The new Mazda5DENIS BALIBOUSE
The world is getting smaller - at least the automotive world.
Here at the Geneva motor show, various car makers will have 25 concept and production models making their world debuts. Sounds like a lot, but it's not.
Last year at this time, this show had 32 world debuts. What we saw in Geneva last year had been planned before the start of the global economic meltdown - the one we're still struggling to overcome and which started in earnest in the fall of 2008 with the collapse of Lehman Bros.
A year later, the reality of a downsized car business has hit home. What we'll see over the next two press days reflects a more sober and somewhat smaller auto industry.
Naturally, lots of little cars and crossovers will be shown here in production form for the very first time. And the environmental theme will continue; heck, even Ferrari and Porsche plan to show "green" cars - hybrids - and they're serious about them.
For Canada, well, in particular this show will give us a first look at six production cars that matter. They are all smallish crossovers, wagons or minivans and this is exactly where Canadians do a lot of shopping. Here's a look:
Kia: The new Sportage will put away any rugged, off-roader pretensions in favour of a sleeker crossover design. Not surprisingly, the new Sportage is longer, lower and wider than the first- and second-generation models. The exterior sheet metal is more dynamic and the interior is more spacious. This one will go on sale in Canada later this year.
Mazda: Mazda's new mantra is fuel efficiency. It will be entertaining to watch this Japanese auto maker put a "Zoom Zoom" spin on that. And that's why the new Mazda5 is so important. This minivan will be more fuel-efficient than the current model and is the first production vehicle to adopt Mazda's Nagare design philosophy.
Huh? Nagare design? The obvious signal is a set of wavy ridges on each side of the compact minivan. Nagare is the Japanese word for "flow," and the waves represent flow in this design.
Look also for Mazda to talk more about its upcoming new array of powertrains, too. Europeans will get the new Mazda5 this fall; Canadians and Americans will see it in showrooms very late this year or nearly next.
Mini: Mini's new Countryman crossover is the fourth Mini model and its first four-door car. The styling here is intended to look more rugged than the traditional Mini hatchback. All-wheel drive will be optional.
The Countryman will be offered with three gasoline and two diesel engines, but not everywhere in the world and certainly not in Canada. We'll likely get just two gasoline engine choices.
Europeans will also get technologies such as brake energy regeneration and a stop-start system to reduce fuel consumption. But again, Canadians and American likely will not - at least in the first year or two.
Nissan: The new Juke crossover holds a lot of promise for Nissan in Canada. It's a small, sporty alternative to the run-of-the-mill hatchbacks we're seeing in showrooms now.
In Canada and the U.S., the Juke will be positioned below the Rogue crossover. The front-wheel-drive Juke will be the brand's third crossover, following the Rogue and the larger Murano. The Juke will go on sale in Japan in the summer, in Europe at the end of September and in North America in the fall.
Ford: Finally, a few words about the Ford C-Max minivan and Grand C-Max minivan. Ford plans to export both from Europe to North America.
Ford's last minivan in Canada was the Windstar/Freestar that started with such promise and went out with a whimper. The C-Max lineup gives Ford a fresh and stylish new start in a segment that really is not getting bigger, but in fact smaller.
Maybe minivans will even become cool again.