First Drives

First DrivesChevrolet Volt: Get a charge out of it!
At the 2007 Detroit Auto Show, Chevrolet unveiled the Volt, a new kind of hybrid car. Indeed, after noticing that most people travel no more than 65 km (40 miles) per day, mainly to go to work and back, the brass at Chevrolet conceived an electric car that could be …
First DrivesThe 2011 Hyundai Sonata, ain’t she pretty!4.5/5
During the recent launch of the 2010 Hyundai Tucson, I mentioned that this Korean manufacturer has had the wind in its sails for quite some time. Recession? What recession? With its share of the market practically doubling in the last year, Hyundai is now part of that club of automobile …
First DrivesMitsubishi Outlander: Growth in spite of everything
It was barely 24 months ago now, in 2008, when the Mitsubishi Outlander finished first in Le Guide de l’auto comparison of no less than eleven compact SUVs. But two years in the auto industry is enough to be left in the dust by new arrivals. As any skier will …
First DrivesThe 2011 BMW 335is: The return of the "s" designation
Estoril, Portugal - In the language of BMW, the new 335is coupe and cabriolet mean the return of the "s" designation, which is part of a "Life Cycle Impulse" – basically an update – for the 3 Series. Geared for performance, these two models will be sold exclusively in North …
First Drives2011 BMW 5 Series: The 6th generation
Estoril, Portugal – The 2011 model year marks the beginning of the sixth generation of the BMW 5 Series that will arrive in Canada in March 2010 with the 535i and 550i models. Since the arrival of the 5 Series in 1972, BMW has sold more than 5.5 million of …
First Drives2010 Nissan Leaf: The future is electric
Los Angeles, California. - It’s a sign of the times. Automobile manufacturers are leaving the racetrack and heading full speed into the race for environmentally friendly technologies. They know all too well that the first to sell zero-emission vehicles will be graciously rewarded by the public, which now seems ready …
First Drives2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid: Electric performance!
After recently introducing the BMW 7 Series Hybrid, the Bavarian manufacturer is now offering the 2010 BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, its second gasoline- and electric-powered hybrid model. In fact, the X6 will be the first hybrid vehicle sold by BMW since it will arrive here in December, several months before the …
First Drives2010 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG 63: Back to the future
A few years ago, after the new version of the Mercedes-Benz SL AMG 6.3 came out, we sat down for lunch with one of the directors of the Mercedes-Benz High Performance Division. He said he was satisfied with the new 6.8-litre V8 engines that AMG had just developed as well …
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