From the Cybertuck to the Barbie 'Vette, there was plenty to like and dislike at Canada's annual auto show
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From all accounts — at least a random polling of journalists and automaker reps in attendance on media day — this year’s Canadian International Auto Show eclipses last year’s in terms of scope, relevance and sizzle. That bodes well for show organizers as the 2023 show saw the third highest attendance numbers in the 50-year history of the event. As we do at every auto show we cover, the Driving.ca team of journalists at the media day in Toronto weigh in with their hits and misses.
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Driving’s biggest hits from the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow
Hit: Tesla Cybertruck
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Jonathan Yarkony: I’m no Tesla fanboy, and although it took way too long to reach customers, I absolutely love the Cybertruck. I wouldn’t necessarily call it pretty, and there are other vehicles I prefer (new Hyundai Santa Fe and Volvo wagons always get my attention), in a sea of copycat designs and anonymous blobs, the Cybertruck is distinctive and identifiable from miles away and shatters the mold of the current design landscape, spitting in the eye of convention and taunting other brands and designers to think of new paradigms in automotive styling.
Hit: VinFast Wild
Jil McIntosh: I love it when anyone takes a spin off a traditional pickup truck, and that’s what VinFast did here. It’s all-electric, it’s sized for urban adventures, and as an old-car fan, I love that the back pillar looks shamelessly stolen from a 1958 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser. There’s a power-folding “midgate” that can expand the bed from five feet to a potential eight-foot unit, too (and hey, the Mercury’s back window went down as well!). The Wild is still just a concept, and it’s not clear if it ever will make it into production, but it could be a viable little vehicle if it ever does.
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Hit: The show itself
Andrew McCredie: It seems like only yesterday, okay it was pre-Covid, that one or two of our smart-alecky journalists would cite an entire show as a miss. With dwindling reveals, automakers dropping out and cavernous areas of empty space on showroom floors, that assessment was often warranted. But if we are one thing at Driving.ca it is fair, so in that spirit this year’s Canadian International Auto Show deserves hit status. There are 45 automotive brands that have brought their wares to the show, 31 Canadian debuts, a few global reveals and stunning displays of Ferraris and million-dollar collectibles. Yes, some notable automakers didn’t attend and most likely won’t in the future, but their absence didn’t detract from the show.
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Hit: 2024 Lexus GX 550
Matthew Guy: From its newly squared-off styling to the decision to imbue the Overtrail trim with chunky off-road tires, the 2024 Lexus GX 550 just looks right from all angles. Its designers got the message that consumers actually appreciate boxy SUVs which stand out in a sea of lozenge-shaped competitors. A great powertrain and off-road chops don’t hurt, either.
Hit and Miss: Tesla Cybertruck
Clayton Seams: I hate how much I love it and I love how much I hate it! The Tesla Cybertruck is the most polarizing car here at the auto show. It’s my hit because it’s actually a truly original car design, but it’s a miss because it’s probably the worst thing to happen to pedestrians since, well, the car. It’s super complicated, but it’s the car of the show — there’s no PR for it, no signage, no light; it’s the laziest display for a vehicle, and yet, it’s a flex. It gets people talking.
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Driving’s biggest misses from the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow
Miss: Barbie Corvette
Andrew McCredie: First off, I thought the Barbie movie was fantastic, with vibrant cinematography, a solid story line with a strong message and some exceptional acting. Great soundtrack too. All of which makes the much-advertised ‘Barbie car at the auto show’ hype all that disappointing when you see it in its pink flesh. Rather than being the actual car from the movie — or even a copy of it — the Barbie car is a 1957 Corvette painted pink and with some ‘Barbie’ badging on it. Don’t get me wrong, a ’57 ‘Vette is a mouth-watering classic and will long be an iconic two-seater from the 20th Century. And speaking of seats, the ‘Barbie car’ doesn’t even have a back seat for Ken, which of course the movie car did.
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Miss: Tesla Cybertruck
Miss: VinFast VF3
Jil McIntosh: Don’t get me wrong — I think this little all-electric compact is pretty cool overall, especially since its styling reminds me of those little generic toy cars you see in the dollar stores. It’s the kind of inner-city runabout that’s more than enough for many people to commute or run their daily errands. The “miss” is that while I suspect the VinFast VF3 would do really well in most Asian and European markets, where buyers appreciate a little car like that, it’s just too small and too cute to make its mark here, no matter how much sense it would make.
Andrew McCredie
Andrew McCredie is a senior editor with Postmedia Driving and has been reporting on the automotive industry for the past 20 years, from consumer-oriented road tests to new vehicle launches to technological deep dives. For the past decade he has increasingly focused on electric vehicles, and his EV-related Postmedia podcast Plugged In continues to feature interviews with the country's, and the world's, experts in the electric vehicle industry.
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February 16, 2024 at 11:24PM
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2024 Canadian International Auto Show: Hits and Misses - Driving
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