yep, we're stuck with the Microbe* only


* - One of my friends gave that nickname to his mom's 1984 Nissan Micra in the late 80's

what makes the decision look even worse is the Motor Trend's canadian website , which has an article about it in french , giving at first the impression that we would receive it too.. ( well, it was mine the first 5 mins or so )

I didn't realize that you don't have the sedan in Canada now.

https://driving.ca/nissan/versa-note/auto-news/news/nissans-dropping-the-axe-on-the-versa-note

As for the sedan, we're Versa-less since 2014 ( some could say Versa-free as the 2012 wasn't well received and people felt like the hatch was still better than the new sedan )



10 years ago, Kia tried its luck on the big SUV market with the Borrego... now there is a Part II, 2020 Telluride





Apart for a few exceptions, where there is a Kia, there is a Hyundai not far away .... 2020 Palisade





Finally, just as i thought the KONA was the ugliest ( ok, tied with the new Santa Fe ) Hyundai vehicle, they found a way to do worse.... 2020 Hyundai VENUE ( wrote that way on Hyundai's website )

Baube> The Kia Telluride is very similar to Volvo XC90 MkII.

For the "on Not" file, smart cars will no longer be sold in North America at the end of the 2019 model year. The only surviving model since 2017 has been the electric one, and that only sold 1,276 of them in the US during 2018. So there!

Another dead car, Nissan's 370Z Roadster. Nissan has confirmed they will not offer the convertible in the 2020 model year (which will be the 50th Anniversary for the Z).

https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1122874_nissan-370z-roadster-is-dead-after-2019?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Almost extinct, the full-size Regular Cab, Short Bed pickup truck. Tom at Consumer Guide pointed out how what was once the most popular pickup truck body style is almost extinct now. Only two models are available, and one of them is a holdover model about to be discontinued. Ford and Ram are the only two pickups available with that combo, and the Ram version is only on the Ram Classic (aka the old Ram), the redesigned Ram doesn't offer one. GM discontinued the bodystyle when they redesigned for 2019. Toyota last offered the Tundra like that in 2017, and Nissan never offered one on the Titan. So soon the Ford F-150 will be the only one.

https://blog.consumerguide.com/regular-cab-pickups/?fbclid=IwAR2WEGrr_CD142zxu8YK7pcSBDPP4bi8h2uAxRiBpFF8WF7vC-_5UQKsGQI

This morning I had a brand new Audi Q7 e-tron behind me.

It's grille reminded me the 1960 Auto Union 1000 S de luxe.

In recent years it's becoming a popular trend among US manufacturers to relive long-forgotten names and sell them outside the US.

So after the next Dodge Neon for Mexico, China got a new Chevy Cavalier...


...and a new Ford Escort:

VW is discontinuing the Golf Sportwagen and the Golf Alltrack for the US after the 2019 model year. They want to focus instead on new crossovers, a 5-passenger Atlas Cross Sport, and a tiny one positioned below the Tiguan (either Tahru/Tarek), and an electric one called the I.D. Crozz.

https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a28421961/volkswagen-golf-sportwagen-alltrack-discontinued/

https://media.vw.com/en-us/releases/1180?fbclid=IwAR12MLDpKZt-mP7sGELNouBuA65D1MSuYdFTwp84sQHGaWudEeAJ0BUSGog

Won't be long before we starting seeing these: https://jalopnik.com/2020-chevrolet-c8-mid-engine-corvette-everything-we-kn-1836485708

is that for real ? i feel like a mid-engine Vette rumors are about as old as the Bronco's return ones...

In my opinion, one of the most annoying (re)branding policy was Mazda's move to single-digit names : 2, 3, 6. It was reportedly done to enhance the Mazda brand, because noone would say "I drive a 3", so they'd say "I drive a Mazda 3".

And some people get paid to come up with "ideas" like that.

Anyway, the exception to the rule was Japan itself, where names like Axela, Atenza and Demio prevailed. But not anymore. Mazda's japanese line-up is getting the rebrand too.

https://www.mazda.co.jp

Soon in movies, the new Land Rover Defender. Here's a link to the UK-market spec & price list brochure.

http://cab.jaguarlandrover.com.edgesuite.net/L663/Land-Rover-Defender-1L6632010000SGBEN01P2.pdf

Coming soon to America's cities, two new takes on the refuse truck: the Autocar DC-64R and the Freightliner EconicSD. The DC-64R is Autocar's first conventional cab-behind-engine design in 30 years, while the EconicSD will be familiar to our European friends as a Mercedes and is just now making its American debut.

Also be on the lookout for China's BYD testing new electric trucks in California and Washington state.

https://jalopnik.com/freightliner-and-autocar-are-fighting-for-the-soul-of-t-1837107956

They were filming Fast and the Furious 9 near where I go to the gym, this was there (and making much noise) guessing it'll be in the film

The new Toyota Corolla is finally launched in Japan in all three body styles. And although they look a lot like their european counterparts, the sedan and station wagon are in fact shorter and narrower. It's a bit strange because despite these smaller dimensions, they still classify as "large" cars under local laws, because the width is still larger than 1,70m.

https://paultan.org/2019/09/17/2019-toyota-corolla-officially-goes-on-sale-in-japan/

The Corolla sedan (which isn't called Axio anymore) also replaces the rather meh Allion and Premio twins in Toyota's japanese range.

Coming soon everywhere : the new Toyota Yaris.

https://global.toyota/en/newsroom/toyota/29933748.html

Unveiled in April 2019 and available since September, meet the 2019½⁽¹⁾ Renault Master:

The most visible change is of course the more vertical grille and the squarer front end. Once again, the rear part remains the same, which makes it impossible to identify the phase 3 from the 2 previous phases when seen from the rear.

The facelifted Renault Trafic was also unveiled in April 2019, and is available since September too :


From the outside, it's just some chrome addition in the grille and C-shaped led "eyeliner" for the headlamps...
I haven't found a picture from the rear face yet, so I'm unable to say if something changed on this side.
_____

1- As a reminder, there's no longer model years in France: since 2001, French vehicles use the calendar year.

Following the Renault Master, the Opel Movano got its facelift too in May 2019. The Master's inner changes are almost all kept, but weirdly the Movano keeps the old face, with just a slight facelift:


Unlike the Master, there's a small change in the rear part of the Opel: a Blitz replaces now the "Opel" badge on the left rear door.

Speaking of Opel, let's not forget the 2018+ Combo / Combo Life (rear view here, thanks to Mystery Man) nor the 2019+ Vivaro (utilitarian van) / Zafira Life ("civilian" model), both made on PSA platforms:



Apart from the griffin replacing the Blitz, Vauxhall models seem to be exactly the same. Except that the Zafira Life is sold as Vivaro Life in U.K.