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Prices Significantly Reduced on Two Popular Models, Innovative Around View® Monitor Added as Standard Equipment on Top-of-the-Line Quest LE 

Mississauga, Ont.– Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) today announced Canadian pricing for the 2013 Nissan Quest minivan, which is on sale now at Nissan dealers nationwide.  The Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP) for the innovation-packed 2013 Nissan Quest are reduced $2,380 CAD on the Quest SV and $180 CAD on the Quest SL, making Quest more competitive than ever.  Pricing for the Quest S remains unchanged, while the Quest LE with added equipment decreases by $1,580 CAD.

Each of the four well-equipped Quest models comes with a standard 260-horsepower 3.5-litre 24-valve DOHC V6 engine and Nissan’s advanced Xtronic CVT® transmission.  

Enhancements for 2013 include the addition of standard Around View® Monitor on LE models, which utilizes four small superwide-angle cameras mounted on the front, side and rear of the vehicle to provide a virtual 360° view of objects around the vehicle, helping to maneuver it into tight spots.  Also new for 2013, is the availability of the DVD Entertainment System on the SV model, making this popular option even more affordable for Canadian families. The DVD Entertainment System remains standard on Quest LE and continues to be offered as an option on SL models.

Key available features include one-touch power-sliding doors, fold-flat 2nd and 3rd row seats, Advanced Climate Control System, standard permanent hidden storage and standard SiriusXM Satellite Radio (SiriusXM subscription required, sold separately).

Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices* (MSRP) for the 2013 Nissan Quest include: 

Quest 3.5 S  $29,998 CAD 

Quest 3.5 SV  $33,398 CAD

Quest 3.5 SV, DVD Entertainment System  $35,498 CAD

Quest 3.5 SL  $38,898 CAD

Quest 3.5 LE  $46,998 CAD

About the 2013 Nissan Quest

From its bold styling with full surround glass to its extensive list of family friendly innovations, the 2013 Nissan Quest “gets” parenting better than any other minivan.  With one-touch power-sliding doors, quick release fold-flat 2nd and 3rd row seats, Advanced Climate Control System and an always-available rear storage well, Quest provides the innovation to help make the impossible possible on a daily basis. 

Quest’s sophisticated, modern exterior combines fluid sculptural elements with a dynamic mass and crafted details to provide a fresh take on minivan design.  In front, the bold bumper and horizontal grille and headlights blend into the side character line.  The bold door sections and surfaces flow seamlessly into the rear “boomerang” taillights and tailgate finisher, helping create a look as if Quest was carved from one solid piece of sculptor’s stone. 

Also, the sliding door step-in height is several inches lower than competitive minivans, which is helpful for small children or older adults getting into the 2nd or 3rd rows.  To assist entry further, the Quest’s 2nd row features a standard walk-in device for easier access to the 3rd row.  A one-touch unlock/open power rear liftgate is standard on Quest SL and LE models.  Third row power return seatbacks are standard on Quest LE.

All 2013 Quest models feature a standard VQ-series 3.5-litre DOHC V6 rated at 260 horsepower and 240 lb-ft of torque, and an advanced Xtronic CVT® transmission that provides a smooth driving experience.  Fuel economy is estimated at 11.0L/100km (26 mpg) City/8.0L/100km (35 mpg) Highway.  Quest also features 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering.

Standard features include Nissan Intelligent Key® and optional one-touch power-sliding doors, which unlock and open the side door with the simple touch of a button; quick-release fold-flat 2nd and 3rd row seats – the 3rd row folds forward unlike any other minivan, so there is no stowing required; available Advanced Climate Control System (ACCS) with Plasmacluster® air purifier and Grape Polyphenol Filter, which works three ways to help reduce allergens and unwanted odors within the Quest cabin; and a standard Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with a segment-first Easy Fill Tire Alert that lets owners know when the ideal inflation is reached with a beep of the horn.

As part of Nissan’s “Safety Shield” concept, Quest incorporates a number of advanced safety systems, including the Blind Spot Warning (BSW) system, which is standard on Quest LE.  BSW helps alert the driver by illuminating an indicator light in the outside mirror if another vehicle is detected in the blind spot area.  If the driver then engages the turn signal, the indicator flashes and an audible alert sounds.

LANGLEY, B.C.– Subaru owners who need to replace the original tires on their cars, cross-overs and SUVs needlook no further than their nearby Subaru dealership to find the complete line of Yokohama premium passenger, light truck and winter tires, thanks to a new agreement between Subaru Canada Inc. and Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc.

The full line of premium Yokohama tires, including the industry’s best line of state-of-the-art winter tires, will be available through Canada’s 88 Subaru dealers, effective immediately.  The agreement gives Subaru owners convenient access to the right tires for their vehicles with the added confidence of dealing with their preferred Subaru dealer.

Subaru delivers class-leading safety, exciting performance and tremendous value across a full lineup of award winning vehicles.  Vehicles like the Legacy, Outback, Impreza, WRX and all-new for 2013 the XV Crosstrek and sporty BRZ are taking Subaru Canada well on its way to setting a new milestone in company history – making 2012 its best year ever.

“The fleet of Subaru cars on the road and the number of intensely loyal Subaru owners continues to grow, and the strong Subaru dealer network plays an important part in that growth,” says Yokohama Canada consumer business unit director Trevor Longley.  “Now those owners can shop for replacement tires from a familiar source – their Subaru dealers. It’s convenient for Subaru owners and helps dealers provide another service for their valued customers.”

Subaru dealers will work with existing Yokohama dealers to manage product distribution.

HAWTHORNE, Calif. - Tesla Motors Inc. unveiled a solar-powered charging station that it said will make refuelling electric vehicles on long trips about as fast as stopping for gas and a bathroom break in a conventional car.

CEO Elon Musk said at a news conference Monday at Tesla's design studio that the company's roadside Supercharger has been installed at six highway rest stops in California.

The innovation is "the answer to the three major problems that are holding back electrical vehicles, or at least people think are holding back electrical vehicles," Musk said before a curtain was lifted from a giant model of one of the devices. "One is this question of being able to drive long distances conveniently."

The free stations are designed to fully charge Tesla's new Model S sedan in about an hour, and a half-hour-long charge can produce enough energy for a 150-mile (240-kilometre) trip, he said.

The first six, which were developed and deployed in secret, are in Barstow, Hawthorne, Lebec, Coalinga, Gilroy and Folsom. Tesla spokeswoman Christina Ra said they are open only to company employees, but would be available to the public in early October.

Musk said his Palo Alto-based company planned to have more stations running throughout California and in parts of Nevada and Oregon by the end of the year, and expected to blanket "almost the entire United States" within two years.

Tesla unveiled the Model S, its first mass-market vehicle, in June. The base model sells for $49,900 after a federal tax credit.

Along with persuading consumers that electric vehicles are practical, the charging stations were developed with an eye toward alleviating doubts about their environmental effects. Musk said the solar-powered stations in California would produce more clean energy than is needed to keep cars running.

Deal adds, preserves 1,750 jobs, as well as future Impala output, union says

The Canadian Auto Workers reached a tentative labor agreement with General Motors that the union said will secure new investment, preserve jobs and delay the shutdown of a major assembly line.

 

The settlement covering wages and benefits for about 8,200 workers followed a day of back-and-forth negotiations between the union and the U.S. automaker.

 

"In today's economy, in today's market share, it meets our goals," CAW President Ken Lewenza said following a marathon 30-hour bargaining session.

 

Rank-and-file approval of the contract would ensure continued production of such Canadian-built vehicles as the Chevrolet Equinox, Camaro and Impala.

 

In addition to the Chevrolet models, GM builds the GMC Terrain, Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS in Canada.

 

The union said the proposed four-year deal will add or maintain 1,750 jobs -- a key objective of CAW officials during labor talks this year with Detroit automakers.

 

GM has pledged to invest C$675 million in Canada over the life of the agreement, CAW officials said.

 

Lewenza said GM has agreed to add a third shift on the flex line at its Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant early next year, which will create or maintain 900 jobs.

GM will also delay the closing of a consolidated production line at a plant in Oshawa until June 2014, Lewenza said.

 

In June, GM announced plans to shutter the line in 2013, affecting about 2,000 jobs.

 

The line currently builds the Impala, which will be redesigned next year and assembled at GM's Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

 

CAW officials said GM has agreed to build the all-new Impala in Oshawa, as well.

 

Under the pact, Lewenza said GM will build the next-generation Impala on one shift, employing about 750 workers. Production could be increased to two shifts in 2014, he added.

 

The union said GM also will add or maintain another 100 jobs as part of new investments planned at its St. Catharines, Ontario, engine and powertrain manufacturing operations.

Like the UAW, which negotiated new labor pacts with Detroit's 3 automakers in 2011, the CAW has pressed for new jobs, employment security and future product commitments during the talks with the companies.

 

But Lewenza told journalists his biggest disappointment during the GM negotiations was that the union wasn't able to secure output of a new vehicle.

 

"When you're in market share decline, you can't win a product," he said.

"Needless to say the master bargaining committee entirely tried to get new product... but GM made it clear they don't need the capacity or have the products [at this time]," Lewenza said. "But, at any time during this collective agreement, if GM shows increase in market share, we have the investment there and tools to move fast."

 

"Don't waste that investment. Don't waste that floor space," Lewenza said, referring to GM.

 

Canadian bailout

 

The union represents about 21,000 workers at Ford, GM and Chrysler. Canada accounts for about 16% of all the light-vehicles the three automakers assemble in North America.

 

But the strong Canadian dollar and concessions the automakers secured a year ago from the UAW have undermined the competitiveness of Canada as a manufacturing base.

 

Lewenza said the GM pact should help maintain the automaker's fixed costs at current levels and put the union in a competitive position to win future investments.

 

"That was our goal," Lewenza said.

 

GM, which received financial support from the Canadian and Ontario governments as part of its 2009 bailout, suggested the deal addressed its competitive needs against an unfavorable macro-economic climate.

 

"This set of talks with our labor partner have been candid and constructive, reflecting the challenges facing Canadian manufacturers," David Wenner, general director of labor relations for GM of Canada, said in a statement.

 

The company declined to comment further on specifics in the plan, pending a ratification vote.

 

The union reached a tentative labor pact with Ford Motor Co. on Monday that it is using as a pattern for deals with GM and Chrysler.

 

The Ford agreement mostly eliminates cost-of-living raises for workers and retirees. Ford agreed to create about 600 jobs, including a partial third shift at a vehicle-assembly plant in Oakville, Ontario, the union said.

 

Ford workers will receive C$2,000 ($2,046) lump-sum payments annually in later years, in lieu of raises, and a C$3,000 ratification bonus upon approval of the deal.

 

The union said cost-of-living adjustments would be suspended until June 2016.

 

Voting on the Ford deal is scheduled for this weekend and the results are expected late Sunday, the union says.

 

Chrysler negotiations continue

 

Negotiations between the CAW and Chrysler Group LLC are continuing.

 

Chrysler is the smallest of Detroit's automakers but has one of the largest active payrolls and manufacturing footprints in Canada, where it builds minivans and large sedans.

 

Lewenza on Thursday warned the union would provide strike notice against Chrysler if a deal can't be reached.

 

"To the Chrysler workers we represent in Canada: Be patient. I hope the patterns established will give Chrysler the confidence," Lewenza said. "We're not fearful of providing a strike notice. If Chrysler is going to resist that pattern we may have to use that tool."