Welcome back to autoTRADER.ca’s monthly overview of new arrivals in Canada’s car dealership showrooms.
We put this regular feature on hiatus in the spring due to the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, but now that the situation in the auto industry and the economy at large has stabilized somewhat, we’re eager to once again tell you which new vehicles will reach the marketplace each month. Here are all the new vehicles set to arrive at Canadian dealers in November.
2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan, 2021 Chrysler Pacifica/Pacifica Hybrid
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) Canadian dealers will begin welcoming the company’s new minivan models this month.
The 2021 Chrysler Grand Caravan is the most notable of the brand’s new van offerings. It’s being produced in Canada and exclusively for Canada as a lower-priced version of the Pacifica and a replacement for the Dodge Grand Caravan. Meanwhile, the Pacifica gets its first-ever AWD option and carries forward its segment-first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain.
Under refreshed styling, the 2021 Grand Caravan and Pacifica carry forward the oily bits that underpinned last year’s Pacifica. Power is from a 3.6L V6 engine (287 hp/262 lb-ft) and a nine-speed transmission or, in the case of the Pacifica Hybrid, the same engine matched with an electric motor and a continuously variable transmission for a combined 260 hp.
The Pacifica’s refreshed styling brings a dashboard built around a 10.1-inch infotainment display; the Grand Caravan makes do with a 7.0-inch display.
Grand Caravan pricing starts at $37,995 in its base trim, and an SXT upgrade goes for $39,995. The Pacifica comes in Touring, Touring L, Touring L Plus, Limited and Pinnacle trims priced from $44,795 to $65,795, while Pacific Hybrid models range in price from $53,995 to $59,995.
2021 Kia K5
Kia’s newest model is a replacement for the Optima family sedan bearing the K5 name already familiar in its home market of South Korea.
The car’s looks are more interesting than its name, thanks to a shape that resembles the closely related Hyundai Sonata and styling cues that create a link to the Kia Stinger sport sedan.
When the K5 begins arriving at Canadian Kia dealers this month, it will come with the model’s entry-level powertrain, consisting of a 1.6L turbo four-cylinder engine (180 hp/195 lb-ft), an eight-speed transmission and standard AWD. Jen Szmilko, Kia Canada’s PR manager, says a GT variant with a 290-hp 2.5L turbo mill will get here later this winter.
The K5’s initial trim offerings will be LX, EX and GT-Line, which will be priced between $29,995 and $35,995. Kia looks set to once again lead the charge in family sedan value by equipping the LX trim with passive keyless entry, power driver’s seat with lumbar, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, heated windshield washer sprayers, and a full suite of active safety/driver assist features.
EX adds rear parking sensors, an enhanced collision avoidance system, panoramic sunroof, and radar cruise control. The GT-Line package gets cosmetic tweaks, ventilated front and heated rear seats, navigation, and highway driving assist.
2021 Nissan Rogue
The first of Nissan’s newcomers this month is the Rogue compact crossover, which has been redesigned into a third generation for 2021.
While its overall shape changes little, the Rogue boasts bolder styling and a more modern interior with a standard electronic transmission shifter and available digital gauge cluster.
The 2021 Nissan Rogue also gets an updated powertrain. Its engine is still a 2.5L four-cylinder, but its output is up by 11 hp and 6 lb-ft to new totals of 181 each. Power goes through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) to FWD (standard in S and SV trims) or AWD (optional in S and SV and standard in Platinum).
For its $28,498 starting price ($30,798 with AWD), Rogue S includes Nissan’s Safety Shield 360 suite of driver assists, comprising forward collision/pedestrian detection with automatic braking, blind spot and lane departure monitors, rear emergency braking, and rear cross-traffic and high-beam assists. The Rogue’s base package also brings LED headlights, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone automatic A/C, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Mid-range SV ($31,998 w/ FWD; $34,298 w/ AWD) adds niceties like a panoramic sunroof and amps up safety with the ProPilot Assist highway lane-guidance system and surround-view cameras. Platinum ($39,998) gains a hands-free tailgate, three-zone climate control, leather seating, and wireless smartphone charging.
2021 Nissan Versa
The Nissan Versa sedan returns to Canada after a six-year hiatus to fill the gap left after Nissan discontinued the Versa Note and Micra hatchbacks last year.
With the new Versa, Nissan keeps its hand in a subcompact car field whose numbers have dwindled in recent years. It’s in a class of just four, along with the Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Mirage and Honda Fit – and that group will shrink by one when the Fit is discontinued after 2020.
Outside, the handsome Versa looks like a tiny version of the Sentra and Altima. Like other recent small Nissan cars, it boasts generous interior space to go with that grown-up appearance.
Performance comes from a 1.6L four-cylinder engine putting out 122 hp and 114 lb-ft of torque, which goes to the front wheels through a five-speed manual in S trim, or an automatic CVT that’s optional in S and standard in SV and SR trims.
Versa S manual pricing starts at $16,498 and $17,998 with the CVT, which includes keyless entry with push-button start, Bluetooth, a 7.0-inch infotainment display, a four-speaker stereo, and the Nissan Safety Shield 360 suite of forward collision detection/avoidance, rear automatic braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high beams. SV adds smartphone integration, satellite radio and blind spot warning with rear cross traffic alert.
2021 Volkswagen Atlas
Volkswagen’s largest vehicle, the Atlas SUV, arrives this month with a mid-cycle refresh for 2021 that wears the brand’s new logo, introduced last year on the smaller Atlas Cross Sport. According to VW Canada spokesperson Thomas Tetzlaff, there are also a few interior tweaks, and the brand’s 4Motion AWD system is now standard across the board; last year, the Atlas’ entry-grade 2.0 TSI powertrain was only offered as a front-driver.
Otherwise, power options are the same. Trendline, Comfortline and Highline trims start with a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder engine (235 hp/258 lb-ft) and an eight-speed transmission. The option in those three trims is a 3.6L V6 (276 hp/266 lb-ft) that comes standard in Execline trim.
Trendline pricing starts at $40,095 for a relatively basic big SUV whose highlights are forward collision detection, blind-spot monitoring, a 6.5-inch touchscreen, and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
The $44,495 Comfortline adds an 8.0-inch touchscreen, adaptive cruise control, passive keyless entry, power tailgate, and three-zone climate control. Highline ($48,795) brings a panoramic roof, heated rear and ventilated front seats, and leather upholstery. Execline is a $55,595 vehicle with 360-degree cameras, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, a 12-speaker stereo and a digital gauge display.
2021 Subaru Impreza and 2021 Subaru Legacy and Outback
This month brings the latest versions of Subaru’s compact Impreza and mid-size Legacy and Outback models to the brand’s showrooms.
None of these models get major changes – Subaru redesigned the larger Legacy and Outback last year and redid the Impreza in 2017 – but the company has adjusted both models’ lists of standard features.
The Impreza gains standard automatic on/off headlights, and a heated steering wheel is now included in all but the entry-grade Convenience trim. Subaru has also held the Impreza’s starting price at $19,995, making it Canada’s most affordable AWD vehicle for another year. Impreza MSRPs top out at $31,795.
In the Legacy and Outback, steering-responsive headlights and a rear-seat reminder are now standard in all trims, and the Touring trim gains a heated steering wheel. Legacy prices range from $26,695 to $39,395, and the Outback’s MSRP starts at $30,995 and reaches $43,995.
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