New Research Confirms: Auto Shows Drive Consumer Engagement and New Vehicle Sales in Canada

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

 

New Research Confirms: Auto Shows Drive Consumer Engagement and New Vehicle Sales in Canada

 

Markham, ON — July 15, 2025 — Despite shifting OEM marketing strategies and tighter budgets, new data just released from Clarify reveals that Canadian auto shows continue to play a critical role in the new vehicle purchase journey.

 

Clarify Group Inc., a leading automotive research and insights firm, surveyed nearly 11,000 attendees across Canada’s three largest auto shows: the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto (AutoShow), the Montréal International Auto Show (MIAS), and Vancouver’s newly rebranded Elevate Auto Show (Elevate). The results of the Clarify Visitor Experience Survey are clear: auto shows remain powerful tools for manufacturers to engage, educate, and convert Canadian car buyers. When manufacturers participate in auto shows, they are more likely to be considered. Conversely, those that don’t exhibit are far less likely to make the shortlist for consumers looking to buy or lease their next vehicle.

 

Among the key findings:

 

●      Nearly 2 in every 5 visitors (39%) indicate they come to the AutoShow (Toronto) to decide on their next new vehicle  

●      Nearly 2 in 3 visitors (65%) to the AutoShow (Toronto) intend to buy or lease a new vehicle within 24 months, and nearly 2 in 5 attendees (37%) will do so within the next 12 months; both MIAS and Elevate enjoyed similar results 

●      Nearly 9 in 10 AutoShow (Toronto) visitors (86%) agree the auto show was helpful in supporting their purchase decision

●      Among visitors in the purchase funnel (next 24-months) across all three shows, nearly 1 in 2 (49%) added at least one brand to their consideration list that they hadn’t considered before attending the show

●      Exhibiting brands across all three auto shows enjoy 2.3 times the consideration uplift compared to the average of all brands, while non-exhibiting brands experience a consideration decline of 2.6 times the average

●      Auto shows generate consumer behaviour that OEMs and dealers care about: among AutoShow (Toronto) visitors who are within 12-months of their next vehicle purchase:

○      Over 3 in 5 have or will soon go online to learn more (61%)

○      Over half have or will visit a dealership (54%)

○      2 in 5 have or will arrange a test drive (40%)

○      Over 1 in 4 have or will place an order (27%)

 

“Auto shows continue to play a vital role in the car-buying journey,” says Jason Campbell, General Manager of the Canadian International AutoShow. “This visitor survey data confirms that we help Canadians make more confident, informed purchasing decisions.”

 

Surprisingly, the most engaged visitors are young adults aged 20–29 who are 1.3 times more likely to recommend the show to family, friends and colleagues than any other age demographic — a promising signal for brands targeting the next generation of buyers. This finding – remarkably consistent across shows – is also a valuable reminder to OEM marketers that Gen Z consumers care about more than simply digital engagement with brands.  

 

“These results challenge the outdated notion that consumers have lost interest in in-person automotive experiences,” said Darren Slind, co-founder and president of Clarify. “The evidence is clear and consistent across the three largest auto shows in Canada that they remain a vital part of the path-to-purchase for Canadian consumers and offer a high-impact platform for manufacturers to grow brand engagement and consideration.”

 

Auto show attendance remains strong, with more than 625,000 Canadians visiting the three shows combined in 2025, with nearly half of them adding a brand to their consideration set after attending.

Posted by Warren A. Lyon, Auto Work(TM) Journalist.