Happy Friday! Welcome to this week’s edition of the Official DoubleClutch.ca News Rundown, where we recap the top automotive headlines from the week that was in one convenient package. This week was a busy one, with the Montreal and Detroit auto shows happening at the same time, so here’s what else happened this week based on all my other open browser tabs.
Chinese EVs are coming to Canada
This one is a pretty big deal. Ottawa announced today they’re significantly reducing its 100 per cent tariff on electric vehicles manufactured in China.
The move comes after two days’ worth of meetings between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese leaders. Initially, Chinese EV exports will be capped at 49,000 vehicles per year at a 6.1 per cent tariff rate, but Carney said that will grow to about 70,000 over five years. In exchange, China will lower their tariffs on canola seeds imported from Canada from 84 to 15 per cent.
Naturally, not everyone was a fan of the announcement. Ontario Premier Doug Ford didn’t mince words, prodding Carney to “fix this mess” because “this will bring a flood of cheap made-in-China electric vehicles without any real guarantee of equal or immediate investments in Canada’s economy, auto sector, or supply chain.”
In a news release, the Global Automakers of Canada group credited the move for offering “short term price relief,” but risks “creating significant market distortions, could ultimately limit consumer choice, and undermine the viability of the companies currently investing in and supporting Canadian jobs.”
But the feds outlined the goal of this plan was to attract investments into Canadian EV manufacturing, along with the added benefit of introducing EVs that are actually affordable to Canadian buyers. Carney said by 2030, half of that 70,000-a-year quota will be reserved for EVs costing under $35,000.
Chinese EVs have also seen massive success in Europe and Mexico; given the current state of auto manufacturing in Canada, not to mention the general unaffordability industry-wide, we can’t help but shake the feeling that, for the first time in a long time, this is a big win for the buying public.
Next-gen Acura RDX going hybrid-only
The current-generation RDX may be Acura’s hottest seller, but it’s been out since 2019. That’s a long time in the automotive world, so the brand is planning to launch an updated model within the next few years.
Along with a teaser of the next-gen RDX’s silhouette, Honda confirmed it will feature a two-motor hybrid powertrain, and that production for the outgoing RDX ends this spring. Beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess — Honda added once production ends, they should have enough RDX inventory to last through the end of 2026. As such, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect more details on the new one early next year.
BMW M Neue Klasse teaser previews the first M EV
BMW’s Neue Klasse EVs will be here before you know it, and among that first batch will be the brand’s first, full-fat, M-badged EV.
This isn’t a full reveal, but rather a teaser from BMW to whet our appetites. For starters, BMW’s initial batch of teaser photos show a heavily camouflaged (but proper) four-door sedan with a squat stance and an i5-esque greenhouse, albeit shorter overall than a 5er, natch. All signs point to this being named the iM3, but for now, BMW is calling it the M Neue Klasse.
BMW also promises the production version of the M Neue Klasse will be a “proper” M car, with a quad-EV-motor setup that can alternate between all- and rear-wheel-drive, simulate gear shifts, and an “exclusive soundscape” compared to other upcoming Neue Klasse EVs. It can also control how much power and torque each wheel receives in real time, as well as higher battery and charging output.
BMW says the iM3 will arrive in 2027; we’re holding our breath for a full reveal (and uncamouflaged photos) sometime later this year. Goodwood, perhaps?
Stellantis axes a bunch of models due to tariffs, ‘shifting’ consumer demand
Oh, yay, it’s the t-word again.
Stellantis pulled the plug — literally — on a number of vehicles in the last few days. Last week, the automaker announced a number of PHEVs are on the chopping block officially due to “consumer demand shifting,” though some industry experts suggest the U.S. rolling back emissions targets certainly played a role. Either way, this spells the end for PHEVs like the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Wrangler 4xe, as well as the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.
Following that, Stellantis also said today is end of the road for the short-lived Dodge Hornet. Production has been paused since last summer, but after further evaluation — and being subject to a 25 per cent tariff because it’s built in Italy — the automaker decided the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. No announcement has been made for the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which is built in the same plant.
We’re not holding our breath.
