Taylor Creek VW taking pandemic precautions By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star When the Ontario government first introduced emergency measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic by closing all non-essential businesses, car dealerships in the province took a tremendous hit. Most were closed for weeks except for their service departments which were deemed an essential service. It wasn’t until May 4 that car dealerships were permitted to interact with clients by appointment only. Two weeks later, they were given the green light to open fully under Stage 1 of the province’s reopening plan. Prospective customers were able to once again walk into a car dealership – albeit wearing a protective face mask and maintaining social distancing – and test drive a car. Besides requiring visitors to their showroom to wear a face mask and use hand sanitizer, all the touch points such as door handles, restroom doors, rails, showroom doors, tables and employee
desks are wiped and sanitized regularly. Taylor Creek VW has introduced a number of other measures to make the car-buying experience easier during the pandemic, especially on their website where you can do a video chat with a sales specialist and take a virtual tour of any of the vehicles in their showroom. The sales staff at Taylor Creek VW are second to none. The dealership has been recognized as a Wolfsburg Crest Club member for two years in a row. The designation is handed out by Volkswagen to dealerships for meeting the highest sales and service standards based on feedback from their customers. At the outset of the pandemic, car manufacturers around the world had to temporarily close their plants for several weeks which resulted in a reduction in inventory. To help bring things up to speed and to make sure customers get the vehicle with the options they want, Volkswagen is encouraging new customers to pre-order their vehicle online and they are even
The bright and spacious showroom at Taylor Creek VW offers plenty of room for physical distancing while shopping for your next new car. STAFF PHOTO offering a $500 bonus to do so, as well as 15 per cent off Volkswagen original accessories and a $500 extended warranty discount. Customers can also find out how much their trade-in is worth on the website,
book a service appointment, or view the dealership’s pre-owned inventory. Taylor Creek VW is located at 1221 Trim Rd., just south of the 174. Their website can be found at taylorcreekvw.com or you can call them at 613-903-6994.
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October 1, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 11 • 7
2020 Volvo XC60 R-Design puts the XC in exciting By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star The XC60 is Volvo’s mid-sized SUV positioned between the compact XC40 and the full-sized XC-90. The R-Design is the middle trim package for the XC60 priced at $56,550 – that’s $7,250 more than the entry level Momentum with the same T6 power plant and $1,700 less than the Inscription. Outside, the R-Design has a much sportier look than the Momentum, with an attractive grill, 19-inch alloy wheels, (rather than 18inch wheels), front and rear glossy black skid plates, integrated dual tailpipes, fog lights and bending LED active headlights with cornering lights. Inside, the R-Design is loaded with leather accents; heated seats that warm up in under a minute; a cushion extension on both front seats to better support your legs; and a touch screen LED centre console display that’s incredibly user-friendly as is the gear shift knob. And did I mention the R-Design also comes with a panoramic sunroof? All of the trim packages come with the same state-of-the-art safety features including a Lane Keeping Aid that will gently steer your car back into the lane if you’re about to cross a lane marking without
using the indicator; Hill Start Assist and Hill Descent Control as well as Whiplash Protection in which the entire front backrest and head restraint moves with the occupant in the event of a collision . The vehicle also comes standard with the Sensus GPS Navigation System. (Interestingly enough, the system warns you when you are approaching an inter-section with a red light camera, only it’s referred to as a “safety camera”.) The XC60 can also be purchased with the Premium option package which includes Blind Spot Detection; a power tailgate; heated rear seats; headlight washers; an inductive charging station for your Smart Phone; a heated steering wheel and heated wiper blades for an additional $1,750. The R-Design is powered by Volvo’s T6 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo- and supercharged engine with AWD. Once you’re on the road you can choose from four different driving modes – Comfort Mode in which the XC60 responds gently and to your commands; Eco Mode which adjusts the powertrain to allow for maximum fuel efficiency; Off-Road Mode which can only be activated at speeds under 40 km/hr; and my favourite, Dynamic Mode which turns
The 2020 Volvo XC60 R-Design is sporty, eye-catching and a thrill to drive in all seasons and in any conditions. STAFF PHOTO the compact SUV into something akin to a sports car. The throttle goes hair-trigger, the revs are kept higher for quicker access to the turbo, and the steering, which already has an extremely small radius, becomes even tighter and more responsive. Of course, the vehicle’s
fuel efficiency suffers slightly in Dynamic Mode but the smile it will put on your face will be well worth it. To test drive the 2020 XC60 for yourself, contact the folks at St.Laurent Volvo by visiting their website at stlaurentvolvo.com.
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8 • October 1, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 11
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All-New 2021 Atlas Cross Sport now at Taylor Creek VW By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star If you are in the market for an SUV, then you should seriously consider making an appointment to test drive the all-new 2021 Atlas Cross Sport available exclusively at Taylor Creek VW. I recently had the opportunity to take one out for a spin myself and I was immediately impressed by how smooth the ride was, even on Ottawa’s bumpy roads. As someone who is used to driving a well-equipped four-door sedan, I was blown away. It’s impossible to overstate how smooth the ride was. The 2021 Atlas Cross Sport comes in three different trim packages: the Trendline, the Comfortline and the Execline. All come standard with Volkswagen’s patented 4MOTION All-Wheel Drive system and an 8-speed automatic Tiptronic transmission. The Trendline and Execline models come standard with the TSI 2.0L 4-cylinder turbocharged engine with 235 hp. If you purchase the Comfortline model, you have the option of upgrading the engine to a 3.6L V6 that can deliver an additional 41 horses. All three models are equipped with five driving modes – Normal, Eco, Snow, Off Road and Off Road Custom.
When you approach the Cross Sport, the first thing you notice is the makeover given to the exterior. Gone is the imposing, blocky look and in its place is a much more stylized and visually attractive form with rounder, sweeping lines and the coupe-like roof. It’s also slightly shorter than the flagship Atlas with the third row seating having been removed making it a five seater. The vehicle I took out for a test drive was the Comfortline, which comes standard with a panoramic sunroof; a rear view camera; heated front seats including an 8-way power driver seat with 2-way power lumbar support; and an 8-inch Infotainmemt display that includes Volkswagen’s App-Connect which integrates Apple CarPlay for iPhone, or Android Auto for Android smartphones. That means you can control your apps with your voice or from the app-connect screen. The 2021 Atlas Cross Over is also available with many of the safety features VW has become famous for starting with a blind spot monitor system; Adaptive Stop & Go Cruise Control; Front Assist Autonomous Emergency Braking; and Hill Descent Control. The interior is spacious and ergonomically driver friendly. In particular, I liked the
The all-new 2021 Volkswagen Cross Sport has all the makings to be a gamechanger for the German car maker. STAFF PHOTO starter button on the centre console next to the shifter and the double USB ports. The rear hatch area is incredibly spacious which can be made even more so by flding down the rear seats. As for the price, the Trendline starts at $38,955, while the Comfortline and
the Execline start at $45,195 and $54,495 respectively. You can make an appointment to test drive the Atlas Cross Sport by visiting taylorcreekvw.com. You can also view cars live on-line and request a video call with a sales agent.
2020 Atlas Cross Sport
Comfortline
$134
+HST
$0 Down
Weekly Financing Up to 84 mth at 3.99% APR
$43,509
+HST
INCLUDES FREIGHT, PDI AND FEES Stock # 5426523
PHOTO FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY.
“Taylored for you...” 1221 Trim Rd. Orléans
Taylor Creek Orléans
613-903-6998 taylorcreekvw.com Ask Us about our T3 Promise, Total Transaction Transparency. October 1, 2020 • Volume 35, No. 11 • 9
When it comes to the Jaguar F-Pace, ‘F’ stands for fun By Fred Sherwin The Orléans Star I love my job. Getting to test drive the latest Volvos, VWs, Land Rovers and Jaguars and then writing about them is a car lover’s dream come true. That’s especially true when it comes to cars like the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace. The British car manufacturer describes its mid-sized SUV as a luxury performance vehicle built with driver in mind. I would describe it as an SUV built with a sports car mentality – it’s both practical and a thrill to drive, perfect for anyone looking for the best of both worlds. The base Prestige model is powered by a 20T 2.0 litre, four-cylinder, turbo-charged engine that delivers 247 horsepower and comes with a base sticker price $52,500. From there you can opt for 30T Prestige which delivers an additional 49 horses for $59,500; the R-Sport ($64,400); the 300 Sport ($67,250); and the fully loaded Portfolio ($68,500). If you are looking for additional power and money is no option you can opt for the S model which comes with a 3.0 litre, six-cylinder, supercharged engine for $70,900; or the SVR model which comes with an 5.0 litre, eight-cylinder, supercharged engine for $92,000. The later models are available by special
order only. Despite the fact that it’s an SUV, the F-Pace looks fast with it’s distinctive F-type front grill. Although the interior is relatively under-stated by Jaguar standards, it still comes with all the comforts you would expect from a luxury SUV, including heated front seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, 10-way electric front seats with 4-way electric lumbar adjust and driver memory, a Meridian sound system and a 10-inch Infotainment display with InControl Touch Pro (SSD) Navigation, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. The F-Pace can be driven in four different modes – Normal, Eco, Dynamic, and Snow/ Wet mode. The latter gives the F-Pace even more traction when combined with all-wheel drive. In Eco mode, the on-board computer modifies the interior comfort and audio settings to reduce energy consumption and the accelerator pedal response is softened to maximize fuel economy. Dynamic Mode is, well, dynamic. It makes passing slower traffic a breeze and adjusts the suspension according to the drive mode and your driving style, resulting in a sports car-like feel when taking on those tight corners. And if you get bored, you can switch the transmission over to S-mode which lets you toggle through the
Make an appointment to test drive the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace today. Available exclusively at Jaguar Ottawa. STAFF PHOTO eight-speed transmission using the paddles on the steering wheel like a Formula 1 driver. And if all that isn’t enough to make you pick up a phone, or e-mail Jaguar Ottawa on Michael Street to make an appointment for a test drive, the incentives put in place just might. Jaguar is offering 0% financing for up
to 60 months and new owner incentives up to $1,000 on select models. The best way to start is to visit jaguar ottawa.net where you can check out the latest special offers on existing inventory, submit a credit application and customize your payments.
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JAGUAR OTTAWA 1300 Michael St. 613-706-0318 JAGUAROTTAWA.CA