Auto News 5

Daimler said global sales at its Mercedes-Benz Cars unit rose 0.4 percent to 132,589 in December as strong U.S. demand offset weaker deliveries in China and western Europe. Through December, sales rose 4.5 percent to a record 1.42 million.

Audi is firming up plans for its plant in San Jose Chiapa, Mexico.

It has yet to be shown that star designers can be transformed into heads of big car company divisions. So when designer Peter Schreyer was named president of Kia Motors over the holidays, we wondered about the wisdom of the move.

Jay Guzowski was getting more nervous by the day. As senior product planner for the redesign of the 2012 Honda Civic, Guzowski was shepherding the compact car from design freeze to market.

From GMM

The FIA has picked a successor to ousted F1 doctor Gary Hartstein.

American Hartstein, groomed by the late Prof. Sid Watkins to succeed him in 2005, last month admitted he was furious the Jean Todt-led FIA had decided not to renew his contract.

"I might launch a crusade to get some answers, or get my f***ing job back, or let the world know what's really going on on the medical side of the FIA," he said on Twitter.

Switzerland's Speed Week is now reporting that, according to sources in France, Hartstein's successor has been selected.

"The name is still a secret," read the report.

Speed Week added that "even a push by the formula one drivers in favour of the Belgian-domiciled American (Hartstein) was apparently fruitless".

Photo: WRi2

I get the opportunity to drive about 150 new vehicles every year, and as much as they continue to improve over time, there are some little details in many of them that bug me. Nothing to write home about, nothing to make me want to shoot down a vehicle or a manufacturer, just minor nitpickings that I thought I'd share with you to kill some time.

You know, those oh-so-important, First World problems.

Single-setting heated seats
Many manufacturers offer heated seats with three to five heat levels, which is marvelous. I can even live with “hi” and “lo” settings. However, a few mainstream models still only offer a single seat heat setting which, in most cases, ends up being uncomfortable; I'm constantly turning them off and on again. I want at least two temperature levels, please.
Guilty: Kia Forte, Toyota Corolla and others.

Turn signal stalk twist switch for activating windshield wipers
Not a big deal, but I prefer the right-side stalk that can be nudged up and down as opposed to a twist switch at the end of the left-side, turn signal stalk. Turning on the wipers means you must take your hand off the steering wheel to operate them, a more distractive move than simply flicking a stalk with a fingertip.
Guilty: Dodge Charger, Mercedes-Benz B 250 and others.

Temperature control buttons
Ditch the buttons for adjusting fan speed and temperature. Rotary knobs have always been, and still are, the quickest and least distractive way to adjust the HVAC or climate control system. I particularly hate having to leave my finger on a button for several seconds while the slow-witted system drops or raises the temperature setting one degree a second.
Guilty: Porsche Cayenne, Lexus ES 350 and others.

No front centre armrest
My right elbow deserves one in every vehicle. Enough said.
Guilty: Chevrolet Spark, Nissan Juke and others.

No trunk inside pull handle
Winter's here, and cars can get dirty pretty quickly. I don't necessarily feel the need to get my hands dirty, too. Is it really that much trouble to install a plastic pull handle on the inside of the trunklid, allowing me to close it while keeping my hands clean? Even if it adds 5$ to the price of the car, but costs 0.25 cents to produce, just do it.
Guilty: Chrysler 200, Mitsubishi Lancer and others.

Photo: Ford

Team Arena, who ran two Ford Focus in last year's World Touring Car Championship, will not be present in 2013.

The british team will lost his backing from his main sponsor Aon, an insurance company directed by Graheme Chilton. Chilton and Aon will focus on the Formula One programme of his youngest son Max Chilton, who will contest his first Formula One season with Marussia team F1.

Photo: FIA WTCC

Team Arena's Ford Focus WTCC were driven by James Nash, who already signed with team Bamboo to drive a Chevrolet Cruze WTCC in 2013, and... Tom Chilton, Max Chilton's brother, who now remains without any racing seat for the season to come.

Following team Arena's departure, there will no longer be any Ford cars in the World Touring Car Championship.

The Volkswagen Golf: like saying Coca-Cola or Apple iPhone, the Golf is a brand unto itself.

A new Volkswagen Golf is a delicate affair to prepare. Such a long-standing, winning recipe cannot be tampered with without risking the loss of some faithful followers in the process.


This explains, in large part, why the new 7th generation 2015 Volkswagen Golf is an evolution from the 6th, which itself is a progression from the 5th that was largely based on the 4th. The Golf is as the Golf was, only better every time.

In the end, the car is immediately recognizable as a Golf, which is entirely purposeful.

The most important details to consider when surfing through the new Golf's specifications are that the car is now wider, longer, lower, and lighter.

The first three stats break down as follows: The 2015 Volkswagen Golf is 4,255 mm long with a 56 mm increase, and with a wheelbase that measures 2,637 mm which is 59 mm longer than it previously was. The new Golf's width is 1,899 mm, 13 mm wider than the outgoing MKVI. As well, it now measures 1,452 mm in height, 28 mm lower than the older version.

All of this translates into far more interior room for the occupants. Rear legroom has grown, as has the boot's maximum capacity. The new 2015 Volkswagen Golf has never been more user-friendly. The cabin is austere, yet well conceived and will feature a Composition Media radio with a 5.8” colour display screen.

The cabin is austere, yet well conceived. (Photo: Volkswagen)

As far as weight loss is concerned, the 100 kg (220 lb) savings come from a series of new production techniques, as well as Volkswagen's new lightweight MQB platform which will serve as the basis for nearly all future small VW cars.

The guts of the 2015 Volkswagen Golf are numerous. Currently, four turbocharged 4-cylinder engines are on the menu including an 84 hp 1.2L TSI, a 138 hp 1.4L TSI as well as a pair of TDI diesels. The smaller one is a 104 hp 1.6L and the larger, a 148 hp 2.0L.

For North America, it would seem as though the inline-5 will be put out to pasture, replaced by a turbocharged 178 hp 1.8L 4-pot mill. Time will tell. We will get the 2.0L TDI, but not the smaller TSI engines.

Transmission choices will reside between a standard 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG. Volkswagen's 4MOTION AWD system is said to make a comeback in Europe. North America has only ever known the “R” Golfs to be equipped as such.

Let it be known that should the MKVII Golf be offered with DSG, 148 hp TDI engine, 4MOTION and in a 5-door body that I will be trading the Tiguan for one. I would appear as though we will not.

Transmission choices will reside between a standard 6-speed manual and a 7-speed DSG. (Photo: Volkswagen)

Available safety features will be numerous and include the likes of multiple airbags, a multicollision brake system, adaptive cruise control, Lane Assist lane-keeping assistant, fatigue detection as well as traction and electronic stability control systems.

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf should arrive in Canada some time in 2014. Final Canadian specs and pricing should be available later in 2013.

I can't, and will never, abandon hope for station wagons. In Europe, in some luxury car categories, they still represent a 50% take rate. Yes, 1 out 2 buyers of the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E Class spring for the extended roof and hatch.

And, as we well know, Europeans are cool! So be cool all of you and buy more WAGONS!

The following Top 10, listed in no particular order (because I love all wagons) holds my favourite current wagons.

Audi A4 2.0T Allroad
The Audi A4 Avant is dead. Long live the Allroad! The Allroad is just as utilitarian as the Avant, only now it comes with a little more attitude.

Photo: Audi

Continue reading Matt's Top 10 favourite station wagons

Sometimes subtlety is best. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Wallflowers are often the winners when it comes to automobiles. While Volvo may not appreciate me calling their 2013 S60 T5 a wallflower, I do it with the best intentions and the utmost respect. This near-$40,000 vehicle is probably one of the nicest family sedans I've driven in quite some time.


Surefooted with AWD, affordable for something so well-built and fashionable in an understated kind of way, there's very little to dislike about the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 and lots to love.

Swedish style
The Swedes are known for their to-the-point, no-nonsense designs. Theirs is a structured, B.S.-free culture and it clearly translates into their vehicles. The 2013 Volvo S60 T5's exterior design is all business from nose to tail. The fat nose, oversized headlights and ginormous Volvo crest are purposefully built for presence on the road. The front fascia is sporty enough without being “too much” -- just what the Swedes intended.

Head round the back and the business of classy, sportiness continues. Modern, IKEA-like taillights hug the rounded outer corners of the trunk. Dual exhaust pipes and body lines that flow from the rear spoiler down towards the rear wheels give the impression that the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 crouching and ready to take off.

Inside that to-the-point look continues, and I love it. Comfortable front bucket- seats mean long and short drives are equally comfortable. While not overly sporty, they hug in all the right places. And I have to say, all joking aside: I think the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 has the most comfortable headrests in the entire automotive industry.

While I wasn't overly thrilled with the onboard computer system, it's not difficult to figure out. Pairing my iPhone was a breeze and changing the radio station while driving was simple enough as well. I did, however, note that the steering wheel got quite hot where the mounted controls reside, nice for the winter but strange otherwise.

I also found the shift knob design a strange choice. Cheap, backlit plastic just didn't fit with the rest of the grown-up interior design. Everything serves a purpose in a Volvo, and the overtly design-y feel of the shifter just seemed a bit out of the place.

Comfortable front seats hug in all the right places. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

A matter-of-fact driving experience
Piloting the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 is as straightforward as the exterior and interior design. Equipped with a 2.5L 5-cylinder engine, it pushes out 250 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. With a well-sorted chassis and suspension, the Volvo S60 T5 is especially comfortable to drive.

While I'm wont to complain about an automatic transmission, I was pleased to control the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 with its 6-speed Geartronic Driver-Adaptive autobox. In fact, I rarely popped it into Sport Mode, and even let the S60 shift for itself. Shocking, I know.

Thanks to Volvo's Haldex All-Wheel Drive with Instant Traction, the S60 T5 feels surefooted and solid no matter what the road surface or speed. It's this planted feel that makes the Volvo most pleasant to drive, in my opinion.

Because fuel consumption seems to be on everyone's mind, the Swedes were sure to touch on that as well with the 2013 Volvo S60 T5. With ratings in the “average” range at 9.9L/100km city and 6.5L/100km on the highway, the Volvo is sitting pretty in that respect as well. It's not overtly fuel conscious, but it's also not a gas-guzzler by any means, despite its AWD nature.

And that's where the Swedish, no-nonsense-flair comes into the drive experience: It's there to do a job, and it does it without a plume and without fanfare, but it does it. This is more than I can say for some vehicles.

The 2013 Volvo S60 T5 is a viable option for those in the market for a safe and reliable family sedan. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour)

Volvo is often overlooked
I think Volvos are often left in the shadows when consumers are considering a new car, and that's a bit of a shame. They have a great product on offer, one that's well-crafted and puts forward a bevy of safety features (from blind sport warners -- of which they were the first to implement -- to pedestrian crash systems and laser-guided cruise to name a few), as well as an enjoyable ride. With updated looks for 2013 and some of the most comfortable interiors around, I'm surprised I don't see more on the road.

With pricing that's well in the range of the average buyer, the 2013 Volvo S60 T5 is a viable option for those in the market for a safe, reliable family sedan that will see them through any season and for many years to come.

From dealings with Ron Dennis, Norbert Haug, and Roger Penske, NASCAR truck series Red Horse Racing team owner, Tom DeLoach Jr. has seen the world of racing from the top.

He's just as familiar with the atmosphere of Monaco as the garages of half-mile ovals in the backwaters of the United States. Yet DeLoach is content with owning a “junior series” team.

Long before Formula One Champion, Kimi Raikkonen, decided to dip his toes into the waters of the NASCAR truck series the American business executive took the same route. Only he stayed.

DeLoach, was a high-flying executive with the Mobil Oil Company becoming the Chief Financial Officer and “part-time” he was the worldwide coordinator of Mobil's motorsports coordinator.

The Formula One Years

Back in the 1990s “we'd been in Formula One through our Saudi affiliate with the Williams team and moved out and trying to figure out a better way to merchandise Mobil One (the high performance oil),” DeLoach told Speedweek exclusively. "The key was to find a luxury high performance car company in racing. If Mercedes-Benz was going to Formula One, and Peter Sauber was in with Mercedes, it wasn't a high performance team and there were rumors involving McLaren's then principal, Ron Dennis. I'd talk to Ron (before a weekend). There had been a long term relationship with Shell. I told him ‘I understand that Shell is there (with McLaren) and I understand and respect longevity.'”

But DeLoach asked Dennis whether the contract was up? “He said ‘well the contract is up.' I said ‘we'd like to deal with you and Mercedes-Benz. Loyalty means a lot to us.' He said ‘I'm talking with Shell this weekend and think we have a deal. And added we do have a handshake deal.' I was terribly disappointed we couldn't deal. Shell is a competitor. We'd hate to lose it to.”

Ron Dennis added that the deal had to go through Shell's attorneys. Apparently there wasn't a deal.

“He called me on Monday morning. They just had a review with Shell's attorneys and they reneged on some of the details and Ron Dennis is a stickler for detail. Anybody around Ron knows he is details, details, details.”

Dennis was ready to deal with Mobil and asked “‘when could you be over here? I said ‘I could be over tomorrow.''

DeLoach took the night flight over arriving in the UK early the next morning along with Mobil's international contracts attorney. “I'm at his office in Woking before he gets to it,” he added.

Mobil had to get used to the cost of a full-blown Formula One involvement quickly

“A lot of people eating serious costs in their budgets Formula One Racing is not cheap. It was amazing we were able to work those things out in a short period of time. When showed him (Dennis) the responsiveness he appreciated it.”

Mika Hakkinen, McLaren-Mercedes, in 1998. (Photo: WRi2)

Ron Dennis needed Mobil because McLaren then current main sponsor, Marlboro, was banned as a tobacco sponsor.

And in getting McLaren to be a business partner “we wound up getting what we wanted at the time Mercedes recommending Mobil 1 in AMG products.”

That was about the same time Norbert Haug (who just retired) came along to head the Mercedes effort in the DTM.

Remember DeLoach's “part-time” job was motorsports. In 1998, he became President of Global Midstream, which included global hydrocarbon supply and trading, marine operations, Middle East relationships and worldwide natural gas sales and marketing.

Around 2000 Mobil was bought out by Exxon which did not have the same passion, or perhaps budget for expensive motorsports programs.

“I had been with Mobil for 31 years. I was 52. You still have a little bit of curiosity going on. I had some of the most fantastic jobs. You get accustomed to a pace and all of a sudden the pace is no more and it's shocking. You are part of processing information and it stops (with emphasis) I didn't retire well.”

That's when the door to NASCAR opened up with Roger Penske.

See Part Two for the Penske Years.

Most major Formula 1 teams have scheduled the launch date of their new challengers for the 2013 Formula 1 World Championship.

Here is the preliminary schedule. Note that the code name of certain cars have yet be confirmed.

January 31 McLaren MP4-28 United Kingdom (location to be confirmed)
February 1^st Sahara Force India VJM06 Silverstone, UK
February 2 Sauber C32 Hinwil, Switzerland
February 2 Ferrari F2013 Maranello, Italy
February 5 Williams FW35 Jerez circuit
February 5 Toro Rosso STR8 Jerez circuit

The first winter test session wil begin February 5^th at Circuit Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain.

From GMM

State-sponsored F1 driver Pastor Maldonado on Sunday publicly prayed for the recovery of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Backed by the state-controlled oil company PDVSA, 27-year-old Maldonado expressed relief late last year when socialist incumbent Chavez was re-elected.

"Long live democracy!" the Williams driver had exclaimed on Twitter.

But Hugo Chavez is yet to return from Cuba, where he has reportedly been undergoing treatment for cancer and a severe lung infection.

It is being argued by his opponents that if he cannot return for his scheduled inauguration on Thursday, he may have to hand in his presidency as per the constitutional laws.

The Associated Press reports that Maldonado, alongside other Venezuelan athletes, attended a church in Caracas and prayed that "very soon he's (Chavez) here with all of us".

From GMM

Sebastien Buemi will remain Red Bull's official third and reserve driver in 2013, the Swiss newspaper Sonntagsblick reports.

It had already emerged that the former Toro Rosso racer, who served as Red Bull's reserve in 2012, is now definitely out of the running for this year's second Sahara Force India seat.

Sebastien Buemi, Red Bull Racing. (Photo: Red Bull)

Sonntagsblick said the 24-year-old Swiss is this week in Brazil, where he is competing in Felipe Massa's annual Florianopolis kart race.

"Before that, Buemi will again be signed as reserve driver for Red Bull and Toro Rosso," said veteran correspondent Roger Benoit.

"Team advisor Helmut Marko has agreed the renewal with Buemi," he added.

Meanwhile, the Belgian newspaper Le Vif reported that Jerome d'Ambrosio is likely to remain Lotus' official third driver in 2013.

The 27-year-old, who is managed by Lotus team boss Eric Boullier's Gravity stable, has been working to return to the grid.

Jérôme d'Ambrosio, Lotus. (Photo: Lotus F1 Team)

"My management is working hard," said Jerome d'Ambrosio, "but it's difficult because there are many experienced drivers without teams. We'll see."

It was a short lived 2013 Dakar rally for Canadian David Bensadoun, who was forced to retire when his engine blew up suting stage 2.

Bensadoun, who concluded the 2012 event in 40th position, was aiming for a top 30 position this year, driving a new specification of the Desert Warrior BMW.

The only Canadian auto driver of the event, who entered the race alongside British navigator Paul Round, could not reach the finish of the second stage of the race, that featured a loop around the city of Pisco, Peru.

Photo: ALDO

"Engine blew at km 21 of second stage," Bensadoun wrote on his Twitter account. "No idea why. I didn't overrev or miss a shift. Spent the whole day being towed back."

"Extremely sad and hard to understand what the hell happened, he added. I could stay in the rally in assistance, but my heart isn't in it. Going home."

On Saturday, David Bensadoun concluded the first leg, held between Lima and Pisco, in 99th place overall.

Patrick Beaulé, from Montreal, who was Bensadoun's navigator last year, entered the 2013 Dakar rally riding a KTM, and was 60th overall after day 2. Don Hatton, from Vancouver Island, was 162e overall, also riding a KTM.

The Canadian auto industry will receive an extra $250 million as part of the renewed Automotive Innovation Fund, the Harper administration announced last Friday at Ford's Oakville assembly plant in Ontario.

The five-year renewal isn't devoid of controversy, however. It comes just two weeks after General Motors confirmed that Chevrolet Camaro production will move from Oshawa to Lansing Grand River, Michigan in 2015.

Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) president Ken Lewenza would have liked specific conditions for automakers to access these funds, such as hiring new workers or protecting current jobs. He fears that some of the workforce will be laid off, like when Ford last received financial support for its Oakville plant.

Source: Lapresse

Former Formula 1 Toro Rosso driver, Spaniard Jaime Alguersuari, is apparently very close to signing a deal to drive a BMW M3 in this year's DTM series.

Alguersuari left Grand Prix racing at the end of 2011 and was Pirelli F1's development driver last year.

According to a Spanish motorsport web site, the 22-year-old tested an M3 DTM in Spain and went to Germany last week to sign his 2013 contract.

BMW, 2012 DTM Champion with Bruno Spengler. (Photo: DTM)

Alguersuari would therefore become BMW's eighth driver for this year's DTM. However, the part-time DJ has never driven a tintop race car before, as he has spent his career racing single seaters (Formula Renault 2.0, Formula 3, Formula renault 3.5 and F1).

Alguersuari apparently decided to turn his back from F1 after it became clear that he would not get a seat at Sahara Force India for this season.

The 2013 North American International Auto Show will kick off in exactly a week with two press days, which means a wonderful opportunity for us to present you all the new models that will soon be making their way into showrooms.

Here are some of the world premieres to look for:

Production models
2014 Acura MDX
2014 Audi R8 and RS5 Cabriolet
2014 Cadillac ELR plug-in hybrid
2014 Chevrolet Corvette
2014 Ford Transit commercial van
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan
2014 Lexus IS
2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA
2014 Nissan Versa Hatchback

Concepts and prototypes
BMW 4 Series coupe
2015 Ford F-150
Honda Urban Compact SUV
Hyundai luxury sedan
Lincoln compact CUV
Toyota Furia
Volkswagen seven-passenger SUV

Michael Valiante wrapped up Sunday the three-day "Roar Before the Rolex 24" Grand-Am test, ahead of the 51st 24 Hours of Daytona, on top of the time sheets.

Michael Valiante, Ford/Riley (Photo: Grand-Am)

Driving the No. 6 Michael Shank Racing Ford/Riley, the Canadian turned a lap of 1min42.058, which boosted his confidence ahead of the big day.

"I'm confident we'll be strong when we come back for the Rolex 24," 36-year-old Valiante said.

Dane Cameron, the Team Sahlen driver who was fastest on day two, turned second fastest Sunday.

In GT, Patrick Long (No. 73 Park Place Motorsports Porsche GT3) led again, with a time of 1min48.569s.

And in GX, for a third consecutive time, the No. 16 Napleton Racing Porsche Cayman topped the charts. Shane Lewis was at the wheel this time.

The traditional curtain raiser for the NASCAR Sprint Cup season has been renamed “The Sprint Unlimited” after decades of beer sponsorship. Now Budweiser Speedweeks encompasses the entire NASCAR opening round.

As announced earlier in the year, the format for selecting the field of drivers in the invitation-only event will return to its roots for 2013. The eligible field of drivers will consist of pole winners from the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season and past winners of The Sprint Unlimited who have attempted to qualify for at least one race during the 2012 season.

Details of the event scheduled for February 16th at 8PM EST have not yet been released. This will be the first race for the Gen-6 Cup cars.

“Now more than ever, through our growing partnership with Sprint, The Sprint Unlimited will be the fans' race,” said Daytona International Speedway President Joie Chitwood III. “Sprint has been a great partner with Daytona and NASCAR, and they continue to raise the bar by engaging race fans in new and innovative ways.  We look forward to hearing about additional unique elements for this race in the coming weeks."

Photo: NASCAR

The eligible field for The Sprint Unlimited is currently at 22 drivers and features a who's who of NASCAR stars.

2012 Pole Winners:
Greg Biffle
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Carl Edwards
Denny Hamlin
Kasey Kahne
Mark Martin
Jeff Gordon
Martin Truex Jr.
Tony Stewart
AJ Allmendinger
Aric Almirola
Joey Logano
Marcos Ambrose
Jimmie Johnson
Matt Kenseth
Kyle Busch
Juan Pablo Montoya

Past champions of The Sprint Unlimited:
Kurt Busch
Kevin Harvick
Bill Elliott
Terry Labonte
Ken Schrader