Dozens of New Vehicles Making their First Canadian Appearance at the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow

Media Preview Day features 31 vehicles and concepts making their Canadian debut along with a visit from British celebrity car aficionado, Richmond Hammond

TORONTO, February 15/2024. — The Canadian International AutoShow’s annual Media Preview Day was simply electrifying and featured 31 vehicles making their debut, building the event’s reputation as Canada’s pre-eminent destination to get a first glimpse at the cars, trucks and SUVs that will be gracing showroom floors in the coming months and years — and the concepts that will inspire the designs and technology of tomorrow.

With 45 automotive brands featured across 650,000 square feet at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow is the place to see the latest innovations, trends and advancements in the automotive world.

Camp Jeep

A fan favourite when it made its first Canadian appearance at the AutoShow in 2023 is back for a return engagement. A Trail Rated indoor off-road course, Camp Jeep® offers a chance to experience the capabilities of the legendary Jeep^® vehicles without leaving the AutoShow floor. Passengers will ride along in the latest Jeep vehicles — including the plug-in hybrid Jeep Wrangler 4xe and plug-in hybrid Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe — experiencing five man-made obstacles that rigorously showcase the unmatched capabilities of Jeep vehicles. (North Building, 300 Level.)

Vehicle Premieres

This list of premiere vehicles included formal presentations unveiling the 2025 Porsche Taycan and 2024 Porsche Panamera — as well as a first-look at the Porsche Vision Gran Turismo concept — the Volvo EX90, INFINITI Qe concept and QX Monogram concept, 2025 Genesis GV80 Coupe and 2025 Kia Carnival, as well as presentations for the VinFast VF 3 and VF Wild pickup truck, and the super cars and hyper cars of Grand Touring Automobiles, Canada’s premier retailer of luxury automobiles which is celebrating 50 years in business.

“We take pride at the Canadian International AutoShow to bring consumers interesting and unique vehicles alongside a showcase of the newest and latest production models that will be in the market in the coming years,” says Jason Campbell, General Manager of the AutoShow. “We have had a very successful Media Preview Day, setting the stage for car enthusiasts, car shoppers and families to spend the next 10 days exploring the automotive world right here in Toronto.”

Media Preview Day launched on Thursday with a special opening presentation and the Canadian Car of the Year Awards, presented by AJAC. Mate Rimac, CEO of Bugatti Rimac, and Paul Cummings, the CEO of Toronto luxury car dealer Grand Touring Automobiles, opened Media Preview Day with a panel discussion and the presentation of the Rimac Nevera, billed as the quickest car in the world.

The Nevera — which will be showcased in the Grand Touring Automobiles exhibit on the 700 level of the South Building in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre — pulled up the stage driven by renowned automotive journalist, television and social media star Richard Hammond, who joined the crew on stage for the official opening. He later joined the crew at the Pfaff booth to survey their display of supercars.

Hammond answered many probing questions including the importance of having more women in the racing realm, and of the correlation between race cars and real world cars, using the example of McLaren. “It’s great to see them on the roads. That’s kind of the point,” said Hammond.

Besides Top Gear and The Grand Tour, Richard Hammond is also known for his science and physics programming, including Brainiac: Science Abuse, Blast Lab and Richard Hammond’s Crazy Contraptions. In 2018, he founded Chimp, a production company that has made shows for Amazon, Channel 4, Comedy Channel, Discovery Plus and Quest. Richard Hammond’s Workshop, which has been recommissioned for series 3 and 4, is made by Chimp and marketed by DriveTribe.

Mattel at the AutoShow

A life-sized version of the pink 1957 Chevy Corvette styled for Barbie — and inspired by the Barbie movie — is coming to Canada for the first time at the AutoShow. It will be accompanied by four life-sized cars from the Hot Wheels Garage of Legends^™ will be on display: the Deora II, the Green Loop Coupe, the Rip Rod and the OG Hot Wheels 1967 Chevrolet Camaro, the model that launched the entire Hot Wheels brand. Mattel will also be offering an AutoShow exclusive Nissan Silvia die-cast car; only 1,000 will be available, and will be given away with the purchase of $50 or more from the Toys “R” Us pop-up store. (North Building, 200 Level and 300 Level.) 

The LEGO Group

The LEGO Group is returning to the AutoShow with a family-centric series of activities that give a nod to all things automotive — including three new LEGO^® sets available in Canada for the first time: The LEGO^® Technic™ Kawasaki Ninja H2R Motorcycle, LEGO^® ICONS McLaren MP4/4 & Ayrton Senna and LEGO^® Technic™ Mercedes-AMG F1 W14 E Performance Pull-Back. (South Building, 700 Level)

AJAC Canadian Car of the Year Awards 2024

In the Canadian Car of the Year Awards, AJAC writers voted for the 2024 Toyota Prius as Canadian Car of the Year, and the Toyota Grand Highlander was named Canadian Utility of the Year. In newly minted categories for electric vehicles, Genesis swept the field, taking the Canadian Electric Car of the Year with its GV70 and the Canadian Electric Utility of the Year with its Electrified G80.

The vehicles making a debut at the AutoShow include:

What else will you find at this year’s show

Auto Exotica Luxury Boutique

With collections curated by Autostrada Magazine and Barrett-Jackson, Auto Exotica puts some of the world’s most exclusive luxury and exotic brands will be in the spotlight at the fan-favourite exhibit: Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Weismann, McLaren and a replica of “The Tumbler” Batmobile from the Batman Begins and The Dark Knight movies headline a stunning and unique collection of vehicles. This year’s exhibit also welcomes Cobble Beach Classics to its space, with a tribute to some of the most important performance vehicles throughout the history of the automobile, and will also showcase premium brands Maserati, BMW, Rivian, Lotus and Alfa Romeo.

• Cobble Beach Tribute to Performance — Cobble Beach Classics is showcasing a stunning array of vintage automobiles in a tribute to performance, bringing guests on a comprehensive journey through some of the top performance vehicles in the history of the automobile. The 10-vehicle display includes a 1929 Bentley Speed Six Tourer, 1932 Stutz Super Bearcat, 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra and 1980 Lamborghini Countach LP400S Lowbody.
• Alfa Romeo — This will be the first time the Afla Romeo Tonale PHEV will be displayed an auto show in Canada. A plug-in hybrid, the Tonale PHEV marks Alfa Romeo’s metamorphosis to electrification and connectivity without sacrificing the brand’s Italian sportsmanship DNA. Alongside the Tonale PHEV will be the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce and Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. 
• BMW — BMW is returning to the AutoShow with a showcase of the all-new BMW XM Label, billed as the most powerful BMW M model ever made.
• Lotus — The all-new Lotus Eletre — defined as an electric hyper-SUV with racecar DNA — will make its Canadian debut at the AutoShow, part of a display that also includes the Lotus Emira.
• Maserati — Maserati is returning to the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow in collaboration with the Maserati GTA dealers — Maserati of Oakville, Maserati of Ontario and Maserati of Toronto. It is marking the occasion with the exclusive Canadian auto show premiere of its all-new Maserati Grecale SUV.
• Rivian — A new brand to the AutoShow that recently launched in Toronto with a service centre and office in Vaughan will be displaying its flagship EVs, the R1T pickup truck and R1S SUV.

The Auto Exotica Luxury Boutique can be found on the 100 level of the North Building.

Outdoor Test Drives

Back by popular demand, you can once again test drive vehicles on the streets of Toronto. The South building test drive program registration is located on the 800 level, right by the EV Test Track. Cars available to test include the Volvo C40, VinFast VF 8 and VF 9, Kia EV9 and Fisker Ocean. The outdoor test drive area can be found at the loading dock area on the 800 level of the South Building.

Polestar will be running its own test drives from the South Building. More information is available at the Polestar display on the 800 Level.

Tesla will be running a test drive program from the North Building. For more information, inquire at the Tesla display on the 300 level of the North Building.

Pfaff Auto Group

With a selection of unique vehicles that define performance, Pfaff Auto Group will showcase vehicles from McLaren and Pagani. For the opening weekend of the AutoShow, the Pfaff Motorsports McLaren 720S GT3 EVO racecar will be front and centre. Three other McLarens — the new McLaren 750S Spider, McLaren Artura plug-in hybrid and a McLaren-Mercedes SLR HDK (one of only 12 in the world) will also be in the display along with a Pagani Huayra Coupe, Pagani Huayra Roadster and Pagani Zonda R Liquid. (North Building, 300 Level.)

Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame – Tribute to IndyCar 
The Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame will once again be marking the achievements of the industry at a special Induction Celebration on Saturday February 17th at the AutoShow, and honouring their 2023 International Inductee, four-time Indy Car Champion and three-time Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti. The Chip Ganassi Racing and Andretti Autosport Indy Car teams have kindly provided on loan two of Dario’s super speedway Indy 500 winners for showcasing throughout the Show in a dedicated display for the Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame. (North Building, 100 Level.)

Electric City
Electric City is a one-stop destination for AutoShow attendees to learn everything about automotive electrification. It showcases the ecosystem that supports the new age of mobility. Learn about the exciting developments in the electrified automotive industry, guided by experts discovering new options in mobility. (North Building, 300 Level.)

EV Indoor Test Track
Canada’s largest indoor EV Test Track returns for 2024, with 13 electric vehicles available to be taken on a two-lap jaunt through the course. Consumers (and media) will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the latest and greatest electric vehicles and test drive the future of mobility, right inside the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Vehicles available for a test drive include the Volvo XC90, VinFast VF 8, Hummer EV, Cadillac LYRIQ, Hyundai IONIQ6 and Kona EV, Lexus RZ, Genesis Electrified GV70, Nissan ARIYA, Ford Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, Kia EV9 and EV6, Subaru Solterra and Toyota bZ4X. (South Building, 800 Level.)

Ferrari Classiche

Ferrari of Ontario presents a tribute to Ferrari highlighting a special collection of classiche vehicles including the Ferrari Enzo, F40 and 288 GTO along with their racing pedigree showcasing the Ferrari 296 Challenge car. (North Building, 100 Level.)

Grand Touring Automobiles

Grand Touring Automobiles is celebrating its 50^th anniversary in style at the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow. Canada’s premier retailer of luxury automobiles has assembled an impressive roster of rare and exclusive vehicles to showcase at the AutoShow, which features three cars that have never before been seen at a Canadian auto show, and four brands that have never been seen at the Canadian International AutoShow before. The centrepiece of the GTA display will be the Rimac Nevera, billed as the quickest car in the world. This is the first time the car will be seen at an auto show in Canada. (South Building, 700 Level)

Red Bull Fan Zone
The Red Bull Fan Zone is a celebration of the Red Bull Racing Formula One team, including a full-sized static Show Car of the World Championship-winning RB18 car driven by Max Verstappen in the 2022 Formula One World Championship. (South Building, 700 Level.)

REV TV Speed Zone 
REV TV Studios, featuring the highly anticipated PASMAG 25th Anniversary Collection, will offer attendees an exclusive look at an array of vehicles that have defined the tuner automotive world. In addition to rarely-seen modified cars and up-close views of cars usually only seen on race tracks, the host of REV Culture, Todd Lewis will be interviewing a full slate of automotive and motorsport personalities throughout the show. (South Building, 700 Level.)

The 2024 Canadian International AutoShow takes place February 16^th to 25^th at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. For news and updates — and to buy tickets — please visit autoshow.ca. Stay connected with the Canadian International AutoShow on Instagram @autoshowca, Tik Tok @autoshowca, X @autoshowcanada and Facebook at /autoshowcanada.

photos and commentary by Terry Lankstead with extensive notes from Canadian International AutoShow

lead photo 2025 Kia Carnival unveiling

Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca

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