Driving into the Future: 2021 Virtual Auto Show Highlights

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When you put together a panel of opinions as vast and varied as the automotive journalists at Driving.ca, you’re sure to get some things you might have expected, but also some surprises. Our Virtual Auto Show for 2021 provided plenty of both.

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We opened with the 2022 McLaren Artura, that company’s first foray into the hybrid world. It mates a twin-turbo V6 with a battery-electric powertrain. For Booth, of course, we can’t just start here. Nope, to set the stage, as it were, he first takes us back to his favourite supercar of all time—even though that first one never came to market, since it was only a prototype—The Jaguar C-X75. Booth was one of the lucky few to have ever driven that hyper-hybrid that wouldn’t be matched across much of the scorecard until now, with the Artura. What’s most telling? It took about a decade from the Jaguar to the Artura. 

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You won’t be able to go to any auto show now or in the future and escape the overwhelming presence of technology that means even a model year can seem like an eon. As we march towards an electric future, some of us are still wondering if the talk will be matched with the walk. Andrew McCredie, our west coast electric expert and Plugged In podcast host, makes an excellent point about where we are now. There was a time that the only chance consumers had to even test an electric car was at an auto show, or local events held near larger cities. He notes the dreaded waiting times—six months, a year—that people were willing (or stuck with) waiting to get their hands on a coveted vehicle. Now, as supply finally catches up, showrooms, particularly Hyundai, are offering up ready access to buyers. “When you actually drive one, it’s quite an experience,” says McCredie. Yes, he’s biased. He’s also right. 

At an actual event, the crowds might very well gawk at the 1,000-hp GMC Hummer, but the real star, according to McCredie, is Chevrolet’s newest addition to the electric family: the Bolt EUV and its realistic price tag. Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 is a standout that surfaced just days before our virtual show, and it has a design to stand out and draw attention whether it was electric or not. Closing the gap on pricing of EVs against traditional gasoline vehicles was always the goal, and we’re getting there. Later in the program, McCredie gets into the “sexier” side of things; the Audi RS e-tron GT is a stunner from a company that knows sexy cars, and Porsche’s Taycan has taken the auto world – and our panel – by storm.

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Jil McIntosh points out the importance of new engine design for the traditional workhorses, the pickup trucks. Hybrid technology in the F-150 has lowered this perennial bestseller’s gas consumption to levels that would have been unimaginable even a decade ago. When most vehicle sales in North America are in the category of big, bigger, and biggest, it makes sense that manufacturers will need to not only offer their most advanced engines but offer them in their bestsellers.

“The F-150 hybrid is capable of running on battery alone. It’s not going to go that far on it, but it’s enough to help with fuel economy.” The 3.0L V6 hybrid option will deliver 9.8 L/100 km, versus a 3.5L non-hybrid achieving 12 L/100 km. Perhaps the biggest consideration for those who buy a truck is what McIntosh points out as the most obvious one: these trucks must be able to tow and deliver torque. They have to be strong, and they are. She also points out a return to form in a different part of the truck market: the mid-sizers that have been overshadowed as their larger siblings get, well, larger. The Nissan Frontier is highly anticipated, especially with the Titan now gone, and she says these smaller trucks are actually more usable for more people. You can drive them and park them and fit them into most drive scenarios, something that can be a struggle with the giant beasts.

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News from Toyota that the 2021 Sienna will be hybrid-only is welcome news for Stephanie Wallcraft. Minivans may carry a little baggage in their history, but as Wallcraft points out, they really are the right answer for many families. “At Driving.ca, we’ve been van-splaining to people for years that minivans really are the most practical and useful family vehicle that you can buy,” she says. A big concern for many Canadians is all-wheel drive, and with Chrysler Pacifica finally adding that to their options list, without losing the coveted Stow-n-Go seating that made this originator of the Chrysler Dodge minivans famous, Wallcraft sees an opportunity for buyers to have the best of all worlds. That hybrid Sienna will go a long way to boosting fuel economy, another plus. 

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Interesting note from Wallcraft: People often tend to buy a vehicle based on a “what if” scenario; what if I have to take the whole soccer team one day; what if that trip involves the entire family. It might make consumers champ at the bit for something like the forthcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee L—taking its position along with the other three-row titans, like the recent additions of the Kia Telluride and the Hyundai Palisade—but smart buyers will consider what is actually best for their needs even as they reach ever higher on the price chain for these luxurious family rides. 

Mr. Supercar, David Booth, takes a few minutes to lavish some praise on the highly anticipated Nissan Proto Z. He considers it a worthy follow up to the fan favourite 370Z, but he also makes the case for the fast and furious fun cars: Subaru has added more horsepower to their debuting BRZ, the Volkswagens have always headlined in this category and the new Golf R and GTI should continue that reputation, and the Hyundai Elantra N Line, especially mated with a manual transmission, has this hypercar fan marveling at just how much fun these junior sports cars are to drive. Once the principal territory of the Mazda Miata, manufacturers are still making fun for those who love to drive, without breaking budgets.

To close it out, we took some reader questions, and most telling was the answer to where we should be looking to make our vehicle purchases in the next couple of years: it was a unanimous vote for hybrids and electrics. The time has come.