There’s a pretty big auto show going on up-river in Detroit.
But as we type, there’s also one going on down-river in Montréal.
Normally, Montréal, well, occupies the aft-most position when Mother is feeding her babies (can’t use the real expression in a family news-blog) because given the similarity in timing of the two shows, most car makers will choose the more massive Detroit venue to get their stories out to the press, and subsequently to the public.
This year, however, due to a variety of specific circumstances, Montréal actually has a few North American premieres, cars that for whatever reasons were not in Detroit.
Chief among them, sales-wise anyway, is the Hyundai Accent. Not sure why this car wasn’t at Detroit; maybe it was because Canada, and specifically Québec, is a huge market for this car, and perhaps Hyundai USA wanted to concentrate on the Sonata and Elantra, which are bigger deals down there.
Regardless, the Accent is as attractive in its segment as Elantra and Sonata are in theirs - this company really is at the top of its game right now.
Status-wise, the BMW X1 Crossover probably tops the Montreal roster. Why did BMW pick Montréal for the X1's North American debut? Seems this vehicle has been very popular in every market where it has been introduced over the past few months, to the extent that production in the Leipzig (formerly-East) Germany plant cannot keep up with demand. As the volume slowly ramps up, there will be sufficient numbers to satisfy the expected sales in the Canadian market over the next few months, but not for the larger United States market. So the corporate decision was made to launch the X1 in Canada first; the US will follow either in late 2011 or early 2012.
Chevrolet chose Montréal to introduce the Orlando seven-seat compact crossover for the very good reason that the US has decided not to import the car, reversing an earlier decision. GM figures things like the Equinox can handle the compact family-bus duties in the US, which gives such as Kia Rondo, Ford’s new C-MAX and the new Mazda5 one less competitor to worry about in Canada. (By the time I got to the Show, the floor GM was on was closed to prepare for the 'charity preview' night, so I don't have a photo of the Orlando for you. Sorry about that.)
Speaking of Mazda5, Mazda calls the Montréal appearance of the Mazda5 the car’s ‘Canadian premiere’. Maybe to the general public, but the rural Milton public saw this car a couple of weeks ago because I had one on test just before Christmas - more details in the print edition of Wheels next week.
By the way, did you know that the French (well, Québec-French) translation of ‘Zoom-Zoom’ is ‘Vroum-Vroum’? Language police, come on…
So, Montréal is doing pretty well against Detroit this year. Still, it views its main competition as Toronto. It has a built-in advantage of being a month ahead of Toronto, and with these North American debuts, you can forgive the show organizers for being just a little bit proud.
Montreal also had the Canadian debut of the Scion iQ.
http://bit.ly/sciontestdrive
Posted by: Todd Cpoles | January 14, 2011 at 06:43 AM
'Zoom' doesn't mean anything in French, that's why. Nothing to do with language police - have a look in a comic book from France some time and see what their sound effects are like.
By the way, neither Montreal nor Quebec takes an accent when written and pronounced in English. But your French is better than LeBlanc's.
Posted by: Larry | January 15, 2011 at 02:19 PM
Hi Todd:
There were several Canadian premieres; I was concentrating on the North American debuts.
Jim Kenzie
Posted by: Jim Kenzie | January 15, 2011 at 07:52 PM
Hi Larry:
Don't know how they'd translate BIFF!!! and ZOWIE!!! in French comic books.
But if you go to the Mazda France web site (predictably,
www.mazda.fr) the first two words you'll hear if you have your speakers turned on are "ZOOM" and "ZOOM".
You'll also see those words in written form no fewer than four times on the upper left of the home page.
So sorry, I have to blame the language police for this one!
I figured since I was writing that post from Quebec, I'd put the accents in. Not easy to do with an English keyboard; I somehow have got the word 'cafe' into my WORD Spell Check dictionary WITH an 'accent ague', so when I need one, I type cafe in, then cut-and-paste as needed.
The Spell Check here in this blogging software isn't as accommodating.
As for my French being better than LeBlanc's; how's that for irony?
Jim Kenzie
Posted by: Jim Kenzie | January 15, 2011 at 08:03 PM
Biff is usually PAF, not sure about zowie. Mazda wanted the same slogan worldwide but reviews of Mazdas in France have explained that it meant vroum. So yes, language cops were involved in QC, but a slogan that means nothing in English has sometimes encountered puzzlement/mockery as well (viz. Fahrvergnuegen).
Posted by: Larry | January 17, 2011 at 01:45 PM
Thats a pretty bad example because Mazda sells more cars in Québec than in France, and Québec is also where Mazda has the biggest market share worldwide. So, the "Vroum Vroum" translation has nothing to do with your "language police", only better reaching a key market.
Posted by: Mathieu P. | January 21, 2011 at 12:51 AM
As a lifetime Francophone, I can assure you that "Zoom-Zoom" means absolutely nothing in French. 70 years ago when I was playing with my toy cars, I was saying "Vroum-Vroum".
Language police my eye. Francophones have decided that they will be able to live their lives in their first language in Quebec, just like Anglophones do in Ontario. You do not have "language police" in Ontario because Francophones living there do not try to impose their language on the majority. Get over it.
Posted by: André Chénier | February 21, 2011 at 12:39 AM
I don't know why my response to your comments about "language police" in Quebec were not accepted.
I would suggest that you kindly refrain from making commentary for which you are not prepared to accept polite but direct rebuttal.
To add a positive note to this post, I will tell you that fully agree with the great majority of your views concerning cars and driving, and I ALWAYS drive in the cruising lane except when passing.
Posted by: André Chénier | February 23, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Bonjour Andre:
So, 'Zoom Zoom' means something in French in FRANCE?
Just like 'STOP' means something in French in France, but not in Quebec?
There are a hell of lot more Anglophones in Quebec than there are Francophones in Ontario, but most of our road signs in Ontario are in both official languages. Not, as would make sense if size-of-population were the issue, in Mandarin or Cantonese.
Who needs to get over what, exactly?
Salut,
'Jacques' Kenzie
Posted by: Jim Kenzie | March 10, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Bonjour encore, Andre:
Je m'excuse; no censorship here! It just sometimes takes me longer than I or my on-line editor wishes to get around to posting Comments.
Glad to see we agree of most things however.
Salut encore,
Jim
Posted by: Jim Kenzie | March 10, 2011 at 11:50 AM