Mazda CX-3 Claims Top Honours as AJAC's First Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year

What is a Green Vehicle?
It is a vehicle which, for its size and purpose, provides the Canadian consumer with environmentally-friendly returns that compare favourably with other vehicles in its class.

2016 Canadian Green Car of the Year and 2016 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year

VANCOUVER, March 23, 2016 /CNW/ - In an early afternoon press conference at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver International Auto Show, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) named the Mazda CX-3 as its 2016 Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year (CGUVOTY).

The inaugural CGUVOTY award was presented by Kevin Corrigan, Chair of the Canadian Green Car Committee. The Mazda CX-3 achieved the highest score of the three finalists, winning over the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) and Honda HR-V. The three (3) finalists were announced in February at the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto and "crowned' with special green car toppers for the duration of the show. All will wear these same crowns in Vancouver, conveying their place in the running for the Canadian Green Car of the Year Award.

"We are very proud to accept the award for Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year, which goes hand-in-hand with the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year award that AJAC presented to the CX-3 at the Toronto auto show," said Kory Koreeda, President, Mazda Canada.  "The CX-3 has proven itself to be an extremely capable vehicle, not only representing the style, vehicle dynamics and all-wheel drive that consumers are looking for, but also excellent fuel economy which allows consumers to have the best of both worlds – that is, capability in any weather without the fuel penalty often associated with owning an AWD utility vehicle."

The Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year entries were selected from eligible entries in AJAC's Canadian Car of the Year program, and were chosen for meeting specific criteria for fuel economy, emissions, and other factors. All vehicles were initially evaluated in AJAC's annual week-long "TestFest" event, where more than 70 of Canada's top journalists drive and score category entries back-to-back on the same day, and in the same conditions. The Green entries were then re-evaluated under a separate set of specific Green Criteria, along with their original category scores. Vote tabulation and results were handled by international accounting firm KPMG.

Of the six entries for CGUVOTY, Honda, Hyundai and Mazda won over General Motors, Porsche, and Volvo for the three finalist positions.

"A Green vehicle isn't always just the electric car, or the smallest car," Kevin Corrigan says. "A fuel-efficient gasoline four-cylinder, or a six-cylinder luxury hybrid, can also be considered a Green vehicle in its segment of the market. Canadian consumers require environmentally-friendly transportation that meets their needs, whether it's a small city runabout, or a large but fuel-efficient luxury product. Our intention with the Canadian Green Car of the Year program is not just to make consumers aware of environmental vehicles, but to know that we've tested them extensively and have chosen what we feel is the year's best."

PRESS ROOM FOR MEDIA: You didn't have to be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park for the Canadian Car of the Year Awards program in order to produce media coverage of the event.  AJAC has set up a virtual press room online where you may peruse and download the following: 

PHOTOS:  the process of evaluating 150 vehicles back-to-back at TestFest is captured in photographs. 

VIDEO:  B-roll of the 5 day event as well as short 90-second videos, ideal for YouTube

AERIAL VIEW: Drone footage of the event from the sky. 

QUOTES & TESTIMONIALS:  Comments from our journalists on the cars, trucks, and SUVs driven at TestFest.

FACT SHEET: Including recent press releases.

Link is:  http://ajac.ca/web/ccoty/pressroom.asp 

SOURCE Automobile Journalists Association of Canada

For further information: For more information regarding the Canadian Green Car of the Year Awards program, please contact Justin Pritchard ([email protected]), Charles Jolicoeur ([email protected]) or Kevin Corrigan ([email protected]).