roll Stability Control. December 3, 2004 The introduction of the 2005 Mustang caused Mustang sales to increase by 250 per cent over November 2003 and achieve the best November sales for Mustangs in 15 years, reports Ford of Canada. December 3, 2004 Consumers continue to express significant interest in safety-related vehicle features and are willing to pay a premium to have them in their next vehicles, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 U.S. Automotive Emerging Technologies Study released on Thursday. December 3, 2004 ccording to the third annual Goodyear Safety Survey, nearly 90% of drivers think the ability to handle tough winter road conditions is an essential ingredient of being Canadian. December 3, 2004 Product placement in the movie "I, Robot" starring Will Smith has proved a huge success for Audi AG, according to the company. December 2, 2004 Bridgestone/Firestone has announced price increases on the company's tire lines. December 2, 2004 Desrosiers Automotive Consultants announced the top ten best-selling cars and light trucks in Canada up until the end of October, the month for which the latest figures are available. December 2, 2004 Honda Manufacturing of Alabama is now producing the Odyssey minivan and V-6 engine on the same assembly line as the Honda Pilot SUV. December 2, 2004 The Land Rover LR3 was officially named "SUV of Texas" by the Texas Auto Writer's Association (TAWA) on Tuesday. December 1, 2004 A new wireless park and pay systems allows customers at participating Toronto Imperial Parking (Impark) lots to pay parking fees with their cell phones. December 1, 2004 Toronto businesses can now pay for parking at any of Toronto Parking Authority (Green P) lots or street parking machines, and receive detailed parking reports at any time, through a single card.
The new 2006 Lincoln Mark LT, a luxury version of the Ford F-Series full-size pickup, will arrive in U.S. showrooms this coming spring with a base price of $39,995 in the U.S. Canadian pricing and availability has not been announced. December 1, 2004 Hercules Tire Canada today announced the introduction of 20 new tire sizes and a total of 49 SKUs (stock keeping units) to further enhance popularity of its own brand, the Ultra Touring consumer tire. December 1, 2004 There are SUV-specific winter driving techniques that should be followed in order to avoid accidents when the sleet, snow and ice come this winter, says Mark Cox, Executive Director of the Bridgestone Winter Driving School. |  | |
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