2012 Geneva Motor Show: The best debuts NOT coming to Canada

By John LeBlanc GENEVA—For many car fans, the annual Swiss auto show held here at the foot of the Alps is strictly a “look-but-can’t-buy” proposition. While the auto industry has become a lot more global, regional regulations and consumer tastes still mean there are plenty of debuts here that will not be coming to Canada. Sports and performance cars traditionally dominate this event because it kicks off the European spring driving season. And there were a gaggle of models that Canadian driving enthusiasts will need a passport and an overseas flight to enjoy. One of my favourites this year was the new Audi RS4 Avant, seen above, a high-performance sports wagon that could blow the doors off a few so-called sports cars.Packing the same 450 horsepower V8 from the RS5 coupe, and the S4’s torque vectoring rear differential, this all-wheel-drive grocery getter can scoot from zero to 100 km/h in around five seconds, and top out at an unlimited 280 km/h. With less than half the RS4’s power, the new Volkswagen GTI Cabriolet, left, isn’t quite as quick. But the idea of a ragtop version of the VW sports compact sounds more appealing to driving fans than the Beetle convertible we’ll get instead. One Euro sports compact we may eventually get is the subcompact Ford Fiesta ST. Harnessing a new 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 178 hp, Ford’s marketing department said it is “open to introducing the high-performance small car to other regions, including North America.” A direct competitor to the Fiesta over here could be the new Peugeot 208 GTi. In an attempt to generate warm memories of its legendary 1983 to 1998 205 GTi supermini, the French automaker debuted its 200 hp hot hatch in concept form, but I expect it will go into production eventually. While Canadians love diesels, Americans, well, not so much. Which is why we won’t be getting a new range of BMW M automobiles. A new “tri-turbo” 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine making 381 hp and a whopping 546 lbs.-ft. of torque powers four M Automobile models: a 5 Series sedan and wagon and the X5 and X5 SUVs. Speaking of “fun and practical” Euro-only rides, this year’s show also saw plenty of station wagon models that we SUV/crossover-loving Canadians will never see this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Perhaps the most-gorgeous new hauler in Geneva this year was the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Its natural rivals include luxury midsize wagons like the Canadian-market Cadillac CTS and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. But for now, Jaguar has no plans to bring it to our country. If you wished some (any!) automaker would step up and give the Volkswagen Golf Wagon some competition in Canada, this year’s show had plenty of candidates. Chevrolet, Hyundai, and Kia debuted their respective wagons of their Cruze, i30 (our Elantra) and Cee’d (our Forte) compacts—and all three are available with diesel mills, like the Golf. It’s not a wagon, but the new Seat Toledo would be a nice replacement for all those older Mazda6 Sport owners looking to trade-in. Essentially a restyled version of our VW Jetta sedan, the Toledo offers a practical-but-stylish rear hatch. Or how about a subcompact people hauler — with no B-pillar for easy access — based on our Fiesta? That’s the new Ford B-Max, left, a mini-people hauler, that sadly, we Canadians will more than likely never see. Of course, as anyone knows who’s had to park in a crowded European city like Geneva, the value of a small, easy-to-park car can’t be overstated. And this year’s show saw a plethora of small (and really small) cars we likely won’t see in Canada unless gas prices go even higher. The all-conquering Volkswagen Group continued to roll out variants of its new family of city cars, starting with the four-door hatchback version of the existing two-door Volkswagen Up!, and the virtually identical Seat Mii, and Skoda Citigo. While aimed at the European market, the Tata Megapixel concept is an extended-range hybrid (like our Chevrolet Volt) city car. Its makers in India claim it has a 900-kilometre range. Small and luxurious cars were also popping up like weeds here in Geneva. The all-new Audi A3, left, debuted as a two-door hatchback. A four-door hatch is a given, but we Canadians will only see a four-door sedan model at some point. Targeted right at the small Audi (and forthcoming front-drive BMW 1 Series) were new compacts from Mercedes-Benz and Volvo. The new Mercedes-Benz A-Class is lower and more aggressively styled than its more upright predecessor. The small ’Benz also gets a new family of four-cylinder gas and diesel engines ranging between 1.6- and 2.0-litres. The new Volvo V40 four-door hatchback replaces both the S40 sedan and V50 wagon — but only in Europe, as we Canadians are being left with the older-generation C30 two-door hatch only.

Comments