First Drive: 2012 Ford Focus

Fab Ford Ford’s new Focus flies to the top of the compact class By John LeBlanc MALIBU, California – As a follow up to its return to the subcompact market with the Fiesta, Ford is getting ready to release a second sampling from its European Greatest Hits album. Like the Fiesta, the all-new 2012 Focus […]

The Crank: Fiat needs more than the 500 to make it in Canada

By John LeBlanc BMW Canada sold about 4,500 Minis last year; the new 2012 Fiat 500‘s closest true rival. And although the Mini has a nine-year head start, the 500’s mainstream pricing—and novelty—should have the 60-odd Canadian Fiat dealers left with no problem selling the same amount (if not more) annually. Despite the 500’s tight […]

First Drive: 2012 Fiat 500 Sport

[svgallery name=”2012_Fiat_500_hirez”] Promise Fulfilled The first Fiat in Canada after 27 years finally arrives By John LeBlanc SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Since Fiat took over the duty of managing Chrysler, fans of Italian-bred cars have been left with many questions. The arrival of the 2012 Fiat 500, the first car from the Italian automaker to […]

2010 L.A. Show: Toyota-Tesla hookup results is RAV4 EV mutant

[svgallery name=”2010_LA_Toyota”] By John LeBlanc LOS ANGELES – As the first fruit from the loins of the recently consummated marraige between Japan’s Toyota and California’s Tesla, the RAV4 EV concept is apparently just the beginning of what will supposedly be more Toyotas powered by Tesla’s sea-of-batteries all-electric drivetrain.

2010 L.A. Show: Honda joins the circus electric

[svgallery name=”2010_LA_Honda”] By John LeBlanc LOS ANGELES – You can file this one under “better late, than never.” After years of telling anyone who would listen that hydrogen fuel cell technology as realized in its FCX Clarity (not gas-electric hybrids nor purely-electric vehicles) is the Honda way to blue skies and chirping birds, the Japanese […]

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