TORONTO — 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 so-called 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 horsepower.
Gallery: Hot rides at the Canadian International Auto Show
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 MultiMatic.
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 survive Jeep’s famous Rubicon Trail test. Bigger — and a bit more powerful — was the premiere of the 707-horsepower, Canadian-built 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, the quickest, fastest and most powerful sedan in the world.
Cadillac CTS V at the Canadian International Auto Show.
Nick Tragianis, Driving
Highlighting its Cadillac and Chevrolet brands, America’s General Motors’ debuted a ying and yang of mega-power 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 its slightly larger 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 560-hp 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 Coupe, Cabriolet and high-performance M6 two-doors plus the four-door Gran 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.
Full coverage of the Canadian International Auto Show
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 all-new 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.
Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Chevrolet Bolt
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Chevrolet Equinox
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Chevrolet Volt
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mini Superleggera Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mini Superleggera Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Infiniti Q80 Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Infiniti Q80 Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Lexus RC F GT3 Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Infiniti Q60
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mini Superleggera Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mercedes-Benz AMG GTS
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Infiniti Q60
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Infiniti Q60
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mini John Cooper Works
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mercedes-Benz AMG GTS
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
GMC Canyon
Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford Focus
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford Focus
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Toyota i-Road
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Cadillac CTS V at the Canadian International Auto Show.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Volkswagen Golf Sportwagon.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Volkswagen T-Roc Concept.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Volkswagen Cross Coupe GTE Concept.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Toyota FT-1
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Toyota FT-1
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Toyota FT-1
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2016 Mazda2
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2016 Mazda2
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mazda6
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Lexus RC F Coupe
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Lexus RC F Coupe
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Lexus RC F GT3 Concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Hyundai Intrado
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Hyundai Intrado
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Hyundai Intrado
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford F-150 Raptor
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford GT
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford GT
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford GT
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford GT
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Ford Edge
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Cadillac Elmiraj concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Cadillac Elmiraj concept
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
Cadillac ATS V at the Canadian International Auto Show.
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
BMW X6 M
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
BMW i3
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
BMW i8
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
BMW X5 M
PHOTO: Nick Tragianis, Driving
2016 Honda Pilot
PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, Driving
2016 Honda Pilot
PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, Driving
2016 Honda Pilot
PHOTO: Graeme Fletcher, Driving
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 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 Tucson Fuel Cell.
Nick Tragianis, Driving
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 electric-only 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 Concept, which is closer to production as a replacement for the outgoing G Series Coupe.
Also read: 12 must-see cars at the Canadian International Auto Show
As of now, Kia doesn’t have a sports car of any sort. But that may change if the South Korean automaker ever puts into production its GT4 Stinger Concept — a boldly designed two-door sports car 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.
Lexus RC F GT3 Concept
Nick Tragianis, Driving
Looking to grab a slice of North America’s massive full-size 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.
The 2015 Canadian International Auto Show takes place in the North and South Buildings at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, located at 255 Front St. W. The show runs from Friday, Feb. 13 to Sunday, Feb. 22. The exhibition opens to the public Feb. 13 at noon and runs until 10 p.m. Daily show times will be 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. until the last day of the show on Feb. 22, when it will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. You can buy tickets online at autoshow.ca. Tickets are $23 for adults, $7 for children aged 7 to 12, and $45 for a family pass (two adults, two children).