Stellantis Pulls Canadian Investment, GTA Mercedes-Benz Dealer Employees Strike, And More

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addresses the media during a tour of the Stellantis Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, on January 17, 2023.

Welcome to our round-up of the biggest breaking stories on Driving.ca from this past week. Get caught up and ready to get on with the weekend, because it’s hard keeping pace in a digital traffic jam.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets a Stellantis auto assembly worker during a tour of the Windsor Assembly Plant in Windsor, Ontario, Canada on January 17, 2023.

Stellantis isn’t happy with the Canadian government’s handling of the potential Windsor EV battery plant deal. Like so many deals that have fallen through before it, it’s a matter of dollars and sense.

Ask the automaker the score, and it’ll say the “Canadian government has not delivered on what was agreed to” and that it might have to start “implementing contingency plans.” Ask Trudeau and he’d probably say something about being distracted by Volkswagen and the $13-billion it secured for its St. Thomas, Ontario plant development.

Driving columnist David ‘Motor Mouth’ Booth wades into the weeds of the controversy, following the money, separating the mis-info from the info, and spelling out just how the American IRA’s policies have impacted Canada’s auto sector.

The latest version of Toyota’s popular midsize pickup debuted this week with hybrid power for the first time, plus the option for a six-speed manual on the gasser.

The 2024 Toyota Tacoma’s electrically assisted model uses the brand’s 2.4L turbocharged i-Force Max powerplant, good for 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque, and is available in four-wheel-drive only. In non-hybrid news, the 2.4L turbo four-pot makes 278 hp and 317 lb-ft when joined with the eight-speed auto, or 270 hp and 310 lb-ft with the six-speed manual (worth it!). This makes the Tacoma more twisty than the Colorado/Canyon duo, the Ford Ranger, and even the Ranger Raptor.

Canada will receive six Tacoma trims, and will be priced in the near future. Gas models should beat hybrids to dealerships and are expected to arrive in dealers later this year.

Employees at a number of GTA-based Mercedes-Benz dealers skipped work earlier this week, opting instead to picket outside their places of work, calling for better pay and protesting cuts to benefits and pensions. The dealerships were purchased from Mercedes-Benz Canada in 2022 by two private organizations, Zanchin Automotive Group and AWIN Group of Dealerships.

Strikers’ demands included pay increases to match inflation, and for the new owners to retract the demanded concessions against hard-fought gains.

“They bought the place, then asked the workers to pay for it,” said Greg Burton, Unifor’s Assistant to National Offices, adding that the workers represent many others across the auto retail industry. “How do you buy a business that you can’t sustain?”

While unionized workers picketed, non-union workers continued to sell cars inside the dealer walls. Learn more here.

There are two trims above the base: the Trailmaster Edition with all-terrain tires, electronically controlled diff locks, and a six battery; and the Fieldmaster Edition, which is more upscale, offering “Safari Windows, leather upholstery offered in two colourways, carpet floor mats and heated front seats [to make] outdoor adventures even more accessible.”

The Ineos Grenadier starts at $91,929 and maxes at $101,219. Models are expected to arrive in Canada in early 2024.

General Motors has issued a recall for over 42,000 SUVs due to an airbag issue that may cause them to explode during inflation. The issue may present itself in the event of a crash, if the driver’s airbag inflator deploys but doesn’t inflate properly, thus potentially jettisoning fragments toward those in the vehicle.

The company behind the airbags, ARC Automotive Inc., is also under pressure from the NHTSA to recall millions more of its inflators that were sold over 18 years. It has refused to do so, stating the defectors are “not defective.”

It’s never a good sign when the company that sold you a large machine advises you after the fact to park it away from any flammable structures. But that’s where Cherokee owners are at, sitting with a strange request from Jeep to keep model-years 2014-2016 Cherokees outside and away from other vehicles due to fire risk.

Roughly 23,000 Cherokees in Canada and 219,000 around the world may be impacted by the issue, which starts with a leaky power liftgate but can result in an electrical short and fire. Stellantis has yet to find a solve for the issue, but warns owners to beware if their Cherokee’s liftgate has ceased to function properly.

Canada and it’s southern neighbours have devised plans for an “Alternative Fuel Corridor” to run between Quebec City and Western Michigan. The route, already a popular course for travellers, will feature 215 charging stations, making it a far less anxious drive for those in electric vehicles.

“This first cross-border alternative fuel corridor will help drivers to travel across the border and charge or refuel worry-free,” said Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra in a statement.

The 1,400-km span will connect cities like Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, and QC, and is anticipated to increase passenger and trade traffic. Of the 215 charging stations, 61 will be placed between Toronto and Detroit.