Relevant cars are big at the Vancouver International Auto Show. Well actually, they're small but there are a lot of them under the dome at BC Place so they have a big presence among the 400 new cars on show.
The term 'relevant cars' was coined by Ford Canada CEO David Mondragon at a pre-show breakfast, while describing the aggressive launch in North America of the Euro-designed Fiesta and the Focus later this year.
According to Mondragon, small cars are 'relevant' in such cities as Vancouver and Montreal where driving and parking space is limited. And he asserts they will become 'relevant' in many other locales as gas prices spiral.
The Fiesta, starting at just $12,999 and set for launch here within the next few months, is drawing crowds at the show. When you have checked out the Ford subcompact head over to Mazda to view a car built on the same platform, the Mazda2. Remember Ford and Mazda were joined at the hip until quite recently. The Ford is getting all the ink but the Mazda2 is an equal. Its choice as world car of the year at the New York Auto Show a couple of years ago sent shock waves around the world -- it wasn't even for sale in North America.
Propulsion comes from a 1.5L DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder 102 horsepower engine, with a five-speed manual transmission. I drove a Russian spec version last year and was impressed with its all round performance and fuel economy of 7.6/4.9 litres/100 kilometres (city/highway). I hear the North American version is more miserly with gas. It should be in showrooms this summer.
Chevrolet is showing off its worthy rival to Ford's new smaller offerings in the shape of the Cruze, which is already a success story worldwide, selling more than 100,000 in 60 countries.
It features an Ecotec 1.4L I-4 turbo with variable valve timing and is expected to deliver segment-leading fuel economy -- including up to 7 litres/100 km on the highway with a high-efficiency model.
But the show stealer among gas powered small cars has to be the Fiat 500 featured on today's Driving cover. Yes, the new version of the iconic car from Italy of the 1960s is back and threatening to give MINI a big run for its money in the retro stakes, not to mention the revamped Beetle.
The Italian manufacturing giant is steering Chrysler back to prosperity and part of the deal is the introduction of the tiny redesigned four-seater here. Other Fiats will show up here badged as Dodges or Chryslers but the 500 will retain its Fiat name and be marketed in boutique-like settings within Chrysler dealerships. Expect to see coupe and convertible versions, powered by small four-cylinder engines, in early 2011.
Vancouverites can get a sneak peek of the three youth-oriented Scion models earmarked for sale here by the Toyota brand. They are the tC compact sport coupe, which features a remarkable panorama moon roof; the xD is a subcompact five-door hatchback and the xB is a boxy five-door hatchback. Funky and fun is what they are meant to be and I'm sure some will find them to be just that but their appeal is lost on me.
The Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid makes its debut at the show and earlier this week the company announced its intent to introduce a handful of vehicles to Canada this coming year for real world testing. The difference between the plug-in and traditional gas/electric hybrids is its lithium-ion battery can be recharged from the grid. This enables all-electric driving at highway speeds for up to 20 kilometres before the gas/electric system kicks in. This may not sound like a great distance but for town driving and short commutes into the city makes the Prius plug-in an attractive option.
The Mitsubishi iMIEV -- innovative electric vehicle -- will debut in this market within 12 months, with some examples set for testing by city government sooner. It is all-electric and like all similarly powered vehicles it comes with built-in 'range anxiety'. Yes, that's the term hybrid manufacturers use to describe the worry consumers have when driving an all electric vehicle dependent on a battery for power. Putting it crudely, "Will it conk out before I get home?"
That said the emission-free car is said to have a range of around 160 km between charge-ups so that should ease the nerves.
The revival of Buick in North America is embodied in the 2011 Regal -- it's already hot in China. The family sedan is based on an Opel product from Germany, powered by a 2.4-L engine. It goes on sale this summer, starting at a very competitive $33,000.
Take a look at the Lincoln C Concept -a luxury small car. It's a sign of the times. Prestige marques are realizing they need to be in the small car market. Why even Aston Martin is putting out a subcompact in the shape of the Cygnet.
Porsche has a good presence at the show and be sure to take a look at the Dream Car lottery prize, the 2010 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet. Tickets
are on sale at the show for $10 each and the proceeds will be used to purchase a Chevrolet Equinox for Special Olympics B.C.
You may run into me or my doppelganger at The Vancouver Sun booth. Please say 'hello', though you may not get an acknowledgment from my life-size cardboard cut-out. You can still 'Ask Keith' a question though. Drop me a line there and then, ask me a question and if I can't answer your query about any driving matter then one of my team will.
OK, time to dream. The SuperCars exhibit has a car for every pocket, as long as they are deep ones. The silver Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Roadster, with its 6.5-litre V12 engine and top speed of 330 km/h caught my eye as did the price tag. With taxes, you are not going to get change out of half a million smackers. Think I'll wait for the hybrid version.
The auto show continues through Sunday, open daily from noon until 10 p.m., from 10 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, closing at 6 p.m. on the final day.
kmorgan@png. canwest.com
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