April is a time when many Canadians really look forward to spring and often that next vehicle purchase. And for the Edmonton Motor Show, hosted by the Edmonton Motor Dealer Association (EMDA), choosing April has proved to be a good move and has helped propel attendance to record levels — 83,279 this year, up from 80,125 in 2013. Bob Vilas, Executive Director with the EMDA and manager for the Edmonton Motor Show, says the event continues to grow in stature.
Big crowds were a hallmark, especially on Saturday
This year’s show, which ran from April 10-13, encompassed 500,000 square feet at the Edmonton Expo Centre, contained 420,000 square feet of carpeting, 22.5 km (14 miles) of wiring and 1800 high level lights. “It’s a big show,” said Vilas. Key attractions this year included two official Canadian premieres — the 2015 Chevrolet Suburban and its archrival, the 2015 Ford Expedition and numerous other regional debuts.
“Alberta is truck country,” said Vilas “so this really is the market for the Suburban and Expedition.” The show also witnessed the local public debut of Ford’s new aluminum bodied 2015 model F-150 pickup. Vilas said that so far, feedback has been “nothing but positive. People love the innovations Ford has put into that truck.”
A significant change this year has been the introduction of a commercial vehicle zone, catered to light and medium-duty pickups, chassis-cabs and cargo vans. “It really made sense for us to do this,” said Vilas. He notes that because of the show’s location, there’s big demand for work trucks in central and northern Alberta and having a commercial zone at the show where attendees can not only sample the trucks themselves but also the products and services offered by upfitters and aftermarket suppliers really adds a new dimension. “It’s really good exposure,” said Vilas.
Collector car auction drew more than 100 vehicles
The collector car auction proved to be a big draw once again, with 90 of the 120 cars crossing the block on Saturday alone and all but one selling.
Other changes have seen a growing number of interactive displays such as simulators among the OEMs — Edmonton boasted at least six this year — while another growing trend has been the interest in diesel powered vehicles in new segments, such as the Ram 1500 half ton pickup and Chevrolet Cruze compact sedan. “In Northern Alberta, diesel is often more widely available than gasoline,” said Vilas “so there is big interest in vehicles like this.”
For more information on the Edmonton Motor Show visit: edmontonmotorshow.com
A new edition in 2014 was a light commercial vehicle zone
Record number of interactive OEM displays were seen this year
