Mazda is adding optional all-wheel drive to its next-generation Mazda3, making it one of only two vehicles in the mainstream compact sedan segment with the feature that is becoming an increasingly important purchasing factor for Canadians.

Hopes are especially high in Quebec, where the new SUV is expected to double the luxury automaker’s sales volume.

The line between the advancements in high tech and the automotive industry blurs more with each passing day. Stay ahead of the curve by becoming familiar with these terms, all of which will become common parlance among automotive-industry insiders in the months ahead. 

Pressure is mounting for single-point dealers in Canada to either grow into larger dealer groups or sell their stores to a group willing to buy, according to industry experts.

Despite the market pressures being put on premium automakers to offer SUVs, the McLaren brand will remain a holdout. There is "no compromise," Mark Roberts, head of design operations for McLaren Automotive, said on the sidelines of the Canadian International AutoShow.

Lincoln Motor Company of Canada Director Terry Erb unveiled the Aviator ahead of the Toronto auto show. He says the brand has dealer representation "where our competitors are not. That's probably a real advantage."

Michael Kopke, director of marketing for Kia Canada, says the brand’s desire to do things differently, such as vehicle launches separate from the auto show, stems from the automaker’s internal culture of "constant reinvention."

Porsche Cars Canada projects the plug-in hybrid version of its recently launched third-generation Cayenne SUV will be the vehicle’s volume seller — ahead of both the entry-level trim and the mid-level S trim.

The Chevrolet Blazer has to find its way into a crowded, ever-expanding utility vehicle segment. It also has to survive Unifor's call for a boycott of Mexico-made GM vehicles in the wake of the automaker's decision to close its Oshawa, Ont., assembly plant.

Canada’s current love affair with utility vehicles and pickups, coupled with a growing demand for premium products, is playing right into the hands of GMC Canada and its AT4 off-road trim, a brand executive says.

From growing up in Montreal to living in Tokyo, Infiniti Executive Design Director Karim Habib drew on experience from just about everywhere to give the automaker its QX Inspiration electric crossover concept as the luxury brand marked its 30th year in business.

Infiniti President Christian Meunier, the former head of Nissan Canada, says a luxury vehicle should be used to carry kids, dogs and more. "You put mud in it, and you eat your burger or your French fries – or your poutine," he says.

Nissan sold just 18 Leaf EVs in Ontario in the final two months of 2018. But the end of a provincial rebate on green vehicles has diverted inventory to grateful Quebec dealers.

Midsize trucks posted year-over-year sales growth of 8.1 per cent through November, while sales of full-size pickups were down 8.4 per cent over the same period. The market is about to get a little more crowded, too, with the Ford Ranger and Jeep Gladiator on the way.

Mazda Canada is adding a top-level Signature trim to its Canadian lineup of the 2019 Mazda CX-5. It's also making heated front seats and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard on the base model GX trim.