Last week I drove a 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LT over 2,000 km’s from Montreal, Quebec to Detroit, Michigan on my way to attending the 2012 North American International Auto Show.  The Sonic was on loan from General Motors Canada, who provided it to me for a week-long test drive and evaluation.  My review is now live on Autobytel.com.

It had been quite a while since I was last in Detroit, and the weather was far more hospitable than would be expected in January near the water.  The atmosphere at the Cobo Center, where the NAIAS was held, was also more upbeat than in previous years given the economically healthy year enjoyed by most automakers compared to the darker days of the recent recession.  Hospitality abounded throughout the event, with chili trucks, sushi bars and breakfast spreads adorning almost every booth and product announcements being made with an elevated level of pomp and circumstances.  The industry parties that dominated the evenings – the Cadillac ATS reveal, the Hyundai all-you-can-eat festivities at Slow’s, my favorite BBQ restaurant in the known universe, and Nissan’s somewhat surreal buffet and cigar lounge hosted at Chris Chelios’ downtown bar – were also vibrant and seemingly endless, leading to bleary eyes in the media room the next day.

What were some of the cars that caught my attention in Detroit?  The 2013 Ford Fusion is far and away one of the most attractive mid-size family cars out there, especially with its revised interior and Aston Martin-inspired face.  The Acura NSX Concept indicates that yes, there might still be a spark of life left at the slumbering luxury car company, and the Subaru BRZ is much nicer on the inside than either the Subaru WRX or the WRX STI – actually, much nicer than an entry-level rear-wheel drive sedan has any right to be.

The best part of the entire event, however, was meeting other journalists and industry professionals – as well as the members of the Autobytel.com team whom I have worked with for years but never actually got the chance to speak with face-to-face.  It can be somewhat isolating to survey the automotive universe from my icy Montreal HQ, and Detroit provided a welcome reality check and a chance to touch base, make new friends and laugh for hours with a crowd of people equally as obsessed about automobiles as I am.

I got my hands on a brand-new 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 with the All Terrain package this week, and I did what anyone should do when presented with an off-road ready full-size pickup:  hit the nearest mud bog and put it to the test.

Check out my video review to see just how well the GMC Sierra All Terrain did when asked to handle the rough stuff.  You can read my full review of the 2012 GMC Sierra 1500 All Terrain at Autobytel.com.

Special thanks to Ryan Harkness for his camera work in filming this segment.  This vehicle was provided for me for review purposes by GM Canada.

This is the first entry in a new feature on this blog where I provide a quick snapshot video review of a brand new automobile.  This week I take a look at the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo+ with the RS package – the most competent compact car to have ever been produced by General Motors, and a genuine competitor in the entry-level segment.

Check out the video for a synopsis of what it is like to drive the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze LT Turbo+ and to get my opinion on the car.   You can read my full review of the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze at Autobytel.com.

Special thanks to videographer Steven Vuong for filming and editing this segment.  This vehicle was provided for me for review purposes by GM Canada.

The last Ford Crown Victoria rolled off the assembly line Thursday, September 15 at its once-busy production facility in Ontario.  Down to just 80,000 Vics, Mercury Grand Marquis sedans and Lincoln Town Cars fleet sales a year (all of which share the same “Panther” platform), the plant that had been designed to fill orders of a quarter million vehicles every 12 months no longer made fiscal sense to operate.

Over the past 15 years the Crown Victoria and its Panther cousins became somewhat polarizing automotive designs, sure to elicit one of two reactions when mentioned in conversation with a fellow car fan.  The majority of gearheads scoffed at the ancient underpinnings that formed the basis of the full-size behemoth, heaping scorn on its body-on-frame design, anemic V8 engine and detached driving dynamics (not helped by the inclusion of a live rear axle in an age where independent rear suspensions rule the day).  A small subset of automotive enthusiasts, however, waxed eloquently about the Crown Vic’s rear-wheel drive layout, its ability to absorb substantial abuse (which along with its ease of repair made it a favorite amongst taxi and law enforcement fleet buyers) and the comfortable, magic carpet-esque ride quality that was especially apparent in the Town Car.

Which side is right?  In all honesty, neither camp is all that far off in either their denouncement or praise of the Ford Crown Victoria.  There is no doubt that the sedan was well past its prime in terms of being competitive with other, more recent full-size family cars.  After all, the platform that it rode on up until the 2011 model year was originally designed in 1979.  That being said, the Crown Vic wasn’t really aiming at the same customers that vehicles like the Toyota Avalon or the Dodge Charger were attempting to pull into showrooms.  It wasn’t a baby Lexus, nor was it a chiseled four-door muscle car.  It was a simple, roomy cruiser that could carry as many perps, shotguns, stacks of luggage or VIPs as you could stuff into it, and when you hit a curb during a pursuit you could bang things back into shape with a hammer without having to order and install a brand new front end.  For some buyers, these are important characteristics.  Note that I said some, not all or even most, which is why the Crown Vic and co. have bowed out of the automotive landscape.

Personally, I have always had a soft spot for the Crown Victoria.  Growing up, a close friend had a 91 Police Interceptor with a 351 cubic inch V8 that featured the world’s worst carburetor, a variable venturi unit that sucked down gas as such an intense rate that every time the accelerator was pinned to the floor, Saudi Arabia sunk another inch.  That buddy of mine is still driving a Crown Vic, by the way, although he has upgraded to the latest model.  I myself owned a 93 Crown Vic as a winter car for a very brief period of time before it upchucked its radiator and transmission fluids all over the street in front of my house one frosty January morning.  My fondest memory of that car was piloting it flat-out during a few illicit laps around the Gilles Villeneuve Formula One circuit here in Montreal while a friend held on to the inner door handle so tightly that by the time security had chased us from the grounds the panel itself had been torn completely off its mounting points.

Was it weird that growing up, my friends and I had a passion for this large, seemingly clunk full-size Ford?  In retrospect, maybe it was, and while most of us have moved on to park very different types of vehicles in our respective driveways, looking back it still makes sense to me.  At a time when rear-wheel drive, V8-powered cars were seemingly in danger of extinction, the Crown Victoria was a beacon of affordable performance and style that was far more appealing to us than the bland, anonymous family sedans of the day.

Think of it this way.  If the Camry were to disappear tomorrow – as competent a car as that is – would anyone be writing a blog post like this?

Probaby not.

Vaya con Dios, Crown Vic.

Starting next week, visit the Autobytel website to check out my column’s new home.  A permanent URL for the column is in the works as well, once the digital dust settles from the site launch.

It’s been a quiet week, so this Friday I am presenting you with only three thoughts about the auto industry, instead of my usual five.  Here are the stories that caught my eye over the past seven days.

01 – Next-Generation Mazda Miata to Lose Over 700 lbs

The Mazda Miata has always traded on its lightweight chassis as its strongest selling point, and Mazda appears to be willing to hammer home that point with the next generation Miata.  Reports are emerging that the roadster could lose as much as 30 percent of its current mass to come in at an eyebrow-raising 1,760 lbs.  This would be lighter than even my first-generation NA Miata, which tips the scales at just 2,200 lbs.

If Mazda can pull this off – and if they can maintain a solid power-to-weight ratio – then the future Miata could be a force to be reckoned with.  This is particularly true if the automobile gets a turbocharged engine to go with its diet.

02 – Stirling Moss Retires

Most of us would never consider heading out onto the track as an octogenarian, but then again, most of us were not gifted with the driving skill bestowed upon Stirling Moss.  The four-time F1 champion announced his retirement this week after admitting to himself that his abilities were no longer able to keep pace with the performance potential of the cars he was driving.  Moss cancelled his entry in the Le Mans Legends race, where he was scheduled to compete in same Porsche RS61 that he had previously had an on-track incident in while driving at Laguna Seca.

03 –Chevrolet Volt Now Nationwide

It is now possible to walk into any Chevrolet dealership in the United States and order a 2012 Chevrolet Volt.  Availability is still staggered, with the majority of the country not able to have those orders fulfilled until November, but GM is hoping to cash in on hype surrounding the vehicle and start moving units as quickly as possible.  There is still no word on when Canada will have access to the electric sedan.

The first Friday in June is here, and with it my five thoughts about the auto industry for the past week.

1 – Cadillac Cancels Electric Cadillac SRX Crossover

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle is how restrained GM has been about porting the platform to other brands within its portfolio.  This restraint continues with the news that the Cadillac SRX crossover will not be gaining an electric drivetrain based on technology lifted from the Volt.  As I wrote in my Autotropolis article, costs were the main reason for the death of the SRX EV, combined with the fact that the battery-powered crossover would have made it to market with only one or two years remaining in the vehicle’s life cycle.

2 – Volt Tax Credits Pilfered?

In further Chevrolet Volt news, the National Legal and Policy Center has published a report that accuses Chevrolet dealerships of selling Volt sedans to each other, pocketing the federal tax credit associated with battery-powered automobiles and then re-selling those credit-less examples to hapless retail customers as “used” automobiles.  The discovery of this potential misuse of the U.S. Governments tax credit program came after the group investigated the legitimacy of GM’s claims of strong demand for the automobile.  What the NLPC found was a maze of ultra-low mileage “used” Volts being sold around the country by a large number of dealerships that had already applied for the federal eco-credit.

3 – Future Full-Size GM SUVs To Be More Expensive

With new platforms on the way to replace the GMC Yukon, Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and the Cadillac Escalade, GM is sprucing up its SUV plant and potentially passing on the costs associated with building more fuel efficient vehicles that meet federal regulations directly to the consumer.  Look for pricier large sport-utility vehicles from General Motors by 2014 at the latest.

4 – Three-Cylinder Cars Make A Comeback?

It’s been a long time, and most people’s memories of the Pontiac Firefly and Geo Metro have faded into obscurity.  While smart currently offers a three-cylinder motor in its low-volume fortwo coupe and cabriolet, no other major automaker has dropped below the four-cylinder limit in North America – until now.  Ford has announced that it will be building a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost motor that will be paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and used in its subcompact automobiles around the world.  The engine is expected to replace the four-cylinder unit currently used in the Ford Fiesta.

5 – More Fuel Fears Give Us The Seven-Speed Manual Transmission

Although eight-speed automatics are now old hat, the manual tranny has been stuck at six cogs for what seems like more than a decade.  That is about to change thanks to Porsche’s decision to install a seven-speed manual in the next-generation Porsche 911.  The reason?  Adding a taller gear at the top of the shift pattern will allow Porsche to preserve the 911’s performance character while also benefiting from better fuel mileage.

How long before this technology trickles down to more affordable cars, where a fresh batch of teenagers will be even more baffled by their inability to find reverse?  Probably never – manual transmissions in North America are an endangered species, which is part of the reason why investment in their development has historically been so low.  The real miles-per-gallon savings are found in automatics, and with CAFE regulations creeping ever upward, autos will undoubtedly snag an even larger percentage of dealer inventory.

It’s Friday again, and time for a quick edition of my five thoughts about the auto industry.

1 – A Seven-Passenger BMW X7 On The Way?

My first response was, sure, why not?  BMW has gone far enough down the path to expanding its lineup (M-badged SUVs and upcoming front-wheel drive compact cars) that brand dilution is no longer really an issue.  In fact, at this point BMW almost seems to have adopted an attitude where they are throwing various models at the wall just to see what sticks.  Automobile Magazine seems to think that there is still some life left in the X7 rumors of just a few years ago, and if the company can fit the vehicle into is corporate overall fuel economy calculations, then we could see it on North American roads in just a few years.

2 – BMW 5 Series GT Considered a Failure

Not every new BMW product is well received, and the automaker does stumble from time to time.  A perfect example of an experiment that just won’t “stick” is the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo.  Also known as the 5 Series GT, this mid-size hatchback replaced the BMW 5 Series Touring (read: wagon) a short time ago, and dismal sales have led BMW executives to question the wisdom of the decision, as well as the future of the vehicle.  While it’s not necessarily true that the next-generation 5 Series will regain a wagon body style (which was also a slow seller, although expectations were far lower), the lackluster performance of the 5 Series GT means that the 3 Series Touring is in no danger of similar replacement.

3 – Black Boxes Around the Corner?

Wired is reporting that the NHTSA is hot to order the installation of “black box” data recorders in new vehicles as early as this year.  Current sticking points include the standardization of exactly what type of data is collected by the devices, as well as a legal framework for who would have access to the information, and when.  Many drivers are no doubt unaware that a wide range of modern cars and trucks already have this type of technology lurking in their computer systems as part and parcel of their airbag safety systems, and that the use of collected data is largely unregulated.

The implications of insurance companies, law enforcement and other entities having unfettered access to a driver’s on-road habits and comings and goings is a touchy subject in the United States.  This means that the NHTSA will have to tread lightly when coming up with fair legislation that makes clear what, if any, safety advantages mandatory black boxes would provide.

4 – New Ford Seat Detects Heart Attacks, Provides Warning to Driver

Ford is pushing the development of medical devices that integrate via a wireless connection with its Sync vehicle interface.  One such device would be a seat that can detect cardiac irregularities and then warn the driver that they might be about to have a heart attack.  Presumably, this is meant to give Ford owners time to pull over and avoid having an accident due to a cardiovascular issue.

In practical terms, there are numerous regulatory barriers that could prevent this type of technology from becoming economically feasible, not to mention the safety issues surrounding inaccurate readings.  Is Ford over-reaching?  I think so.  That being said, look for continued integration of medical device apps with high tech vehicle systems as medical device manufacturers seek out new markets.

5 – Mazda To Develop a Hybrid Rotary Engine

The Wankel rotary engine is not known for its fuel efficiency, but Mazda hopes to change that by co-opting Toyota hybrid technology and creating a gasoline / electric rotary motor that sips fuel at a more frugal rate.  The intended recipient of this hybrid rotary drivetrain would be the upcoming RX-9 sports car, which is pegged to replace the thirsty RX-8.

The question becomes why doesn’t Mazda simply go with a more conventional and fuel efficient engine for the RX-9 instead of an undoubtedly expensive hybrid rotary that very few sports car enthusiasts would actively seek out as a desirable feature?  If the RX-9 is intended as a low volume halo car, then this type of engine might make sense.  If volume is more important than prestige, it becomes more difficult to understand Mazda’s logic.

Just a couple of weeks are left in May and some interesting tidbits have been coming out of the auto business before the summer season swings into action.  Let’s take a quick look at five thoughts about the auto industry for the week of May 20, 2011.

1 – A Unibody Ram Pickup Based on the Dodge Grand Caravan?

It’s generally not a good idea to base future product plans on models from competitors that no one is really interested in.  This makes it difficult to understand why Dodge is contemplating building a unibody Ram pickup that would borrow the underpinnings of the Grand Caravan minivan.  The truck world already has a unibody pickup – the Honda Ridgeline – which has failed to set the world on fire in terms of sales during its more than five year production run.  16,142 examples were sold in 2010.

Why aren’t truck buyers interested in a unibody truck?  It all boils down to capability.  Fuel mileage for the Ridgeline isn’t particularly impressive, and it can’t tow or haul at the same level as a traditional full or mid-size pickup.  Unless the front-wheel drive Ram “minivan-pickup” can offer a substantial fuel savings or match the utility of traditional trucks, Dodge could have trouble meeting its sales projections of 20,000 vehicles per year.

2 – Nissan Offering Refund to Juke Owners

Most of the time, when a company makes a mistake it’s best to own up to it as soon as possible and try to make things right with consumers.  This is exactly what Nissan is doing after it became public that the automaker had whiffed on the exact size of the fuel tank found in front-wheel drive editions of the Nissan Juke compact crossover.  Marketing materials referred to both all-wheel drive and front-wheel drive versions as having a 13.2-gallon tank, when the former was actually outfitted with a tank that was a few gallons smaller.

The upshot for Juke owners who feel short-changed by their fuel tank inadequacy is a $400 compensatory check from Nissan, along with a letter of apology.  4,000 owners will be hearing from Nissan over the course of the next few weeks.

3 – Pickup Truck Sales At 30-Year Low

According to Wards Auto, pickup truck sales in the U.S. for the current year are chugging along more slowly than ever before, comprising just 12.6 percent of passenger vehicle sales so far in 2011.  Although high fuel prices would seem to be the likely culprit, these sales figures are in contrast to the almost 50 percent market share that trucks enjoy in neighboring Canada, where gasoline is considerably more expensive.  Other issues such as a weak construction industry and continued unemployment would seem to better explain sluggish pickup sales.

Can great deals on full-size inventory that has been sitting on the lot for weeks and weeks be just around the corner for those in a position to buy a truck right now?

4 – Skip a Car Payment?  BUZZZZZZZZZ!

Rocky Mountain Tracking has created the ultimate in electronic nagging: a buzzer that goes off every five minutes inside an automobile if the owner forgets to make their monthly payment on time.  Far more annoying than the “click to register” shareware reminders we have all grown used to dealing with on our PCs, and perhaps even worse than the “would you like to take a survey?” pop-up windows that are spreading like wildfire across the Web, the “Smart Tracker” is poised to be deployed as a weapon by used car dealers everywhere anxious to protect their liquidity.

5 – BMW Introduces “Left Turn Assistant.”

Electronic driving aides such as traction control and stability control definitely save lives, but there is a point at which computer intrusion into the cockpit begins to replace basic skills that every licensed vehicle operator should have.  That threshold has been reached by BMW with the announcement of its “Left Turn Assistant” technology that uses laser scanners and automatic braking in order to prevent collisions while turning left.

Yes, you read that correctly:  it would appear that BMW no longer trusts even basic human judgment behind the wheel.  While in some cases this attitude towards driver carelessness might be warranted, this type of technology contributes more to eroding the vigilance of those out on the road than it does to protecting their safety.  Why learn the rules of the road when a computer will do it all for you?  Given the relatively weak state of driver education in North America, this would seem to be a dangerous attitude to encourage on the part of the luxury car company.

It looks like I am going to be saying goodbye to my E34 5-Series BMW next week, as I have found a buyer who is interested in using both the engine and transmission in two different turbocharged project cars.  I have owned my 525i five-speed longer than any other car, and it will be sad to see it go.  At the same time, I am happy that it will live on in high performance form and provide someone else with the same level of enjoyment that it gave me.

With that eulogy out of the way, it’s time for this week’s edition of five thoughts about the auto industry.

1 – An All-Wheel Drive BMW M5

BMW walks a very tricky line when it comes to product image.  When speaking to enthusiasts, the company puts its game face on and talks about tradition, building The Ultimate Driving Machine and providing the sportiest possible ride in each market segment.  When faced with the realities of being a small car company in a big world, BMW is forced to abandon much of its rhetoric – and past design practices – and instead produce cars that it can sell in large numbers at high profit margins.

A perfect example of this philosophical about-face at BMW can found with the next-generation BMW M5.  Already, purists have taken to the streets to decry the decision to remove a standard transmission from the mix and replace it with a dual-clutch automatic unit.  The next blow is the revelation that the BMW M5 will harness the output of its turbocharged V8 engine through the use of an all-wheel drive system.  While all-wheel drive might help BMW sell vehicles in snowy parts of the world where the fair weather driving season is often too short to justify the purchase of a high end automobile by non-enthusiasts, it will certainly deaden the driving feel of a vehicle that has grown increasingly heavier, larger and less connected to the road since it first debuted in the late 1980s.

Perhaps the most compelling argument to be made against the production of an automatic, all-wheel drive BMW M5 is to ask what will separate the model from any of the high horsepower luxury saloons currently built by Audi’s S division or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG?

2 – Saab Rejected By Yet Another Suitor

Saab, which only last week announced that it had managed to do all but dot the lowercase j’s on a partnership with Chinese automaker Hawtai Motor Group, was forced to recant this Thursday with a statement that the deal has fallen through.  As I explained in my article for Autotropolis, Hawtai was unable to get “stakeholder approval” for the $172 million deal.

The most disturbing aspect of the failed arrangement between Saab and Hawtai, other than the Swedish automaker continuing its trend of being always a bridesmaid and never a bride, was the surprisingly cavalier attitude displayed by Saab chairman Victor Muller concerning the safety of the Chinese cars that Saab was to have imported to the U.S. as part of the deal.  Muller stated that although these sub-$10k vehicles would not be able to achieve 5-star crash ratings, their lack of passenger protection wouldn’t matter since the cars “look good” and offer extensive comfort features.  Not exactly the kind of attitude that inspires confidence in a product that has yet to even be introduced to the North American market.

3 – Japanese Automakers and Parts Suppliers to Abandon Japan?

That seemingly alarmist headline accurately encapsulates the sentiment expressed by major players in the Japanese auto industry as related by an article published by The Detroit Bureau this past week.  Some executives are suggesting that in order to speed up recovery and prevent future losses from earthquake-related disasters, relocation outside of the country’s borders should be considered.  The move, which could cost the country thousands of jobs and eliminate a substantial portion of its industrial base, is reportedly being evaluated by homegrown and foreign manufacturers alike who currently operate within the country.

Even if companies are not explicitly interested in seeking the shelter of a less disaster-prone region, they may be forced to reconsider any plans to rebuild in Japan should car companies elect to reshuffle their supplier relationships so as to reduce their reliance on Japanese-sourced components – a reliance that has had a chilling effect on automotive production around the world since March.

4 – Hummer, Pontiac and Saturn Buyers Abandoning General Motors

In a story that surprised almost no one, the Wall Street Journal has published findings that while some owners of brands which were orphaned by the GM bankruptcy reorganization of 2009 were content to purchase a Chevrolet or Buick to replace their Hummer, Pontiac or Saturn, more often than not these shoppers handed over their hard-earned cash to another automaker.

Despite the existence of rebates and discounts totaling as much as $1,000 to attempt to lure abandoned members of the GM family back into the fold, over the course of the past year 70 percent of Pontiac customers and 71 percent of Saturn drivers went somewhere else for their new cars, trucks or crossovers.  The Journal also reports that Ford hasn’t had much better luck with Mercury, with 65 percent of owners bowing out of the Ford family.

Drivers have long memories, especially if they feel they have been somehow wronged by the brand that built their vehicle.  The WSJ numbers would seem to illustrate that quite clearly.

5 – A Radically Redesigned Chevrolet Corvette?

Rumors abound that the next-generation C7 Corvette will abandon its traditional front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and adopt a mid-engine design that could even replace its vaunted LSx V8 with a twin-turbo V6.  Sound familiar?  That’s because we have been hearing similar rumblings about the fate of the Corvette for at least twenty years, as two camps of enthusiasts fight it out in the shadows: those who want to transform the Corvette into a high-tech American exotic, and those who wish to preserve its traditional charm.  Needless to say, despite claims that the next edition of the car will look “completely different” than the current iteration, it will be quite some time before we are given a look at what the real future of the Corvette has in store.