The rise of Chinese cars, a new flock of hybrids and several of the veterans stand out in this year’s Expomovil. I went down to the Pedregal Fairgrounds to check what’s what in 2012.

For years, Expomovil has been luring buyers with great deals on new cars and in 2012, most of the 23 dealerships are fighting to sell, sell, sell and recover from the dire economical times we’ve seen lately. What are the dealerships’ secret weapons? Many rely on their veterans –cars, SUVs, pickups and bikes that have been tried and true– while others are putting newcomers to the test to try and stand out.

Hatchback galore:

The need for higher fuel economy and urban practicality doesn’t necessarily mean you have be frugal; several manufacturers have brought tons of fun in small packages such as Citroën with the DS3, Fiat with the 500 and Punto Evo and Kia with the new Picanto. Interestingly, the Chinese manufacturers have flooded the market with brands such as JAC, BYD, Great Wall and Lifan. Their cars are cheap and filled to the brim with extras but are they reliable? My opinion is: give them a couple of years and you’ll see great cars coming from China, but not right now.

The hatchback has risen in popularity in the later years and I love them. I can’t wait to get my hands on the new DS3 and Punto Evo, two cars ready to prove that small cars can carry a big punch, fighting with the big boys like MINI and Audi.

Hybrids buzz into CR:

A twist to the typical Expomovil is the growing amount of Hybrids and Electrics that are in store. This new trend is trying to set itself as the car of the near future to provide a smooth transition towards cleaner cars, but I’m not convinced at the moment; with the irregular terrain and heavy traffic jams, the MPGs on these aren’t that good and the price is still high. If the Government allows citizens to pay less taxes for these high efficiency cars, then I am sold on them as a viable replacement.

Toyota is rolling the dice with their threesome of new hybrids, which includes the Camry, one I’m really looking forward to driving, and the Prius sedan and Hatchback. Little by little, they’ve been inching their way into the Costa Rican market, so we’ll see what happens in the next years.

Chevrolet is being a bit daring with their new Volt, a Hybrid that uses a different powertrain. Compared to the Prius and Camry, this car uses a petrol engine to generate electricity to then move an electric engine, thus becoming a Series hybrid instead of a parallel hybrid. Chevrolet promises that this car will have a range of 660 km with very little use of petrol.

Confident veterans rely on reputation:

Many dealerships put their trust in cars they have already established in the Costa Rican market. Take Honda, for example, who is relying on its Honda Civic and CR-V model line, as they have done for years now. The Civic comes with a brand new line and new engine –the horsepower is pretty much the same but they have increased the torque a whopping 30%– which makes this one of the most powerful sedans in the market. The new CR-V has more horsepower and a new design, one you might call “interesting” but it’s not for me.

Korean Hyundai is confident that the two star models in its lineup, the Accent and the Tucson, are going to continue their impressive sales record but also bring the new Veloster into play. This quirky hatchback provides fun, versatility and great looks for, what they call, a great price. Go out there and be the judge of these confident affirmations.

New Kids on the Block:

One of the most exciting parts of the Expomovil is the reveal of new lines or models, at least for me. This year was no exception with Subaru and Land Rover bringing their new models. When we hear Subaru Impreza, we think of this but truth be told, the Impreza was also a reliable city sedan that provided the everyday commuter with AWD, intelligent traction and rally heritage. Now, though, there’s a new Subaru meant to replace the old Impreza and it’s called the XV, think of it as a rougher, tougher Impreza. It comes with all the works and has just all the features they want in Costa Rica.

Land Rover brings the Evoque and with it a bit of criticism from many of the manufacturer’s most loyal customers. Its aggressive design, sporty feel and low profile tires don’t play along with Land Rover’s history, but this car has an intelligent traction system and adaptive suspension, amidst others, so it will cope properly with off road terrain.

The Expomovil brings together a wide range of cars, bikes and farm vehicles for all tastes, but it also brings some downsides. Here are my Pros and Cons on the 2012 Expomovil:

Pros:

-Great Parking
-Cheap tickets
-Shade from the brutal sun
-All stands within reasonable walking distances

Cons:

-Where are the seats?
-Out of the 23 dealerships I visited, only five actually asked me if I needed help, the others wouldn’t talk to me unless I approached an employee. It has to be other way around. I call out to all of you dealerships, pay a bit more attention to your possible customers.
-I couldn’t find a food and beverage stand. If there were any, then they weren’t easy to find.
-Give me something different, not just stands and salespeople. Think interactive booths and games.

If you are looking to buy a new car or just love them, head over to the Expomovil. My advice is get there early, take a bottle of water and just take your time and enjoy.