The 2009 Canadian International AutoShow held in Toronto, Ontario is sure to have a few surprises specifically designed for the Canadian consumer. Having attending various auto shows around the globe over the past six months, much of what is displayed in Toronto will seem like old hat. But experience tells me, I haven’t seen it all and excitement always runs rampant as we get closer to show time.

Here are several of the new vehicles we know will be showcased in the conference halls on Front Street. For now, the surprises will have to wait.

2009 Canadian Car of the Year

The top three finalists for the 2009 Canadian Car of the Year have been announced. They are the Hyundai Genesis, Mazda6 and Toyota Corolla. The Ford Flex, Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Subaru Forester are finalists in the category of Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.

 

 

The 2009 Best New Design finalists are the Honda Fit, Jaguar XF Supercharged and Volkswagen Passat CC. Rounding out the list, the top three finalists for 2009 Best New Technology are the General Motors OnStar Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, the Infiniti Around View Monitor and the Mitsubishi Super-All-Wheel Control.

Votes have been tabulated and winners will be announced on February 11 to kick off Media Days at the 2009 Canadian International AutoShow. Watch for the results as we recap the day’s events.

Mazda3 5-Door

Taking pictures of the 2010 Mazda3 5-Door at this year’s 2009 NAIAS resulted in a lengthy conversation with one of the show floor representatives on hand. Knowledgeable, witty and striking at 6’ 2”, my newfound friend was equally dumbfounded as to why Mazda continues to struggle as it seeks to gain market share in the United States.

 

 

As Canadians, on the other hand, we get it. Here in the true north, Mazda is a huge hit! So the introduction of a new vehicle, especially one as cost effective and smart-looking as the Mazda3 5-door, garners genuine enthusiasm and a desire to get behind the wheel and drive it.    

Featuring a 2.5L DOHC 4-cyinder engine, the 5-Door produces 167 horsepower and 168 lb.-ft of torque on regular unleaded gasoline. Mated to a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission, it carries 5 passengers and their gear in complete comfort and safety.

Independent front and rear suspension, rack-and-pinion power assist steering and 17” wheels with all-season tires provide excellent agility and improve ride quality. Stops are made easy with ABS and EBD and fuel economy is rated at 10.7/8.1 L/100 km city/highway for the automatic equipped Mazda3 5-Door. Hatchbacks remain popular in Canada and this should be a nice addition to the suddenly well rounded family of Mazda3 sedans.

Volkswagen Concept BlueSport

When the snow flies and the weather outside is -10° C, the time is right to showcase what’s new in convertibles. No less than six new cars were introduced earlier this year in Detroit as concepts and 2010 models. Not to be outdone, Volkswagen showcased one of the most desirable with the Concept BlueSport taking center stage. With a little luck, we should see it in Toronto as well.

A mid-engine design, exterior styling is reminiscent of the Audi TT with a little Porsche Boxster thrown in for good measure. When excellent DNA runs in the family, why not capitalize?

Volkswagen chose to highlight a 2.0L, mid-mounted clean diesel (TDI) engine. Mated to a 6-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, performance numbers rate the two-person sports car as having 177 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft of torque. Zero to 100 km/h mph is achieved in approximately 6.2 seconds with top speed reaching 225 km/h.

One thing that makes the Volkswagen Concept BlueSport so intriguing is the anticipated cost for this vehicle. VW isn’t looking to compete with either Audi or Porsche at this point, and should the vehicle go into production sometime soon, pricing is expected to be reasonable. Watch out Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. Someone left the garage door open and Volkswagen snuck in when nobody was looking.

BMW Z4 Roadster

A little higher up the ladder, BMW will spotlight what is arguably the best looking German car to arrive on North American shores in quite some time. The new BMW Z4 Roadster is gorgeous in everyway. It strikes at the heart with clean lines, a removable hardtop and what should be excellent BMW driving dynamics.

 

Built in Regensburg, Germany, gone are the days of offering both soft-top and hardtop versions of the Z4. To make it easier, a retractable hardtop stows easily at the push of a button in a mere 20 seconds.

Two engine choices will be offered initially in the new Z4. The Z4 sDrive 3.0i features a normally aspirated inline 6-cylinder producing 255 hp and 200 lb.-ft of torque at 2,750 rpm. The higher performing, twin-turbocharged, Z4 sDrive 3.5i offers 300 hp and 300 lb.-ft of torque at 1,750 rpm.

A rear-wheel drive sports car, standard equipment includes a 6-speed manual transmission in both models. A six-speed automatic transmission is optional in the 3.0i, while the 3.5i makes available a new seven-speed, dual-clutch automated manual. Weighing 90 kg more than the outgoing Z4, Dynamic Drive Control should make long, winding drives throughout Canada a favorite summertime excursion for a select few.

Summary

Additional vehicles to watch for at the Canadian International AutoShow include the 2010 Lexus HS 250h, 2010 Honda Insight, a Chrysler series of Range Extend Electric Vehicles including a Town & Country, plus the stunning Jaguar XFR. The all-new Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKT, Kia Forte, Cadillac SRX, Toyota Prius and Volvo XC60 are several more vehicles expected to have their wraps taken off. We will be there with the inside scoop on what you need to know regarding the auto show in Toronto.