Driving into the Future: 2021 Virtual Auto Show

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For the first time since 1974, hundreds of thousands of us in cities across Canada will be missing our traditional new car kickoff: the Montreal International Auto Show (SIAM), the Canadian International Autoshow in Toronto and the Vancouver Auto Show and others have been sucked up in the pandemic’s wheels, like so many other things we look forward to.

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Fret not, Driving.ca audience! We brought our best and brightest to your screens to tell you what should be taking place, what would be taking place, if the world were not standing on its head. On Wednesday, February 24, at 11 AM, we hosted our Driving into the Future: 2021 Virtual Auto Show . Which of course means talked about everything from untouchable supercars to affordable new electric vehicles and from family vehicles that can almost change diapers to the latest pickup trucks that practically stand on their heads.

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You’ll feel like you’re there, as David Booth stokes your imagination with the supercars that should be revolving on their pedestals, oozing sex appeal and power even while sitting still. McLarens, Lamborghinis and Ferraris and the cars he can’t wait to twist through the Alps or a racetrack once again. But also, let’s not forget the feisty street rides that more of us actually do buy—find out what Nissan has done to top the car that many of us (okay, I) felt was always best in class, the 370Z that will be replaced with the Nissan Proto Z, and is Subaru keeping up with the BRZ?

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Stephanie Wallcraft sorts out the family rides first, revealing what the minivan sector is doing to set the pace, with the Toyota Sienna going only hybrid. There are name changes taking place in the Dodge/Chrysler minivan lineup with their roster, and Steph will tell you who’s on first. The Pacifica ups its ante by introducing AWD, and she’ll explain that yes, you’ll still get to keep your Stow ‘n Go seats, something some (okay, I) would call one of the seven wonders of the automotive world.

What would an auto show be without the leviathans of the car booths? The three-row titans that have lured Kia and Hyundai, with the Telluride and the Palisade, into the world of easy, if large, living? The excitement is palpable for Jeep’s long-awaited acceptance to the party with the Grand Cherokee L. You’ll just have to imagine the kiddos scrambling in and around the Escalades, the Yukons, the Tahoes and the Suburbans.

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Jil steers you around the ‘TFB’ work trucks of the show, the many shades of Ford F-150s and Rams and Sierras, but also the increasing popularity of the smaller, more versatile ones. Nissan has finally taken the wraps off their midsize truck entry, the Frontier, and it’s all new for 2022. It’s been a long time coming, but with our virtual auto show, it’ll feel like it’s right in front of you. You might be one of the people dying to get your hands—or at least your eyes—on the new Bronco, one of the most anticipated new vehicles in recent years, so we dish the dirt on the return of that rig. And the Supertruck wars are heating up in earnest with the RAM TRX muscling in on the  Ford Raptor jumping and flying act, so we give you a taste of those.

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Of course, an auto show is about more than just vehicles. Andrew McCredie, our electric vehicle expert, guides us through the aspects of the coming revolution of electrics. We may not think we’re going there, but with every manufacturer pouring billions into the technology as they announce more and more of their lineups going electric, resistance is futile. The Chevy Bolt EUV promises to be one of the first to make the bridge—again—between the historical discrepancies in cost, a huge factor that kept buyers on the sidelines. Maybe the German luxury brands will gain some much-needed yardage, so we reveal what Audi has been doing with their E-Trons. But electrics are no longer solely the domain of city slickers, so is 2021 the year that trucks and SUVs truly usher in the electric future with high-end horsepower from the GMC Hummer, or will the electric version of the best-selling Ford F-150 bring in truck buyers? What about those other guys, Lordstown, Rivian, and of course, the Cybertruck? David Booth weighs in on whether we will see them on the road in 2021.

There’s no overpriced pizza, there’s no face painting for the little ones, and there’s no lugging slushy boots and winter coats between two cavernous buildings.

Just your (okay, my) favourite car people talking about cars, and missing the auto show along with you.