AS6
2014 canadian international autoshow
metronews.ca Thursday, February 13, 2014
The best in class
Justin Pritchard For Metro
For decades, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has presented the annual Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) awards, which recognizes the best all new or significantly updated models in the Canadian marketplace. Best, in the above context, is based on votes of Canada’s top auto review experts after participation in a weeklong testing event that requires back-to-back, sameday road tests of all competing models within numerous categories. The CCOTY voting system creates a level playing field and combines expert scores with data relating to fuel efficiency, price, safety, performance figures and more. There is no more comprehensive and thorough vehicle evaluation program in the world. The underlying goal? Generation of an overall score for each vehicle, with each category’s top-scoring model earning a “best new” win. From an initial field of 58 entries slotted into 12 categories, scoring saw the field narrowed down to 12
best new category winners, which range from affordable compact cars to high-dollar luxury sedans, pickups, crossovers and more. Category winners are reevaluated under a separate set of criteria, which considers significance, value, merit and emotional appeal. After that re-evaluation, the overall Canadian Car of the Year is determined, as well as the Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year (CUVOTY). These overall winners will be announced Thursday morning. The winners will be on display during the Canadian International AutoShow. Information on all vote scores, their weighting, as well as tools to compare models across varying categories and years, is available as a free consumer resource at ajac.ca. The best new category winners were recently narrowed down to overall finalists — three for Car of the Year and three for Utility Vehicle of the Year. The following is a closer look at the finalists and the scores that helped propel them into the final rounds of this year’s awards program. For more, see AS8.
CCOTY finalist: Mazda 6 Category Win: Best new family car over $30,000 In a nutshell: The new Mazda 6 uses Skyactiv technology for high-efficiency performance, while the upscale cabin and body styling help the 6 hit more than its weight in the segment. Top levels of high-tech and advanced powertrain engineering are on board. Standout scores: Journalists assigned the Mazda 6 the highest scores in its category for interior and exterior styling, quality, ergonomics, and for steering, handling and braking feel. Subjective value was tops in the category as well. Notes: Fuel efficiency, upscale styling, overall value and fun-factor are valued by many family sedan shoppers — and the Mazda 6 more than delivers on these fronts.
CCOTY finalist: Mazda 3 Category win: Best new small car under $21,000 In a nutshell: The latest Mazda 3 combines styling, handling, technology and advanced powertrain engineering typical of pricier models into a highly competitive package. Standout scores: The Mazda 3’s overall score dusted the competition by 30 points, with top marks assigned for
interior and exterior style, quality, ergonomics, feature content and overall value. Scores for performance, steering, handling, braking and acceleration were all well ahead of the pack, too. Notes: The Mazda 3 competes in one of the most competitive market segments in Canada — and it’s a standout choice for a shopper after fun-to-drive factor, fuel efficiency, and the latest in high-tech.