Besides all the theatrical presentations at this year's Montreal International Auto Show (acrobats in skin-tight body suits, CEOs hiding in trunks and PR reps being “arrested” by the local law), something else was glaringly in-your-face as I marched the press-day circuit: Small have taken over.
This might not be news to some -- especially those who know anything about the European automotive scene -- however, in North America this is something of a big deal (ha ha). Small is the new big, and something we've been leaning towards for the better part of a decade now. And I am ecstatic that we are finally embracing these miniature vehicles because they are, in a word; fantastic.
As I moved from booth to booth at the Montreal International Auto Show, it seemed everyone had a “little” to show off, to prove they were in the game. Scion iQs were lifted to the rafters at the Toyota booth, on display for all to see; while a disco-ball smart fortwo overlooked the entire Mercedes-Benz display (SLS AMG, what?); even Chevy came out to play, displaying their Spark on a pedestal all on its own for the world to admire.
From the new Fiat 500 Abarth drop-top and 500L (yes, that would be L for a “long” wheelbase), to the Mitsuhishi “Mirage,” Kia Trax and the brand new MINI Paceman JCW (unveiled by the body-suit-wearing acrobats): the littles are coming.
And with good reason.
Code green is on everyone's mind. What do I mean by that? Well, we all want to save the planet and keep money in our pockets. We want small, fuel efficient vehicles, but we also want to have fun behind the wheel. Enter the small-car phenomenon.
Really, since the smart fortwo hit our shores, we've slowly been making the transition. Remember the first time you saw one of those? How silly it looked? How dangerous? How cute? Now, it's a common occurence on our streets, even in the winter. Small cars make sense (not for everyone, true), and we're slowly waking up to the idea. From less money spent at the pumps to smaller costs overall, the miniature-vehicle movement is upon us.
Personally, I'm all over this trend. I'm a huge fan of small, nimble vehicles that pack personality and punch behind the wheel. Power-to-weight ratio is a fabulous game to play with smaller vehicles, and they are generally a blast to drive. Take, for example, the smart fortwo passion I drove a few short weeks ago; so much fun. Parking smaller vehicles is a breeze, as is driving on narrow city streets.
While I think this is a great trend for North Americans to adopt, I do foresee a slight issue: we live too large for the small-car lifestyle. Before we can fully embrace the world of two-seater microminis, we need to first downsize our way of life. Then, and only then, will we truly be a part of the itty-bitty, small-car committee.
This might not be news to some -- especially those who know anything about the European automotive scene -- however, in North America this is something of a big deal (ha ha). Small is the new big, and something we've been leaning towards for the better part of a decade now. And I am ecstatic that we are finally embracing these miniature vehicles because they are, in a word; fantastic.
As I moved from booth to booth at the Montreal International Auto Show, it seemed everyone had a “little” to show off, to prove they were in the game. Scion iQs were lifted to the rafters at the Toyota booth, on display for all to see; while a disco-ball smart fortwo overlooked the entire Mercedes-Benz display (SLS AMG, what?); even Chevy came out to play, displaying their Spark on a pedestal all on its own for the world to admire.
From the new Fiat 500 Abarth drop-top and 500L (yes, that would be L for a “long” wheelbase), to the Mitsuhishi “Mirage,” Kia Trax and the brand new MINI Paceman JCW (unveiled by the body-suit-wearing acrobats): the littles are coming.
And with good reason.
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| Photo: Colin Styker |
Code green is on everyone's mind. What do I mean by that? Well, we all want to save the planet and keep money in our pockets. We want small, fuel efficient vehicles, but we also want to have fun behind the wheel. Enter the small-car phenomenon.
Really, since the smart fortwo hit our shores, we've slowly been making the transition. Remember the first time you saw one of those? How silly it looked? How dangerous? How cute? Now, it's a common occurence on our streets, even in the winter. Small cars make sense (not for everyone, true), and we're slowly waking up to the idea. From less money spent at the pumps to smaller costs overall, the miniature-vehicle movement is upon us.
Personally, I'm all over this trend. I'm a huge fan of small, nimble vehicles that pack personality and punch behind the wheel. Power-to-weight ratio is a fabulous game to play with smaller vehicles, and they are generally a blast to drive. Take, for example, the smart fortwo passion I drove a few short weeks ago; so much fun. Parking smaller vehicles is a breeze, as is driving on narrow city streets.
While I think this is a great trend for North Americans to adopt, I do foresee a slight issue: we live too large for the small-car lifestyle. Before we can fully embrace the world of two-seater microminis, we need to first downsize our way of life. Then, and only then, will we truly be a part of the itty-bitty, small-car committee.