Mercedes-Benz delivers new G-Class "Popemobile"

Rome, Italy - Mercedes-Benz has delivered a new Popemobile" to the Vatican, developed by the company on its G500 SUV. The open car is equipped with a folding windshield and hand-rails and is painted in the Vatican's "Mystic White" finish.

Pope Benedict XVI will use the vehicle to present himself to pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during his public audiences on Wednesdays. The new Popemobile was created over a two-year development period in close consultation with the Vatican; it was requested by the Head of the Catholic Church for use during good weather. The vehicle includes red-lined steps at the rear; the Pope holds his audiences in a standing position inside.

Pope Pius XI was the first to receive a Mercedes-Benz as an official car in 1930, when he took delivery of a Nürburg 460 Pullman limousine. Since then, Mercedes-Benz has regularly provided the Vatican with automobiles specially converted for use by the Pope. The Vatican's current fleet includes M- and S-Class models with special protection for the Pope's use.

AJAC names "Best New" vehicles for 2008

Toronto, Ontario - The 2008 "Best New" winners in twelve different Canadian Car of the Year categories were announced yesterday by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).
The winners in each category will go on to be judged for the overall Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, which will be announced on February 13, 2008 at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto. The winners of the Best New Design and Best New Technology categories will also be announced at that time.
The winners were decided by more than 70 AJAC journalists, who drove 177 new vehicles back-to-back on public roads and a closed course during an event in October and November.

The 2008 category winners are:
• Small Car: Saturn Astra
• Family Car: Honda Accord EX Sedan
• Luxury Car: Mercedes-Benz C-Class
• Prestige Car Over $75,000: Audi R8
• Sports/Performance Under $50,000: Mini Cooper S
• Sports/Performance Over $50,000: Audi S5
• Convertible: BMW 335i Cabriolet
• Minivan: Hyundai Entourage
• Pickup Truck: Chevrolet Silverado
• SUV/CUV Under $35,000: Nissan Rogue
• SUV/CUV $35,000 - $60,000: Saturn Vue
• SUV/CUV Over $60,000: Buick Enclave
• Most Coveted Vehicle: Audi R8

Honda Civic and Ford F-Series held top sales spots in October

Richmond Hill, Ontario - The Honda Civic and Ford F-Series pickup continued to lead Canadian new-car sales in October, reports industry analyst Dennis DesRosiers. Despite being down 10 per cent, the Civic is still solidly in the lead for best-selling passenger car in 2007, DesRosiers said, while the F-Series leads by a large margin.

" Interestingly, most import nameplate passenger cars had a difficult October, Versa and Accord excepted, and the three Detroit-based cars (Cobalt, Pursuit and Focus) all had great Octobers," DesRosiers said. "F-Series pickup trucks are by a big margin the best-selling light trucks in the marketplace. This is especially so since the small van segment is down 17.3 per cent this year, so the Caravan is not selling well compared to last year, down 11.9 per cent year-to-date. There was a day when the Caravan was the best-selling light truck; now, F-Series is outselling it two to one in some months."

DesRosiers reports that the luxury segments, as a group, were down 6.2 per cent in October and 40 per cent in the year; he blames the cross-border shopping issue, as these segments have some of the largest price differentials.

The top-selling passenger cars in October 2007, in order, were the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, Pontiac Pursuit/G5, Toyota Camry, Ford Focus and Honda Accord.

Year-to-date, to the end of October, the top-selling cars were the Honda Civic, Mazda3, Toyota Corolla, Toyota Yaris, Chevrolet Cobalt, Toyota Camry, Pontiac Pursuit/G5, Ford Focus, Nissan Versa and Toyota Matrix.

The top selling light trucks in October, in order, were the Ford F-Series, Chevrolet Silverado, Dodge Caravan, GMC Sierra, Ford Escape, Dodge Ram, Ford Ranger, Pontiac Montana SV6, Chevrolet Uplander and Hyundai Santa Fe.

Year-to-date, to the end of October, the top-selling light trucks were the Ford F-Series, Dodge Caravan, Dodge Ram, GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado, Ford Escape, Ford Ranger, Pontiac Montana SV6, Chevrolet Uplander and Honda CR-V.

U.S. fast-lube industry association warns of false warranty stickers on some Chrysler vehicles in Ontario

Dallas, Texas - The Automotive Oil Change Association (AOCA) reports that it has investigated incorrect warranty-related notices on some Chrysler vehicles in Canada and believes they may have been placed on the vehicles by a dealer.

The notices, found printed under the hood of several Chrysler vehicles in Ontario, warn that "DaimlerChrysler Canada reserves the right to deny warranty coverage if not all of the recommended scheduled maintenance is completed and performed using only genuine Mopar parts and lubricants."
AOCA reports that Chrysler Canada said it was not familiar with the notice and had no knowledge of it, and that the contents are not attributable to Chrysler Canada Inc. in any way. The AOCA believes that the stickers may have been produced and attached to the vehicles by a local dealer.
Vehicle owners whose cars are under warranty will not violate their warranty by having their oil changes performed by someone other than the dealer. Fast-lube operators in Canada who are members of AOCA have been provided with a copy of the written response from Chrysler Canada.

Car and Driver announces 10 Best Cars awards

Ann Arbor, Michigan - Car and Driver has announced the winners of its 26th annual 10 Best Cars sold in America list. General Motors made a strong showing with three models, while other domestic carmakers dropped off the list.

In alphabetical order, with the number of times each model has made the list, the 2008 winners are the BMW 3 Series (17), Cadillac CTS (1), Chevrolet Corvette (14), Chevrolet Malibu (1), Honda Accord (22), Honda Fit (2), Mazda MX-5 (9), Mazdaspeed3 (2), Porsche Boxster/Cayman (9) and the Volkswagen GTI (3).

" The increased competition between domestic and foreign manufacturers has created a tougher annual contest, but the eight repeat winners deserve accolades for continuing to deliver outstanding quality, performance, value and driver satisfaction," said editor-in-chief Csaba Csere. "Last year, we saw a return of the small car to the list. This year, the strong showing by General Motors proves that the company's stable management and consistent strategy is really starting to pay off. For the new Chevy Malibu to make our lists demonstrates that, for the first time in about twenty years, GM can compete with the likes of Toyota and Honda in the important family sedan segment."

White knocks silver out of seven-year first-place spot in global colour popularity rating

Troy, Michigan - Silver is no longer the colour champion for vehicles, according to the annual DuPont Global Automotive Color Popularity Report. After seven years of silver in first place, white/white pearl took a narrow lead in North America, followed by silver in second place, and black/black effect in third. White also topped silver in Japan, and in Mexico it more than doubled its lead over grey, the next popular colour.

DuPont has tracked colour statistics and reported trends in colour preference for more than 55 years. This year, it sees white/white pearl as a trend-shifting colour, and anticipates that the new black metallic and other colour effects will show an increase in popularity over time. Red also continues to gain ground in nearly all segments.

" We are not surprised to see a proliferation of white/white pearl in DuPont's report this year," said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "It follows the global trends in home furnishings, fashion, consumer products and industrial design, where we're seeing a return to white as a clarifying agent before change, a colour of purity and minimalism. White is also considered a fashion statement. The car you drive is a fashion statement, and consumer preferences for white agree. White pearl itself is a combination of many colours, allowing ability to change, reflecting, in effect, layers of white."

Globally, overall colour popularity is beginning to shift from silver to an increased interest in grey. White/white pearl remains a very important colour for trucks and SUVs, based on the high volume of those vehicles, and is growing among luxury buyers and other segments. Red is also growing globally, with an increase of two per cent overall.

Globally, the top colours were white/white pearl in North America, followed by silver and black; white/white pearl in Mexico, followed by grey and red; silver in Brazil, followed by black and grey; black in Europe, followed by silver; white/white pearl in Japan, followed by silver; silver in China, followed closely by black, white/white pearl, blue, red and grey; and silver in South Korea, followed by white/white pearl and black.