Car sales in Europe fell to a new low in January - with an 8-and-a-half percent decline. But in Canada, auto makers remain optimistic despite the waning export market. Thousands of consumers are descending on Toronto for the Canadian International Auto Show.

Old or new - big or small - you can rely on an auto show to show you what's out there - and what's around the corner. Taking place just weeks after its better known cousin in Detroit, there's little here that hasn't been seen already. But that doesn't stop thousands of potential buyers from taking a peek.

David McClean, director of Canadian International Auto Show, said:" It is a completely different event from Detroit. The Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto is built for consumers."

The scale and popularity of this show is testament to how the car market has been. All the brands reported bumper sales last year - and are expecting the same this year.

Manufacturing is also set to get a boost with Toyota expanding production of its hybrid vehicles here. But not everything is rosy - and what better forum to discuss the challenges on the road ahead for the industry.

Sales in Europe have plummeted. Ford says new registrations were down by 26 per cent last month - Toyota's slumped 16 per cent. In Canada, sales DID slip slightly last month - with Honda and Audi leading the falls.

But while there's an air of pessimism in Europe, Canada remains bullish.

David McClean said:"Last year was very, very strong in the Canadian marketplace for the national sales and we're expecting this year will be the same."

Robert Glen, general manager of Audi Canada, said:" To give you an idea of what we've done for the last few years just since 2010, we've doubled sales and are expecting further growth this year in 2013."

While automakers languish in the hard shoulder in Europe - their counterparts here are cruising in the fast lane. Ontario is a growing hub for automakers - another reflection of the shift in demand. For Canadian consumers, whether it's to admire the exotics, indulge in nostalgia, or eye up that first car - the love affair with four wheels is anything but over.

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