Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ont. •
After several days of concentrated testing at its annual TestFest, the 2010 Best New AJAC award winners in 12 vehicle categories were announced today by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada.
Volkswagen was the big winner, capturing three awards: Best New Family Car (Under $30,000) for the Golf Wagon TDI, Best New Sports/ Performance Car (Under $50,000) for the Golf GTI and Best New SUV/CUV ($35,000 to $60,000) for the Touareg TDI Clean Diesel.
Mazda and Audi took two awards apiece. The compact Mazda3 won the Best New Small Car (Under $21,000), while the Sport version took Best New Small Car (Over $21,000). The Audi S4 took the trophy for Best New Sports/Performance Car Over $50,000, while the A5 Cabriolet won Best New Convertible.
The Best New Family Car (Over $30,000) award went to the Ford Taurus. Best New Luxury Car (Over $50,000) was captured by the BMW 335d sedan.
The Subaru Outback was awarded Best New SUV/CUV (Under $35,000), while Best New SUV/CUV (Over $60,000) went to the Lexus RX 450h.
It should not go unnoticed that three category winners were diesel powered, while a fourth featured a hybrid powertrain.
Brian Harper, National Post