Plans to bring the upcoming BMW 1-Series to Canada in the near future are under review, but the car's Canadian distributor is still planning to double its overall market share in this country.

BMW executives in Germany and the United States are saying that the soon-to-be-built, entry-level model won't arrive in those markets until maybe 2007. But Kevin Marcotte of BMW Canada says the company is "currently investigating 1-Series options for the Canadian market. No decision has been made yet for Canada.'' (BMW Canada president Hendrik von Kuenheim tells Michael Vaughan, page G2, that at least one 1-Series variant will be offered in Canada in the future.)

BMW Canada would probably need to add the 1-Series to its product list if it's going to meet its target of 34,000 BMW and Mini sales a year within the next few years. That number represents 2 per cent of annual Canadian sales volume of 1.7 million vehicles.

This would continue the 13 years of growth that began in 1990 when the company sold 4,002 units. By 1999, BMW Canada had sold 9,001 units, jumping to 16,622 units in 2002 (with the help of the Mini) and reaching 17,868 in 2003 for a 1.1-per-cent share of the market. The 2003 number constitutes 2,106 more vehicles than Subaru Canada sold last year, which tends to stretch the German firm's reputation for exclusivity.

If BMW Canada reaches its goal of 2-per-cent market share by the end of the decade, that would mean an eight-fold sales increase in 20 years.

Getting to that level could be a challenge. So far in 2004, sales of BMW and Mini are up only 1.4 per cent over last year, despite the addition of a brand new X3 SUV that should have added to overall sales. In the first three months of 2003, BMW sold 683 X5s, while in 2004 they sold 682 units of X5 and X3 combined.

Marcotte says that "with continued new product offerings we will maintain this long-term goal.'' As for the 1-Series potentially coming to Canada but not the United States, Marcotte points out that the Canadian product portfolio "is not tied to U.S. offering -- think of the 320i, for example," a model which is sold here but not south of the border.

Observers in Canada, the United States and Germany say the uncertainty about North American sales of the 1-Series arises primarily because the rate of exchange between the euro and both the U.S. and Canadian dollars has tilted considerably since the decision to build the 1-Series was made a few years ago.

While it would have been possible to make a profit selling a German-built 1-Series for about $30,000 in 2000 or 2001, it's much less likely in 2004, and the exchange situation shows no signs of reversing itself. The company is hedged against such an exchange situation, but that ends at the end of 2005, when the 1-Series was first expected to arrive in North America.

On top of that, BMW had been thinking of a 1-Series hatchback as the first model for the United States, but that body style doesn't work with Americans, as the coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz C-class has proven.

There is also some question about Americans warming to a car from a "premium" car company being that small (the hatchback's about 240 centimetres shorter than the 3-Series it's based on) and that inexpensive because it breaks the luxury image that consumers hold dear. People with less money might not mind, but people paying two, three or even four times that much for the right to say they drive a Beemer might.

But such a car might work in Canada, since consumers here have been more accepting of the C-class coupe, hatchbacks, and entry-level "premium" models. The success of a pair of Canada-only models from Mercedes and Acura -- the C-class Classic and the EL, respectively -- make that case quite strongly.

Not so long ago, it would have been impossible for a Canadian distributor to launch a car that wasn't also going into the United States. Lately, however, the dynamics seem to have changed, since Canada-only models are something of a trend right now. Consider GM's regular-wheelbase mid-size vans, the Nissan X-Trail and the two-seater Smart from Mercedes, for example.

So it's possible that the folks at BMW Canada will be able to cook up some kind of method whereby we get the 1-series before the Americans, and in body styles unavailable to them.

Taurus discount

If you're in the market for a solid, mid-sized, mid-priced sedan, Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. has launched an offer on its 2004 Taurus LX that can't be ignored.

For $19,998 (which is almost $5,000 under the official retail price), Ford of Canada will be offering a six-passenger, four-door sedan with a V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission and a good list of standard equipment, including air, power windows, mirrors and locks, tilt steering wheel, an AM/FM/cassette sound system, cruise control and intermittent wipers.

Ford says this special pricing is the result of incentives it's giving its dealers, and ''special dealer reductions" and will be offered ''for a limited time on purchases of new in-stock vehicles.'' This model Taurus has been around for a couple of years, but the company did make some upgrades for the 2004 model year, including a new grille, tail lights and fascias, an updated instrument cluster, steering wheel and multi-function control stalk, and two extra exterior colours.

On the technical front, there were engine modifications to improve efficiency, a new air induction system, and an improved transmission for better shift quality and fuel economy.

Impala Indy SS

Chevrolet will build 4,088 units of an Impala Indy SS commemorative model, with about 200 of them staying in Canada (they're built in Oshawa, Ont.,) with a sticker price of $36,765. Indeed, they're already on sale at selected Chevrolet stores.

The Indy SS package is based on the new-for-2004 Impala SS sedan (MSRP $36,650), which has at its heart GM's 3800 Series II, supercharged V6, delivering 240 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 280pounds-feet of torque at 3600 rpm.

Unique to the Impala Indy SS are 17-inch chrome diamond-cut aluminum wheels, a monotone cross-lace grille with "gold" Chevy bowtie emblem and a rear spoiler.

To highlight the connection to the famous Speedway, Chevrolet has installed a copy of the famous "winged wheel" on the front fenders and instrument panel, as well as embroidering it into the front seat head restraints and floor mats.

Like the standard Impala SS, the Indy SS is available only in a black exterior, complemented by grey leather seating surfaces inside.

The Impala SS Indy sedan comes with a long line of standard equipment.