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Ford barely edges surging Chrysler for Canadian sales crown in best year ever

The auto industry in the US showed strong results through much of 2014 with sales regularly growing year-over-year for many brands. That same trend carried over in the Great White North, as well. Canada posted its best numbers ever with 1.85 million units sold, up about 100,000 vehicles over 2013. The country nearly had a new market leader, too. The big winner among our neighbors to the north in 2014 was Ford with 291,951 vehicles sold, up 3 percent from 2013, according to Reuters. That success also handed the company the sales crown for the fifth consecutive year. In large part, the strong result came from the company's popular trucks, which represented about 80 percent of overall sales. "Ford moved into the number one position in September and didn't look back," said a note to clients by DesRosiers Automotive Consultants quoted by Reuters. However, the Blue Oval didn't exactly take an overwhelming lead for the year. The company nearly had to hand over the sales trophy to FCA after the company rallied in the latter part of the year. The Italian-American conglomerate had its best results ever to nip at the Ford's heels and move 290,004 units for 2014, a 12-percent improvement from last year. Jeep especially helped the bottom line with over 50-percent growth, according to Reuters. Only two other brands were able to break the 200,000-vehicle barrier in Canada for 2014. General Motors came in third place overall with 249,800 sales, up 6.3 percent. The combined Toyota and Lexus also barely jumped the hurdle with 200,851 units moved, a 2.8 percent improvement.

Lexus ES gets a tech-focused mid-cycle update for the 2022 model year

Lexus traveled to the 2021 edition of the Shanghai Auto Show to unveil the updated ES. Scheduled to launch as a 2022 model, the sedan ushers in a long list of handling, comfort, and technology improvements. Most of the major changes are found in the cabin, where the ES finally receives a touchscreen-based infotainment system. Entry-level models ship with an 8.0-inch screen, while upmarket versions receive a 12.3-inch display. Both are positioned 4.3 inches closer to the front passengers; it was easier to move the screen than to give buyers longer arms. The touchpad-like remote interface located on the center console, next to the gear selector, remains. Lexus also updated the technology motorists can't see but regularly rely on. The Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 suite of electronic driving aids comes standard across the line-up, and improvements to the camera and the millimeter-wave radar increase the pre-collision system's response range. Intersection Turning Assist, which can detect if the driver is about to turn in front of an oncoming car or a pedestrian, joins the roster of safety systems. Also new are Emergency Steering Assist, Curve Speed Reduction, and a function that automatically increases the car's speed if the driver is about to pass a slower car. Lexus points out it made its Lane Tracing Assist feature smoother, too. Although the ES has traditionally leaned towards the comfort side of the luxury sedan scale, Lexus made small but meaningful tweaks to improve handling with the help of Toyota president Akio Toyoda, an enthusiast who regularly races a Supra. Engineers fitted a new rear suspension brace to increase torsional rigidity and stability, while the non-hybrid model's brake master cylinder and brake booster were redesigned to provide a more linear feel. Every ES gets a bigger brake pedal, and hybrids benefit from improved pedal feel, according to the company. Subtle exterior revisions, such as a redesigned grille and new-look headlights, set the 2022 ES apart from the outgoing 2021 model. New paint colors and additional wheel designs round out the list of major exterior updates. Lexus added a hybrid F Sport model to the portfolio. Called ES 300h F Sport, it gains a mesh grille with a dark frame, a spoiler on the trunk lid, 19-inch wheels, and an array of sporty-looking interior accents. Motorists who want a bit of go with their show can order the optional Dynamic Handling Package (DHP) available only on the V6-powered ES 350 F Sport.

Toyota, Lexus will offer low-cost automated braking system

First, a technology gets better, then it gets a lot better, then it gets less expensive, then it gets a lot less expensive. Advanced driver safety and convenience systems are about to make that last step thanks to Toyota. Centered around a pre-collision braking system, there will be three suites of driver aids known as Toyota Safety Sense C (TSS C) for compact cars, Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS P) for midsized and premium cars, and Lexus Safety System+ (LSS+) for the luxury brand. TSS C pairs a camera with laser radar to provide a pre-collision system that prompts the driver to brake if it detects an impending accident, and can supply additional braking force and automatically brake between seven and fifty miles per hour. There are also Lane Departure Alert and Automatic High Beam. TSS P pairs a camera with more precise millimeter-wave radar. Starting with the three functions in TSS C, it adds pedestrian pre-collision capability and adaptive cruise control. This one will be available first, coming on the new RAV4 Hybrid and Avalon. TSS - either C or P - will expand to three more vehicles by the end of the year. The wallop is in the price: TSS C will be a $300 option, TSS P will cost $500. Compare the Ford Fusion SE, for instance - it's Driver Assistance Package comes with Lane Departure Warning, Automatic High Beams, it has Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot and Cross Traffic Detection that neither TSS has, but doesn't have any autonomous braking feature. It costs $1,200, but requires you to add the Technology and Luxury Packages for a total price of $3,165. If you want Autonomous Cruise Control, that's another $995, for $4,160 in total. Instead of $300 or $500 on the Toyota. Lexus' LSS+ will come first on the new RX then spread to four more models by the end of this year, and cost between $500 and $635 to add as an option. It also uses a camera and millimeter-wave radar for its vehicle and pedestrian pre-collision system, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, automatic high beam, and auto cruise control. The similar package on a BMW X5, with no pedestrian component, is $1,200. Toyota says both safety suites will eventually be on "nearly all" of it products and all trim levels by the end of 2017.