Canadian Utility and Car of the Year Award Winners Announced

Earlier today, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) announced the winners of the 2017 Canadian Car of the Year and Utility of the Year awards during the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.

Oh Canada!

With little in the way of interesting auto industry news happening here in the States today, we turn our attention to our neighbors to the south (because, you see, Windsor, Ontario, is actually south of Detroit, Michigan).

The reason for all the news coming out of Canada is the start of media days at the 2017 Canadian International Auto Show, an annual event that, since 1974, has been held in Toronto.

2017 Canadian Car of the Year Awards

In what has become a tradition at the show, media day marks the handing out of the Canadian Car of the Year Awards. Judged by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), the awards program is now in its 32nd year and currently consists of the overall Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility of the Year awards as well as, this year, 10 additional categories of "Best New" winners.

Here are this year's winners:

2017 Canadian Car of the Year

2017 Volkswagen Golf (Alltrack)

2017 Canadian Utility of the Year

2017 Subaru Forester

Best New Awards

All eight "Best New" winners become eligible for the "top honours" (that's how they spell it) of Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Utility of the year. This year, those category winners (plus technology innovation and technology safety categories) were as follows:

Best New Small Car: Hyundai Elantra

Best New Large Car: Volkswagen Golf SportWagen (Alltrack)

Best New Large Premium Car: Buick LaCrosse

Best New Sports / Performance Car: Hyundai Elantra (Sport)

Best New Premium Sports / Performance Car: BMW M2

Best New Small Utility Vehicle: Subaru Forester

Best New Large Utility Vehicle: Chrysler Pacifica

Best New Premium Utility Vehicle: Mercedes-Benz GLC (GLC 300 4MATIC)