Montreal Auto Show | When the car is combined with the past, the present and the future

Ioniq, Hyundai’s electric subsidiary, opens a window to the future. Kia, like Mini and Lexus, is diversifying its engines to meet all expectations. For its part, Nissan is accelerating its electric transition and does not fail to make us dream by revisiting an old success.

Hyundai: is it soon tomorrow?

From next spring, the 5, hitherto the only model in the Ioniq range, will be supported by the 6, a sleek sedan with an elegant curved roof that allows it to gain in aerodynamics (Cd of 0.22). This car has not renounced what makes the brand salt. An offbeat design, spectacular acceleration and the possibility – a first for Hyundai – of remotely enriching the technological content of the vehicle, such as a smart phone.

The two motors (one on each axle), which develop the equivalent of 422 hp to 539 hp depending on the version, produce daunting accelerations (from 3.4 to 5 s to go from 0 to 100 km/h) for an autonomy that the manufacturer estimates between 499 and 547 kilometers. It’s long and wide with reasonable ground clearance and height, the Ioniq 6. You don’t board the Ioniq 6, you slip inside, where up to five occupants can sit in a minimalist ambience, with a large touch screen placed in a horizontal position in the middle of the dashboard and very thin but comfortable seats.

Filed on the group’s E-GMP platform, the Ioniq 6 is basically propulsion (rear-wheel drive). This version has a single motor (at the rear) and produces the equivalent of 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. An all-wheel drive (with two motors this time) is also in the catalog for this model. With the presence of this driving aid, this sedan boasts a combined output of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque.

Another Canadian preview, the Seven concept gives a taste of a model that will experience (in 2024?) the joys of mass production. Although it seems unlikely – but not impossible – that its antagonistic doors will be retained, this study gives some clues – its designers naturally do not reveal which ones – on the brand’s future products. The Seven concept makes it possible first and foremost to demonstrate the gains that an electrical architecture provides in terms of habitability. And comfort too since the Seven concept abandons the seats positioned in a row. Instead, there are swivel seats and a curved rear seat. The roof of the vehicle has a panoramic screen that not only displays various multimedia contents, but also changes the general interior atmosphere to ensure maximum relaxation during the trip while enjoying your favorite drink. Of course there is a refrigerator on board.

Kia: trio of flavors

Although all Kia models meet at the Palais des Congrès, some attract more attention than others. This is the case of the GT version of the EV6, the fastest (and most ecological) Kia ever built by the South Korean firm. Elected “European car of the year 2022”, this five-door sedan designed by Montrealer Karim Habib is already attracting a lot of attention. Its GT version will also capsize the water in the belly of its buyers with a dazzling acceleration obtained by two electric motors capable of rotating at 21,000 rpm and producing 576 hp by activating the GT mode. The other modes offered lead to a reduction in power, but the torque force remains intact at 545 lb-ft.

To better visualize these technical prowess, Kia is exhibiting the e-GMP platform on which the EV6 is based, among other things. This is one of the few to date to offer an 800-volt electrical architecture which, on paper, allows you to recharge considerably faster.

The EV6 GT isn’t the only vehicle to get attention from Kia. The second generation of the Niro could very well represent a torture for the hesitant consumer. Indeed, this small urban utility lifts its hood with three different mechanisms (hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric). All drive the front wheels (traction). The hybrid versions (with or without wire) retain the services of a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The all-electric version naturally does not.

Lexus: above the stack

Hybrid powertrains have been on Lexus’ business card for a long time. Without denying this technology, Toyota’s luxury signature is integrating the RZ, its first fully electric vehicle, into its range. This model, which has a lot in common with the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, is nonetheless very different in its approach. In addition to its more sophisticated presentation, which translates into higher quality materials and a giant infotainment screen (14 in.), the RZ offers higher performance. With 308 hp and 321 lb-ft of torque under its right foot, this Lexus is proving to be the most efficient electric vehicle designed on the e-TNGA architecture so far.

The RZ will offer, at an additional cost, fully electronic steering with no mechanical linkage. This technology makes it possible to considerably reduce the work of whoever takes the wheel. In this regard, the RZ thus equipped will be equipped, like certain Tesla products, with a half-wheel similar to that found in the cockpit of Cessna, Beechraft and other Boeings.

Mini: the future hangs by a thread

At Mini, we plug everything in. The Anglo-Germanic firm devotes its space entirely to its electrified products. An opportunity for the public to (re)discover the Cooper SE which fits perfectly with the original raison d’être of the founding model which appeared, let’s remember, in 1959.

The weight of its batteries in no way deprives it of its proverbial agility, while its electric thruster allows it to jump in front of everyone as soon as the light turns green. The electric suits it well and gives relief to the driving sensations of this city car which claims a range of 183 kilometers.

For long-haul trips, Mini offers the Countryman PHEV. An acronym (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) which means that the vehicle can move using an electric thruster (autonomy of 29 kilometers) or gasoline. The combination of the two makes it possible to cover 479 kilometers before having to refuel. Rather massive (for a Mini of course), with four doors and a trunk worthy of the name, the Countryman PHEV also has four-wheel drive.

Nissan: when nostalgia and futurism intertwine

The names are familiar, but many faces have changed at Nissan over the past two years. In fact, virtually the entire range has been revisited by the brand’s engineers and stylists. Alongside this whirlwind of activity, the Japanese manufacturer is continuing its transition to all-electric by integrating the Ariya into its starting lineup.

This model, first presented in conceptual form at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show, is unveiled in its final form as a Canadian preview in Montreal. For its debut on the market, this vehicle developed on an original architecture (code name CMF-EV) offers the choice between two drive modes (traction or integral). It is up to the buyer of the towed version to opt for the 63 kWh or 87 kWh battery depending on their autonomy needs. The e-4ORCE (integral) version is only offered with the more powerful of the two (87 kWh). This is responsible for powering two electric motors (one on each axle).

Alongside the “general public” Ariya, Nissan will exhibit the Surfwagon, a playful and very “Beach Boys” interpretation – even if the group has always been an ardent promoter of the American car – of the Ariya. Revealed for the first time last fall at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, this Ariya Surfwagon features varnished wooden uprights on its sides – a nod to the “woodies” of the 1940s and 1950s – matched with color wheels pastel coated whitewall tires.

The Ariya range shares the spotlight with the Z, a cult sports car that first appeared in the early 1970s. The founding model clearly inspired designers when developing this new model, now powered by a supercharged V6 engine from 400 hp. These pass through a manual or automatic transmission with rear-wheel drive.

Finally, a space reserved for the Sentra Cup, one-make car competition, allows you to familiarize yourself with the transformations made to this popular compact to drive the stopwatches crazy on a circuit.