ATHATRETEET AUT Friday, February 26, 1993 ~ North Sh (TRANCE ES TEER RAE ICES RDD ore News ~ 34 Salety features no longer gold car Automakers meeting consumer demand for air bags, OVERDRIVE IF YOU wanted to buy a car with a set of anti-lock brakes (ABS) ‘or driver’s- side: air bag several years ago, there. were only a handful of cars from which to choose. — And when you found them, you * literally. had to own a gold mine to be . able: to afford ‘the cars equipped with devices. ,” Today, computer-controlled an- .ti-lock brakes and nitrogen- inflated air bags are no longer considered to. be “gold card members only”’ items. : -/ AS a matter of fact, car com- panies. that introduce products nowadays ‘without air bags — at least on the driver's side oF these life-saving | that do not carry ABS in the op- tion list, are simply mocked at by the critics. While having air bags and ABS does not guarantee instant success in the marketplace, not offering them is somewhat akin to serving a roast beef dinner to a friend without potatoes, bread or salad — it just doesn't cut it anymore. Thanks to the escalating con- sumer demand and improved technology in the past few years, the cost of engineering and manufacturing an air bag or ABS into a vehicle has come down dramatically. General Motors, which has de- veloped an industry-leading low- cost anti-lock brake system called the ABS VI, is able to offer anti- lock brake technologies in most of its lineups. The Chevrolet Cavalier VL coupe, priced at just $9,998, has this ABS VI as standard equip- ment. The Cavalier, though reaching 12 years in service, is the cheapest car you can buy with the standard anti-lock brakes on all four wheels. Except for the ‘base- Lumina models which offer ABS as an op- tion, every Chevrolet car, van, and sport-utility vehicle now comes equipped with ABS stand- ard, This is an absolutely amazing feat, considering the fact that Chevrolet, in 1986, offered ABS for the first time but in only one car: a $40,000 Corvette. What about a. lowest-priced car equipped with a driver’s-side air bag? : AirCare inspecting newer models beginning in March SUPERINTENDENT OF Motor Vehicles Steve Rumsey. has announced that 1986. and" newer vehicles, temporarily . excused from the AirCare. program in September 1992, will soon be required to report for . AirCare testing in Lower Mainland. ‘If you drive a 1986 to 1992 vehicle and your vehicle licensing and insurance expire in March or later, then beginning in the month of March; you should obtain your AirCare inspection,’? Rumsey said. Throughout the Lower the | Mainland, 1985 and older vehicles must continue to report for Air- Care testing as usual. Fo avoid any delays, I urge drivers who must renew in March to go to an AirCare inspection station as soon as possible’ after March 1. The teething problems we experienced in September have been addressed and we’re ready to accept newer vehicles back into the program after March ‘1,’ Rumsey said. There are 11 AirCare stations in the Lower Mainland, with the newest, in Burnaby,’ expected to open in March. The AirCare in- spection program is dedicated to. reducing harmful automotive emissions. That utle goes to the Dodge Shadow and Plymouth Sundance two-door liftbacks, which are priced at $10,750. With the exception of the no- holds-barred Dodge Viper and Mitsubishi-engincered Plymouth Laser and Eagle Talon twins, Chrysler offers a driver's-side air bag as standard equipment on all its domestically produced cars. Saturn, which has been achiev- ing unbelievable records in the J.D. Power & Associates’ surveys, offers a base SL sedan with driver’s-only air bag at a price just above the Shadow, $10,995, The Saturn sedan is no doubt a better car than the Shadow/ Sundance twins, but perhaps not for too long, since Chrysler will introduce a replacement for these COROLLA FEATURES INCLUDE: « 1.6 Lite, DOHC, 16 valve, EFI 105 h.p. engine © Driver's side airbag (S.R.S.) © Variable assist powerftilt steering © Dual remote control mirrors © 4-wheel independent suspension © 60/40 split and fold-cown rear seat ® Tinted glass © Full size spare tire « And much more! aging compacts by the end of this year. The code-named PL cars are rumored to offer both driver’s- and passenger’s-side air bags as standard issue when the round, cab-forward twins hit the showrooms. The new 793 Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird, debuted at the Vancouver auto show last month, have also been fitted with all the expected safety features. Starting at a low base retail price of $15,998, the Chevrolet Camaro is, surprisingly, the most affordable car equipped with both driver's- and passenger’s-side air bags. On top of that, the ABS is standard — great news! Chrysler’s Intrepid, one of the highly praised LH sedans with dual air bags, is not too far off in NOW FROM anti-lock braking systems price with a base vehicle price of $17,555, while Sntrepid’s direct competitor, Ford Taurus, is just a tad higher at $18,195. The Taurus also has the dual air bags standard for '93, but does not offer LH’s available traction control or the: integrated child seat. The LH cars, by the way, are selling extremely well so far. “We sold every one of them, including all in transit,’’ says sales manager Lance O'Shaughnessy of Jubilee Plymouth Chrysler. The traction control (7'C) comes in a number of different configu- rations which affect the degree of contro], but all of them serve the same purpose: by using. com- See Safety page 33 Service and Parts Hoecrs: Moncly dow Friday 7:30am, Sezurday Sard en, NORTH VANCOL SMES & SERVICE 985-0591 MILE. FO! BARTS DEPARTMENT 984-9744 = ent 9) | ‘QYOTA R U! fousuts sect Acar for those with champagne taste and a premium ale budget. Created by Nissan The Infiniti G20 is without doubt the best value in the luxury sports sedan segment. On the road, it isclearly rhe match of cars with far more famous reputations. And far more sizable price tags. Right now, the G20 is specially priced at $23,440. Which makes the need to see your Infiniti representative all the more pressing. Smart people always read the fine print, And they always wear thei seatbelts. ‘MSH for Infiniti G70 as of September 29, 1997 Price excludes freight and taxes.