2011 Geneva Leftovers: Not Coming to Canada

Story and photos John LeBlanc GENEVA – With over 60 world debuts, automakers from around the world packed the halls of this year’s Geneva auto show and gave car fans plenty to see. Unfortunately, many of the debuts and unveilings could be considered forbidden fruit, models that will never make it to Canadian new car showrooms. For example, spend anytime driving in Europe, and you quickly become aware how much the standard station wagon is preferred here, compared to North American new car buyers tastes for taller, less fuel efficient and poorer handling crossovers and SUVs. Along with the lineup of C Class sedans that have been refreshed for 2012—and an all-new coupe that Canadians will be able to buy—one of the most tantalizing wagon debuts in Geneva was the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Estate; or “station wagon” for our American friends. A wagon that can haul more ways than one, the C 63 AMG wagon is either powered by a “base” 451 hp 6.2-litre naturally aspirated V8 or with optional AMG Development package that boosts power to 481 hp. Just the ride to drop the kids off at school. Meanwhile, just as Korea’s Hyundai is seemingly rolling out a new model every other week, one model I’d like to see come to Canada is the 2012 Hyundai i40 Wagon, left, a more practical European version of our Sonata. As other automakers like Acura (TSX), Mercedes-Benz (C Class), BMW (5 Touring), Subaru (Legacy), Mazda (6) and even Volvo (V70 and V60) have either stopped making or importing their wagons, a Sonata hauler for Canada could be a real coup for Hyundai Canada. Of course, it wasn’t just wagon models that debuted here in Geneva and aren’t headed our way. Last seen in 2003, the 2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet, left, marks the return of the co-ed friendly ragtop compact. At least for European customers. With the existing retractable roof Eos coupe/convertible and New Beetle Convertible already on sale in Canada, there’s really no reason to bring the clothtop Golf here, unless your name happens to be Barbie or Ken. Along with wagons and compact convertibles, new hatchbacks debuts were littering the Geneva show floor. Despite rivals like the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, Volkswagen Golf and Mazda3 offering functional hatchback models, General Motors of Canada is still noncommittal on selling the new 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback, left. Slated to go on sale in Europe by the middle of this year, the Cruze hatch's 60/40-split rear seat and 400 litres or rear cargo room would some practicality and another model to carve more sales in the suddenly competitive compact segment. Another small, European hatchback that’s not coming to Canada is the Ford B-Max, left, essentially a Fiesta minivan. One size smaller than the Focus-based C-Max mini-minivan that Canadian buyers will be able to buy later this year, the B-Max features dual sliding rear doors with no B-pillar for ease of entry and exit, and a fuel conscious 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine. Another (ad nauseum) hatchback that should be sold in Canada is the European version of the Suzuki Swift, seen in Geneva as the Swift S-Concept. Just imagine if the struggling Japanese  automaker could bring in this Euro Swift, instead of the aging Swift+ we get back in Canada, a rebadged Chevrolet Aveo5. Ironically, one has to come to Europe to get the pulse of the pickup segment—small pickups, that is. Ford in North America has essentially given up on the compact truck market. Later this year, production of the Ford Ranger compact truck will end after 29 years. Yet the new 2012 Ford Ranger Wildtrak , left, that made its debut here in Switzerland is due to go on sale around the world later in 2011. The VW Amorak was actually introduced for 2010. It’s built in Argentina for South America, Mexico, Russian, South African, Australian and European markets and has a family of turbo-diesels, some scoring as low as 8.1 L/100 km, powers the small VW truck. Not only did this year’s Geneva show tease with mainstream “not for sale in Canada” vehicles, but the venue is also a hotbed for boutique European supercar makers. With 1,115 hp and 885 lb-ft of torque on tap from its twin-turbo 5.0-litre V8, the new Koenigsegg Agera R , left, makes the new 700 hp Lamborghini Aventador LP7004 look like a shopping cart. With the help of its lightweight carbon-fibre chassis, the Swedish supercar company claims the Agera R can get from naught to 96 km/h in only 2.9 seconds. If not the match of the krazy Koenigsegg, a pair of 700 hp supercars that debuted here in Geneva from Italy’s Pagani and Germany’s Gumbert also teased the hearts of Canadian supercar fans. The new  Pagani Huayra, left, (allegedly named after an ancient god of wind), makes its power via a Mercedes-Benz-sourced twin-turbo V12 engine. If you have friends or relatives in the U.S., you may be interested to know that Pagani will bring the Huayra to the States later this year, the first time the company has officially sold vehicles in North America. Not North America-bound is the new Gumpert Tornante, the latest model from the German boutique supercar maker. You may know Gumbert for its Apollo, a supercar with looks only its mother could love. But thanks to the Italian design firm Carrozzeria Touring, the Tornante looks now almost match the performance from the supercar’s 700 hp 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8.

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