Minivans Have Lower Profile At Toronto Auto Show
Posted February 16, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Minivans used to be the car of choice for families. They’re still around but the gas guzzling nature of the vehicles mean they’re not quite as popular as they used to be.
As Canadians become increasingly concerned about climate change, choking summer smog and the ever increasing price of gas, the bigger cars have begun to take a backseat to buyers’ choices.
Need more proof? Check out the Canadian International Auto Show which opened at the Metro Convention Centre and the Rogers Centre on Friday.
Domestic automakers have quickly come to the realization that the public appears to have lost its taste for fuel consuming makes. And they’ve changed their focus back to more compact cars and the other new kid on the block – hybrids.
Both are out in force on the showroom floors.
Ford is touting its Edge, a crossover car that combines three vehicles into one.
“SUV, sit up nice and high, all-wheel drive, functionality of the back. The seating characteristics of a minivan, so you can fit multiple people. Seats flip and slide and reconfigure themselves and then you’ve got the ride characteristics of a sedan,” explains an excited spokesman Michael Robins.
People are also flipping over compact cars like Kia’s Rio 5 and Volvo’s new C-30.
Ihab Hamour is 6’3″, but he has no trouble fitting comfortably inside the smaller vehicle. “I think they’re doing a wonderful job with the design and how much the seats move back and everything else.”
The show runs until February 25th. General admission is $20. And for those who still own one, it’s O.K. to come down in your minivan.
For more information on the city’s biggest auto display, click here.
