Top 3 Finalists for Canadian Green Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year to be Announced at CIAS

AJAC's 2016 Canadian Car of the Year Awards

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

TORONTO, Jan. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - In just two weeks, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) will announce the top three finalists for this year's Canadian Green Car of the Year (CGCOTY) and Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year (CGUVOTY) awards. This is the second year for the CGCOTY award, and the first year of the CGUVOTY award, with each recognizing a model that stands out amongst its peers, and amongst a voting panel of Canadian automotive experts, when evaluated against a list of green-car criteria.

Entries to the CGCOTY and CGUVOTY must meet the standard requirements for initial entry into the Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) awards program, and additional criteria for fuel efficiency based on the entry's size, powertrain and purpose. This references the ideology that today's market sees Green cars come in many shapes, sizes, price-points and vehicle categories.

All entries are tested during a week-long event each fall, with back-to-back testing by Canada's top auto journalists. The CGCOTY and CGUVOTY entries are first scored under AJAC's standard Canadian Car of the Year program protocol, which considers subjective and objective data for scoring. They are then further evaluated based on a specific set of "green" criteria in addition to their other scores.

"Our panel of 70-plus voting journalists sequentially drives every vehicle in a testing category, and their scoring is combined with objective data like cargo space, braking test figures and emissions. Scores are weighted for relevance to the vehicle category in question," says CCOTY Co-Chair Justin Pritchard.  "Our Canadian Green Car of the Year and Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year entries are selected from amongst standard entries that meet specific fuel efficiency criteria. Our voting panel casts a separate ballot for these models, focusing on Green characteristics including range, recharge/refuel time and price. That's combined with the overall CCOTY score—that is—how the vehicle stacks up to its competition. Today, Green cars come in many shapes and sizes, and this testing process ensures we take that into consideration".

This year's CGCOTY entries included the Honda Civic, Smart ForTwo, Chevrolet Volt and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, with the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3, Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell Electric, Porsche Cayenne e-Hybrid, Volvo XC90, and GMC Canyon Diesel vying for the CGUVOTY win.

Top-three finalists will be announced on Thursday, February 11, 2016 at the Canadian International Auto Show, with the overall winners announced at the Vancouver International Auto Show on March 22, 2016.

SOURCE Automobile Journalists Association of Canada

For further information: regarding the Canadian Green Car of the Year Awards program, please contact Justin Pritchard ([e-mail]), Charles Jolicoeur ([e-mail]) or Kevin Corrigan ([e-mail])