SHOW TIME IN TORONTO

I really love auto shows. It's a great opportunity to meet customers, see new product, and also see what the competition is up to. This year's Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, which opens to the public today (Friday), is gearing up to be one of the best ever, writes Lindsay Duffield, President, Jaguar Land Rover Canada.

We're thrilled to have the ground‑breaking Jaguar C‑X16 hybrid sports car concept headlining our show stand. It fits in perfectly with the theme of this year's show ‑ The Next Dimension ‑ where the focus is on new technologies and cutting‑ edge design.

With its new 3.0‑liter supercharged V6 coupled with an electric motor and lithium‑ion batteries, the C‑X16 is fast and extremely fuel efficient. As for the cutting edge design, this is without doubt one of the most breathtaking concepts ever created.

We're also thrilled to have Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director, with us for the show's press preview and the first public day, explaining his thinking behind the C‑X16's sensuous lines.

C‑X16 will join the full Jaguar line‑up on the stand ‑ from the redesigned 2012 XF, to the XJ, to the 550‑horsepower XKR‑S coupe. On our Land Rover stand, we'll be showcasing our new Range Rover Evoque, 2012 Range Rover Sport and Range Rover, as well as the latest Land Rover LR4.

The compact SUV market here in Canada is red‑hot right now and demand for the Range Rover Evoque is very strong. Since the all‑new Range Rover Evoque went on sale in October, it really has been a smash hit. It's just the right size for Canadians, and with our higher fuel prices ‑ our gas right now is around $5.20 a US gallon ‑ buyers love its highly efficient four‑cylinder turbo engine.

We are also Jaguar's fourth biggest market in the world for XK sports car sales, and why over 90 percent of the XKs we sell are supercharged XKR models. With the XF sedan, the supercharged XFR accounts for 26 percent of XF sales.

When it comes to Range Rover, we sell every Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Autobiography we can get our hands on. With the new limited‑edition Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate ‑ at $188,000 Canadian, by far the most expensive Range Rover ever ‑ we chose to bring in 10, and we sold each one of them.

Jaguar Land Rover business in Canada had a great 2011, with the highest year‑on‑year sales increase ‑ 21 percent ‑ of any car company. January was another super‑strong month with our Land Rover sales up 79 percent compared to January 2011.

If you're headed to Toronto for the auto show this weekend, be sure to stop by our stand to see the latest from Jaguar and Land Rover.