There are lots of car brands. Here’s who owns them all.

Ever wondered which car manufacturers own various car brands? Here’s a cheat sheet that shows what’s going on with the top 25 manufacturers, ranked by global sales in 2007. This does not include agreements and partnerships that don’t have equity stakes in the parent company.

1. Toyota Motor Corporation(Japan)

Toyota also owns: 51% of Daihatsu, 20% of Fuji Heavy Industries (Subaru), and 6% of Isuzu

2. General Motors (U.S.)

General Motors also owns: 51% of the GM Daewoo partnership, and 10% of Fiat.

3. Volkswagen AG (Germany)

31% of The Volkswagon Group is owned by Porsche

4. Ford Motor Company (U.S.)

Ford also owns: 33% of Mazda, and 8% of Aston Martin (the rest of which is owned by a privately held Kuwait investment companies)

5. Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group (South Korea)

6. Honda Motor Corp Ltd. (Japan)

7. Nissan Motor Company (Japan)

Renault owns 44% of Nissan

Nissan also owns: 15% of Renault

8. PSA Peugeot-Citroen (France)

9. Chrysler LLC (U.S.)

10. Fiat S.p.A. (Italy)

General Motors owns 10% of Fiat

11. Renault SA (France)

Nissan owns 15% of Renault.

Renault also owns: 44% of Nissan, 25% of AvtoVAZ

12. Suzuki Motor Company (Japan)

Suzuki also owns: 54% of Maruti Suzuki, 11% of GM Daewoo,

13. Daimler AG (Germany)

14. BMW Group (Germany)

15. Mazda Motor Corporation (Japan)

Ford owns 33% of Mazda Motor Corporation

16. Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (Japan)

Mitsubishi Motors controls about 14% of Mitsubishi. Mitsubishi Corp. and Mitsubishi Motors are the largest shareholders in Mitsubishi.

Mitsubishi also owns: 13.6% of Isuzu.

17. AvtoVAZ (Russia)

Renault owns 25% of AvtoVAZ.

18. Isuzu Motors Ltd. (Japan)

13.6% of the Isuzu brand is owned by Mitsubishi Corp, and 6% is owned by Toyota Corp

19. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (China)

SAIC also owns: 51% of SsangYong Motor Company

20. Fuji Heavy Industries (Japan)

Toyota owns 20% of Fuji Heavy Industries

21. Chongqing Changan Automobile Company (China)

22. Dongfeng Motor Corporation (China)

23. Tata Motors Ltd.(India)

24. China FAW Group Corporation (China)

It’s difficult to get a clear shot of the First Auto Work brand logos, which include Hongqi, Besturn, Vita and Jiaxing.

25. Chery Automobile Company (China)

 

 

 

New Car Toronto

With main focus on extreme design but keeping an eye on the environment, the graduates at the Royal College of Art have competed for the 2008 Pilkington Automotive Vehicle Design award, with several futuristic cool cars ideas.
Among these graduates were Ian Callum, the Jaguar design chief, Peter Schreyer, the original Audi TT designer and current head of Kia design, Marek Reichman, the design director at Aston Martin, and many other important figures from the industry.
The winners of the RCA Vehicle Design 2008 were Pierre Sabbas for the best car concept and Jon Radbrink for best using of glazing.

First comes the Phoenix concept by Sergio Loureiro Da Silva, the Spanish designer who used this innovative car concept design to express the regeneration of lost energy through movement. He said: “It’s about improving sustainability by designing every element to aspire to less energy consumption.”
“The beauty of a vehicle comes from the contrast of a fluid shape with precise technical elements”, added the designer.

The winner for best concept, Pierre Sabas, created the Airflow glass car design, placing both the electrically driven engine and suspension in the wheel, this leading to a high degree of architectural freedom. Inside, the car is made of glass and has 4 capsules for the passengers.

“I’ve tried to wrap it around like fabric,” says Sabas. “It allows for a new driving sensation and it gives the occupants a new perception of the outside world.”

The winner for best use of glazing is a Swedish designer who wanted to increase sustainability of the whole car elements using aerodynamic principles to help reduce fuel consumption. He called his creation inspired by building facades, Lexus Nuareo.
Jon Radbrink declared: “There is no real differentiator between normal and hybrid cars.”
“I was inspired by architecture,” he added. “I used glass in conjunction with other materials to create a layered affect that gives the feeling of transparency for the occupants.”

Nereus concept by Ceri Yorath gives the driver the possibility to relive previous speed experiences with the 3-seat fuel cell-powered car, by capturing them on a a memory card, using transformable plates covering the car, which change during driving time to visually reflect the driving style and the route.

Ilaria Sacco’s Multibrand Car My Lounge concept allows the owner to personalize it a a high level: “I’m thinking about a new way of consuming cars, like how you would design your living room.”

Iomega concept by Joonas Vartola is described in a few words by the Finish designer himself: “The structure and layout of the car supports and fosters the idea of this being a passenger car rather than the usual driver’s car architecture.”

The South Korean designer Jung Hoon Rhee focused on ergonomics and preferred to eliminate the rigid seating position in cars. Noah car would give the occupants the sensation they are light and carried by the water.
The wave seats “can cope with various body sizes from infants to obese people providing equal comfort everywhere” said he.

This green car design from Arturo Peralta Nogueras is based on the riding horses experience, and is fueled by algae with the exterior made of a solid holographic technology. The inside evolves and adapts to its environment, passengers and scenarios.

Soft Vehicle comes from Raquel Aparicio Lopez. It is a foam car with a zip in the rear for the boot, capable to resist during accidents. “I would like to extrapolate rubber, textile and other soft materials into vehicle design,” said the designer.

Here is another impressive car with a futuristic look. It was designed by Paul Howse who explained his creation: “’The idea is to create a local quality, something that is completely unique to you.” He refers at the fact that his car concept made of bronze will change its aspect over time giving the impression of an old collective car.

Korean Yunwoo Jeong’s concept transforms in to a commuter or SUV, when the driver pleases.

1. The Zoop Car: Designed by the unlikely candidate of Paris fashion house Maison de Courrèges, this electric car is actually capable of speeds of up to 120mph and can seat three people. It might be eco-friendly and relatively fast, but I don’t imagine driving a lemon is for everyone’s taste. 2. The Parkcycle: Whilst not technically a car, it’s roughly car-shaped and was used to occupy parking spaces for the global event PARK(ing), in which participants turn ordinary parking spaces into public parks. Designed by art group Rebar and with a top speed of around 8km/h, it may not be the most maneuverable vehicle, but it does come with a 5m tree on it! 3. The Live-In Truck: Living Is.be has transformed the bed of a truck into a fully-functional living space. With hatches in the roof to allow natural sunlight and ventilation into the room, it also comes with a double bed, a sink, shower (naturally with running water) and a kitchen stove. 4. The Transparent Car: Similar in color to the Zoop Car, this car is different in that almost all of it is completely see-through. Designed by Swiss manufacturer Rinspeed, this is the perfect car for those that want to be seen both outside of the car and inside the car. 5. Fiat Jolly Panda: It may have a bizarre name, but the more bizarre thing is that this car totally lacks doors! Stylishly designed and with non-toxic and UV resistant materials, its aesthetic impression is one that appeals to those with a taste for the more simple-looking vehicles. Although you do have to wonder if it’s not in danger of being stolen… 6. The Kenguru Car: This is a car that is designed specifically for wheelchair users. There’s no front seat, just an open space for the operator to position their wheelchair, which gets locked in place. The car itself is controlled with a joystick device, and with the option to simply roll in and out without having to hoist yourself into a seat, it’s the easiest car-tech available for wheelchair users. 7. Nissan Terranaut: While a concept-car, the concept alone is pretty cool. Rather than standard RV interiors, Nissan have gone with features and designs that bring to mind aeronautics and maybe even a little sci-fi. 8. Becker Jet Vans: Unfortunately not a jet-powered van as the name might suggest, but instead you get an outrageously luxurious interior which has been heavily influenced by private jets and limousines. 9. The Surface Orbiter: Built from a milk-tanker, taking over 4 four years and costing around $175,000, this was New Yorker Rick Dobbertin’s dream machine, and was constructed to cross both land and sea without any aid from a support vehicle. Impressively, the Orbiter has clocked up over 3,000 miles in the sea and 33,000 miles on land. 10. The Pacman Car: For anyone that enjoys a bit of nostalgia, or even just unusual cars. This was a converted hot-rod drag-racing car made to look like the classic arcade-game character Pacman.

Spy shots of the 2010 Honda Hybrid may have Toyota looking over its shoulder.

 

Road & Track’s team of spy photographers caught the next-generation Honda hybrid in the scorching deserts of the Southwest performing hot-weather testing. You can immediately tell from the car’s profile that Honda’s new “green” car is going straight after the Toyota Prius. Although the car is heavily camouflaged, you can see the basic overall design that mimics Toyota’s popular hybrid and is heavily influenced by the shape of the company’s FCX Clarity fuel-cell concept that appeared at the last Tokyo Motor Show.

Back then, the FCX was introduced as a sporty hybrid, but it’s obvious from these photos that usable economy is the name of the game now. Some have speculated that this new car will replace the now-discontinued Insight in Honda’s lineup, while others maintain that it will become the new Civic Hybrid. Whichever label it wears, one thing for sure is that it will be one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world, and may wrest the crown away from the Prius as the world’s favorite green car.

 

The price of this new car will be low, as Honda maintains it will be an entry-level car with 200,000 units selling annually — half of those to be sold in the United States. Early rumors indicate that it may be as low as $19,000. With seating for five, this 4-door, front-wheel-drive hatchback will be using an updated motor-assist hybrid system and an advanced nickel/metal-hydride system, not lithium-ion batteries.

 

 

 

We’re not sure yet on the gasoline part of the equation; it could be the company’s lean-burning 1.3-liter inline-4 (in the current Civic Hybrid) or something even leaner. The expectation is class-leading fuel economy, no doubt way north of 40 mpg. Look for the new Honda Hybrid to arrive at dealerships here in the Greater Toronto Area in late 2009.

Hybrid Cars Toronto

With all the changes in the automotive world and number of auto shows around the world, there’s never a shortage of crazy ideas floating around.

Fortunately for car enthusiasts, many of those wacky ideas actually see the light of day — and we’ve got the top 10 best concept cars of 2008 for you right here.

Environmental-friendliness and a concern over high gas prices are the driving forces in today’s auto trends, according to Wes Siler, road test editor for the popular car Web site Jalopnik.com.

Siler says the hybrid and “green” car revolution is here to stay, but that the supercar market is a niche one and there’ll always be someone willing to shell out big bucks for an exotic ride.

With that in mind, here are 10 of the most outrageous, extravagant, or just plain cool autos to look for in the coming year, from green car to supercar and beyond:

Lamborghini Reventon
To start off, here’s the car that you absolutely can’t own, no matter how much money you’re willing to spend. Only 20 of these fighter jet-inspired supercars will be made, and they’ve already sold at over $1 million a piece. Still, it may be one of the most talked-about exotic cars of the past year, and is certainly worth keeping an eye out for on the roads.

 

Smart Fortwo

For the wannabe-European in all of us, the Smart Fortwo is the new American counterpart to those classic Euro smartcars. Small enough to fit in half a parking space, these zippy little cars can reach up to 90 miles an hour, all while getting 33 miles to the gallon, according to the company specs.

With a base price of only $11,000, it’s the perfect replacement for that road-hogging SUV.

 

 

Bugatti Veyron

If the Fortwo is the cheap transportation alternative for the non-car enthusiast, then the Bugatti Veyron is the dream machine of every supercar fan on the planet. Its 1,001 horsepower will pin you to the seat at over 250 miles per hour, but only for a few minutes. At top speed a tank of gas will last just 12 minutes, so fuel economy is not something to think about when buying this beast.

Most of us regular drivers shouldn’t even worry about getting our hands on one, because at just over $1.5 million, the Veyron is one of the most expensive (albeit fastest) cars on the planet.

 

Tesla Roadster

Somewhere between the Veyron and the Fortwo, there’s the new Tesla Roadster.

At first glance its Ferrari-like body, $98,000 price tag and sub-four-second zero-to-60 time look like any other high-performance supercar, but there’s a catch. The Tesla is actually the world’s first fully electric supercar.

Unlike previous electric cars, the Roadster has no backup gas tank whatsoever, just a rechargeable electric engine that the company claims will get you up to 220 miles on a single charge. Production has already started, so expect to see them hit the streets in the next few months.

 

 

International CXTenvironment

The International Truck and Engine Corporation recently released the largest production pickup truck on the roads. Built on the same platform as a dump truck, it’s the everyday pickup on steroids. The perfect six-figure truck for the boy in all of us who still remembers playing with Tonka Toys when they were younger.

 

Hummer HX

The latest concept truck from Hummer moves even further away from its Army-styled road tanks of the past and into dune buggy territory. Designed as Hummer’s competition for the Jeep Wrangler, the HX takes some styling cues from its bigger brothers and adds a few tweaks. What you get is a small, off-road capable, convertible truck that will be a welcome addition for Hummer fans feeling the effects of high gas prices.

 

 

Scion Hako

Scion has never been accused of making plain cars, and its latest coupe concept is no different. Resembling an orange box with wraparound windows, the Hako will definitely turn heads and create a love it or hate it opinion similar to every Scion car before it. The younger generation is once again Scion’s market, as the Hako includes plenty of interior technology, such as Bluetooth phone capability and video cameras instead of side view mirrors, with the images shown on screens inside the doors.

 

 

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

Described as less eco-friendly and more ego-friendly, the newest offering from the classically opulent automaker is a two-door sporting car sure to get you noticed. Designed more to be driven and not driven in, in contrast to most previous Rolls models, the Phantom Coupe is sleek, fast and fun. The extravagance continues to the interior, where a “starlight” headliner entertains passengers with flickering lights resembling the night sky.

 

Jeep Renegade

Jeep’s newest concept debuted in auto shows earlier this year and was an immediate topic of conversation. The boldly styled Renegade is an open-air off-road 4×4, but with an electric motor. Jeep uses one of these motors (which get up to 40 miles on a charge) on each axle for true four-wheel drive.

Meanwhile, a backup diesel engine will get you where you need on longer drives. Jeep finishes off the unique design by covering the truck’s exterior with rubber accents, hidden storage compartments, and shortened windshield and doors.

 

Maybach 62 S

The newest model in the ultra-lavish Maybach lines solidifies the company’s understanding of the word “luxury.” Even though its turbocharged engine can get all 6,200 pounds accelerating at Ferrari-like speeds, if you’re the one driving this car then you’re doing it wrong.

It’s better thought of as a high-powered limo, and the list of amenities for the passenger section in back is endless. A mini-fridge, wine cooler, leather armchairs for seats, automatic window curtains, auto-tinting glass roof, and personal video screens for every passenger are only the more normal options available.

 

 

If you want to be driven around in speed and style, grab about $500,000 and give Maybach a call or, like the rest of us, attend your local auto show for a glimpse of the future.

Toronto New Car

 

With gas prices going through the roof, vehicles that combine high mileage with low price and loads of utility are selling like crazy.

Small Cars a Hot Item

If you compare the first four months of car sales this year with the first four months of sales last year, two things are immediately obvious.

First - they stink. Overall sales dropped 7.6 percent year over year, according to data from industry-tracker Power Information Network.

Second - it helps a lot if you make really little cars. Sales of the smallest compact cars - vehicles like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris - are up 37 percent, according to PIN, for the biggest increase of any industry segment. Sales of slightly larger compact cars, like the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla, are up too, as are sales of compact crossover SUVs, a market segment that’s seen a rush of new entries.

If you exclude high-priced or luxury vehicles, which cost a lot and have low sales volume, the evidence shows what most Americans are looking for now - and that’s just about everything: low price, excellent fuel economy and loads of utility.

Using data from PIN, we pulled out a sampling of some of the sales winners with the biggest jumps.

Kia Rondo

Price: $16,395 - $20,195

Mileage: 26 mpg Hwy, 19 mpg City

Sales increase: 198.2%

Rondo sales have nearly tripled since last year with more than 12,000 sold so far this year.

The Rondo epitomizes what non-luxury car buyers are looking for now. It’s not terribly exciting, but it combines small size, a low price and good fuel economy with space and surprising utility. It even fits in three rows of seats.

Honda Fit

Price: $13,950 - $15,270

Mileage: 34 mpg Hwy, 28 mpg City

Sales increase: 68.7%

The Honda Fit’s hatchback body style and interior with flat folding back seats provide a lot of versatility in a tiny body. The Fit also happens to be fun to drive. It even has an available automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

Scion xB

Price: $15,750

Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City

Sales increase: 64.3%

The Scion xB is basically a small crossover SUV that lacks only the availability of all-wheel-drive. A recent redesign has given it even more space inside and a stronger engine.

Toyota Yaris

Price: $11,550 - $13,925

Mileage: 36 mpg Hwy, 29 mpg City

Sales increase: 64%

The tiny lump-shaped Yaris is nobody’s idea of a dream car, but it’s about as cheap as any new car you can get. It’s very reliable, and it has fuel economy that few cars can match.

Suzuki XL7

Price: $21,349 - $28,899

Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 21 mpg City

Sales increase: 48%

The XL7 shares much of its engineering with General Motors’ compact crossovers, the Chevrolet Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. The XL7 is longer, though, and it’s available with a third row of seats, which the other vehicles lack.

Mazda5

Price: $17,995 - $22,515

Mileage: 28 mpg Hwy, 22 mpg City

Sales increase: 47.3%

We recently described the Mazda5 as “sadly overlooked.” Apparently, it’s not anymore. Sales are up sharply so far this year.

The Mazda5 is a like a midget minivan. It even has an available set of third-row seats and little sliding doors.

Kia Rio

Price: $10,890 - $13,615

Mileage: 32 mpg Hwy, 27 mpg City

Sales increase: 37.2%

Like the Yaris, the Rio provides cheap, basic transportation. But with gas prices rising fast, its big fuel economy numbers have also driven sales.

Sales of the Rio’s near-twin, the Hyundai Accent, have jumped about 28% compared with last year.

Ford Focus

Price: $14,395 - $16,925

Mileage: 35 mpg Hwy, 24 mpg City

Sales increase: 29%

American car companies have had a few big sales hits this year, and the redesigned Focus is one of the biggest.

A low price and good fuel economy have helped sales, but according to PIN analyst Tom Libby, the biggest driver has been a high-tech accessory: the Sync Bluetooth system that allows drivers easy cell-phone interaction or lets them play music off a USB thumb drive using voice commands.

Nissan Versa

Price: $12,880 - $15,890

Mileage: 31 mpg Hwy, 26 mpg City

Sales increase: 24.4%

The Nissan Versa is a little hatchback with a surprisingly roomy interior. Back seat passengers can stretch out with 38 inches of legroom. That’s 2.5 inches more than the Toyota Yaris or Kia Rio.

Toronto New Cars With Great Gas Mileage

According to Road & Track, if you to anyone who has shopped on a trip to China and you’ll hear stories about high-quality knockoffs at bargain-basement prices. It seems everything from high-end watches to designer clothes have their Chinese equivalent tagged at fire-sale prices.

This trend doesn’t stop there and includes big-ticket items like cars and trucks. Manufacturers have long complained that the Chinese business community has little respect for intellectual property rights, and a tour around the Beijing show is proof that the 120 or so local manufacturers vying for market share aren’t relying on in-house designs to get in on the action.

1. Lifan 320

While some of the knockoffs are dead ringers, others are close enough. Such is the case with the Lifan 320, which borrows heavily from the Mini. The big difference between the two is that the Chinese variant has four doors compared to the Mini’s two.

2. Great Wall Coolbear

In the exact duplicate category, there’s the Great Wall Coolbear. Cool name, not original looks. This time Great Wall uses the last-generation Scion xB as its template and copies it right down to the size of the badge, but with different graphics. Even the instruments, which are in the center of the Scion’s dash, is faithfully re-created in the Coolbear.

3. Shuanghuan Noble

Many of the clones are meant for domestic consumption only, so most manufacturers, if they are aware of the clone at all, take a hands-off approach. However, the Shuanghuan Noble, a lookalike for the smart car, made it to the Frankfurt show last fall, where Mercedes-Benz, smart’s parent, threatened legal action if the Noble were sold in Europe. Perhaps it was the car’s motto “Smarter than the rest” that got Mercedes’ attention.

4. BYD F8

Another Mercedes knockoff comes from a company whose initials, BYD, stand for Build Your Dream. Well, they’re building someone else’s dream of a car with the BYD F8, which is a ringer for the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The cars share the same quad-headlamp look with a horizontal slotted grille. One difference is that the F8 has a retractable hardtop as opposed to the CLK’s soft top.

5. Shuanghuan S CEO

While the Shuanghuan S CEO looks like a BMW X5, enough so, that BMW also threatened suit if the vehicle were sold outside China, you’ll find that beneath the skin, it’s nothing like the original. Instead of unit-body construction with an independent suspension, you get a trucklike frame with leaf springs. As with any fake, caveat emptor.

Toronto New Cars

Toyota first demonstrated a futuristic hybrid concept vehicle at the Tokyo Auto Show in 1995. The car, which consisted of an electric motor connected to a regular gasoline engine, was called the Toyota Prius. Hybrid skeptics —both at the show and afterward—are now silent, as cumulative global sales continue to surpass all expectations. Which of today’s wild and wacky hi-tech enviro car concepts will become tomorrow’s practical fuel-efficient vehicles? Let’s take a look at some contenders.

Volvo 3CC

The Volvo 3CC concept car, a rocket-shaped three-seater, can accommodate the full range of power systems, from traditional gasoline and alternative fuels such as ethanol, to hybrid and all electric. Three thousand lithium-ion batteries, just like those used in laptop computers, give it the equivalent of 105 horsepower. The 3CC has the aerodynamics of a two-seat sports car, but can slip a third passenger, or perhaps two children, in a single seat in the back.

Ford Mercury Meta One

The Mercury Meta One combines a hybrid transmission with a twin-turbocharged V-6 diesel engine calibrated to run on a bio-diesel blend (fuel made from natural, renewable sources such as vegetable oils). The combination is designed to produce the power of a V-10, with emission levels clean enough to meet California’s Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) requirement.

Daihatsu UFE III

Daihatsu, the Japanese car company known for compacts, is on the third generation of the UFE (which stand for Ultra Fuel Economy). This mini-hybrid vehicle can transport three people—one upfront, and two in the back. The hybrid system comprises a 660-cubic centimeter direct-injection gasoline engine, two motors, and a nickel-metal hydride battery. Its estimated fuel economy is 169 miles per gallon.

Nissan Pivo

Nissan has developed a bubble-shaped, three-seater electric car called the Pivo—short for pivot. It runs exclusively on electricity. The cabin sits atop a wheeled platform that can swivel 360 degrees, doing away with the need to reverse when emerging from narrow spaces.

BMW X3

The X3 combines a next-generation direct-injection inline six-cylinder engine with an electric motor—and a supercapacitor instead of the rechargeable batteries most hybrids use. A supercapacitor discharges all of its energy in a quick burst of power. Then, the gasoline engine takes over until the regenerative braking can recharge the supercapacitor for another quick burst. The system provides a modest 20% improvement in fuel economy over current models.

Toyota Volta

The Volta’s 3.3-liter V-6 gas engine is located behind the rear axle and isn’t connected directly to the wheels. Instead, movement is provided by two electric engines, one per axle, offering the safety benefits of all-wheel drive. But the real gain of packaging a large internal-combustion engine with two electric motors is rip-roaring speed: The 408-horsepower hybrid drive can go from 0 to 60 in 4 seconds.

GM Saab Aero X

The two-seat Saab Aero X doesn’t have doors or a fixed windshield. Instead, the entire face of the vehicle opens up. Inside, the Saab Aero X’s cockpit completely eliminating conventional dials and buttons. Instead, Saab displays data on glass-like acrylic “clear zones” in graphic 3-D images. The drivetrain is just as innovative as the body design. The Aero X combines turbo-charging and the use of bio-fuel to deliver 400-horsepower performance without burning a drop of petroluem. The V6 engine is fueled entirely by 100% ethanol. This reduces the tank-to-wheel carbon emissions of the vehicle to exactly zero. Can’t find pure ethanol? No problem for the Aero X. The engine management system will make adjustments for any gasoline-ethanol blend.

The Volkswagen Chameleon

On the outside, the Volkswagen Chameleon Microbus looks like it rolled right out of the set of a 1960s surfer movie. But times have changed in the world of energy and technology. Volkswagen retrofitted the 1964 Deluxe Microbus for a new generation by installing an all-electric drive powered by lithium polymer batteries. Ten 30-volt batteries under the van’s floor provide a range of about 100 miles. A recharge takes about 6 hours. Surfboards mounted on the roof are lined with flexible solar panels that provide an additional source of energy. The vehicle needs all the energy it can find to power an arsenal of interactive digital cabin features, including imbedded touch-pads and speech activated controls. Don’t expect to ever see this vehicle on the road. Volkswagen is using the Chameleon strictly as a marketing tool to showcase a movie-fantasy future of automotive electronics.

The Honda FCX Concept

The Honda FCX Concept uses a secret weapon to deliver more power than its predecessor fuel cell vehicles: gravity. Honda calls it a “3V” system: “Vertical gas flow, vertebral layout, and volume-efficient packaging.” In the 3V schema, oxygen and hydrogen flow from the top to the bottom of the fuel cell stack and the fuel cells are arranged vertically in the center tunnel for more efficient packaging of the fuel cells. With these improvements, the FCX fuel-cell car now has a driving range of 354 miles—a 30 percent improvement from the 2005 model—and a maximum speed of 100 miles per hour. The vehicle can driven in temperatures as low as minus 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The super-slick Honda FCX Concept has a long and ultra-low profile that is anything but vertical.

GM Sequel

The Sequel is based on a design that puts all propulsion systems, steering, braking and chassis components packed into the car’s 11-inch underbelly. By packing all the functionality into what the company calls a “skateboard” chassis, GM claims they’ll have greater freedom for the car’s interior and exterior design. GM has been working on the skateboard approach for a number of years, and the Sequel is apparently their breakthrough. With the company’s advances in fuel cells, by-wire technology, and wheel hub motors, GM has doubled the range to 300 miles—on its hydrogen supply—and halved the 0-60 times to under ten seconds.

Hybrid Cars Toronto

Facing higher commodity prices and consumer rejection of SUVs and trucks, Ford is doing a quick change on this year’s production plans to favor smaller cars and crossovers. President and CEO Alan Mulally conceded that energy costs, commodity costs and the slowing economy are forcing the company to revise its turnaround timetable.

 

Said Mulally in a release: “Unless there is a fairly rapid turnaround in U.S. business conditions, which we are not anticipating, it now looks like it will take longer than expected to achieve our North American Automotive profitability goal.” The company had expected to be profitable this year. Instead, said Mulally, break-even will be in 2009. He said Ford is expecting overall Ford, Lincoln and Mercury market share to be at around 14% this year.

The company says it will make 690,000 vehicles this quarter–down 20,000 units from numbers the company has announced for the quarter, and off 15% versus the quarter last year. The third and fourth quarters this year will see Ford cut production 15 to 20% and 2 to 8%, respectively.

The company says it will boost production of Ford Focus, Fusion, Edge, Escape, Mercury Milan and Mariner, and Lincoln MKZ an MKX while reducing production of large trucks and SUVs. Ford this year will introduce hybrid versions of the Fusion and Milan cars, as well as the all-new Ford Flex crossover, and a new sedan for Lincoln, the MKS.

Currently, Ford has two hybrid nameplates, the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrid crossovers. Boston-based online market-research firm Compete says sales of such vehicles are following the rise in gas prices. Toyota’s Prius is benefiting mightily. Compete says April marked the highest shopper count total ever for Prius, with the hybrid car the fourth-most-shopped model in the U.S. The firm says Prius leads the compact car segment in share of segment interest, and that the compact car segment has grown from 26% of the market in July last year to over 33% today.

IntelliChoice, a Los Angeles-based automotive marketing firm, says that as gasoline costs go up, mileage figures more strongly in the cost of owning a vehicle, which figures into residual value. Per the firm, fuel costs are second only to depreciation in overall cost of owning a vehicle.

“Fuel costs have heavy impact on cost of ownership,” says James Bell, editor and publisher of IntelliChoice. He says hybrid vehicles benefit across the range of cost parameters. “The entire cost of ownership for hybrids is a great story. Pretty much across the board non-hybrid equivalents do not do as well from cost of ownership perspective. You see great repair and maintenance scoring, better insurance costs.”

Bell says Ford must continue to lift residual values. “Thankfully, they are following the path of limiting fleet business, but they need to lower cost of ownership, and fuel efficiency is a big part of that.”

IntelliChoice has just released a ranking of mid-sized cars by cost of ownership for five years. The firm says the median cost of mid-sized cars is $34,755 after five years, including purchase.

The firm lists a series of top cars based on their cost of ownership after half a decade. The firm breaks best-ofs into five different categories–for different price ranges, for example, or best for fuel economy, or for insurance costs. Toyota dominates with 14 entrants, Honda has two, Nissan three, and GM also has three.

Ford is not represented among the top five in these categories. The firm says the highest ranking for Ford in mid-sized cars is Mercury Milan and sibling Fusion 4-cylinder cars, which rank overall 17th and 19th in the cost-of-ownership rankings.

 

 

Ford Toronto

 

 

 

 

Many people dream of owning a new car. However, one of the biggest stumbling blocks is the cost of today’s new cars in the Greater Toronto Area. Read this report to learn about new car financing, particularly before visiting a dealer’s showroom.

 

 

 

 

Financing a New Car

Unless you’re among the minority of people who pay cash, you need to quickly become an informed consumer on the subject of financing if you’re considering buying a new car. For most new-car buyers, one of the biggest costs of purchasing a new car is interest on the loan that makes the purchase possible. But there are a variety of ways to finance a car, and knowing your options can help save you money.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-Approval Can Be a Plus

Just as you want to pay the best price for a car, you should also comparison shop for the best deal on a car loan. And the ideal time to shop for a car loan is before you shop for a car.

Getting your loan preapproved before you start looking for a car is like shopping with cash. You can drive the car right off the lot — no more waiting for the loan to be approved and disbursed and taking the check back to the dealer. In most cases the loan can be approved by your lender in a couple of days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shop Around for Financing

All lenders are not alike. You can save hundreds of dollars by shopping around to find the best financing deal. Before you sign anything, talk with several lending institutions so you’ll know their current loan rates. Then see if a dealer can give you a better rate.

And even if you get a low loan rate, perhaps a promotional rate, watch out when the financing salesperson starts selling. You probably don’t need the extra life insurance, extra accident or health insurance, or extra protection for their rustproofing and undercoating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borrow From a Dealer

Convenience is the word here. With many car companies having their own lending affiliates like GMAC (General Motors Acceptance Corporation) you can choose a car and a loan in one application process. The process is usually quicker than applying for a bank loan, and dealers are more likely than banks to qualify buyers with less-than-perfect credit ratings. They also usually help customers with special needs, like first-time buyers and recent college graduates. Best of all, car companies sometimes offer low-rate promotional financing on certain models. (But don’t expect discount financing on popular models.) The downside? Dealer financing can be more expensive, particularly for poorly informed buyers. (Dealers can sometimes make as much on the financing as on the sale itself!)

Negotiate the car’s price before you talk about the terms of a loan, so the dealer can’t hike the car’s price to give you a lower-rate loan. Even if you get low dealer financing rates of 2% to 5%, there’s a catch: these loans are usually short term. Since many must be repaid in 24 months, monthly payments can be steep.

 

 

 

 

 

Borrow From a Bank, Credit Union, or Finance Company

Banks and credit unions usually offer set, nonnegotiable rates, often less expensive than dealer financing. (They are also less likely to push the unnecessary expense of credit life insurance, which ensures that the loan will be paid off if you die prematurely.) Membership credit unions that offer auto loans typically offer lower rates than banks and finance companies. But finance companies — often the most expensive of all — may accept borrowers who are greater credit risks.

In 1991, the IRS eliminated the income tax deduction for interest on most personal loans. The major exception is interest on a home equity loan, which is tax deductible on principal up to $100,000 no matter how you spend the money.

Some banks now offer “tax-smart” loans to give back the car-loan deduction to consumers. A tax-smart loan combines the ease of a regular auto loan with the tax deductibility of a home equity loan. With a tax-smart loan, you do not have to go through the closing procedures and expense required by a regular home equity loan. And you can usually borrow up to 100% of the equity in your home. Unlike a regular home equity loan, the primary collateral on a tax-smart loan is the automobile. To earn the tax benefit, a lien is placed on the home as well.

While tax-smart loans may be smart for the bank that offers them, they may not be such a great deal for the borrower. A tax-smart loan is safe for a bank to make: it has the security collateral of both your car and your house. The bank usually charges the same interest rate on a tax-smart loan as on a regular auto loan, which could be significantly more than the rate charged on a home equity loan.

Not only are you tying up the equity in your car and home for this loan, the savings you realize on the tax deduction may be less than the money you save with a lower-rate loan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Borrow Against Investments

Another option is to borrow at an attractive interest rate, with a flexible repayment plan, against a securities portfolio, passbook savings account, or a cash value life insurance policy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quicker the Payback, the More You Save

If you take out a loan for a car, get the shortest payback time you can comfortably handle. While monthly payments can be reduced by stretching them out over more time, only a lower interest rate, a smaller loan, or a shorter term will lower the total expense.

A $15,000 loan at 8% for five years, for example, will cost $3,240 in interest. You would save $672 if you paid an extra $62 a month for the same size loan over four years. The total interest cost would drop to $2,568.

 

Summary

• When you have a preapproved loan it’s like shopping with cash.
• Talk with several lenders such as banks, credit unions, or finance companies.
• If you discover a lower rate from a car dealer, be certain it’s not a promotion requiring extra insurance or service, such as rustproofing.
• When taking out a loan, get the shortest payback time you can comfortably afford.
• You may be able to borrow against your investments, passbook savings account, or cash value life insurance and enjoy attractive rates and repayment terms.

 

Checklist

• Ask your bank or credit union if account holders qualify for low-interest auto loans.
• Thoroughly read any financing agreement you plan to sign.
• Before making a commitment, consider hiring a professional mechanic to conduct a thorough inspection of the car you plan to buy.
• Shop around for the best car prices as well as the best financing deal. There are many online tools that can help.

 

 

New Car Financing in Toronto