Car FYI

Equipped with four-wheel drive system incorporating a Rock-Trac part-time transfer case and 33-inch all-terrain tires, the Rubicon trim version of the Jeep Gladiator will be available to Canadian customers for a considerable lower price for the 2026 model year.  Roughly a decade ago, the Jeep brand had been promoted as the backbone to its parent auto group Stallantis (Known as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles prior to 2021). Featuring a rich history that has made their vehicles attracting a broad base from serious off-roaders to luxury-minded city drivers, Jeep was also advantaged with a growing consumer trend favouring crossover utility vehicles. An expanded range of products in recent years included the flagship Wagoneer/Grand Wagoneer  as well as a pickup truck version of the company’s famous Wrangler called the Gladiator. While Jeep has been recognized as a steady profit centre for Stallantis in North America, the brand has also underwent growing criticism from loyal customers a...

GMC 8000-Pound Electric Truck Taken from 1914 Advertisement in The Saturday Evening Post   Last year, General Motors’ truck division literally generated a buzz of electricity in the air by the announcement of the HUMMER EV . The GMC brand’s trucks and vans have been typically propelled to internal combustion engines running on gasoline or diesel fuel but the changing tides of modern transportation is resulting in the introduction of the high-profile battery electric vehicle with up to 11,500 lb-ft of torque on tap. The GMC HUMMER EV is on track to be a very important product for realigning the public’s attitude of what a tough truck could be in a world in a transition away from fuel-burning engines. However, while the HUMMER EV will make an impact on altering the way we’ll see GMC when initial models end up on driveways in 2022, the sale will not be the first time the truck marque sold fully electric vehicles. Interestingly enough, electric powe...

Photo Credit: General Motors of Canada While General Motors is recognized as a company rooted with the United States, the automaker has a strong connection to Canada. Initially entering into a deal to purchase Buick engines for vehicles sold by McLaughlin Motor Car Company in 1907, Canadian businessman R.S. McLaughlin gained a strong working relationship with General Motors’ architect William Durant. After the mutually beneficial Buick agreement, McLaughlin aided Durant in foundation of a new auto brand with Swiss race car driver Louis Chevrolet. The Canadian automotive magnate would not only be instrumental in establishing General Motors of Canada Limited serving as a chairman but was also an executive with the main company headquartered in Detroit. More recently, General Motors’ recovery from its 2009 bankruptcy included between 9 and 11 billion dollars in federal and government of Ontario funds.   After a long intertwined history with Canada, General Motors had made many di...

Photo Credit: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles A highly dense element known for its high-melting, the precious metal known as tungsten probably does not receive the same attention for exoticness as gold or platinum. Tungsten has found its way into way applications in recent years including jewelry, electronics, high performance fields like auto racing and aerospace. For the 2018 Ram full-sized truck line, tungsten is set to join elite metal range with luxury vehicle status. The 2018 model year Ram Limited Tungsten Edition will represent the latest among the truck line’s growing premium trim options. The Tungsten Edition is an upgrade over the Limited level for the Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 featuring some of the most opulent touches incorporated in a pickup truck. Employing an ample amount of Tungsten Chrome details for the grille and accents, the unique shine of the Ram Limited Tungsten Edition is accompanied by body-colour matching components. Tailgate lettering of the Limited Tungsten...

Photo Credit: Honda A fundamental goal of every automaker is to prove the endurance of their vehicles to the public. For the toughest vehicles hoping to make an impression with customers, the SCORE Baja 1000 off-road race across the terrain of a Mexican desert is among the most gruelling. A race that has been won by Ford Broncos, Chevrolet trucks and a Volkswagen-powered Meyers Manx , Toyota trucks were also some of the victorious vehicle entrants who inherit some impressive bragging rights to sell their trucks to buyers. Along with measuring the integrity of production-based trucks as well as race-purpose buggies, major auto manufacturers have also found the Baja 1000 event as a proving ground for new ideas. In 2013, Ford tested their2.7-liter EcoBoost powerplant in the competition as an extreme field test ahead of availability on the 2015 Ford F-150 . Later this month, Honda will compete with a prelude to their next Ridgeline pickup truck.   After a two-year absence, th...

Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company In the United States, there is two major bodies that evaluate the crashworthiness of vehicles; the government-based National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The IIHS was assembled by insurance companies to assess the potential cost of vehicle damage and personal injury that could be suffered in a particular vehicle. IIHS tests are traditionally more rigorous than the NHTSA tests. For Canadians who buy almost identical vehicles to the ones of our American neighbours, the results of crash tests is regarded as reputably as it is stateside. When the IIHS published recent crash test results released for the revolutionary new 2015 Ford F-150, truck buyers in Canada would be most intrigued to know how one of the country's most popular-selling vehicles performed. Testing of the 2015 Ford F-150 SuperCab and SuperC...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy When connecting with Canadian motorists, we certainly love our pickup trucks. In the case of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the full-sized Ram pickup trucks sold under the Ram brand is, by almost every definition, the workhorse for the auto company. The half-ton version Ram 1500 pickup truck possesses powerful towing and hauling capacity from innovative yet potent engines such as the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, 5.7-liter Hemi V8 as well as the recently-added EcoDiesel V6 engine. Important to the Canadian arm of FCA, the vehicle is a high-selling product. In the first five months of 2015, the Ram pickup line accounted for 37,572 in sales dwarfing the Jeep Cherokee as well as the Chrysler 200 Sedan. With the success of the EcoDiesel V6 engine last year, the Ram brand has gained encouragement to expand into deeper niches with their full-sized truck line-up. During the 2015 auto show season, the world was introduced to the Ram 1500 Rebel off-road warrior 4x...

A pickup truck is a multi-purpose tool designed to perform a tough job. The Ford F-Series Super Duty truck line-up is considered one of the go-to solutions for hauling the mightiest loads building a reputation for power and durability. For people operating the Ford F-Series Super Duty trucks, perhaps the expectation for dependability was instilled at an early age. Since 1947, Tonka has been producing toys that are built to last out using metal construction. Tonka created their Mighty line of trucks and replica construction equipment in the 1960s solidifying a lasting impression in generations of childhood (Including my own). The Mighty Tonka Dump Truck is among the most iconic toy almost any young boy would covet for an extended period of youth. A simple, tough design meant the toy dump truck could handle even the most energetic kid. I can personally say I would probably stil...

As a member of the automotive press, February 12th was show time for Toronto's largest display of new automotive trends and technology . The 2015 Canadian International AutoShow was opened with some indications for the cast of some amazing, new players in the new vehicle sector this year. For 2015, there were some spectacular premieres being captured by cameras and being adored by the attendees. The Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, Range Rover Diesel, Audi TTS and the 2017 Ford F-150 Raptor  were all part of the exhibition inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. However, I must admit that this year presented a few more surprises than usual owed largely to some simultaneous vehicle unveilings. In the past, the scheduling of the Canadian International AutoShow at the same time as the Chicago Auto Show had led to a case of "either or" in automotive premieres. Influence of the Chicago show often resulted in first-...

Photo Credit: General Motors As promised, the 2015 edition of the Super Bowl game provided exceptional suspense and some thrilling moments. Besides the New England Patriots' Vince Lombardi Trophy winning performance with a last-minute interception of a Seattle Seahawks touchdown attempt, other victories were obtained between plays at the 49th annual big game. At the cost of 4.5 million dollars per 30-second spot, companies sought their ticket to winning customers on Monday by sinking big advertising budgets in commercials yet again . During Super Bowl XLIX, one automaker operated from an interesting marketing playbook in promoting their latest mid-sized pickup truck. Chevrolet went to great lengths to gain the attention of viewers (sadly it appeared only United States TV watchers were the targeted audience. Though Chevrolet would not participant with in-game advertising for 2015, ...

Are you still seeking that ideal gift for that car lover in your life? Young and old, the attraction of four-wheeled vehicles has long-served as a source of amusement. While some of us would identify our ideal Christmas or holiday gift with 707 horsepower flowing to the rear wheels of a Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat , a majority of enthusiasts can be won over by a fun, thoughtful surprise related to the automobiles. For this reason, Car FYI has compiled several gift ideas for the Canadian automotive fan. Recognizing the assorted tastes of individuals enchanted by car culture, maybe one suggestion will guide the gift-giver or perhaps the self-gifter. Starting off the 2014 Holiday Gift List, I share with you an item that definitely caught my eye. On the first day of 2014, retailer Canadian Tire created a chillingly awesome commercial for the MotoMaster Eliminator battery. Premiering during the January 1st Winter Classic NH...

Despite the changing automotive climate where electrified powertrains and crossover vehicles is part of a new 21 st century normal, the traditional products remains the main driving force for North America. A vehicle type renowned for toughness and versatility for serving a wide industry, pickup trucks exist as the bread and butter of major automakers. When it was time for Ford to reengineer their market-topping F-150 truck for the 2015 model year, it was accepted as the blue oval’s most important unveiling. Accounting for more than 30 percent of the Ford Motor Company’s total vehicle sales in the United States, the F-Series line-up, that includes the general duty F-150 half-ton, plays a pivotal part in the business’ financial health. On Tuesday, the first 2015 F-150 pickup truck rolled off the assembly line at the Ford Rouge Center. As the first 2015 Ford F-150 coasted along the production floor, the most radical redesign of the popular pickup truck transitioned from the show...