AJAC votes 2010 Subaru Outback Canada's best new utility vehicle

TORONTO , Feb. 11 /CNW/ - The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) today named the all-new 2010 Subaru Outback as Canada's best new utility vehicle. The announcement was made at a press conference at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto .

After winning the title of Canada's best new SUV/CUV in the under-$35,000 category, Outback went on to compete against the Volkswagon Touareg TDI and the Lexus R450h for the title of best new overall utility vehicle in Canada .

"Subaru had an outstanding year in 2009, in spite of the challenges of the global economy and the hardships experienced by some other manufacturers," said Katsuhiro Yokoyama, president and CEO of Subaru Canada , Inc. "This award from the members of AJAC is a wonderful tribute, and an excellent indication of why in the past year Subaru sold a record number of vehicles, achieved its highest market share ever, and won important accolades for safety, product quality, performance, innovation, and residual value from some of the world's most respected critics and consumer watchdog organizations. We definitely look forward to more of the same in 2010."

AJAC's rigorous testing program includes real-world driving on public roads-exactly where consumers drive-so that the test data and vote results are highly relevant to potential buyers. The journalists evaluate every detail, from safety features to cargo capacity, to select the best new vehicles in various categories, then rate them by secret ballot.

In addition to being AJAC's best new CUV/SUV of the year, Outback has been recognized by some of the industry's toughest critics:

    
    -   auto123.com named the 2010 Outback its Best New Wagon of the year.
    -   Le Guide de l'auto named Outback the year's best utility.
    -   Motor Trend named the 2010 Outback its Sport Utility of the Year.
    -   The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave its coveted Top
        Safety Pick designation to the 2010 Outback, Legacy, Impreza,
        Forester, and Tribeca, making Subaru the only manufacturer with Top
        Safety Picks for all models.
    -   The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave every Subaru
        model five stars for occupant protection.
    

For more information about the award-winning 2010 Subaru Outback, and the full line of Subaru vehicles, please visit www.subaru.ca. To learn more about AJAC and the Canadian Car of the Year program, see their website at www.ajac.ca.

For further information: Elaine Griffin, [phone]