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Renault's product offensive in India has grown to five cars in the last 18 months as the automaker looks for ways to compensate for falling sales in Europe.

Mercedes expects demand for four-door luxury cars with coupe styling will grow in the coming years and the brand is aiming for a larger share of the niche with the introduction of the CLS Shooting Brake.

Despite slowing demand in China's automotive market, Jochem Heizmann, the new chief of Volkswagen China, expects industry sales to grow 7 to 8 percent annually.

Citroen is offering a new variation of car-sharing that it hopes will improve the brand's recognition among younger buyers and boost new-car sales. The French company's Multicity program enables Citroen owners to rent their vehicles to other people.

From GMM

Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton appear to be in the process of falling out of favour within their respective teams.

Lewis Hamilton is moving from McLaren to Mercedes for 2013, to be replaced at the famous British by Sauber's Perez.

Mexican Perez was sidelined in morning practice in India early on Friday, ostensibly due to a heavy cold. He was replaced by Esteban Gutierrez, who is tipped to move into Perez's race seat full-time next year.

Sergio Perez has told Argentine Fox television, however, that he was well enough to drive.

Esteban Gutierrez and Sergio Perez, Sauber. (Photo: WRi2)

"I am pleased that they are so worried about me," Perez said ironically. "It's obvious that I'm not 100 per cent, but I've driven in worse shape. There was no reason for me not to drive. I was ready."

Sergio Perez said his countryman Gutierrez "did a good job" in the practice session, but insisted: "I would prefer to have done the laps in the car. So we've lost a session. Now it's more difficult to set up the car for the race."

Briton Hamilton also looks to be out of favour at McLaren, with the team's sporting director Sam Michael openly telling reporters that the 2008 world champion's car was on Friday fitted with some experimental parts for 2013.

But when asked about the new parts after Friday's track action, Hamilton furrowed his brow and answered: "No, we don't have anything new."

Tire companies are currently taking the media by storm in an effort to sway winter tire shoppers across Canada.

As mentioned in our previous article 2012 winter tires: choosing the right tire, you must first determine the type of roads you drive on, the mileage you put your winter tires through, and the number of years you plan to keep your vehicle.

Following your analysis, the team at PMCtire.com provides you with reviews of most winter tire models available in Canada, allowing you to make an educated selection based on 11 different criteria. A total of 151 tire models from five main categories have been evaluated and ranked.

Methodology
As in years past, our rankings are based on several information sources, including personal and professional road tests, feedback from customers, articles by renowned auto journalists, and a number of consumer reviews from various North American websites and message boards. Obviously, the rating system may differ from one tester to the next since everyone has their own personal expectations and driving habits.

Here are our 2012 winter tire rankings:

• Top 5 winter tires for cars
• Top 5 performance winter tires for cars
• Top 5 winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top 5 performance winter tires for trucks/SUVs
• Top 5 winter tires for commercial vehicles

_{*You'll notice that the gap between models is often small. That's mainly because the technology used by tire companies in the design and manufacturing process is similar.}

Audi and Toyota dominated the first practice sessions ahead of the 6 Hours of Shanghai, 8th and final round of the 2012 FIA World Endurance Championship.

Alan McNish set the best time during the first session with a 1m52.219 in his Audi R18 e-tron that he shares with Tom Kristensen.

Audi R18 e-tron quattro. (Photo: Audi Motorsport)

In the second session, the best performance went to Alexander Wurz's Toyota TS030 Hybrid, with a lap in 1m50.573.

Toyota TS030 Hybrid. (Photo: Toyota Racing)

The fastest LMP2 car was the Lola-Lotus driven by Weeda, Rossiter and Charouz, while best GT car was the works Aston Martin driven by Stefan Mucke and Darren Turner.

The various passenger car tires in this review are all designed to provide adequate grip on snow, ice, or a combination of both. As such, all of them meet winter driving requirements. With the mountain/snowflake logo, they also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most passenger car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how winter tires stack up against each other.

Spaniard Daniel Juncadella secured the Formula 3 Euroseries title as well as FIA European Trophy after the three last rounds of the season held last week at the Hockenheimring.

(Photo: Formula 3 Euro Series / Thomas Suer)

Juncadella was leading the standings with a strong margin, but he lost ground when he finished Race 1 down in 13th place and when he retired from Race 2 with mechanical problems.

He was then under pressure from Raffaele Marciello before Race 3, but his fourth place in that heat was good enough for him to clinch the title, one year after his fellow countryman Roberto Mehri took the title.

Juncadella will be rewarded with a Ferrari F1 test in Vallelunga on November 9.

(Photo: Formula 3 Euro Series / Thomas Suer)

The various performance tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury car models available on the market.

Check the table below to see how performance winter tires stack up against each other.

The iconic Mustang's future is in doubt? Not exactly, but I think that for perhaps only the second time in the Mustang's near 50-year history, its relevance is being called into question.

It is becoming increasingly clear that today's teens and 20-somethings are not especially turned on by cars. Many manufacturers are catering to this crowd and Ford is doing just that with the likes of the Fiesta and Focus, but it's the Mustang that will require some severe tweaking if Ford wants to keep selling the car beyond 2025.

By then, the average Baby Boomer will be nearly 75. The current Mustang was (and still is) built for them, but by then most will have lost their driver's licenses or have bought a Buick Lacrosse.

In 10-15 years, the 40-year-olds will be the ones buying the Mustangs. These people who are in their mid-20s today were brought up admiring tuned Honda Civics and Volkswagen Golfs, not Mustangs. Therefore, most have little or no interest in today's Mustang, nor are they likely to in 15 years from now.

If Ford wants to keep selling their fabled Pony car, they need to do something about it now. Rumours are circulating about a 4-cylinder turbocharged ‘Stang which makes loads of sense. Manufacturers like Ford are touting the worth of a smaller boosted engine as the green alternative, and that's just fine and dandy. However, I don't think that this is the largest issue facing the Ford Mustang.

The styling has to change. A 27-year-old today will more often than not opt for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe or, if they have more dinero, grab a Nissan 370Z. I can scarcely imagine a young, reasonably affluent urbanite adult ever springing for a Mustang. That is, unless it's a Boss 302...

Ford has a big job on its hands. If the clan from Dearborn wants to ensure the continuity of its most storied and revered nameplate, they will need to face the music and bring forth serious changes.

BTW, it hurts me to think this way: I love the 2013 Ford Mustang!

As a final note, this entire blog also applies to the Chevrolet Camaro.

Photo: Ford

The various truck tires in this review are all designed to provide adequate grip on snow, ice, or a combination of both. As such, all of them meet winter driving requirements. With the mountain/snowflake logo, they also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most light-duty trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how winter tires stack up against each other.

It's that time of year again! Pretty soon, the multicoloured foliage will give way to a cold blanket of white snow, and drivers must seriously start thinking about winter tires.

In order to help you make the best choice for your vehicle, the team at PMCtire.com brings you a series of articles on winter tires with lots of useful advice and pointers.

Here are the four main questions that you need to answer to make an educated decision:

1. What type of roads do you drive on?
2. How many winters will you use your vehicle for?
3. How many kilometres do you travel during winter?
4. How much are you willing to spend on winter tires?

Choosing a winter tire based on the type of roads you drive on
You must consider the climate you live in since road maintenance, temperature and precipitation levels substantially vary from one region to another.


City driving
Driving in the city usually involves a mix of snow and ice. Further up north, it's more snow than ice. The wise thing to do is to choose a versatile tire (snow and ice), or a winter tire that provides superior grip in the snow, in order to ensure good performance in slush and deep snow. Versatile winter tires feature thin blades and sipes as well as properly spaced tread blocks allowing adequate traction in the snow.

Highway driving
Highways are usually clear of snow, and many people drive on them. However, icy conditions frequently occur. In this case, you should look for a winter tire that's mainly designed to tackle ice. This type of tire will provide good grip in tight, ice-covered corners whereas a snow tire would give you the impression of skating on a rink.

Byroad driving
Byroads and country roads are more regularly covered in snow than highways and major boulevards. At the same time, conditions vary significantly. Therefore, if you spend most of your time on small byroads, opt for a versatile tire that offers solid traction both in the snow and on ice. You may also want to consider a studded tire for more extreme and diversified conditions, or a snow tire if your local roads are more often covered in white powder than frozen water.

Choosing a winter tire based on your vehicle's longevity, the distance travelled during winter, and your budget
In general, entry-level winter tires are less expensive, but also less durable and therefore more likely to need a replacement after a short period. If you plan to keep your vehicle for only a year or two, don't travel a whole lot, or have a limited amount to spend, these tires probably represent a smarter choice. On the other hand, if you've recently purchased a brand new car and plan to keep it for at least three years, or drive more than 10,000 kilometres during the cold season, a higher-end winter tire with superior durability proves to be a profitable investment. It will prevent you from switching from one cheap tire set to another during that time.

The various performance winter tires in this review are all designed to provide superior grip, especially on ice. They are more suited for highway driving, which also means that they could lack traction in deep snow, although you won't feel it as much when driving AWD-equipped vehicles. Sporting the mountain/snowflake logo, these tires also meet Law 42 of the Quebec Highway Safety Code. They fit most luxury trucks and SUVs available on the market.

Check the table below to see how these performance winter tires stack up against each other.

Formula 1 teams will be able to sample the new year's generation of Pirelli tires during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Brazil, the last race of the 2012 season.

British motorsport magazine Autosport has learned that Pirelli is planning to introduce a new generation of tires, with a new stiffer construction set to offer teams a more predictable platform than they had this year.

Team will be given two sets of tires for each car in Friday's free practice session in Interlagos, November 23.

Mercedes AMG team boss Ross Brawn told Autosport that the numbers Pirelli provided them show that the tires will be quite different with a stiffer construction although the compounds will be quite similar.

Photo: Pirelli

Despite the fact that the actual shape of the tires will be identical to this year, the stiffer construction means that it will behave very differently under load - so it is vital teams get an early indicator of what impact that will have on car performance and aerodynamics.

Friday in India, McLaren sporting director Sam Michael said he tinks that the test will be 'critical' for teams in their planning for next year.

“The test is very important because that is the only opportunity before February [to test them]. If it changes something fundamentally on the car that you suddenly need to change designs for, then that is what is critical when they change tire casings,” Michael explained.

The various winter tires in this review are all designed for trucks that require heavy-duty tires with a high payload capacity, as well as maximum off-road traction when driving on construction sites, recreational areas, and in deep snow. With their aggressive tread design, they also provide exceptional grip in mud. However, they are not as effective on ice as most winter tires for passenger cars and SUVs.

These tires sport the mountain/snowflake logo, and some of them can even receive studs to increase traction on ice.

Check the table below to see how these commercial vehicle winter tires stack up against each other.

But I'm not crazy about it. Our recently completed 2012 compact CUV comparo put many things into perspective. On its own, the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has much going for it, however, when compared to a concise sampling of its nearest competitors, it's not as good as it should be.


The current generation Equinox first saw the light of day as a 2010 MY vehicle and the resulting slew of sales clearly demonstrated that GM knew exactly what the core of its buyers wanted.

With better engines, modern transmissions and a mature, more determined styling, the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox has much going for it on paper.

What's more, the Equinox is rated as one of the most fuel-efficient compact crossovers, which is reason enough for it to be on every CUV buyer's shopping list. But it all comes at a certain cost.

Not aging very well
It all begins with the fact that, in a few short years, it got old. When lined up with the 2013 Ford Escape or 2012 Kia Sportage, the Equinox looks like it was on the receiving end of a botched face-lift, leaving it bloated with miss-matched eyes and uneven ears. Current crossovers are svelte and tout like the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Mazda CX-5. The Equinox looks fat.

The cabin is thankfully better, in most regards, but the dive-away-from-the-driver dashboard is ill conceived. However, the centre stack's presentation is attractive. The 7" colour touchscreen display is the high point of the cabin with sharp graphics. On the other hand, the similarly shaped and coloured, as well as clustered, HVAC and audio controls take some time to navigate.

The seats in the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox, which were immediately appreciated, lost some of their lustre on longer trips. Their soft and cushy nature provided no real support, and the material proved rough on bare skin. Although this is a letdown, the cabin's quietness at highway speeds made for a generally comfortable environment.

As for the driver's spot, finding a proper command position was easy enough. The vehicle's front visibility is seriously hampered by hefty "A" pillars and the large well designed mirrors. Take note of this before driving off the lot.

The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox's trunk was one of the least capacious of the group, which is counter-intuitive given that it was one of the largest. The reasoning lies in how narrow the space is: We noted that an average-size stroller didn't fit width-wise. That's a #fail.

The cabin's quietness at highway speeds made for a generally comfortable environment. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

4 is more
The Chevy Equinox can be powered by one of two equally interesting powertrains. The optional 264 hp 3.0L V6 has got plenty of heart but is far more glutinous, downing roughly a third more black gold than the tester's 2.4L 4-pot.

At 182 hp and 172 torques, the base engine is plenty capable. The 6-speed autobox manages the power thanks to properly geared cogs and a willingness to play along. In most cases, one does not go with the other, but GM pulls a serious tour de force with the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox.

This specific Equinox was a FWD model which helped on a number of levels including fuel consumption, which averaged 8.5L/100 km over the course of the week.

Where the absence of AWD did not help was under hard acceleration when the front wheels would complain about losing traction. I'm not talking about full-on launches, therefore appropriate winter tires will be a necessity when the weather gets ugly. The full-time, intelligent AWD is an undeniable added bonus for only $1,650.

At 182 hp and 172 torques, the base engine is plenty capable. (Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre)

Calm seas
On the road, the 2012 Chevrolet Equinox is supremely relaxed and this may be its other best attribute. The ride is cushy and smooth, and given the well isolated cabin the occupants will probably never feel more at ease in another compact crossover.

Laden or not, the Equinox rides with sufficient confidence thanks to minimal body-roll and a generally uneventful drive. The offset to the Zen ride is handling: it cannot be considered sporty, but by the same token won't make you sea-sick.

Like most GM products, the Equinox's brakes feel great. The left pedal remains firm under heavy effort and the pinchers never lose their composure. Steering is at all times precise, with a tad too much hydraulic assistance.

The Equinox
Chevy's compact CUV, the GMC Terrain's twin BTW, has a starting price of $26,445. As tested, my FWD 1LT with Convenience package retails for $30,850; remember that this is without AWD.

By comparison, a 2012 Kia Sportage EX sports a sticker price of $29,995 and features a number of nice-to-haves including dual-zone climate control and AWD... The only downside to the Kia is its marginally smaller trunk.

There are more expensive equivalent crossovers such as the Volkswagen, however, both of these vehicles are far more appealing visually. Our comparo test will shed more light on other members of this highly competitive segment.

In the end, it's all there but the way it comes together doesn't make it my pick in the category.

Volkswagen China sold more vehicles (705,000) than General Motors (665,000) in the third quarter of 2012.

Leading Chinese sales for the past eight years, GM is still #1 so far in 2012. However, its German rival now trails by a mere 77,000 units.

Will GM hang on to the annual sales crown in China? The more interesting question is: How did Volkswagen get this close to the top?

For one thing, a territorial dispute between China and Japan has lead to a sharp decline in sales at Mazda, Honda and Toyota. By offering more new products than GM, Volkswagen has been better able to capitalize on the tensions.

Source: The Washington Post

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) held its annual TestFest at Niagara-on-the-Lake this week.

Ford leads the way with four of the best new vehicles for 2013, followed by Porsche and Hyundai with two apiece.

Here are the results:

• CITY CAR: Ford Focus EV
• BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k): Mazda3 Skyactiv
• BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k): Hyundai Elantra GT
• BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (under $30k): Honda Accord Sedan
• BEST NEW FAMILY CAR (over $30k): Ford Fusion Hybrid
• BEST NEW LUXURY CAR: Cadillac ATS
• BEST NEW PRESTIGE AND PERFORMANCE CAR (over $75k): Porsche 911 Carrera S
• BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (under $50k): Ford Focus ST
• BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR (over $50k): Porsche Boxster
• BEST NEW SUV/CUV (under $35k): Ford Escape 1.6 L EcoBoost
• BEST NEW SUV/CUV ($35k-$60k): Hyundai Santa Fe Sport 2.0T

All these vehicles will compete for the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year and 2013 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

This is not a joke: Britain's Air Fuel Synthesis has developed a fairly simple method to produce fuel. Using electrolysis and a sodium hydroxide solution, scientists are able to extract air from carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen gas (H2) molecules. Then, they combine the basic elements through a series of chemical operations to create the desired fuel.

So far, Air Fuel Synthesis has produced five litres of fuel that perfectly meets auto industry standards. However, according to the company, the technology will require at least 15 years to reach mass production.

Source: cnetfrance