Car FYI

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada Theme of the Show: Discover Connect Experience The 2011 Canadian International AutoShow left me with the thought of how much could change between a 12-month span (perhaps that is more apparent in 2021). After a somewhat subdued 2010 car show in Toronto, the last year brought a deep sense of excitement in many forms. Design, performance and innovation were all part of an auto show that started with an aerobatic display part of Ford’s media presentation unveiling the C-Max and the Focus Electric.  Along with the welcoming presence of new vehicles from major automakers, the 2011 Canadian International AutoShow was the first to feature a dedicated display of some of the most opulent vehicles to be found in the country.  Notable Vehicles: Ford Focus Electric Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada The auto company that played a huge role in directing the automobile to gasoline propulsion, Ford Motor Company sought a manner to begin the ...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada   Theme of the Show: The Vision- Explore New Directions. Experience Innovation. Though the effects of the great global recession were nearing an end with the arrival of 2010, Canadian auto sales from the recently concluded year of 2009 made it clear that the auto industry had a hole to climb out of. Only 1,484,000 new cars and trucks sold in Canada represented a 11.36 percent drop over the 2008 calendar year as instability with money caused many to temporarily forego many expensive purchase and expenditures.   Although this was only the second year I attended the event, I could tell there was truly a lower key tone to the 2010 Canadian International AutoShow compared to the previous year. The show’s footprint decreased as the floors of the Skydome (Rogers Centre) was no longer part of the display space. Since 2009, none of the subsequent auto shows in Toronto would use the popular retractable roof sports and entertainment buil...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada   Theme of the Show: The New Era The first Canadian International AutoShow I attended, the 2009 Toronto exhibition was an event that operated in an uncertain economic time for the industry.  The great recession ended the decade causing considerable reassessments on many fronts. With roughly 1,674,100 vehicles sold in Canadian during 2008 equating to a roughly 1 percent drop compared to the previous year, the data actually showed a radical increase in passenger car sales while truck sales fell to its deepest level in seven years. Smaller, economical cars were favoured among new vehicle buyers while traditional truck-like struggled as a hangover of high gas prices and over-saturation of the marketplace. The fickleness of the 2009 buyer would be highlighted when auto sales took a deeper plummet in Canada with 1,484,900 new vehicles sold. Besides the attitude of car buyers, the biggest change that would appear over the course of 2...

Photo Credit: Chris Nagy/Car FYI Canada If not for the ongoing, unprecedented world issue that required our attention, yesterday (Sunday, February 21st), the 2021 edition of the Canadian International AutoShow would have wrapped in what would have certainty been a memorable occasion.  A little more than a year and a week ago, I returned from the Metro Toronto Convention Centre where I absorbed the science, technology and beauty of the modern auto industry. At the time, I was in the presence of concepts such as the BMW Vision M NEXT and Infiniti QS Inspiration, production vehicle symbolizing Canada’s changing roadways including the Ford Mustang Mach E and Audi e-tron Sportback as well as the super exotics like the Bugatti La Voiture Noire. There was little thought attending the 2020 Canadian International AutoShow that the next year’s event would have been cancelled. One of many occasions disrupted by the global battle of 2020 that has already claimed too much (admittedly many ...

  Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Inc./ Acura Entering its 35th year as Honda’s luxury brand in the United States and Canada, Acura appears with 2021 lineup containing five vehicles ranging from their strong-selling RDX crossover to the NSX supercar. Acura has discontinued sales of their RLX Sedan following the 2020 model year promoting the all-new TLX to the position of the luxury brand’s flagship sedan. Skipping the 2021 model year, the Acura MDX three-row premium crossover vehicle is based on an all-new larger 2022 counterpart arriving in February. In this latest anniversary year for the premium marque , the focus remains on blending comfort with precision engineering and sport holding.   Acura ILX Photo Credit: American Honda Motor Inc./ Acura Despite being based on the same platform as the Honda Civic, the Acura ILX’s design and content makes it a tempting choice for drivers seeking a modestly-sized sedan with premium comfort. Available in four trim levels, the 2020...