Fresh off winning the AJAC 2018 Utility of the Year award for its Chrysler Pacifica, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Canada kept the momentum going during media preview day at the 2018 Canadian International AutoShow (Feb. 16-25) with the reveal of the all-new 2019 RAM 1500 Sport, a truck built exclusively for the Canadian market.

“The all-new 2019 Ram 1500 is the strongest, most technological and most capable light-duty truck we have ever built. But we didn’t stop there,” said Reid Bigland, President and CEO, FCA Canada. “We sold over 100,000 Ram products in Canada last year and we pride ourselves on knowing our customers and listening to their needs. That’s why the all-new 2019 Ram 1500 Sport is being built exclusively for the Canadian market and why we are confident our truck owners will embrace the unique style and capability it offers.”

Later in the day, Hyundai Canada took the wraps off the sporty Veloster and Veloster N, both of which are all-new for 2019. With an all-new design, the sporty Veloster also offers utility thanks to an additional passenger side rear door for easier rear-seat access. Available features include LED headlights, standard 18-inch wheels and, in the case of the Veloster N, a turbocharged 2.0-litre 275-horsepower engine.

Over at the Toyota stand, the i-TRIL Concept made its North American premiere. Developed by Toyota’s European Design Development Centre, ED2, the i-TRIL can operate autonomously, and communicate with the driver primarily through voice activation technology. It also employs Active Lean Technology seen on the Toyota i-road, which allows the vehicle body and front tires to lean while the motorized rear tires remain perpendicular to the road surface at all times.

Global debuts are few and far between at the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) in Toronto, but this year Hyundai will treat visitors with the world premiere of the all-new 2018 Accent. 

The subcompact segment-leading Accent did circles around its competitors in the sales department by more than doubling its closest competitors in the Toyota Yaris, Kia Rio and Nissan Versa. And now for 2018, it should only get better.

Hyundai has released two teaser images and a video that according to the South Korean brand shows off, “a fresh, confident interpretation of the brand's signature design language.” A trimmer makeup appears to be the way Hyundai is going with a slim rear bumper complemented by slim and sporty rear combination lamps. Features that will be retained are its signature cascading grille, as well as its sweeping roofline.

The 2018 Hyundai Accent will be unveiled on February 16 during the media day, and will stay on for the course of the auto show. A live broadcast of the unveiling will be aired on Hyundai's Facebook page.

Toronto, ON – There's nothing more Canadian in sports than the Canadian Football League (CFL). You can talk about hockey or lacrosse, but everything about the CFL is Canadian. Compared to American football, CFL fields are larger and wider, while goalposts are stationed in the front of the end zone (ridiculous, if you ask me, but that's the way it's always been). There's even a term called a 'rouge' known as a single point in the CFL, and unheard of in any other league.

A cornerstone of Nissan's current sponsorship plan has to do with sports, and for the points above, that is exactly why Nissan Canada got involved with the CFL back in 2007. A 10-year relationship has grown beyond giveaways, posters, or simply being the 'official vehicle of the CFL,' and into one that is focused on creating a grassroots football movement throughout the nation.

For the past three years, Nissan Canada, the Nissan dealership network, and the CFL have worked together to form the Nissan Kickoff Project – a project that involves aiding football school programs in need across the country, whether than means jerseys, cleats, helmets, etc. Through the program, the Nissan Kickoff Project has been able to assist more than 75 schools to the tune of $435,000.

For 2016, Nissan Canada wanted to add to its CFL partnership and created an inaugural event called, 'the Rally of the Titans.' To understand more on this, they invited a select group of automotive journalists to not only learn about it, but be involved as well.

The Rally of the Titans kicked off on Nov 12 with 10 Nissan Titan half-ton trucks representing each CFL team (well really nine and one that represents the Grey Cup), and they would visit every mainland province in Canada, totaling more than 9,000 kms. The task was for the West and East regions to group off in teams of two (BC, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg versus Toronto, Hamilton, Ottawa, Montreal and Grey Cup), and compete in challenges daily in different cities for points. The winning team would be announced on Saturday, November 26 ahead of 104th Grey Cup in Toronto.

My challenge on the second last leg was simple: drive the Titan half-ton from Nissan Canada's head office in Mississauga to the University of Toronto's Varsity Stadium. I was provided the keys to the Edmonton Eskimos Titan truck and paired up with Kaitlyn, the Edmonton brand ambassador. We chatted about her rally thus far and certain challenges along the way. She took a liking to the camaraderie felt within the team and exceptional memories that involved food bank deliveries, meeting CFL alumni and one cold polar bear dip.

Upon arrival at Varsity Stadium. It was the journalists turn to compete over a number of skill competitions: 40-yard dash, side-shuffle sprints, kicking and catching. We were all paired up with a CFL coach, mine was Hamilton Ti-Cats receiver and all-around high energy guy Chad Owens.

Yours truly fared well in most of the activities save for a one-handed catch attempt from Owens. But somehow, this competition would come down to a CFL trivia contest, where I was no match for a CFL-guru in attendance.

Win-or-lose, it's all about the journey and the fun times along the way. Those stories derived from the brand ambassadors that piloted these Titans from the furthest west and east regions of Canada. The pride in the CFL and their respective cities/provinces were shown, and I was simply happy to be a part of that.

Nissan Canada will be continuing its efforts in promoting the CFL, the Grey Cup and its Titan pickup throughout the week with kickoff parties at BMO field, concerts at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre and a Nissan Titan Tailgate from 12-5pm on Sunday before the game begins.

This is a look at the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt at the 2016 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

The Bolt's closest competitors are:
- Tesla Model 3
- Toyota Prius C
- Toyota Prius V
- Ford C-Max Plug-in
- Nissan Leaf
- Mitsubishi i-MiEV

The Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto starts today, and as expected for 2016 there are a number of Canadian debuts on the show floor. There are also a few global and North American debuts that are worth checking out. Here's a rundown of them.

First off, we have the Tesla Model X that's making its first appearance ever on an auto show floor. I'm not sure why they chose Toronto for its grand entrance, but let's just be happy that they did.

The Model X is the third vehicle created by Tesla that is an all-electric SUV based off of the same architecture as their best-selling Model S sedan. The Model X can go 400 kms on a single charge, and has seating for seven passengers. The most exciting feature to play around with are its gull-wing doors that Tesla are calling 'Falcon Wing' doors that open upwards.

Another interesting debut comes from Hyundai with its Enduro Concept. First unveiled at the 2015 Seoul Motor Show, the Enduro Concept is a three-door compact crossover that resembles a bulked-up Veloster. It has an odd looking shape with an elongated hood, low ride height and massive wheel arches that look like they're ready for battle.

According to Hyundai, the front of the Enduro Concept provides a glimpse of its future design language. It starts off with its signature hexagonal front grille with a brushed-aluminum blade coming out from its front fenders connecting back to the bottom of the grille. The blade has more of a purpose than its good looks; it also redirects air into the side intakes for less aerodynamic drag.

Another concept comes from Toyota in the form of an urban utility mover called the U2 for “U-squared.” The U2 Concept is all about utility with a retractable roof panel, a versatile interior rail system and a fold-down tailgate that can also transform into a rear ramp for easy loading and unloading. Toyota believes this could be the answer for entrepreneurs looking for versatile mobility in an urban setting.

Lastly, Mitsubishi unveiled its Mirage G4 sedan that will be sold alongside its current Mirage hatchback. Under the hood is a 1.2-litre three-cylinder engine that produces 78 hp and 74 lb.-ft. of torque with the option of a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The price for this 2017 compact sedan will start at $14,398.