HOMEGROWN MUSCLE
THE BIGGEST DEBUTS AT THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL AUTO SHOW,
The annual auto show in Toronto may have to compete with other events, like the car show in Chicago happening this week, to get the attention of the media and new car buyers. But the annual Canadian International Auto Show is still a mecca for the latest in new cars and trucks from automakers from around the world.
Take for example the socalled Big Three automakers from the U.S. All three of them — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, the Ford Motor Co. and General Motors — had a wealth of debuts here in T.O.
Maybe it’s the smell of cheap gas at the pumps, but Ford’s theme this year was horsepower, horsepower, and more horsepower.
Ford’s big news was the announcement that its new 2017 GT supercar that just debuted at this year’s Detroit auto show would be built in Markham, Ont., by Canada’s Multi-Mate.
Alongside the stunning Ford GT was the track ready version of the new Mustang, the 2016 Shelby GT350R sports coupe. And, finally, a redesigned 2016 Explorer midsize crossover debuted a larger EcoBoost engine and a new Platinum trim threatens so-called luxury SUVs.
Half-American, half-Italian, Fiat Chrysler stuck to two of its U.S. brands here in Toronto.
First up was the all-new 2015 Jeep Renegade compact SUV, an Italian-built small SUV that apparently can be equipped to service Jeep’s famous Rubicon Trail test. Bigger — and a bit more powerful — was the premiere of the 707-horsepower, Canadianbuilt 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the fastest and most powerful sedan in the world.
Highlighting its Cadillac and Chevrolet brands, America’s General Motors’ debuted a ying and yang of megapower and green machines.
Cadillac showed-off its high-performance muscle with the debut of its compact 2016 ATS-V Sedan and Coupe, as well as the midsize CTS-V Sedan. While the all-new 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in electric hybrid vehicle and Chevy Bolt EV Concept illustrated GM’s technical prowess on the environmentally sustainable machine front, a refreshed version of the Canadian-made 2016 Equinox crossover also appeared.
Although primarily centred on the luxury brands, European automakers were also front and centre here at this year’s CIAS.
Audi’s “big” news was the unveiling of its second-generation 2016 Q7 crossover that promises to be lighter and more fuel-efficient than ever, Audi also showed-off its refreshed 2016 Audi RS7, a 560hp midsize hatchback that drives like a sports car, and an all-new 2016 Audi TT Roadster and TTS Coupe — a pair of real sports cars.
Audi’s rivals at BMW were also busy with premieres here.
There was a refreshed BMW 6 Series family, including the two-door Coupe, Cabriolet four-door Gran Coupe and high-performance M6 Coupe. As well, the German automaker’s Mini brand rolled out its new 2016 Mini John Cooper Works hardtop and Superleggera Vision, a tease of what a future Mini roadster could look like.
Mercedes-Benz was in no mood to be upstaged by its Teutonic rivals here in Toronto. So it came out with its Mercedes-Maybach S 600, an allnew S-Class-based limousine, the 2016 GLE Coupe midsize coupe/SUV and the new 2016 Mercedes-AMG GT, a more accessible replacement for the outgoing SLS supercar.
New Porsches debuted here, too. Were you expecting a sports car? How silly. Because Porsche Canada’s news was the new 2016 Porsche Cayenne GTS, a 440-hp SUV that can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds.
And finally from Europe (and smaller than the Cayenne), we saw the debut of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf R (a 292-hp, all-wheel-drive version of the new, seventh-generation Golf ), the Cross Coupé GTE Concept (speculated to give us a taste of the next-generation VW Tiguan crossover) and Volkswagen’s T-Roc Concept (a precursor to a future subcompact SUV).
While we still haven’t seen any concrete evidence of the threat of a wave of cheap, Chinese cars here at the CIAS, there were still plenty of new vehicles from Japanese and South Korean automakers.
Honda debuted its all-new 2016 Pilot midsize crossover. Boasting better fuel economy, the new Pilot is powered by a new 3.5-litre V6 engine mated to two new auto transmissions — a Pilot-first six-speed and a Honda-first nine-speeder.
Hyundai’s debuts in Toronto focused on environmentally friendly vehicles, starting with the 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, the first ever zero-emissions fuel cell electric vehicle to go on sale in Canada. Less exotic were the premieres of the 2016 Sonata Hybrid (with a new, more powerful battery and electric motor) and the all-new 2016 Sonata Plug-in Hybrid. It features a rechargeable battery large enough to allow the midsize sedan to travel up to 35 km on electriconly power.
Like Acura, Infiniti is trying to win over luxury buyers who normally buy German. And here at CIAS, Nissan’s luxury brand debuted two concepts: the Q80 Inspiration, which hints at a future, flagship Infiniti sedan, and the Q60 Con- cept, which is closer to production as a replacement for the outgoing G Series Coupe.
As of now, Kia doesn’t have a sporty car. But that may change if the South Korean automaker ever does put into production its Stinger Concept — a boldly designed two-door sports car also being seen in Canada for the first time here in T.O. — into production.
Trust me, as a concept for a racecar, the new Lexus RC F GT3 is not heading to a Lexus showroom anytime soon. But as a wider, lower and lighter version of the Lexus RC F sports coupe, with a modified V8 engine making over 540 hp, it’s a bit of eye candy for race fans at this year’s show.
Looking to grab a slice of North America’s massive fullsize truck market, Japan’s Nissan rolled out its second generation Titan fullsize truck. Highlights include much more aggressive styling, more body styles and a class-exclusive V8 diesel engine.
Finally, Toyota’s Scion brand unveiled a concept of a small hatchback that’s definitely going on sale. The iM is a North American version of the European Toyota Auris compact hatch, aimed directly at the likes of the Mazda3 Sport and the Volkswagen Golf.
Ford’s theme this year: horsepower, horsepower, and more horsepower.