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Thursday, October 13, 2016
2017 TOYOTA PRIUS PRIME
GM FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGY CELEBRATES 50
NITROUS-POWERED SANTA FE CUV PAGE W6
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Along came a
ROAD TEST
spider
Lorne Drury
Metroland Media It’s loud, it’s cramped inside, getting in and out requires the flexibility of a gymnast and it only comes with manual steering. But wow is it blast to drive! I’m talking about the 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, an open-top, carbon fibre sports car, handcrafted at a special sub-section of the Maserati factory in Modena, Italy. This is truly a vehicle that takes you back to the days when sports cars were sporty yet simple. And while it has superb exterior looks with a “wow factor” that’s hard to beat, it’s not a sports car like, say, the Jaguar F-Type that has the luxury touches that many upper-crust drivers both appreciate and demand these days. No, this is a go-kart on steroids that is aimed squarely at the driving enthusiasts amongst us. The 4C Spider, and its sibling the 4C Coupe, are sports cars to the core. They may very well be the least practical cars on the market today, but boy can they deliver fun for weekend runs into the country or for those who enjoy track days with their high-performance toys. After a nearly 20 year absence, the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo is making a push back into the North American market with the 4C models and a handful of other vehicle offerings. The dealer network is limited,
FIRST DRIVE
Mike Johnston
Metroland Media
Prius Prime(d) for spring delivery
The 2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider is an exciting two-seat, mid-engine sports car that offers great styling, spirited performance and outstanding handling characteristics.
however, with three in Ontario and a couple each in British Columbia and Quebec. Our test vehicle, the 4C Spider is a transverse-mounted mid-engine two-seat roadster, powered by a turbocharged all-aluminum 1.75-litre inline four-cylinder engine, making 237 hp and 258 lb/ft of torque. A six-speed twin-clutch automatic transmission delivers power
to the rear wheels. Those power numbers may seem relatively miniscule when compared with some of the supercars out there today that boast 600700 hp, but it’s all about the weight with the 4C Spider that tips the scales at just 1,128 kg (2,487 lb). Every component comes with weight and balance in mind. The latest in high-tech materials are
used. In fact, the monocoque is a single carbon-fibre body, while the front and rear frames are built with light weight aluminum and the outer body shell is Sheet Moulded Compound, said to be 20 per cent lighter but more stable than steel, and also corrosion resistant. The Alfa Romeo legend began Turn to page W3
LEFT: It’s all about the weight with the 4C Spider so you’ll find the cabin bereft of many of the luxury extras found on roadsters these days. RIGHT: Our tester had optional 19x8.5-inch rear and 18x7inch front light alloy fan spoke wheels, a $1,800 extra.
OJAI, CA: Prime real estate, prime rib and Optimus Prime, all the best in their fields. Toyota hopes to add a fourth name to that list when it launches the Prius Prime in the spring of 2017. The Prius Prime is Toyota’s most advanced plug-in hybrid. Noting it is more than a name change, Toyota Canada vice president Stephen Beatty said the new Prius is “the most fuel-efficient vehicle,” using 1.9 litres of gas per 100 kilometres, a number Toyota says is 12 per cent better than Chevrolet’s Volt and 22 per cent better than the Prius Plug-In. With an electric range of 35 kilometres, Beatty says the new Prime will meet the driving needs of 75 per cent of the Canadian driving public. The car can travel 965 kilometres on a full tank and a full charge in hybrid mode. But why just talk about the car? Toyota invited a group of Canadian automotive journalists to Ojai, CA, to test drive its new vehicle. Toyota couldn’t have chosen a better location as it looked like every 10th car on the road in California is a Prius. Even the cabbies happily drive around in their Prius. And if a Prius wasn’t in front of you, the other electric vehicle on the road is a Tesla. For Canadian families who are looking to help the environment in comfort and style without having to rob a bank, the Tesla is probably out of their price range. I had the opportunity to drive the Prius Prime Technology. Toyota also offers the Prius Prime. The first thing you notice when you step into this car is the enormous 11.6-inch display screen. (The screen is seven inches on the Turn to page W5
Fall’s newest styles. Now in store. Take advantage of outstanding introductory offers on our 2017 lineup. 2017 C-Class Sedan Finance rate
2017 C-Class Coupe
Lease rate
Plus receive
Finance rate
Lease rate
Plus receive
1.9% 2.9% $1,500 2.9% 3.9% $1,500 **
60 months
*Taxes extra.
**
45 months
**
†
in cash credits
60 months
**
45 months
†
in cash credits
*Taxes extra.
Mercedes-Benz Newmarket, 230 Mulock Drive, Newmarket, Ontario, L3Y 9B8, 905.853.6868, www.newmarket.mercedes-benz.ca © 2016 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. 2017 C 300 4MATIC Sedan with optional Premium Package ($3,700), Sport Package ($1,500), Active LED High Performance Lighting System ($1,200) and 19” AMG Wheels ($500) / 2017 C 300 4MATIC Coupe with optional Premium Package ($3,400), Sport Package ($2,000), Active LED High Performance Lighting System ($350) and 19” AMG Wheels ($500) shown above, total price $53,481/$57,015. Lease and finance offers based on the 2017 C 300 4MATIC Sedan/2017 C 300 4MATIC Coupe are available only through Mercedes-Benz Financial Services on approved credit for a limited time. *Total price of $50,765/$46,381 for advertised vehicle includes MSRP plus all applicable dealer fees including freight/PDI of $2,075, dealer admin fee of $399, air-conditioning levy of $100, EHF tires, filters, batteries of up to $29.70, PPSA of $51.15/$51.15 and OMVIC fee of $10 are due at signing. MSRP starting at $44,000/$48,100. Lease APR of 2.9%/3.9% applies for a term of 45/45 months. Finance APR of 1.9%/2.9% applies for a term of 60/60 months. †$1,50/$1,500 cash credit is only available to customers that lease, finance or purchase a 2017 C-Class Sedan/2017 C-Class Coupe (excluding AMG). Vehicle license, insurance, registration, and taxes are extra. Dealer may lease or finance for less. Offers may change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers. See your authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer for details or call the Mercedes-Benz Customer Relations Centre at 1-800-387-0100. Offers end October 31, 2016.