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The Auto Sleuth: A Sedona refresh, targeting a new Tundra, and a boost for the Trax

Hot-off-the-press news from the auto world
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The Sleuth has learned that General Motors’ Bowtie brand will give its tiny utility vehicle a more powerful engine by the middle of the year.

A power upgrade is coming for the Chevrolet Trax:

The Sleuth has learned that General Motors’ Bowtie brand will give its tiny utility vehicle a more powerful engine by the middle of the year.

The current turbocharged 1.4-litre four-cylinder that makes 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque is being replaced by a new turbo engine of equal displacement rated at 153/177.

It was previously available in the compact Buick Encore tall wagon and the Chevrolet Cruze sedan, the latter being cashiered following the 2019 model year. Given the Trax’s modest thrust, the new engine should provide a welcome uh, boost.

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The redesigned Sedona – or its replacement – will be bigger and more powerful, and The Sleuth hears it will get a new name: Carnival. PHOTO: KIA
The redesigned Sedona – or its replacement – will be bigger and more powerful, and The Sleuth hears it will get a new name: Carnival. PHOTO: KIA

A Sedona refresh could also mean a fresh new name

That’s what The Sleuth is hearing will happen when the automaker’s fourth-generation minivan arrives for the 2022 model year. Word has it the new name will be – drum roll, please – Carnival.

The new body appears to be longer and wider than the current design with additional length between the front and rear wheels. Interior accommodations are said to include optional second-row chairs that can swivel to face the third-row bench seat.

The Sedona’s 3.3-litre V-6 with 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque will be replaced by a 3.5 rated at 290/262. The Carnival will be front-wheel-drive and have an eight-speed automatic transmission.

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A new advertising spot recalls the joyriding scene from the movie <em>Ferris Bueller’s Day Off</em>. PHOTO: YouTube screen grab
A new advertising spot recalls the joyriding scene from the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. PHOTO: YouTube screen grab

Cameron gets the last word on son’s joyride plot

Fans of the 1986 comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, starring Matthew Broderick, will enjoy the latest promo for LiftMaster garage-door openers.

In it, the son of Ferris’s friend Cameron (Alan Ruck) and his buddy consider taking Cameron’s pristine Jaguar XKE for a joyride. You might recall a similar situation in the original movie when Cameron (with Ferris’s help, of course) borrows his dad’s Ferrari 250 GT California.

In the commercial, however, Cameron remotely admonishes the boys via the LiftMaster Secure View’s smart monitor/speaker. Check out the 30-second spot (“Alan Ruck and LiftMaster show the perks of a smart garage”) at youtube.com.

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Toyota preps a new Tundra

The only serious challenger to the Detroit-based full-size pickups will be redesigned for the 2022 model year.

Along with updated looks and a lighter and stiffer frame, a new independent rear suspension is rumoured to replace Tundra’s current solid axle. It also appears that the Tundra’s 381-horsepower 5.7-litre V-8 will be replaced by a twin-turbocharged V-6 making at least 416 horsepower. The base 310-horsepower 4.6-litre V-8 will likely remain.

Since the V-6 is also used in Lexus-brand hybrid vehicles, it’s likely a hybrid Tundra is also in the pipeline.

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In case the S-Class sedan isn’t quite luxurious enough, there’s the new Maybach S 580. PHOTO: MAYBACH
In case the S-Class sedan isn’t quite luxurious enough, there’s the new Maybach S 580. PHOTO: MAYBACH

Mercedes-Benz adds another ultra-luxury Maybach:

Based on the automaker’s premium S-Class sedan, the new-for-2021 S 580 Maybach, which arrives in spring, will join the GLS 600 Maybach utility vehicle.

The S 580 uses a stretched S-Class platform that provides plenty of room for passengers and chauffeurs. Among the more opulent features are climate-controlled reclining rear chairs finished in quilted leather, heated and cooled cup holders, fold-out tables and a sophisticated noise-canceling system. Optional are electronically opening and closing rear doors that can be controlled by the driver.

The S 580 is fitted with a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 producing 496 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. In the works is a V-12 model, although its arrival date is unknown. Figure on a $300,000 price tag for the S 580 in Canada.

UPS AND DOWNS

Up: Positive charge for Honda

The word reaching The Sleuth is that the automaker has plans to electrify a number of its key vehicles by the mid-2020s, including the CR-V tall wagon that will be offered as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a battery electric. Also in development is an electric Accord sedan and NSX super car, which already uses a hybrid power system. The major shift to electric stems from Honda’s partnership with General Motors in electric-vehicle development.

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The Sleuth isn’t too sure about risking an original GT40 in a racing series, but that hasn’t stopped one from being organized.PHOTO: FORD ARCHIVES
The Sleuth isn’t too sure about risking an original GT40 in a racing series, but that hasn’t stopped one from being organized.PHOTO: FORD ARCHIVES

Classic Ford GT40 racing slated for 2021

Do you own an original 1966 or older GT40? If so, you could be eligible to compete in the Amon Cup, a two-race series organized by Motor Racing Legends. The trophy is named for Chris Amon, who with fellow New Zealander Bruce McLaren drove their GT40 to victory in the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France. The Amon Cup races will be held in May and October in England at the Silverstone and Donnington Park tracks, respectively. Amon died in 2016 at age 73.

– written by Wheelbase Media

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