Nissan Gives Up On Commercial Vans In North America

Nissan gives up on commercial vans in North America

Nissan is done selling its NV line of commercial and passenger vans in the U.S. and Canada, Automotive News reported Friday, confirming a move that AN reported a few months ago. The automaker is going to push its sedans and SUVs for fleet sales instead.

Nissan will end production of its full-size NV vans in Canton, Miss., and the compact NV200 in Cuernavaca, Mexico, next summer.

Toyota Announces Plans To Introduce A Hot Hatch In America

Toyota announces plans to introduce a hot hatch in America

Toyota alchemized the newest Yaris into a street-legal, 268-horsepower pocket rocket in order to homologate it in the World Rally Championship (WRC). It's not going to sell the model here, partly because our Yaris is completely different from the one sold abroad, but it hinted there's a second, America-bound hot hatch in the pipeline.

"While the GR Yaris isn't coming to the United States, perhaps it's time the United States got a Toyota hot hatch to call its own. One that continues to push the boundaries of performance. And one that can only come from Toyota Gazoo Racing," the company wrote on a page of its American website dedicated to the rally-bred Yaris. It also posted the same message — and a photo of the GR Yaris going sideways — on its official Twitter account.

Honda's Next Two Evs For America Will Be Made By Gm

Honda's next two EVs for America will be made by GM

Honda's electric car range has been pretty paltry in the United States so far. Its only full electric is the short-range Honda Clarity EV, which is on its way out, and the adorable Honda E doesn't look like it's coming here anytime soon (no matter how much we want it to). But the company is planning on changing that. In a joint press release, it announced with General Motors that it has two new EVs coming that will be based on GM's electric car technology.

The two cars will use the new global EV platform from General Motors and the company's new Ultium batteries. The platform will be used in a wide array of GM vehicles from Chevy to Cadillac. The Ultium batteries are unique pouch-style batteries that allow for lots of packaging flexibility, rapid charging, and will be offered in packs from 50 to 200 kWh. All of this technology will underpin the new Hondas. In fact, these new Hondas will even have OnStar and the hands-free SuperCruise advanced driver assist system. They'll be built in GM factories in North America, too.

Toyota Could Turn The Corolla Or The C-hr Into A Hot Hatch For America

Toyota could turn the Corolla or the C-HR into a hot hatch for America

The 268-horsepower Toyota GR Yaris joined the list of forbidden fruits we can't get in the United States when it made its global debut at the 2020 Tokyo Auto Salon. The online petition to bring the car here didn't change the company's mind, but product planners have another plan to satisfy motorists seeking a seriously quick hatchback.

Toyota has "an answer" for the GR Yaris (pictured) that's better tailored to the American market, according to Bob Carter, the firm's executive vice president of sales. Speaking to Car & Driver, he explained it's not going to be a federalized version of the rally-bound model sold overseas because the car it's based on isn't available on our shores. The Yaris we get is a re-badged Mazda2 that shares no major parts with the fourth-generation hatchback sold overseas, so giving it World Rally Championship-like power would be easier said than done.

Scandal To Tour North America For The First Time In 2 Years

SCANDAL to tour North America for the first time in 2 years

It's been revealed that SCANDAL will hold their first North American tour in 2 years. 

SCANDAL are set to release their new album "Kiss from the darkness" from their private label 'her' on February 12. The North American tour will be a part of their world tour that will be held to commemorate the album's release. At this time, four locations have been announced including California, Texas, Georgia, and Toronto. 

There's A Petition To Get The Toyota Yaris Gr To North America

There's a petition to get the Toyota Yaris GR to North America

The Toyota GR Yaris, a Gazoo Racing homologation special, just debuted in January, 2020 at the Tokyo Auto Salon, but it has already drawn a rabid following. It's clearly one of the most important Toyotas in recent memory, but it's highly unlikely it'll be sold in the North American market. A petition started in Canada, noticed by Motor1, wants Toyota to change that. The excitement around this car is undeniable. After Toyota won the 2018 FIA World Rally Championship, it began preparing to make sure it wasn't a one-and-done situation. Developed with Gazoo Racing and Tommi Mäkinen Racing, the GR Yaris is essentially a new car, not a retuned old Yaris, with a new chassis, a lightweight body, and a new all-wheel-drive system. It also has 1.6-liter three-cylinder that makes an unheard of 268 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. There's so much hype around this car, in fact, that Road & Track called it a more exciting release than the 2020 Toyota GR Supra, and they have a point. "Toyota has taken steps to revitalize their brand with the re-introduction of the new Supra," the petition states. "The problem is, the car is priced out of reach for a lot of the general population, and not the best choice as a year-round vehicle in areas that have snow on the roads 5 months a year."  If your feelings align with Altman and the rest of the hopeful Toyota and rally fans in North America, check out the petition and consider signing. At the time of this writing, 541 people have signed, but it's only just begun. The initial goal is 1,000, a number that will surely be hit.