News Roundup: Hyundai Wins AJAC Green Awards, First Canadian Brightdrop Deliveries, More

AJAC EcoRun awards Hyundai twice

Hyundai has won both of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's Green awards for 2023. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV was awarded the 2023 Canadian Green Car of the Year and the Ioniq 5 the 2023 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year, with the awards announced as part of the AJAC EcoRun event. The Ioniq 5 was also named overall AJAC Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year at the Toronto auto show earlier this year. The Canadian Green Car awards look at efficiency, customer appeal, and the overall greenness of each eligible vehicle, and are voted on by many of Canada's top automotive journalists.

Refreshed Nissan Sentra



Nissan is refreshing the Sentra for 2024 with a new face and headlights as well as a new transmission. The styling changes transform the car's nose, but the majority of the sheet metal is unchanged. SR models get a new interior accent stitch that matches Nissan's own Frontier PRO-4X pickups. The 149 hp 2.0L four gets a new CVT that Nissan says reduces fuel consumption and operates more smoothly than the old one. The engine also adds idle stop-start to save some more fuel. A six-speed stick remains on the list for base and SR-spec cars. Nissan Safety Shield 360 is also now standard, giving the car plenty of standard advanced driver assists. Expect pricing in a few months as the 2024 Sentra arrives at dealers.

Buick Envision will get Super Cruise



Buick previewed the 2024 Envision. The compact crossover gets new styling taken from the Wildcat EV concept that brings it in line with the latest Encore models. The 2024 Buick Envision will also have new interior screens, with a bezel-free design integrating the dash and centre screen. The most notable change, though, is the addition of Super Cruise. This is the first time for the hands-off driver assistance feature to be offered on a Buick model. Buick said to expect the new Envision in the spring, with pricing to follow.

Brightdrop EV vans delivered to FedEx Canada



Brightdrop, the GM EV delivery vehicle brand that is being built at the company's plant in Ingersoll, ON, has just seen its first deliveries in Canada. 50 of the Brightdrop Zevo 600 electric vans were delivered to FedEx Canada at an event held in Toronto. The vehicles will go into service in Toronto, Montreal, and Surrey. The parcel delivery service said that it is working to have a zero local emissions fleet by 2040.

2024 Polestar 2 pricing



Polestar has announced pricing for the 2024 version of its Polestar 2 EV. The new long-range single-motor variants will start from $54,950, which qualifies the model for EV incentives across the county. The new model has a max range of 515 km and makes 299 hp from its rear-mounted motor. The Dual Motor AWD model has a 444 km estimated range and will start from $62,950. The 2024 Polestar 2 is set to begin deliveries this August.

Cadillac Lyriq adds more trim levels



Cadillac has quietly posted the 2024 Lyriq to its build and price page, adding more trim grades to the electric luxury crossover. Tech 1 RWD is the base model, starting from $66,699, and rear-drive models are offered up to Sport 3 and Luxury 3 which both start from $81,199. AWD is also offered on all grades, adding $4,000 to the RWD price. Estimated range for the RWD model is up to 505 km, and 494 km for dual-motor variants.