The Crank: Kia’s naming conundrum

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By John LeBlanc

On a recent trip to Hyundai-Kia Motors world headquarters in Seoul, South Korea, attending media had some time to chat with Kia head pen, Peter Schreyer. While the discussions centred around the brand’s’s new European-influenced (Schreyer is a former Audi designer) styling, inevitably, the topic turned to all the automaker’s up market brand aspirations and its rock-and-a-hard-place its put itself in with its vehicle naming strategy. Read more

Top 10s: Dollar-per-Horsepower Bargains

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By John LeBlanc

Forget what your Granddad told you about the 1960s, right now is the Golden Age of cheap horsepower. A bad economy and a generation of drivers addicted to gobs of horsepower have created a near perfect storm for performance car junkies on a budget. But which new cars today offer the best power bargains? To find out, I’ve pulled together my Top 10 Dollar-per-Horsepower Bargains. Read more

The Crank: Toyota needs to lighten up

By John LeBlanc

Like a ketchup stain you can’t get out of your favourite shirt, Toyota’s woes caused by this year’s recall crisis just won’t go away. Last week, company head cheese, Akia Toyoda, kept on laying on the apologies at a shareholders meeting. Read more

Road Test: 2010 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 Double Cab V6 TRD Sport

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Not-so-tiny truck

Is Toyota’s so-called midsize Tacoma all the truck you really need?

By John LeBlanc

Despite the politically correct movement to small, fuel-efficient cars, gas-guzzling full-size pickups still make up a large portion of new car sales in North America. And it’s not just our friends south of the border who like trucks. Depending on the month, Ford’s F-150 can be the best-selling vehicle — car or truck — here in Canada. Read more

The Crank: Mazda’s Nagare, no more

By John LeBlanc

Well, so much for that. After four years of teasing us with concept after concept, highlighted by the Furai concept (below, left) from the 2008 Detroit show, it looks like Mazda is canning its much bally-hooed Nagare design language. Read more

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