Car Child Seat Check

 Great comparison of new vehicles and their compatibility with child seats.

Car Seat Check

Fisker rebrands, eyes late 2016 return

Friday October 30, 2015 - 10:10 am

Published By: The Formula Publications Team

A renewed focus, a new brand, a California-based factory and a growing market for luxury alternative-powertrain vehicles have former automaker Fisker eyeing a strong return in 2016.

But when the luxury line and its stunning plug-in hybrid offering hits dealerships, it won’t be as a Fisker Automotive offering but rather from Karma, the original handle of its first and only nameplate.

“It’s in our DNA,” the company explains. “It’s a name that respects our past, while simultaneously reinventing our future. An awareness of what we are doing, and how and why we are doing it. It’s old. It’s new.”

The Fisker story began in the late 2000s. Designed by Danish co-founder and namesake Henrik Fisker, the company was headquartered in Anaheim, Calif., but built its cars at a facility in Finland. Its one and only nameplate, Karma, hit North America after Environmental Protection Agency certification issues ended in late 2011.

The cars carried a base price that topped $100,000 and quickly became a favourite of celebrities and automotive journalists alike. Movie star Leonardo DeCaprio became an equity investor and brand ambassador while Top Gear Magazine named it luxury car of the year in late 2011.

The sleek and luxurious four-door plug-in electric hybrids featured eco-friendly extras like a solar paneled roof and reclaimed lumber accents. Powering the sedans were two 120-kW motors from battery supplier A123 and a 2.0-L turbocharged VVT DI engine.

Its retail network was a forbearer in many ways to what Tesla has done around the world with many dealerships set up in traditional retail locations like shopping malls.

Unfortunately for Fisker and its fans, financial woes hobbled production after just 2,450 Karmas rolled off the line. Its battery supplier A123 Systems filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in October 2012.

Confounding the drama that month was the destruction of the 338 units parked at Port Newark, New Jersey when Hurricane Sandy pounded the north-eastern U.S. coastline.

Recalls, vehicle fires, funding missteps and unfortunate twists of fate eventually forced the company to file for bankruptcy in 2013. Chinese auto parts giant Wanxiang Group acquired Fisker’s assets for $149.2 million (U.S.) in 2014 with the goal of restarting the company under the Karma banner.

Intentions took a large step to fruition this summer when Wanxiang inked an 11-year lease on a factory in Moreno Valley, Calif.

Units rolling off the line there could reportedly be offered for sale as early as the middle of next year.

Exactly what will follow in terms of product remains a debatable topic. Aside from an updated Karma, analysts and industry watchers are wondering what car will come next if its sales market returns.

Former co-owner Fisker has previously stated Wanxiang employs upwards of 20 of the brand’s original designers and owns several of his designs as a part of the Chapter 11 purchase.

Norman Hebert, chief of Quebec’s Groupe Park Avenue dealership group, was one of only four Canadian Fisker retailers during its first run. He says that despite the passage of time, demand remains surprisingly high for the models he characterizes as timeless.

“I think we were the only dealer in Canada that continued to service their customers. We were only in business about six months and sold close to 30 vehicles,” he explains. “It seems sometimes there isn’t a day that goes by that we don’t have customers looking for used Fiskers. We are very excited to have that brand come back.”

The market for expensive, alternatively powered cars has certainly grown in the past few years. Tesla says it has pre-sold the first 15,000 units of its new Model X while numerous hybrid and electric offerings are beginning to flow forth from brands like Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, BMW, Audi and Lexus.

While questions remain about how its retail network will develop, becoming production ready and gaining certification will have to be the first of many vital steps to any kind of major comeback.

http://www.canadianautoworld.ca/article/101789/

Get a Grip With the Winter Tire Program

 

Manitoba public insurance

Winter tire program

Get a Grip

With the Winter Tire Program

INDOOR AUTO SALES AND SERVICE

Even if you’re driving safely, winter roads can be slippery. Reduce your risk on the road by purchasing 

winter tires with low-interest financing. The MPI Winter Tire Program provides low-interest financing 

to eligible Manitobans at prime plus two per cent*, on up to $2,000 per vehicle. This financing can be 

used for the purchase of qualifying winter tires and associated costs from Indoor Auto Sales and 

Service. 
Program eligibility: To be eligible for the Winter Tire Program, you must:be an individual 

(not corporate) Manitoba Public Insurance customer, purchase qualifying winter tires for a passenger 

vehicle or light truck (gross vehicle weight under 4541 kg) registered under your name have no 

financing restrictions or outstanding arrears on your Manitoba Public Insurance account. Check your 

eligibility quickly and easily with our eligibility confirmation tool. Qualifying tires will display this 

symbol  as established by Transport Canada and the Rubber Association of Canada. It indicates 

that the tires have met specific snow traction performance requirements and are designed to be used in 

severe snow conditions. Financing can be applied to the purchase of winter tires displaying the symbol 

above as well as associated costs including:
rims,mounting balancing,taxes and fees The following are not eligible for financing:
repair of tires, maintenance/storage of tires between seasons unless included as part of the initial cost, 

switchover cost of changing between all-season and winter tires after the initial purchase/installation 

unless included as part of the initial cost. Visit Indoor Auto Sales
Determine your eligibility for the program, then visit Indoor Auto Sales and select your tires. We will 

confirm your eligibility and complete the loan authorization. You will be asked to:provide your vehicle 

registration certificate and your driver’s licence or identification card, select a financing term between 

one and four years and a monthly payment withdrawal day, choose between using the existing banking 

or credit card information on your Manitoba Public Insurance account, or have your Autopac agent 

contact you for the information, provide your phone number and preferred Autopac agent, read and 

sign the loan information (including applicable interest rate), Preauthorized Payment Agreement, 

promissory note and terms and conditions We will fax your signed application to your Autopac agent. 

*Interest rates are determined by the Bank of Canada and are subject to change without notice.
http://www.indoorautosales.net/mpi-winter-tire-program.html

Should I Change the Thermostat?

Schmidt/iStock/Thinkstock

Unless an engine overheats or fails to reach normal operating temperature after being driven for several miles, the thermostat that regulates the flow of coolant is probably working properly. Thermostats generally last for years — even for the lifetime of a vehicle — so why bother changing it?
Indeed, if it appears to be working, there probably isn't need for a new thermostat. However, if you're having other cooling system maintenance performed, such as replacing the coolant and/or the radiator hoses on a vehicle that's been in service for several years, it could be a good idea to replace the thermostat at the same time for peace of mind. That's particularly true if the upper radiator hose is being removed, as that's where many thermostats are located.
Aside from this type of preventive maintenance, a thermostat doesn't need to be replaced unless it stops opening and closing when it's supposed to. If it sticks in the closed position, that traps coolant in the engine so that it overheats. If it sticks in the open position, the coolant will constantly circulate through the engine and radiator, which can prevent the engine from reaching full operating temperature (and full efficiency) and reduce heat output from the climate system.
Among the signs that a thermostat isn't working are an engine that overheats or runs hotter than usual, or a cabin heater that fails to produce sufficient warm air. A faulty thermostat may also trigger the check engine light. Because these symptoms can be caused by other problems, the entire cooling system should be inspected by a pro before deciding to replace the thermostat.
Not getting enough heat in the interior is mainly a comfort issue, but overheating can cause serious engine damage and shouldn't be ignored. Most vehicles have a temperature gauge that gives a constant reading of the cooling system temperature, ranging from "C" to "H" or blue to red. In modern cars, the needle or bar graph will come to rest dead center, or just a notch or so toward the cold side, when the engine has reached optimum temperature. Cars with this gauge might also have a warning light for when the engine is running hotter than normal.



An increasing number of cars do away with the gauge and have a high-temperature warning light, either alone or supplemented by a separate indicator — typically a blue icon of a thermometer sitting in water — that comes on when you start a cold engine and stays lit until it reaches the proper operating temperature. If this indicator stays illuminated, there's a good chance the thermostat has stuck open.
A gauge can give a driver an early heads-up that something is wrong, but a warning light might not come on until the engine is so hot it needs to be turned off immediately to prevent damage.
https://www.cars.com/articles/should-i-change-the-thermostat-1420682599501/