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ROAD TRIP Meet the team who builds Canada's lowest-priced car AGUASCALIENTES, Mexi- co: As we neared the end of this apparently never-ending winter, last week's trip to Mexico was not unwelcome. Friends and colleagues were expecting my destination to be one of the usual hot spots: Can- cun, Acapulco or Puerto Val- larta. Nowhere on any top-ten list would you find Aguascalientes. But this 400-year-old colonial city does have its tourist draws, like its historic downtown area and the San Marcos Fair in April. And for the auto journalist, there's the added allure of Nis- san's manufacturing operations, where you'll now find Canada's lowest priced new car coming off the assembly line. On route from Jesús Terán Peredo Airport to my hotel, I spotted the two local plants, both adjacent to a modern and well-maintained stretch of the legendary Pan-American High- way known here as Highway 45. Driving past took a surpris- ing amount of time. The newly built $2 billion Aguascalientes 2 (A-2) facility covers more than 4.6 square kilometers, and the older A-1, just 8 km down the road, was still impressive at 180 hectares. As you'd expect, Nissan is a big deal here, employing rough- ly 9,000 between the two loca- tions, and 14,761 including the Cuernavaca plant to the south. All work for the country's largest automaker. Last year, Nissan Mexicana produced 707,000 vehicles, top- ping giants like General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen and Chrysler, and accounted for nearly one of every four vehicles built in Mexico. NMEX is also responsible for nearly one half of the 1.5 mil- lion vehicles Nissan manufac- tures in North America. Rough- ly one-third of NMEX units are destined for the Mexican mar- ket where they compete with 30 automotive brands. The remainder are exported worldwide to more than 100 countries, one of these being Canada. NMEX builds many of our Nissans, especially their small cars, with the Micra being the latest to join, or shall I say 're- join' the lineup. See MICRA, pg. 5 Now rolling off the assembly line at Nissan's Aguascalientes-1 facility is the 2015 Micra. In base trim, it will be Canada's lowest-priced new car, starting at $9,998. Thursday, April 10, 2014 Special pullout section 8 Pages 82 Main St. N. Georgetown 905-873-6127 Honest, Reliable Service Since 1989 To book an appointment www.bratinauto.com Free Local Shuttle Service OIL CHANGE MAINTENANCE SPECIAL 041014 *Most Vehicles Expiry April 30, 2014 (Includes 30 Point Inspection) 82 Main St. N. Georgetown Bratin Auto Ontario Drive Clean Test and Repair Facility for all light duty vehicles Spr i n g is Here ! $4995* Expiry April 30, 2014 041014 OIL CHANGE / SNOW TIRE CHANGE OVER COMBO PACKAGE $20 OFF