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Canadian Auto News Watch - Tuesday February 10, 2015
General Motors Corporate News
Toll from faulty General Motors ignition switches rises to 52; Numbers may continue to
grow
Note: Also in The Whitehorse Daily Star.
Source: The Associated Press, Page: B1 / Front, Edition: Early
Windsor Star - Tue Feb 10 2015
Toll from faulty General Motors ignition switches rises to 52 deaths, 79 injuries; Death
toll from General Motors ignition switches rises to 52
Canadian Press - Mon Feb 9 2015
Bailout loss could have been worse
Note: Also in Northumberland Today.com, Stratford Beacon-Herald.
Byline: JOHN ROBSON, Page: A4, Edition: Final
The Orillia Packet and Times - Tue Feb 10 2015
Mexico races as Canada stalls; New data on investment, trade and vehicle production
raise concerns over Canadian auto sector's future
Byline: GREG KEENAN, Page: B1, Edition: Ontario
The Globe and Mail - Tue Feb 10 2015
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General Motors Product News
Comfortable Buick SUV boasts pure quiet luxury; Roomy with a view: Enclave getting a
bit dated but there's still a place on the road for this big family hauler
Source: The Province, Page: A35, Edition: Final
The Province - Tue Feb 10 2015
Redesigned Impala really surprises; Chevy's flagship five-seater an admirable car
Byline: Derek McNaughton, Source: Edmonton Journal, Page: D4, Edition: Early
Edmonton Journal - Tue Feb 10 2015
Bolt - from concept to reality | Autonet.ca
Permalink: www.autonet.ca...
autonet.ca - Tue Feb 10 2015
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General Motors Corporate News
Toll from faulty General Motors ignition switches rises to 52;
Numbers may continue to grow
Windsor Star
Tue Feb 10 2015
Page: B1 / Front
Section: News
Dateline: DETROIT
Source: The Associated Press
general
motors
noted
Also in The Whitehorse Daily Star.
on
Tue
Feb
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6:11
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The families of 52 people killed in crashes caused by faulty General Motors smallcar ignition switches will
receive millions in compensation from a company fund.
The new total, which is one more than last week, was posted online Monday by compensation expert Kenneth
Feinberg. Each death claim is worth at least $1 million US under guidelines established by Feinberg, who was
hired by GM to handle claims and make payments.
As of Friday, the fund received 4,237 claims for deaths and injuries. In addition to the death claims, Feinberg
has deemed 79 injury claims eligible for compensation. The deadline for filing claims was Jan. 31, and another
57 claims arrived last week that were postmarked by the deadline.
Camille Biros, deputy administrator for the fund, said Monday she expects only a few more claims to arrive in
the mail.
GM was aware of faulty ignition switches on Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade,
but it didn't recall them until 2014. On 2.6 million of them worldwide,
the switches can slip out of the "on" position, causing the cars to stall, knocking out power steering and turning
off the airbags.
Of the total, Feinberg's office has determined that 501 are not eligible, largely because they were the wrong
models or the airbags did not deploy.
Another 1,016 claims lack information, while 1,143 more are being reviewed. Another 1,446 were submitted
with no documentation, according to the Internet posting. All of those will be given the chance to submit more
documentation.
Biros said the number of death and injury claims granted by the fund is likely to rise, but she would not estimate
by how much. She says it likely will take until late spring to sort through all of the claims. The firm has 75 to 100
people working on the claims, she said.
Those who agree to payments give up their right to sue the automaker.
Initially, GM had said at least 13 people had died in crashes caused by the switches, but the company has
always said the toll would rise. Legislators have estimated that at least 100 people were killed.
Last year GM set aside $400 million to make payments, but conceded that could grow to $600 million. The
company's chief financial officer told analysts earlier this month that those numbers have not changed. GM has
placed no cap on the amount of money he can spend, Feinberg has said.
© 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Illustration:
• The Associated Press Files / Clarence Ditlow, executive director of the Center for Auto Safety, last April displays a GM ignition
switch similar to those linked to 52 deaths and dozens of crashes of General Motors small cars.
Edition: Early
Story Type: News
Length: 389 words
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Toll from faulty General Motors ignition switches rises to 52 deaths,
79 injuries; Death toll from General Motors ignition switches rises
to 52
Canadian Press
Mon Feb 9 2015
Section: Business
DETROIT - New figures show at least 52 people have died and 79 have been injured in crashes involving
General Motors cars with defective ignition switches.
Attorney Kenneth Feinberg, who was hired by GM to compensate victims, updated the totals Monday.
Feinberg says on an Internet site that he has received 4,237 claims for payments from GM as of Friday. The
fund has deemed 131 as eligible, and 501 are not eligible.
GM knew about faulty switches in Chevrolet Cobalts and other small cars for more than a decade but didn't
recall them until February. The switches can slip out of the "on" position and cause cars to stall unexpectedly.
The fund stopped taking claims on Jan. 31, but some that were postmarked by the deadline arrived last week.
Copyright © 2015 The Canadian Press
Length: 123 words
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Bailout loss could have been worse
The Orillia Packet and Times
Tue Feb 10 2015
Page: A4
Section: Editorial/Opinion
Byline: JOHN ROBSON
general
motors
noted
on
Tue
Also in Northumberland Today.com, Stratford Beacon-Herald.
Feb
10
2015
5:56
am
ET
Sometimes you have to be grateful for small mercies. Like when the Ontario government takes a big,
mysterious loss on its bailout stake in General Motors and you think, "Man, that could have been a lot worse."
It was bad. They lost billions. But we don't know how bad, which is worse.
The provincial finance minister's office didn't bother with details like how many shares they sold or the sale
price. I mean, it's our money they squandered and took credit for squandering. Why keep us in the loop?
We know the province initially put $3.62 billion into GM and later got some back. Again, we don't know how
much. But the auditor general estimated last fall that Ottawa (which still holds a sizeable stake) and Queen's
Park between them would lose about $4 billion.
Now politicians may take the view that when you're losing other people's money the details don't really matter.
Or possibly they think they shouldn't tell us in case we get mad. Either way it's not exactly transparency or
accountable self-government.
The Ontario government did apparently just pocket $1.1 billion in liquidating their share. And immediately
promised to spend every dime stimulating the economy rather than just throw away retiring debt or balancing
the budget. Again, bad.
So why am I happy? Because by the logic of the bailout, the province should have poured more money into GM
since it was successfully losing it. If that strikes you as foolish, you probably shouldn't be in government. See,
the whole rationale for the initial bailout/investment thingy, provincial and federal, was that if money-losing GM
went under, Canada would lose a key wealth-producing asset. Whereas if the government poured in cash it
would never see again, we would become richer.
Obviously we outdated, hammer-headed, free-market types reject this argument. We say if a firm is creating
wealth, if it is creating good products for happy customers and, in the process, providing secure, quality jobs, it
will automatically be worth a lot of money. That's how stock prices work. So if GM is a jewel in the economic
crown of Ontario, we say, the federal and provincial governments should have been able to sell their
investment and recoup our money.
In government it doesn't work like that. Instead, when something loses money, it's proof that it's mysteriously
creating wealth through spinoffs, stimulus effects and other things unknown to genuine economic science.
Whereas when it makes money, it's a selfish predator sucking the lifeblood out of communities.
You doubt me? Try whispering "for-profit health care" in the ear of a politician. Or listen to them boast, not
apologize, for dumping money into GM we will never see again.
That's why I'm happy in the face of this expensive, condescending nonsense. You see, in selling its GM share,
the provincial government didn't follow its own twisted logic. And they were certainly urged to by, among others,
Unifor, the big union representing many GM workers in Ontario.
GM has made it clear that if something isn't done about excessive labour costs in Ontario, they'll have to
relocate to places they can make cars at a profit, not a loss. But Unifor urged the provincial and federal
governments to hang onto their GM share and use it to force the company to keep unprofitable Ontario
factories running.
So yes. The transaction was murky, stupid, expensive and rationalized with bluff and bluster. But at least they
cut our losses, when the logic of their position was to continue them.
Small mercies? When they're all you've got, you take them.
john.robson@sunmedia.ca
© 2015 Osprey Media Group Inc. All rights reserved.
Edition: Final
Length: 597 words
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Mexico races as Canada stalls; New data on investment, trade and
vehicle production raise concerns over Canadian auto sector's
future
The Globe and Mail
Tue Feb 10 2015
Page: B1
Section: Report on Business
Byline: GREG KEENAN
Auto investment soared in Mexico last year and light vehicle production topped three million for the first time,
underscoring Canada's decline to junior-partner status in NAFTA when it comes to the auto industry.
Sobering data on investment, trade and vehicle production add to concerns among Canadian executives,
government officials and union leaders that the longterm future of the industry in Canada is in jeopardy as
Mexico grows into a global powerhouse.
Global auto makers announced investments of $7-billion (U.S.) in Mexico last year, including $3.6-billion for
three new assembly plants, compared with just $750-million in Canada, according to numbers compiled by the
Center for Automotive Research (CAR), an industry think tank in Ann Arbor, Mich. Those investments will
further boost production in Mexico, which grew to 19 per cent of North American vehicle output last year as
new Honda Motor Co. Ltd. and Mazda Motor Corp. factories opened.
Industry publication Ward's AutoWorld said Canadian production rose a fraction. But Canada's share of North
American output fell to 14 per cent, its lowest level since 1987.
Meanwhile, Canada's trade deficit in vehicles and parts with all countries rose to $19-billion (Canadian).
Canada's trade deficit with Mexico surged to a record high of $10.3-billion. Canada's ranking in automotive
manufacturing among the three North American Free Trade Agreement countries has been declining since the
2008-2009 recession while Mexico's star has been ascending.
"There hasn't been a new assembly plant that has opened in Canada or the United States since 2009 and
we've had seven in a row in Mexico," said Sean McAlinden, CAR's executive vice-president of research and
chief economist.
But auto makers invested $10.5billion (U.S.) in their existing U.S. operations last year and have added
thousands of new jobs at assembly plants.
Mexico offers wages that are about 10 per cent of the approximately $30 an hour paid to workers with full
seniority at U.S. and Canadian assembly plants. But it also benefits from its location next to the U.S. market
and close to emerging markets in South America as well as ports that are open all year, permitting finished
vehicles to be shipped around the world.
Observers "forget the advantages that Mexico has developed in terms of location and market access," said
Paul Boothe, a professor at the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ont.
"They can serve the southern U.S. market just as easily as we can service the northern U.S. market."
Mexican governments also offer financial incentives that eclipse those offered by the Canadian and Ontario
governments.
FCA Automobiles received $400-million - or more than 70 per cent - for a $550-million retooling of a plant in
Toluca, Mexico. The federal and Ontario governments typically offer 20 per cent of a company's investment.
"They take an entirely different approach to public policy than we do," federal Industry Minister James Moore
said in Detroit last month. "It's hundreds of millions of dollars in straight corporate welfare and labour policies
that would be wholly unacceptable within Canada."
The growth of the industry coupled with stagnation in Canada has prompted an industry-union group called the
Canadian Automotive Partnership Council to urge Mr. Moore and Ontario Economic Development Minister
Brad Duguid to establish an automotive investment agency in Canada that would be similar to the Mexican
government's ProMexico organization.
A Canada-Ontario Automotive Investment and Attraction Board would provide one-stop shopping for auto
makers and co-ordinate incentives offered by the governments and outline requirements and permits needed to
build factories.
© 2015 The Globe and Mail Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Edition: Ontario
Length: 581 words
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General Motors Product News
Comfortable Buick SUV boasts pure quiet luxury; Roomy with a
view: Enclave getting a bit dated but there's still a place on the road
for this big family hauler
The Province
Tue Feb 10 2015
Page: A35
Section: Trucking
Source: The Province
Remember this advertising slogan? "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?" The Enclave is the flagship of
the Buick line, a full-size luxury crossover SUV that doesn't spare the glitz and glamour - from its bold rendition
of the traditional Buick waterfall grille to the leather wrapped interior. There's no mistaking the big Buick for
anything but a born-in-the-USA cruiser. "Buick. The spirit of American style."
There's nothing wrong with being a bit bold and brash, but the Enclave is becoming a bit dated having debuted
in May of 2007 as a 2008 model. There has been a styling refresh in 2013 but the Enclave is in its eighth year
of production and the competition waits for no one.
For review, we have a 2015 Buick Enclave AWD Premium powered by the only engine choice, a 3.6L V6 with
VVT and Direct Injection rated at 288 horsepower at 6,300 r.p.m. and 270 pound-feet of torque at 3,400 rpm.
The "Premium" model adds all-wheel-drive, articulated headlights, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure
Warning, power exterior mirrors with heat and dimming, plus heated and cooled front seats. Technological
additions are a 10-speaker Bose premium audio system and Buick's IntelliLink with SiriusXM satellite radio and
navigation ($7,500). There was an optional Trailer Towing package ($550) with a capacity of 4,500 lbs. and a
power moonroof ($1,685) also added to the order sheet for a sticker total of $59,245, including the $1,650
freight charge.
Buicks have always been a step above Chevrolets and a notch below Cadillacs, and the Enclave stays true to
its placement in the GM family hierarchy. The engineers have gone to great lengths to eliminate noise, vibration
and harshness (NVH), with what they have termed the QuietTuning engineering process, which uses
aerodynamics, laminated glass, extensive sound blocking such as foam-filled roof pillars, thicker carpets and
other absorbing materials. The big Buick is quiet like a library on wheels.
The interior styling is quite nice with a pleasant mix of wood trim, chrome, leather and better quality plastics.
The Enclave offers three rows of seating, available in seven or eight-passenger configurations. The second-row
seats feature the Smart-Slide system that, with the pull of a single handle, allows easy entry to the third row. Up
front are eightway power driver and passenger seats with power recline and lumbar support, with memory for
the driver. They are certainly wider and softer than those of the more "sport" oriented SUVs.
For 2015 there is a new, standard heated, wood-trimmed steering wheel, which was appreciated on cold
mornings. Some drivers may however miss having a softer wheel to hold on longer trips. I really liked the look
of the instrument panel and dashboard with its ice-blue LE D ambient lighting. The centre stack is topped with a
6.5-inch high-resolution colour display with touchscreen control for all your audio and navigational needs. I
really appreciated Buick's efforts to reduce button and switch overload on the Enclave.
Some vehicles in this class are simply overwhelming with the number of similarly sized buttons.
On the exterior the Enclave is recognizable as a modern Buick, with sculpted styling and signature elements
such as some vestigial portholes on the hood and the blackchrome waterfall grille.
Up front, LE D daytime running lamps and accent lamps give the Enclave a modern look on the road. The blue
translucent rings around the standard Xenon HID headlamps are Buick design cues found on other models.
There is a little touch of chrome on the rear fascia and the exhaust outlets, for an integrated appearance. LE Daccented tail lamps and power-operated lift gate are standard.
The overall impression of the Enclave is rather portly compared with many of its competitors. I think it's the
Rubenesque curves of the front fenders, hood and roofline that accentuate its plumpness.
The Enclave is also a heavy vehicle, in part again due to the QuietTuning engineering. More sound deadening
materials, thicker carpets and such all add weight and the Buick SUV tips the scales at 2.5 tons (2,233 kg) and
that makes the 3.6L engine work to motivate the Enclave down the road with an automatic transmission with
only six speeds. Those 288 ponies look like a lot in the corral but not so many on the open range.
Fuel mileage is 14.6 L/100 km around town and 10.2 L/100 km on the highway. Fill all those seats with
passengers and a 4,500 lb. trailer load and the Enclave is rather slow and thirsty.
With that in mind, the 2015 Buick Enclave AWD Premium is one of the quietest, smoothest and most
comfortable SUVs on the market today. It is definitely closing in on the end of its life-cycle for the first
generation, but there is a place in the world for a Buick SUV.
The specs
Type of vehicle: Full-size luxury crossover SUV Power: 3.6L V6 Transmission: 6-speed automatic Brakes: 4wheel disc with ABS Tires: P255/60R19 Price (base/as tested): $55,260/$59,245 Destination charge: $1,650
Natural Resources Canada fuel economy (L/100 km): 14.6 city, 10.2 highway
© 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Illustration:
• Jim Leggett, Driving / The 2015 Buick Enclave AWD Premium is bold and brash, but also a little dated.
Edition: Final
Story Type: News
Length: 814 words
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Redesigned Impala really surprises; Chevy's flagship five-seater an
admirable car
Edmonton Journal
Tue Feb 10 2015
Page: D4
Section: Driving
Byline: Derek McNaughton
Source: Edmonton Journal
The mocking began before I even picked up the car, followed by sarcasm as cold and thick as lake ice in
February: "An Impala? You can't drive something more exciting than an Impala? Oh, won't that be fun? Some
clout you have."
Maybe it's a symptom of the frost on my roof, but I actually wanted to drive this car. I asked GM for the Impala
because it's Chevrolet's largest sedan, a flagship five-seater.
At one time, it was the bestselling car in the United States. Introduced in 1957, it once sold as well as the
Camry and Accord in Canada. Sure, it became a hallmark at Hertz, but could it now, with a new design and
platform, have regained some stature?
Yes. And not just in the trunk, with 532 litres of space.
After 1,200 kilometres aboard a 2015 Impala LTZ, I can happily say this car is one of the more underrated
sedans on the market. The Impala, it turns out, is an admirable car.
Sure, the two-tone interior palette - part baby-barf yellow, part black on our test car - was not so easy on the
eyes. But it unfolds with a grace that did not get butchered when it passed from the designer's vision to the
maker's hands. The folds, swoops and joints work in harmony to create an attractive space.
Out of place, however, was the centre gauge cluster. But just about anyone will appreciate the cavernous
space in the latest Impala, thanks to a longer wheelbase that opened up an extra 145 mm of legroom over the
previous model. Even with the driver's seat most of the way back, NHL's Zdeno Chara could relax in the rear
perch. The front seats are comfortable as well.
On the road, the Impala delivers a consistent, if not exhilarating, ride. The chassis feels tight, the ride is neither
stiff nor too soft, and hard cornering won't send passengers scrambling. It's quiet. Steering feedback is
predictable, accurate and nicely weighted, befitting a car that seems to embrace unpretentiousness. I was
distracted, though, by a coarse edge in the steering wheel and some other plastics. They will make it hard for
the Impala to compete with an Audi A4 or Toyota Avalon, which are competitively priced near the Impala LTZ's
$39,845 sticker ($43,320 as tested, before freight and fees).
Another rival is Ford's Taurus Limited, which starts at $41,200. While the Taurus Limited gets AWD, the Ford's
3.5-litre V-6 is less powerful than the Impala's 3.6-L engine, which produces 305 horsepower and 264
poundfeet of torque.
There's even a bit of sass from the Impala's directinjection V-6; punch the throttle and a happy snarl emerges.
The Impala's frontwheel drive is not intrusive, exhibiting little torque steer or coarseness.
The six-speed automatic transmission wastes no time hunting for gears, selectively upshifting with swiftness. A
manual mode allows the driver to toggle between gears, but the switch is located where your thumb falls on the
shifter.
The six-speed no doubt helped fuel economy on our test car, which averaged a decent 9.2 L/100 km overall.
The official rating from GM is 12.6 city, 8.2 highway.
Not to be discounted, however, are the Impala's looks and standard suite of safety systems. While adaptive
cruise - which will bring the car to a full stop if needed - remains a costly option at $1,315, the LTZ includes
blind-spot monitoring, lane and parking assists, collision alerts and forward-collision warning.
With its determined face, 20-inch wheels, high hips that carry a hint of Bentley, and its strong angular lines, the
Impala deserves more attention than its reputation suggests.
Overview: Full-sized, five-passenger sedan Pros: Sharp styling, roomy interior Cons: Still heavy, lower-quality
interior materials, limited rear visibility Value for money: Good What I would change: Improve instrumentation
and controls How I would spec it: LTZ, without radar cruise
© 2015 Postmedia Network Inc. All rights reserved.
Illustration:
• Derek McNaughton, Driving / The redesigned 2015 Chevrolet Impala LTZ offers sharp styling and a roomy interior, with good value
for the price.
Edition: Early
Story Type: News
Length: 628 words
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Bolt - from concept to reality | Autonet.ca
autonet.ca
Tue Feb 10 2015
View original item at www.autonet.ca...»
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