In April of 2015, Hyundai Motor lured German engineer and BMW veteran Albert Biermann to the Korean automaker in a move that was noticed, but also met with some degree of skepticism. Hyundai and high performance? No one in 2015 put those words in the same sentence. Cheap and utilitarian, yes, but the joy of …
Mazda CX-3: smart, nimble, handsome
The marketplace is lousy with mini-crossover wagons – I count at least 13 — but the best combination of style, handling, comfort and useful, smart technology may very well be the Mazda CX-3. Consider this rig’s nifty all-wheel-drive system, what I’ll call Exhibit A. Note: AWD is a $2,000 option on GX and GS versions …
2019 Subaru WRX: entertaining bundle of compromises
In the summer of 2017, Subaru Canada went to Squamish, B.C., to make movies. In fact, a series of them. Subaru went there to document a series of 0-100 km/hour tests of the WRX street-legal racer, each short film containing an amusing twist. One told the story of a 0-100 km/hour sprint down a field …
2019 Volvo XC40 review: it’s the screen, stupid, and more…
Volvo is the latest upmarket automaker to add something new to a growing list of smallish crossover wagons, any one of which you’d probably be quite happy to own or lease. The entry from the Geely-owned Swedish brand is the 2019 Volvo XC40, a tall, nicely-proportioned rig more SUV (sport-utility vehicle) than station wagon. It …
2018 Jeep Wrangler: rugged, yes, but urbane, too
My most metrosexual friend drives a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and loves it. John – a pseudonym to protect the innocent – is as urban as urban can be. He’s a citified capitalist, always perfectly groomed, who regularly out-shops his shopaholic girlfriend. For John, a Jeep is a fashion statement grounded in a history rich in …