RECALL - GENERAL MOTORS CALLS BACK 276,729 VEHICLES, NHTSA SAYS

Sometime before the end of this month, General Motors dealers will start taking a look at shift cable adjustment clips in thousands and thousands of vehicles. Just what the doctor order for GM, no? No.

Due to Federal Motor Vehicles Safety Standard 102 and Federal Motors Vehile Safety Standard 114 which, respectively, say "Transmission shift position sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking affect," and, "Theft protection and rollaway prevention", 276,729 vehicles fall under one gigantic General Motors Recall that crosses brands and surely crosses into other countries, driving up the 276,729 number.

All vehicles involved are from the 2009 model year. The Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Cobalt, Chevrolet HHR, Chevrolet Malibu, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Pontiac G5, Pontiac G6, Saturn Aura, and Saturn Outlook all stem - in one way or another - from three platforms. Oh, and the problem exactly: The shift lever and the actual position of the transmission gear may not match in these automatic-equipped cars. You can understand the potentially devastating results.

PRICING THE 2010 CHEVROLET CAMARO FOR CANADA - BY THE NUMBERS

Already in production, the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be reaching dealers before long. Looking back over the last 25 years and the handful of new Camaro bodies which have been introduced, one struggles to find worse timing for the introduction of a muscle car.

On its own merit, the new Camaro seems to be quite a vehicle. Car & Driver was effusive in its praise of the V6 version. Say whaaa? Specifications seem favourable for a positive performance feel. And while we could have wished for more improvement in the styling, the Camaro is seriously masculine; tremendously butch; and oh-so-very American.

Check out AmericanMuscle.com and their large inventory of SLP Exhaust

Taking into account Ford's resuscitation of the Mustang earlier this decade and the impressive remake of the Dodge Challenger in the last couple years, the market might stand up in a confused state and ask, "Haven't we been through the reborn retro pony car thing enough already?" As for those loyalists the mainstream media love to talk about who - so they say - would never buy a Chevy if their daddy bought a Ford or can't consider either because Uncle Billy built the Plymouth Barracuda; well, doesn't it seem right about now that the General Motors/Ford/Chrysler loyalist count stands at about three humans? Rick Wagoner buys the Camaro because he's a GM boy. Alan Mulally leases a new Mustang to go along side his Lexus. Bob Nardelli hops into his Challenger SRT8 on the way to Home Depot's summer BBQ. That about settles that.

Forget the muscle car redundancy for a minute, since that can't be considered too bad a thing for the consumer. There's also the issue of.... ahem... er, umm, the economy. In the United States of America, every automaker and its dog has posted falling sales lately. (Except for Hyundai, which by the way, just introduced a muscular coupe of its own.) Recognizing the good ol' USA as the Camaro's biggest market, General Motors sales analysts must dread the thought of telling the accountants that, well, um, er, the new Chevy coupe ain't selling y'all.

Sporting value it doth represent, but that doesn't mean the Camaro is "cheap". Pricing in Canada, the original purpose to which this article was intended to be driven, ends some $26,000 beneath the Chevrolet Corvette's starting point. The Corvette, do recall, is a Good 12 v2.0 winner mainly because of its status as the standard bearer of horsepower per dollar. Regardless, take a look at the Numbers involved in the Chevrolet Camaro's Canadian price scheme and judge for thy self.

26,995 - price, in Canadian $, of the least expensive 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

21,199 - price, in Canadian $, of the least expensive (and substantially less powerful) 2009 Ford Mustang

24,995 - price, in Canadian $, of the least expensive (Bad 8 v2.0-winning) 2009 Dodge Challenger

36,995 - price, in Canadian $, of the least expensive V8-engined Chevrolet Camaro, the SS

426 - horsepower under the hood of the Chevrolet Camaro SS

430 - horsepower under the hood of the $66,145 CDN Chevrolet Corvette

284 - fewer kilograms to tote around for the Corvette, compared with the 4-seater Camaro

175 - fewer kilograms to tote around for the '09 Mustang compared with the more horsepower-laden V8 Camaro

1,180 - extra cost needed, in Canadian $, to switch the 6-speed manual transmission of a basic Camaro to a 6-speed automatic

1,690 - increased cost necessary to lose 26 horsepower in the Camaro SS while switching its manual transmission for a 6-speed automatic

1,195 - price of the optional sunroof on the Camaro SS

1,380 - price of the Rally Sport Package on the Camaro SS, a cosmetic package which also adds HID headlamps

48,320 - easily attainable MSRP for the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS with many options still not priced - and thus impossible to add to the Build It price at Chevrolet.ca - including $5,835 in options and $1,400 in destination fees

VOLVO ANNOUNCES CANADIAN PRICING OF NEW XC60

Volvo's handsome new small SUV, the XC60, has been priced for the Canadian market. $45,495 nets you 281 horsepower, all-wheel drive, a six-speed automatic, and leather seating.

The Volvo XC60, priced at $45,495, also comes standard with City Safety, Volvo's automatic low-speed braking system. We'll see how that turns out when given a chance to spend time in an XC60.

(Read about The Good Car Guy's week with the Volvo XC70 here.)

(Read about the XC60's positive ground clearance & handling here.)

(Read about the Volvo XC60's introduction here.)

Navigation can be ordered as a stand-alone option for $2,500. Volvo's panoramic sunroof for $1,800 might be worth more of your hard-earned. Integrated booster seats aren't... unless you spend $500. Option packages include Tech ($4100) or Luxury ($3050) or Convenience ($2100).

Volvo sold 363 vehicles in Canada during the month of February, about 20% fewer than in February of '09. Expect the percentage decrease to be slightly more tolerable with an extra model in the lineup come early June after a full month of XC60 showcasing in showrooms. Dealers should see Volvo XC60s in Canada in April.

South of the border, Volvo prices the XC60 at $37,200 for American customers. That would work out to $48,299 in Canadian dollars today.

GALLERY - MAZDASPEED 3 MAZDA 3 MPS - 34 PICTURES

260 horsepower will remain under the hood of the next Mazda 3 MPS, AKA the MazdaSpeed 3. The engine has been updated, increasing torque at 3,000 rpm by 10%. Torque steer can be expected, although three highly rigid steering gear mount bushings are utilized on the new 3 rather than two. Mazda put significant efforts into the 6-speed manual with the hopes of decreasing shift effort while increasing feel and helping fuel economy and serenity at highway speeds.

Distinguishing this modified version of the Mazda 3 are enlarged bumpers, spoilers on the roof and at the front chin, and the very obvious hood scoop. The grin of the front fascia remains. Check out all 34 pictures of the MazdaSpeed 3/Mazda 3 MPS below. The initial GoodCarBadCar story is here, along with video of the regular 3 5-door here and the Mazda 3 sedan here.

GALLERY - DACIA DUSTER CONCEPT - 30 PICTURES

With its only link to North America being Nissan - via Renault - Romanian automaker Dacia has taken a strong hold of eastern Europe with Renault $$$ and cheap labour. Up to this point, Dacia has produced the Logan as ultra-basic machinery in a variety of configurations. Tough transportation comes at a price. Fortunately for Dacia Logan buyers, that price is low.

Travellers to Mexico may have noticed the Nissan Aprio, a startilingly inexpensive alternative to the endless lineup of old Sentras and Volkswagen Polos. In some South American countries, as well as China; Russia; and Egypt, the Logan appears as a Renault. India tags it with the Mahindra Renault Logan label. Regardless, the Logan is generally priced at the equivalent of €5,000-€7,000, a price that would make the Logan the cheapest new car in America; by far.

This Duster aims to be the corresponding small SUV. Sure, there's only 105 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque from the little diesel but the Duster is little, too. Were it to reach production, the Dacia Duster is just 167 inches long, weighing just 2,866 pounds. Besides, from some angles the Dacia Duster Concept looks pretty cool. Have a look at all 30 pics below.

GALLERY - CHEVROLET CRUZE - 32 PICTURES

Last weekend, GoodCarBadCar.net posted a full gallery of Holden Cruze pictures for your viewing pleasure. This time around, it's the real American deal, Chevrolet's Cruze. General Motors personnel in Korea, Germany, Australia, and the United States worked together to make this car right, heightening our expectations with talk of a multinational effort and rhetoric such as "moved the goalposts".

Some parts of the world will see a 2.0L turbodiesel with 150 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of torque. Expect similar horsepower and substantially less torque from the North American-market gasoline engine. Check out all 32 pictures below, and like last week, be impressed with the interior. And explain, if you will, how the sketch above became the car below.

KIA SOUL DIMENSIONS

After multiple inquiries as to the relative size of the upcoming Kia Soul, The Good Car Girl went beyond the call of duty to help explain the Soul's dimensions. Forget bare bones Numbers - head straight for comparison. Referencing numerous vehicles with which the Soul will compete or share general proportions, the image below should help potential Kia Soul buyers visualize the on-the-road size of the handsome hatch. Click the image to see an enlarged version for small-screen users. For more on the Soul's size, click here. Kia Soul adverts are located here. Kia Soul search results from GoodCarBadCar.net should be peered at, too.