“I’ll take 0-per cent financing for 200, Alex…”

I’ll give you this: if you’re coming down to the ‘Dome to make a decision on your next new car, figuring out the financing isn’t as easy as watching Mr. Trebek on Jeopardy. What you will find is the Canadian auto industry still evolving when it comes to dealing with our Loonie that is stubbornly staying on par with the U.S. dollar.

Last year, we saw unheard of low financing and cash incentives. But every manufacturer was waiting to see which one of the big players would blink and actually drop MSRPs. Well it’s finally happened.

Toyota Canada recently announced price reductions from $750 on the Toyota Yaris to $8,100 on the Lexus GX series.

So when you’re trolling the show floor comparison pricing, go ahead and ask any sales folks, “So, when will you be dropping your prices—just like Toyota?”

I'd like to thank my mom, eh?

Limited to the invited press on hand, the AJAC Annual Awards—the Academy Awards of the Canadian auto industry—traditionally kicks off the media days here at the Toronto show. Without the aid of any Hollywood script writers, here's a sample of this year's reception speeches:

Nemo Electric Truck

One vehicle you won't see in any Canadian International Auto Show publicity - or even in Wheels' special Auto Show section - is the Nemo.

This "electric urban truck" was invited to appear at the show the night before the press day, when a show floor space unexpectedly opened up. I don't know how the heck they got it here from Montreal in last night's snow storm, but here it is, on the 700 level of the South Building, just outside the Media Room.

Nemo was engineered and is being built in Ste-Therese, north of Montreal, right across the street from the shopping mall that used to be the site of the GM Camaro factory. Production begins later this year.

Given the range drawbacks of electric vehicles - the main problem of which has always been getting a long enough extension cord - Nemo has been designed for what the company calls "proximity work and transportation". A.k.a., theme parks, private factories, other non-public road applications. Plug it in overnight, and it's ready to go the next morning.

The single platform can be configured a million different ways - the one at the show has a small dump truck body, but it can be set up as a people mover, a flat bed, probably anything you could think of.

For example, Nemo company president Ken Johnson says ambulance operators tell him that about ten percent of all calls could be handled with something this small. Indeed, in something like a sports stadium or a gated community, a Nemo ambulance could get to places a full-size ambulance just couldn't reach.

A Nemo mini-fire truck? Why not?

The unit at the auto show is even painted orange - just like the cartoon fish.

www.nev-nemo.com for more information.
 

Where are the hybrids?

Detroit was a love fest for eco-friendly hybrids, and fuel cells and electric vehicles, but at this year's Toronto auto show the traditional combustion engine still rules.
Though there are a few hybrid standouts. BMW Canada today unveiled its X6 Concept ActiveHybrid. The two-mode hybrid crossover is slated to go on sale next year.
General Motors presented its Chevy Silverado Hybrid as well as the Tahoe Hybrid. The fuel-size SUV is expected to achieve mileage numbers on par with a mid-size sedan.
Finally, we're starting to see hybrids in big vehicles, a step in the right direction!

Canadan Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards

Well, as my Grade 11 history teacher used to say when we collectively got the wrong answers to his pop quizzes, "Another failure of democracy.''

Likewise the results of the 2008 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.

The Audi R8 is Car of the Year - a fabulous car by any standard, but a $150,000 sports car of which they'll maybe a hundred in Canada? Car of the Year?

Can't blame Audi. They don't make the rules, and they aren't going to hand the trophy back.

The R8 was also chosen Best New Design and, a couple of months ago, "Most Coveted'' by the journos at AJAC's Test Fest last fall.

The other finalists were the Saturn Astra and Audi S5.

Actually, the real Car of the Year didn't even make the final three. At least the Chevrolet Malibu won the North American award.

General Motors did win the Utility Vehicle award, although it was the wrong General Motors vehicle. The Buick Enclave should have been a slam-dunk, but the collective minds of AJAC gave it to the Silverado pick-up. A worthy winner, but nowhere near the breakthrough represented by the Enclave.

Nissan Rogue, another fine vehicle, was the other Utility finalist.

Ford's SYNC system, enabling connectivity of multiple media devices into a car and making it even easier for drivers to be distracted, won Best New Technology. Is there no hope?

Wait 'til next year. We'll probably get it wrong again.

 

 

T.O. or bust!

First things first.

Only newspaper editors, show organizers, and sign makers who charge by the letter, call the Toronto auto show the “Canadian International Auto Show.”

Whatever.

My first trip to the “Toronto show”, 15 years ago, was a random act of car enthusiasm.

Me and three car buddies, up at 4 a.m. to make the four hour drive from Ottawa to the Skydome. Once there, for the next eight hours we walked, gawked, fought the car geek crowds, and ate bad hot dogs and drank flat Labatts.

After taking in all the latest and greatest on four wheels, our quartet of car nuts then piled into that paragon of highway transportation, a Ford Tempo (NOT MINE!), and made the drive back to the Nation’s Capital. As is the norm, a late winter storm doubled our drive home.

By the time I crawled into bed, it was 2 a.m.

This year’s Toronto show opens to the public next Friday, February 15 at 10:30 am.

Whether your commitment to get there involves a ride on the TTC, or a Tim Bit and double-double-fueled marathon from Ottawa, the Toronto show is always worth the trip.

This year, I’ll be back, but this time as part of this Wednesday’s media herd. Check back here then for on-the-floor industry news updates.

And don’t worry.

I’m sure the hot dogs have improved. But I’d load up on the onions anyway.

The King is not dead...

Auto shows kill for influence. Every one of them wants the best previews, the most important debuts.

Los Angeles used to have its show just days before Detroit. No chance - no one wanted to go to an auto show over New Year's.

LA moved to mid-November last year, to position itself ahead of Detroit, to steal some thunder.

So when Porsche chose to exhibit in Los Angeles last fall and give Detroit a pass this year, some wondered - if this the thin edge of the wedge? Is Detroit losing its lustre?

The official reason given by Porsche is that Detroit isn't their market, so why be here?

The real reason? Mark Phelan, an extremely well-connected Detroit-area auto journalist, told me that people he knows and trusts told him that Porsche was upset by the lack of media coverage afforded the face-lifted Cayenne at last year's Detroit show, and blamed the show organizers.

Yes, but the face-lifted Cayenne wasn't that big a story in the first place. And, they held the press conference in a meeting room downstairs from the main show venue, instead of on their stand like most carmakers do. The media are too busy (no no, not too lazy) at a show like this to wander off to a remote location for a story they know isn't that critical.

Phelan also notes that while Detroit may be organized by the Detroit Area Dealers' Association, it is a media-driven show. People he knows who measure media coverage from auto shows around the world say that the twelfth most-important story at Detroit gets more media coverage, locally, nationally and internationally, than the number one story out of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles may be where the car buyers are, especially high-end car buyers.

But for all its faults, Detroit is still Motor City.

So while LA may be a rising star, the Detroit auto show is still the super-nova.

Day 1 Wrapup

The sun's not up yet, but Day 2 kicks off here in Detroit in 40 minutes with a media roundtable with General Motors venerable prodcut/czar/guru/saviour, Bob "Can't Miss" Lutz.

But before that, here are some industry highlights from Sunday:

- As a direct shot at GM's non-committal date (maybe, probably in 2010) for its plug-in hybrid, the Chevy Volt, late yesterday Toyota claimed its lithium-ion hybrid vehicles will be in demonstration fleets in 2010. Toyota said this will include plug-in hybrids that already have been under development.

- Remember when the first Japanese premium brands—Acura, Infiniti, Lexus—blew up the idea of what value meant in the luxury classes in the late 1980 and early '90s? Korean automaker, Hyundai, thinks its new Genesis luxo-sedan will be an just as big of an "industry disruption."

As a reminder, the Genesis is a rear-drive sedan with a 375 hp, V8 and styling that mimics the best from Lexus and Infiniti to be priced many thousands less than the aforementioned established brands.

- Instead of as a replacement for its recently euthanized Accord Hybrid, Honda announced that its "i-DTEC" clean diesel technology will make its North American debut in a 2009 Acura-badged vehicle. Honda was mean with the details such as displacement, power and torque. But expect 2.2-litre four banger of some kind.

Working Hard for You - Part 2

Incredible! It's been almost an hour since Chrysler's Firehouse/bar has been open, and amazingly, some of the 6,000 to 7,000 media are still working in the on-site press room.

Is this Toyota's new microcar?