The category winners of the 2016 Canadian Car of the Year awards program have been announced – with Volkswagen and Mercedes making multiple appearances.
Selected by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), with results tabulated by accounting firm KPMG, the nine “Best New” categories cover the full new-model spectrum, including Best New Small Car, Best New Sports/Performance, and Best New SUV/CUV. The majority of these core categories are further divided into price ranges so as to provide fair and relevant comparisons.
The vehicles named will now compete for the overall Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year honours, which will be announced at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto in February 2016. AJAC will also announce the winners of its Canadian Green Car of the Year awards at the Vancouver International Auto Show in March 2016.
The testing program included real-world driving on public roads, exactly where consumers drive, so the test data and vote results are directly relevant to potential car and utility vehicle buyers. A total of 71 automotive journalists each drove vehicles in their categories back-to-back on the same day, under the same conditions, to ensure fair and objective comparisons.
The list of 2016 “best new” category winners includes:
• SMALL CAR
Honda Civic
• FAMILY CAR
Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen 1.8TSI
• SPORTS / PERFORMANCE under $50,000
Volkswagen Golf R
• SPORTS / PERFORMANCE over $50,000
Mercedes-Benz AMG C-Class (C 63 S)
• PRESTIGE / PERFORMANCE
Mercedes Benz AMG GT (S Coupe)
• PICKUP
Chevrolet Silverado
• SUV / CUV under $35,000
Mazda CX-3
• SUV / CUV $35,000 – $60,000
Kia Sorento
• SUV / CUV over $60,000
Volvo XC90
