From the Fleet: 2012 Mini Cooper S Coupe

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – John LeBlanc

Like in the fashion industry, if the seasons have changed, it must be time for a new Mini model to hit the runway. Last spring saw the new arrival of the VW Golf-sized Countryman—the largest Mini, yet. And now, for this fall, the Mini collection gains the new two-seat Coupe lineup—the smallest modern Mini yet. Read more

First Drive: 2012 Toyota Yaris

Old School

Toyota goes the tried-n-true route with its new Yaris

By John LeBlanc

QUEBEC CITY, Que. — If you’ve been shopping for a new subcompact, chances are, you’ve likely discovered small cars aren’t so small anymore. What use to be considered bottom-feeder econoboxes are now available with “big car” features with luxuries like heated leather seats, navigation systems with reverse cameras, and fuel-efficient-yet-powerful direct-injected engines matched to dual-clutch gearboxes formerly reserved for larger and more expensive cars. Read more

The Crank: Can Kia transcend beyond its price-point marketing?

 

Arguably—and even with no new cars to present—Kia’s presser at last week’s L.A. show was the best in a long day’s worth of corporate droning on.

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For starters, Kia promised 15 salient points in a media-friendly 15 minutes, getting us all up-to-date on the tsunami of new models, the progress of its recently-opened U.S. plant, various awards its Optima sedan is picking up this year, that a pair of Optima SX models are entering the U.S. World Challenge race series next year to take on Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro in addition to the new Rio 5-Door B-Spec racer will be made available to teams to compete in a variety of series, from World Challenge to GRAND-AM to SCCA and NASA events, plus more—whew!

 

Then, they trotted out locked-out National Basketball Association star Blake Griffin, about the only player worth watching on the sometimes-unwatchable Los Angeles Clippers team, who became famous for winning the 2011 N.B.A. all-star game dunking contest by jumping over an Optima, above.

 

Griffin then watched himself in a series of new Kia TV ads, projected on the stand’s giant screens.

 

Up until now, you’re probably saying So what?

 

But watch the ads, top and below.

 

Instead of barking out zero-per cent financing or five-year warranties, the Griffin/Kia ads are subtly funny. And the baller’s’s performance is surprisingly quirky and confident. (You’ll find his thigh lunges while he feeds a deer, in the spot below, either creepy or hilarious.)

 

But the point is this: Kia—once the quaint automaker that sold on bottom-feeder pricing and the ability to stretch your monthly payments to five years because of their class-leading warranty—is getting some attitude. 

 

But have you, the new car buyer, caught up with Kia’s confidence?

 

Or do you think the brand still needs to sell cars based on price alone?

 

From the Fleet: 2012 Infiniti M35 Hybrid

FROM THE FLEET are brief synopses of manufacturer-supplied rides that happen to end up in my laneway – JL

The auto industry’s recent niche-within-a-niche product strategies have left us with some weird and quite often oxymoronic mutant forms of four-wheeled transportation. Strange car type combos like “four-door coupes” and “sports activity vehicles” come immediately to mind. As do “performance hybrids”, like this new-for-2012 Infiniti M 35 Hybrid. Read more

Road Trip: 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon

Roughing it in the Rubicon

How does Jeep’s retro Rubicon stand up as a weekend warrior?

By John LeBlanc

PICTON—I view tent camping as a retro form of human living. So it only made sense to borrow a Jeep Wrangler for our family’s annual weekend here at Sandbanks Provincial Park, on the shores of Lake Ontario near Picton. Like sleeping under the stars and cooking over an open fire, driving the rustic Jeep is a retro experience that folks either loathe or love. Read more

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