Part of the Grand Touring Automobiles display at the 2024 Canadian International AutoShow. It has a display of 10 cars collectively worth about $20-million.Lucas Scarfone/Supplied
When the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) opens Friday in Toronto, it will include the three German brands that last year’s visitors said they most wanted to see.
Mercedes-Benz and Audi will have full displays of their vehicles at the show, after not participating for the last few years. BMW brought one car to the 2024 CIAS, the quarter-million-dollar XM, but was otherwise absent. This year, it will also have a full display of its vehicles.
Mercedes-Benz was the first of the remaining German brands to commit to participate in 2025. “We met with the Mercedes executive team back in May for a first discussion, about trying to entice them to come back, and they’ve really jumped in with both feet,” said Jason Campbell, general manager of the CIAS.
“We haven’t offered any kind of special incentives, but we did share with them the research data we had from the show, which is pretty compelling. More than 7,500 show attendees (last year) filled out a survey afterward, and 8 per cent of the people who came to the show owned a Mercedes, and 45 per cent of those said they were in the market to buy in the next 12 months.”
Campbell said numbers were similar for BMW and Audi owners, and the top three complaints from those who completed the survey were that there was no meaningful presence from Mercedes, Audi and BMW.
The CIAS was cancelled in 2021 and 2022 because of the restrictions on gatherings imposed by legislation during the COVID-19 pandemic. When it returned to Toronto in 2023, at least 10 major automotive brands did not return with it.
They were already using alternative ways to market their vehicles. At the time, they didn’t see the value in coming back to auto shows, which can cost millions of dollars for renting the exhibition space and providing a fully staffed and designed display.
Last year, however, Ford, Lincoln and Porsche returned with full-scale displays. Porsche’s display was the largest it had ever brought to the show, and some of its historic vehicles were also included in a display for that year’s Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance, near Owen Sound, Ont.
Last year’s show set a record for attendance with more than 370,000 people attending over 10 days.
Mercedes-Benz is the featured brand for the 2025 Cobble Beach display, with nine historic vehicles on display. The main Mercedes-Benz booth will be located in the centre of the North Hall of the Convention Centre, where there’ll be 11 different vehicles, including the new, all-electric G-Wagen.
“This year, we’re prioritizing in-person, firsthand experiences that allow members of the public to discover what truly sets Mercedes-Benz apart,” said Andreas Tetzloff, chief executive officer of Mercedes-Benz Canada, in an e-mail. “We are looking forward to welcoming guests into the world of Mercedes-Benz as we return to CIAS.”
Neither BMW nor Audi have had a meaningful corporate presence at the Toronto auto show – in fact, at any North American auto show – since the COVID-19 pandemic closed down attendance. Privately, executives acknowledged that they considered their in-person marketing to be more effective when their competition was not nearby.
“We evaluate any and all marketing activities every year for alignment not only with our product release schedules, but also with annual corporate goals and targets,” Jean-Francois Taylor, a spokesperson for BMW Group Canada, said in an e-mail. “For BMW Group Canada, the 2025 Canadian International AutoShow proved to be an ideal way for us to connect with our current customers, potential customers and the general public.”
In recent years, product shortages from disrupted supply chains meant many of the vehicles that would be on display would be difficult to actually buy. Not this year, though.
“With the largest product offensive in Audi’s history, it made sense to participate in a key automotive event that can be amplified nationally,” Joseph Ottorino, director of marketing at Audi Canada, said in an e-mail. “Our participation in the 2025 Canadian International AutoShow will be unique, progressive and indicative of what customers expect from our brand.”
Not all automotive brands available in Canada will be at the CIAS, however. Honda, Volkswagen, Mazda and Jaguar Land Rover will not be there this month.
“Our position on auto shows remains consistent this year as we continue to look for the best ways to effectively market our brands that will satisfy revised business strategies and goals,” said John Bordignon, brand communications manager for Honda Canada. “Part of that process included an examination of all auto show involvement, marketing, sponsorship and advertising activities through the lens of what’s best for our business. As a result, Honda and Acura Canada have decided not to participate in the 2025 Canadian auto show season.”
Similarly, “After careful consideration, Mazda Canada made the decision to not participate in Canadian auto shows in 2025,” said Sandra Lemaitre, director of public relations for Mazda Canada. “Mazda continues to focus on more personalized, one-to-one communications, and investing in our communities, which allows us to introduce our products and connect with consumers in a meaningful way, year-round.”
Jaguar Land Rover is in the process of redesigning Jaguar as an ultra-premium brand. JLR “has shifted its focus to providing bespoke client experiences,” said Craig Dickie, JLR Canada’s manager for brand experience and public relations, “exemplifying the brand’s DNA, bringing true modern luxury to life through curated experiences, signalling a shift in the way in which we engage in current and prospective clients.”
Volkswagen Canada confirmed it “will not be participating in traditional autoshows for 2025. Instead, our focus will be on building out our partnerships within the Canadian marketplace, putting our company and its products into new and unique environments,” said spokesperson Thomas Tetzlaff.
However, Campbell said, “I’m hopeful the positive experience of the Audi program this year will encourage Volkswagen to come back.
“For consumers, we want to have the fullest program and we’re hopeful that we can entice all these brands back in the future, but for now, our floor is full. There are no empty spaces.”