Auto shows in Canada are almost anti-climatic for journalists because we’ve mostly seen all the stuff on display at other major shows either earlier in the year or in previous years.

And it doesn’t help that bonehead manoeuvres from the companies serve to almost keep the Canadian shows from rising to prominence – this year, it was the introduction of the Ford Edge in Chicago a day before the Toronto show’s media day. The vehicle is built just down the road from the show venue!

And this wasn’t the first time, either – Corolla, Lexus RX, Odyssey, Civic, Camaro, Regal, Challenger … Canadian shows always take a back seat. Try that in any other country in the world and see how well it goes over.

But I digress. One of the most interesting things we do get at Canadian shows is the spin on the small car and/or fuel efficient car. Even when you get beyond the emphasis on the Fiat 500, Chevy Cruze, Honda CR-Z, Ford Fiesta or Mazda2, we still hear about the economic virtues of V8s or large V6 engines.

Just about every manufacturer makes mention of fuel economy numbers in their presentations or extols the virtues of Eco buttons and/or systems, and no other show in the world provides a half hour to the government to reward fuel efficiency in vehicles.

Anybody who doubts that Canada doesn’t do enough to address environmental issues need only spend a day at the local show and have a look at all the vehicles on display.

And I do like the direction manufacturers are heading in providing little lights or graphics to educate drivers on the ability to drive more economically – even with notoriously thirsty vehicles and powerful engines, the ability to know that you can still contribute to conservation (as well as toward your own pocketbook) is something of which all drivers should be aware.

It’s something that has been enforced in every driver education course for quite a long time – ease up on the accelerator; use the cruise control; choose a higher gear – but we don’t seem to remember it until we have a light flashing in front of us or weeds growing across our speedometers.

But whatever makes us take notice is worth it, I guess, because as the commercial says: we have more square footage of awesomeness than anywhere else in the world and just because we probably need a vehicle to cover it effectively, doesn’t mean we have to damage it as we go along.

Tags: autoshow, economy