News

ALLISTON, ON - Production of the all-new 2012 Honda CR-V, Canada's top-selling import SUV, officially began today at Honda of Canada Mfg. (HCM) in Alliston, ON. With the addition of CR-V to the Ontario facility, Honda Canada's two best-selling vehicles, the Honda Civic and CR-V, are now being made in Canada by Canadians.

"The Honda CR-V has set the gold standard in the compact SUV segment and has been embraced by Canadians since it arrived here in 1997," said Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president, Honda Canada Inc. "We're proud that the all-new 2012 CR-V will be Canadian built."

The addition of the CR-V to HCM's production lineup makes it the first Honda plant in North America to produce four distinct models (Civic, CR-V, MDX and ZDX) on one line, demonstrating the flexibility and capability of HCM and its Associates.

"It certainly has been a challenging year for our 4,200 Associates at HCM," said Gilles Madore, vice president, Honda of Canada Mfg. "But with Civic being named Canada's number one-selling passenger car for the fourteenth straight year and the addition of Honda's second best-selling vehicle in Canada to our facility, we're incredibly proud of what we have accomplished and are ready to provide Canadians with a made-in-Canada CR-V."

In November 2011, Honda celebrated 25 years of manufacturing in Canada at its facilities in Alliston, Ontario. Since 1987, Honda has built close to 6 million vehicles and invested more than $2.6 billion in Canada. The company also purchases more than $1.1 billion in goods from Canadian suppliers every year.

"The inauguration of Honda's new CR-V at the Alliston plant in Ontario signals the strength of the auto sector in Ontario, new momentum for Honda and demonstrates confidence in the province's economy," said Brad Duguid, Minister of Economic Development and Innovation.  "This move helps secure our position as a top auto manufacturing hub in North America and protect valuable sector jobs."

About the 2012 CR-V
For 2012, the fourth-generation Honda CR-V embraces a sophisticated styling direction in conjunction with improved interior comfort, improved fuel economy, a smoother and quieter ride, and more innovative features as part of a 'total package' approach. Long considered as a benchmark vehicle in its class with high levels of quality, refinement and value, the 2012 CR-V is designed to exceed customer expectations in Canada's compact sport-utility vehicle (SUV) segment with increased value resulting from added content and lower MSRPs across the entire CR-V lineup.

Starting at just $25,990, the all-new Honda CR-V has its lowest starting price in more than a decade.

Sporting a new Lexus spindle grille, new 20-inch alloy wheel design and upgraded interior for the 2013 model year, the eight-passenger LX 570 continues to deliver on challenging off-road adventures as well as luxurious daily driving.

The 2013 LX 570 gets a new look at both the front and rear. New LED daytime running lights complement new headlamp design and new larger fog lamp bezels. Taillamps are also updated, while the rear license plate surround gets a revised look and the tow hitch cover is more integrated. Both front and rear bumpers are refreshed, and the rear bumper protector is enhanced by a chrome accent.

Turn signals have been added to the side mirrors, and wider bodyside moldings sport a new look.  

The spacious, eight-passenger cabin of the LX 570 receives a number of upgrades and changes. The driver’s seat gets a new Easy Access system, which makes entering and exiting the vehicle easier. The steering wheel and driver’s seat automatically retract when the ignition is turned off.  Front seats also feature improved cooling, and a 120-volt power outlet has been added to the middle row. The instrument panel has been updated and a new colour display is applied. A dark chrome finish for the centre instrument cluster and front side air vents, along with a new chrome accent above the glove box, freshen the look of the instrument panel as well.

The cabin of the 2013 LX 570 also gets mahogany wood trim. Parchment replaces Cashmere as an interior leather trim colour. Two new exterior colours are available: Nebula Grey Pearl and Satin Cashmere Metallic, replacing Twilight Gray Metallic and Golden Almond Metallic.

Pricing and availability

•The 2013 Lexus LX 570 receives $1,310 worth of upgrades, including  a 9-speaker premium sound system, off-road turn assist, multi-terrain traction control as standard -even as Lexus drops the MSRP by $ 2,950 to $87,000.

•The MSRP for the 2013 LX 570 with Ultra Premium Package starts at $94,350, which is $6,450 less than the 2011 model.

•The 2013 LX 570 will be on sale in Canadian dealerships in February.

FRANKFURT, GERMANY - Daimler plans to more than double output of Mercedes brand vehicles to 2.7 million by 2020 in its drive to become the world's largest premium car maker, a German business magazine reported on Thursday.

Daimler and Mercedes CEO Dieter Zetsche plans to build a new plant in China and another in either the United States or Mexico to meet the target, Manager Magazin said.

Daimler has pledged to overtake rivals BMW and Audi, maker of Volkswagen cars, as the top manufacturer of luxury cars by 2020.

It sold 1.26 million Mercedes cars in 2011, about 120,000 short of the BMW brand last year.

Manager Magazin also cited sources at Daimler saying the company would match the volume target with an operating margin of more than 10 percent in 2020.

By 2017 or 2018, the new North American plant would begin manufacturing the next generation A-Class together with its strategic partner Nissan.

A spokesman for Mercedes declined to comment, but reaffirmed its 1.6 million vehicle sales target for 2015.

Daimler Trucks chief Andreas Renschler is also pushing for a 10 percent operating margin by 2020 to beat Swedish rival Volvo , the magazine reported.

It said Renschler was considering whether to acquire majority control of Russian truckmaker Kamaz, according to senior managers.

Daimler owns 11 percent f Kamaz and its financial partner the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ( EBRD) controls another 4 percent.

A spokeswoman for Daimler Trucks said the company continued to aim for an 8 percent operating margin on average over the course of an entire business cycle starting 2013.

She added Renschler was still considering whether to raise the stake in Kamaz, adding that Daimler Trucks had the right of first refusal to buy a 10 percent stake from investor Troika Dialog.

BMW of North America is voluntarily recalling nearly 89,000 Mini vehicles because of a water pump malfunction that could cause a fire.

The company says in a regulatory filing today that the water pump that cools the turbocharger in some of its cars has a circuit board that can malfunction and overheat. That could cause smoldering and potentially a fire.

No accidents or injuries have been reported, according to the filing.

BMW will replace the pump at no cost to owners.  The recall applies to 2007-2011 models of the Mini Cooper S, 2008-2011 Cooper S Clubman, 2009-2011 Cooper S Convertible and 2011 Cooper S Countryman.

The recall also includes the 2009-2011 models of the Mini JCW, JCW Clubman and JCW Convertible.