The Crank: Winners and Losers from this year’s Toronto Auto Show media day

By John LeBlanc The 38th running of the Toronto auto show is a great place to go if you’re shopping for a new car, or want to take a look at some exotics that non-N.B.A.-salaried humans simply can't afford. But before the doors open to the public today, and until February 27, we in the media (and seemingly hundreds of others who's only entry criteria was the ability to afford a video camera) spent this past Thursday listening with bated breath to a succession of manufacturer presentations. Here are my Winners and Losers from this year’s media day: WINNER – Nissan Sure. The Nissan Ellure concept, seen above, was originally seen at last fall’s L.A. show. But by virtue of Nissan skipping this year’s Detroit show, the concept—that hints at the next Altima and a forthcoming hybrid drivetrain—was one of the fresher show cars unveiled (see Subaru below.) And Nissan Canada made the effort to bring in Alfonso Albaisa, the former head of Nissan’s European design studio, now head of its U.S. design studio in San Diego, to chat. Gracias. LOSER – Lexus One would think that with sales on the decline, Toyota Canada would have wanted to highlight one of its new cars that you can actually buy. Say like its CT200h sports compact hybrid, pictured right. Instead, its presentation opened with the unobtainable LF-A supercar, a car I drove in late-2009, and of which the 10 examples that will only ever come into to Canada have already been sold. WINNER – Hyundai Unlike its Japanese rival, the Korean automaker’s presentation was chock-a-block with new product you can actually buy. Not only was the new 2012 Velostar compact coupe, seen left, making its Canadian debut, on hand was the also all-new 2011 Elantra, new 2011 Sonata Turbo and Hybrid midsize sedans, new 2012 Accent subcompact, new 2011 Equus flagship sedan, plus the HND-4 Blue Will plug-in electric hybrid concept. LOSER – Subaru The Japanese automaker had the distinction of being the last presser of the day. Never a great position. But it didn’t help itself by offering little in the way of “new.” With no all-new production vehicles this year, and no Impreza Design Concept, Subaru trotted out its Hybrid Tourer Concept, first seen at the 2009 Tokyo sho…ZZZZZZZZZZZZ… WINNER – Volvo Huh? Volvo didn’t even have a presser, you may say. Exactly. Because of its timing in the show circuit schedule, the Toronto show has been losing out to Montreal and Chicago when it comes to world, North American or Canadian debuts. One attending wag (OK, it was me) quipped that the TO event is the only show that allows debuts of discontinued cars. So while Volvo did win a Canadian Black Book Best Retained Value award (that's Kathy Ward, president of Canadian Black Book presenting to Volvo Cars of Canada President and CEO, Jeff Pugliese for C30 and S80) it didn't waste our time with a bunch of non-news. On behalf of the busier media corps, I salute you, Volvo PR peeps.

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