Car FYI

Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Co., Inc. untitled In August, Honda’s luxury car brand Acura shared an intriguing teaser image accompanied by the revelation that a classic sport compact name would return. Included in a rather familiar close-up promotional shot capturing a headlamp and part of the Diamond Pentagon grille, the key focus was a nameplate reading “Integra”. A rear image of a five-door hatchback shape dropped in late September while a picture of a six-speed manual shifter released in mid-October clearly as a means to tantalize a modern premium sport compact crowd. After a 20-year hiatus, the Integra is once again part of the Acura lineup. A five-door hatchback touting a coupe-like shape, the 2023 Acura Integra will give entry-level luxury car buyers a strong taste of performance attitude. As was the case with the previous Integra models, the Honda Civic platform serves as the basis for this latest premium compact. While the new Civic hatchba...

Photo Credit: General Motors Canada When General Motors maintained six divisions or more vehicle brands, Buick often seemed to have an identity crisis. An upscale brand aspiring to attract a driving public above Chevrolet or Pontiac, Buick also seemed hindered to explore true luxury in concerns for upstaging Cadillac. Before 2004, Buick’s attempt to individualize itself was also being diffused by Oldsmobile’s similar persona. Dropping the iconic Riviera ahead of the 2000 model year also meant Buick went through a decade in North America with a somewhat lacking character. Buick's popularity in China was ultimately sustained the brand when General Motors went into restructuring in 2009. Photo Credit: General Motors Canada Under the new GM, a new Buick has been taking shape using greater international flavour. Increased European influence including the Cascada convertible, the segment-creating Encore premium small crossover and the Envision being one of the first Chinese...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy Since the merger of Fiat Group Automobiles and Chrysler Corporation was announced, the framework for installing a greater dose of Italian content from the former company in the United States and Canada was laid. With Dodge, Chrysler and the Ram brand all heavily driven by Fiat's European influence heading into the 2017 model year, the door had also opened to a pair of brands that returned following meager presence on Canadian roads for years. The Fiat 500 that arrived in late 2010 brought one of the world's oldest running automobile brands back and has been reinforced by added models including the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider. In 2014, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles gave Alfa Romeo a new chance to shine again in upper part of North America (the brand had already been present in Mexico in recent years). Following the arrival of the 4C sports car and the 4C Spider that came in 2015, the Alfa Romeo name is prepared to adorn a new sedan for 2017. A new vehicle on...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy The electrified auto sector has moved at a rapid pace in the past five years. Back then, Tesla Motors only attracted attention through the production of the odd all-electric roadster while the Nissan Leaf all-electric car and the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt were only entering the marketplace. Another car garnering attention during the infancy of the electric vehicle renaissance was prepared by a Californian based company Fisker Automotive. A premium vehicle designed by the same person behind the Aston Martin DB9, the Fisker Karma was a plug-in hybrid luxury car was heavily plagued during its short production run. Production itself was delayed by two years with the first sale examples of the Karma arriving in 2011. When the remnants of Hurricane Sandy hit the upper-part of the United States in November 2012, a large quantity of Fisker Karmas was ultimately written-off when they were caught in the massive flood. The vehicle itself was also affected by an...

Ever since Porsche introduced the Cayenne in the 2000s, no automaker has been ruled-out in adding a crossover vehicle to their line-up. At 2012 Geneva Motor Show, British luxury vehicle brand Bentley unveiled a concept design to what was seen as the impending arrival of a super-luxury crossover. A marque seen as one of the most prestigious builders of automobiles in the world, Bentley only needed to create a world-topping vehicle for the popular segment. Almost four years later, the Bentley Bentayga is the form of an all-new bred of luxury crossover vehicle. Though the Bentayga represents the inauguration of Bentley's foray into a new class of motoring, the vehicle is the end result of a long, uneasy journey of exploration. The EXP 9 F Concept (an initial design creation meant to chart the vision of Bentley's crossover vehicle) premiered in 2012 to a largely negative reception. While the idea of a Bentley crossover vehicle was not si...