Canadian Auto News Watch - Monday March 30, 2015
General Motors Corporate News
Let's build cars for Canada's future
Byline: David W. Paterson, Page: B2, Edition: Ontario
The Globe and Mail - Sat Mar 28 2015
Putting a number on GM Oshawa's significance
Byline: GREG KEENAN, Page: B1, Edition: Ontario
The Globe and Mail - Mon Mar 30 2015
GM wants to sell 300,000 2016 Chevrolet Malibus
Permalink: www.msn.com...
msn.com - Mon Mar 30 2015
Light-truck sales surge is still picking up steam
Byline: Kumar Saha, Page: W8, Edition: ONT
Toronto Star - Sat Mar 28 2015
Auto makers frozen out of Port of Halifax; 'Extraordinary situation' leaves European
manufacturers scrambling to find new ways to deliver their cars
Byline: GREG KEENAN, ERIC ATKINS, Page: B4, Edition: Ontario
The Globe and Mail - Sat Mar 28 2015
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General Motors Product News
2015 Cadillac SRX takes the wrong CUE; Luxury crossover features a distinctive design
and a wonky infotainment centre
Byline: NEIL VORANO
globeandmail.com - Sat Mar 28 2015, 3:00am ET
Cadillac: New Gearboxes For 2016 - The Car Guide
Permalink: www.guideautoweb.com...
guideautoweb.com - Mon Mar 30 2015
Cadillac CT6 - how many speakers? - The Car Guide
Permalink: www.guideautoweb.com...
guideautoweb.com - Mon Mar 30 2015
2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe V6 AWD - Autos.ca
Permalink: www.autos.ca...
autos.ca - Mon Mar 30 2015
MID-SIZE MALIBU EASY TO LIVE WITH
Byline: GLEN WOODCOCK , [email protected], Page: 77, Edition: Final
The Toronto Sun - Sun Mar 29 2015
2015 Buick Encore; Day 4 - Autos.ca
Permalink: www.autos.ca...
autos.ca - Mon Mar 30 2015
2015 Chevrolet Tahoe | Autonet.ca
Permalink: www.autonet.ca...
autonet.ca - Mon Mar 30 2015
GM discontinues Orlando MPV - Autos.ca
Permalink: www.autos.ca...
autos.ca - Mon Mar 30 2015
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Lifestyle/Social
Mille mercis au partenaire principal du 6e #rassJSUM : Chevrolet — Je suis une maman
Note: Je suis un maman posted an article as part of the JSUM-GM media activation generating 25,000 online
impressions. The article discusses how the new 4G LTE technology improves family lives. The author explains how
the Vehicle Location Alert and OnStar Family Link Service benefit her busy, on-the-go lifestyle and her family. The
overall tone was positive.
Permalink: www.jesuisunemaman.com...
jesuisunemaman.com - Wed Mar 18 2015
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General Motors Corporate News
Let's build cars for Canada's future
The Globe and Mail
Sat Mar 28 2015
Page: B2
Section: Report on Business
Byline: David W. Paterson
Re Canada facing grim outlook for auto trade (March 25): In Oshawa, we are doing the hard work, with our
partners, to build a competitive investment case for the future. All auto plants in North America must fight for
investment today. And yes, we live in a competitive trading world.
In Oshawa, we are facing that challenge and working with our partners to build a case for both competitive auto
assembly and world-leading auto engineering and technology for the future.
Let's innovate, design and build fuel-efficient, "connected cars" our customers want and need.
That's the recipe for maintaining and building our trade advantage for the future.
David W. Paterson, vice-president, Corporate and Environmental Affairs, General Motors of Canada Ltd.
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Edition: Ontario
Length: 118 words
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Putting a number on GM Oshawa's significance
The Globe and Mail
Mon Mar 30 2015
Page: B1
Section: Report on Business
Byline: GREG KEENAN
The closing of two General Motors Co. assembly plants in Oshawa, Ont., would wipe out about 30,000 jobs,
slice more than $5-billion out of Ontario's gross domestic product and cost the federal and Ontario
governments $1-billion in lost revenue.
Those are among the conclusions of an economic impact study of the two plants, which was prepared by the
Centre for Spatial Economics on behalf of Unifor, the union that represents hourly paid workers at the two
factories.
"The closure of that facility would have a profound impact on the communities in the eastern half of the GTA,
for [Ontario] as a whole and indeed for the Canadian economy," the study says.
The study is scheduled to be released Monday.
GM's Oshawa complex has been an economic engine of the Ontario and national economies for more than a
century and the 3,600 production and skilled trades employees at the two plants are among the highest-paid
workers in Canada's manufacturing sector.
But whether they will continue to produce vehicles and generate an estimated $7.3-billion worth of shipments
annually later this decade is in doubt, creating deep concern among workers and the union, as well as the
federal and Ontario governments.
One of the plants is scheduled to close next year and the other plant has no new vehicles allocated to replace
those that are being shifted elsewhere or are going out of production - including the Chevrolet Camaro, which
will be produced in Lansing, Mich., later this year instead of Oshawa.
About 4,100 hourly and salaried employees at the plants and the General Motors of Canada Ltd. head office
would lose their jobs, but an additional 25,000 to 29,000 jobs would disappear at suppliers and elsewhere in
the broader economy within two years of the end of production, the study says.
Ontario's gross domestic product would be cut by between $5.2-billion and $5.7-billion within two years and
average annual wages in the province would decline by $350.
"Most people eventually find new work, but the recovery in employment is achieved, in large part, by a
permanent decline in average wages," the report says. "This decline in income is experienced even by workers
who have no connection at all to the auto industry and further undermines consumer spending and aggregate
economic conditions."
The permanent shutdown of the plants would also affect the Canada Pension Plan, the study says. CPP
contributions would decline by between $130-million and $140-million in the year of the closing, although a
gradual recovery in employment would help reduce the revenue loss to between $110-million and $120million.
GM Canada president Stephen Carlisle said in January, in what the company called a community update, that
no decisions on new products will be made before late 2016 and the conclusion of negotiations on a new
contract with Unifor.
"We are going to be careful and are not expecting to be deciding on any major new mandates or investments in
Oshawa until well into 2016," Mr.
Carlisle said in the update.
Unifor and company officials have been meeting regularly.
Federal and Ontario cabinet ministers met with GM chief executive officer Mary Barra in January.
Unifor president Jerry Dias met with Ms. Barra last month and has been talking up the benefits of the drop in
the Canadian dollar and the demographic situation at the Oshawa plant, where about 60 per cent of the
production workers have hit the 30year mark, which makes them eligible for early retirement.
That means GM could hire new workers - to replace those retiring - at hourly wages that start at $20.50 and
don't rise to the full $34.50-an-hour rate for 10 years.
"GM will make money hand over fist in Oshawa," he said.
The point of the study, Mr. Dias added, "is to show the incredible economic benefits that the GM Oshawa plant
brings not just to the community of Oshawa, or the province, but to the country - the taxes that people pay, the
jobs that are created, the spinoff jobs."
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Edition: Ontario
Length: 654 words
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GM wants to sell 300,000 2016 Chevrolet Malibus
msn.com
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.msn.com...»
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Light-truck sales surge is still picking up steam
Toronto Star
Sat Mar 28 2015
Page: W8
Section: Wheels
Byline: Kumar Saha
By new-millennium standards, pickups and large SUVs should have been halfway to their graves in 2015.
But in what is definitely one of the bona fide business miracles of this decade, light trucks are not just alive but
kicking it like it was 1970s Texas.
Except it's not Texas but Canada on my mind.
Light-truck sales have been on a tear for the past few years and have been largely responsible for the
sustained surge of automobile volume sales across the country, which I talked about in my last column.
Pickups were standouts. In 2014, the top three Canadian bestselling models were all trucks. The overall market
grew by 5.4 per cent - all the more amazing as sales had increased by 9 per cent the previous year. It's rare to
see that kind of sustained growth coming from a vehicle segment - unless you are talking about large SUVs.
The likes of Chevy Tahoe and Ford Expedition did even better, growing by 13 per cent in 2014, after 8-per-cent
growth in 2013.
There has been even better news for gas guzzlers in the U.S. It did not experience the slight dip in sales in
2012 that Canada did. Pickups and big SUV volumes have been increasing year over year since 2010, with
double-digit growth in 2013.
All automakers want to get trucking now, even those who had been willing to sit out the segment, based on the
entrenched notion that these vehicles were on their way out.
Hyundai created a lot of noise at this year's Detroit show with its Santa Cruz truck concept. Honda, which
continues to play at the fringes of large SUVs and trucks, is planning to reintroduce its Ridgeline.
Even Volkswagen is eyeing the segment. Eckhard Scholz, the German automaker's head of light commercial
vehicles, has stated his intent to enter the "dominant" North American market. Although the company does sell
its Amarok truck in Mexico and parts of South America, VW hasn't sold a truck in the U.S. or Canada since the
1980s.
The comeback narrative has its purported logic; I don't buy all of it.
The most common reason cited for the boom is the recent drop in gas prices. Although there have been
historical links between lower pump costs and higher truck sales, there's something bigger going on here.
Fuel costs were pretty high in 2014 and for a large part of 2013, but that did not put a dampener on truck sales.
The kicker is the fact that sales have been rising despite sustained high gas costs. Paying less for a tank of gas
is simply an added bonus.
Low financing rates and improved fuel economy are mentioned as sales drivers. The first one applies to all
vehicles, although there's probably some truth to the fact that negligible interest makes larger vehicles more
affordable.
To me, mileage improvement is a big factor. They always don't get the credit but Detroit automakers have
significantly improved the fuel economy of these vehicles. Use of V6 engines instead of V8, with turbocharging
options, has become a common practice in cutting gas consumption - a key reason why Ford F-150s kept flying
off the lots even when gas was over $1.30 a litre.
Ford is once again taking the lead in fuel-economy improvements with its aluminum-body F-150, expected to
reduce gas usage by at least 20 per cent. Chevy and Dodge may not take the light-body route but they are
likely to roll out their powertrain strategies to keep up with Ford's salvo.
Strong housing starts also add to the mix, since pickups are often tied to construction use. The real-estate
market has been resurgent in the U.S. and steady across Canada.
I also believe the surprising harshness of recent North American winters has played some part in pushing truck
sales. Couple the overall shoddy state of roads across North America with weather whoppers such as the polar
vortex and you begin to get a sense of why people may have ditched sleeker sedans in favour of tough
pickups.
I do not see the large vehicle surge disappearing anytime soon. As long as we have our Canadian winters (you
can bet on this one), better truck mileage (this one, too) and a buoyant real-estate market, we are unlikely to
drop our trucking habits.
As the Grateful Dead once observed in their song "Truckin," "what a long strange trip it's been." Watch the
pickup space - things might just get stranger still.
Kumar Saha is a Toronto-based automotive analyst with the global research firm Frost & Sullivan. His column
appears in Toronto Star Wheels every two weeks. To reach Wheels Editor Norris McDonald:
[email protected]
© 2015 Torstar Corporation
Illustration:
• Ford's new aluminum-body F-150 is expected to reduce fuel use by up to 20 per cent over its previous model. Charlie Riedel/The
Associated Press
Edition: ONT
Length: 769 words
Auto makers frozen out of Port of Halifax; 'Extraordinary situation'
leaves European manufacturers scrambling to find new ways to
deliver their cars
The Globe and Mail
Sat Mar 28 2015
Page: B4
Section: Report on Business
Byline: GREG KEENAN, ERIC ATKINS
Thousands of new vehicles are frozen in snow and ice in Eastern Passage, N.S. - a problem that is causing
delays in deliveries of new vehicles to consumers and is forcing auto makers to scramble to find alternative
ports.
The bitter combination of snow, rain and more snow has caused the freeze-up and a backlog at Autoport in the
Port of Halifax, the only East Coast Canadian port at which vehicles sold by Europe-based auto makers
operating in Canada are unloaded.
Auto makers have diverted Canada-bound ships to Baltimore and Davisville, R.I., and then loaded the new
vehicles onto trucks to get them to Canadian destinations. The freeze and backlog will mean delays of as much
as a month in delivery to customers, some dealers said.
"Cars were just absolutely frozen," said Lindsay Duffield, president of Jaguar Land Rover Canada, who said the
previous report he received was that 90 of his company's vehicles are waiting for the big meltdown at Autoport,
which is owned by Canadian National Railway Co.
"Last year there was this whole shortage of rail cars based on this really bad winter and they had to shorten
trains," Mr. Duffield said. "We thought, 'Well, this can't get worse.' " The railway told auto dealers and
manufacturers on March 3 that heavy snow has left it unable to fulfill its service obligations, declaring what is
known in contract law as force majeure, or unavoidable incident, CN spokesman Mark Hallman said.
In an effort to clear the backlog, the railway has brought in more managers and added an afternoon shift to
move vehicles not stuck in the ice. Mr. Hallman would not say how many vehicles are stuck, but said the port is
"above capacity."
"CN has had frank discussions with auto makers about the weather challenges affecting Autoport, and they
understand the extraordinary situation at the facility," he added.
"A significant number of vehicles have been buried in ice and snow, making them impossible to move," he said.
"As a domino, CN has found it difficult to offload vessels. CN continues to accept vessels at Autoport, but has
made clear to customers that there will be delays."
Doug Shostak, general manager of Glenmore Audi in Calgary, said his dealership is waiting for delivery of
about 15 vehicles that have been sold to customers.
They were scheduled to be delivered at the end of March, but probably won't arrive at the dealership until late
next month, Mr. Shostak said.
"They're not going to go in and try to cut out a car," he said.
"They're just going to let nature take its course and then they'll get through them."
Porsche Cars Canada Ltd. redirected two vessels bound for Halifax to Davisville, spokesman Patrick SaintPierre said.
Obviously, Mr. Duffield said, weather can't be controlled, but it highlights a key infrastructure concern for auto
makers.
"It is certainly something that will become a bigger and bigger issue over the next few years as a lot of
European manufacturers are forecasting significant growth in [sales] volume," he said.
Harsh weather has hampered CN's operations for two consecutive winters. Last winter, the railway blamed
extreme cold across much of Canada for delays in moving the record crop of grain harvested in Western
Canada.
The railway recently told politicians in Ottawa that cold weather in Northern Ontario has led to a rise in
derailments, including two fiery crashes of oil trains.
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Edition: Ontario
Length: 567 words
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General Motors Product News
2015 Cadillac SRX takes the wrong CUE; Luxury crossover features
a distinctive design and a wonky infotainment centre
globeandmail.com
Sat Mar 28 2015, 3:00am ET
Section: Other
Byline: NEIL VORANO
As the performance and features of cars improve exponentially, blurring the lines between mainstream and
luxury, design becomes of the utmost importance. Swooping sheet metal can be the difference for buyers
looking from one brand to the next, simply because one better captures their emotions.
Cadillac understood that more than a decade ago when it adopted its "stealth fighter" sharp lines. Design
language can be polarizing; some love it, some hate it - but it does make the brand stand out.
The SRX has been in its current form for five years. It still looks distinctive enough not just to be recognized as
a Cadillac, but to stand out from the softer and more generic mid-size crossovers on the road today. General
Motors' luxury brand has made an effort to attract younger buyers and, while twentysomethings won't be
spotted en masse gravitating to the brand yet, it's not a geriatric chariot any more. The SRX is aggressive yet
mature enough not to be radical, an impressive feat and, over all, an exciting design.
But sometimes, form must yield to function. Take the CUE (Cadillac User Experience) infotainment system
found inside the SRX (and other cars in the brand). It's a stunning, futuristic concept of controlling the radio,
which works by simple touches of a finger rewarded with haptic, tactile responses; no moving knobs or
switches. But it doesn't work all the time. One of the most frustrating things is trying to concentrate on the
highway while furiously trying to turn down that grating Rick Astley song, searching for a particular spot on the
console that will accept your touch, but finding none.
The CUE is a system that would appeal to an early adopter, someone eager to grab the newest, most radical
technology. However, that doesn't exactly describe Cadillac's clientele; when you buy a Cadillac, you expect
things to work. It's not like owning a beautiful old Ferrari, of which the carbureted V-12 sometimes works and
sometimes doesn't; it's still worth it for those times it does fire up. No, a radio in a luxury car needs to work all
the time. The CUE system is a beautiful design, but its hiccups are enough to call for a return to the
conventional knobs and switches. Or, at least more development on getting it to work consistently.
Tech Specs
Base price: $42,930; as tested: $54,705
Engine: 3.6-litre V-6
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel economy (litres/100km): 14.8 city; 10.4 highway, regular gas
Alternatives: Acura MDX, Lexus RX 350, BMW X5, Audi Q5, Porsche Cayenne, Infiniti QX70, Mercedes-Benz
GLK-Class, Range Rover Evoque, Jeep Grand Cherokee
You'll like this car if ... you want to feel like a rock star when you drive into the country club parking lot.
RATINGS
Looks: The sharply creased exterior is well balanced and upscale looking, with that cheese-grater chrome grille
and huge jewelled headlights demanding attention. The neon-look tail lights give a subtle interpretation of fins
from the 1950s.
Interior: Relatively conventional with an air of luxury, accented by aluminum and polished wood on the steering
wheel and console. The pillars impede visibility.
Performance: Even with 308 horsepower, acceleration from a stop seems sluggish, and the six-speed
transmission isn't reactive enough. Cadillac will be introducing an eight-speed gearbox.
Technology: The CUE centre stack design means you need to take your eyes off the road more than with a
conventional setup. Amenities include the heated steering wheel and seat vibration to warn the driver of
parking proximity.
Cargo: A power tailgate that can be adjusted to lift to different heights will help those of smaller stature, but
cargo room is just middling. in this category. But it does have ample Cabin storage is ample and there's a trick
hidden door in the centre stack.
THE VERDICT
7.0
The SRX stands out in this segment for looks, but others may have better performance, fuel economy, cargo
room or even more luxury.
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© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Length: 686 words
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Cadillac: New Gearboxes For 2016 - The Car Guide
guideautoweb.com
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.guideautoweb.com...»
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Cadillac CT6 - how many speakers? - The Car Guide
guideautoweb.com
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.guideautoweb.com...»
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2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe V6 AWD - Autos.ca
autos.ca
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.autos.ca...»
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MID-SIZE MALIBU EASY TO LIVE WITH
The Toronto Sun
Sun Mar 29 2015
Page: 77
Section: Autonet
Byline: GLEN WOODCOCK , [email protected]
Column: Quick Look
One of the auto industry's most crowded, most competitive market segments is the midsize family sedan
segment. Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, and Ford Fusion have dominated in recent years, but not to be
forgotten is the Chevrolet Malibu.
This eighth generation model was introduced in model year 2013, and the Malibu nameplate goes back to
1964. On April 3, 2015, the ninth generation 2016 Malibu will be revealed at the New York Auto Show.
But no need to wait for the new one to get a solid, good-looking car. In fact, last year J.D. Power and
Associates awarded Malibu the highest score in its class in the initial quality study that focuses on problems
experienced during the first 90 days of ownership.
For 2015 there are five trim levels, ranging from the $26,790 LS to the loaded LTZ for $36,565.
Malibu comes with a choice of four-cylinder Ecotec engines. The naturally aspirated 2.5L makes 196 hp and
186 lb-ft of torque, while the turbocharged 2.0L, with direct injection, pumps out 259 hp and an impressive 295
lb-ft of torque. Both are coupled to GM's workhorse six-speed automatic transmission.
In a recent test drive of a Malibu with the 2.5, my real world fuel economy was 9.4 L/100 km -a number that
certainly was aided by the engine's stop/start technology when driving in heavy city traffic.
The interior of my tester was finished in a pleasant Cocoa/Light Neutral leather, but the wood trim, if real,
certainly did a good job of looking fake. The bucket seats up front are excellent and there are lots of places to
stash small items. Unlike most vehicles these days the cupholders don't swallow small cups of takeout and the
audio and HVAC controls are user-friendly.
Standard features, even on base models, include 16-inch wheels, electric power steering, driver information
centre, ABS with cornering brake control, air conditioning, and steering wheel controls for Bluetooth, cruise and
audio.
Options include bigger wheels (up to 19 inches), a sunroof, Chevrolet MyLink radio with navigation, and an
Advanced Safety Package with useful technology such as forward collision alert, lane departure warning, side
blind zone alert, and rear cross traffic alert.
For whatever reason, GM has not made the useful rearview camera, heated front seats, or an auto-dimming
rearview mirror available on LS trims vehicles.
With front-wheel drive, StabiliTrak, and traction control, Malibu's handling is solid and the ride is quiet and
refined. It's an easy car to live with, especially in upscale trim, and especially with the big discounts GM now is
offering.
© 2015 Sun Media Corporation. All rights reserved.
Edition: Final
Length: 411 words
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2015 Buick Encore; Day 4 - Autos.ca
autos.ca
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.autos.ca...»
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2015 Chevrolet Tahoe | Autonet.ca
autonet.ca
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.autonet.ca...»
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GM discontinues Orlando MPV - Autos.ca
autos.ca
Mon Mar 30 2015
View original item at www.autos.ca...»
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Lifestyle/Social
Mille mercis au partenaire principal du 6e #rassJSUM : Chevrolet —
Je suis une maman
jesuisunemaman.com
Wed Mar 18 2015
general
motors
noted
on
Sun
Mar
29
2015
10:38
pm
ET
Je suis un maman posted an article as part of the JSUM-GM media activation generating 25,000 online impressions. The article
discusses how the new 4G LTE technology improves family lives. The author explains how the Vehicle Location Alert and OnStar
Family Link Service benefit her busy, on-the-go lifestyle and her family. The overall tone was positive.
View original item at www.jesuisunemaman.com...»
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