The Chevrolet Cruze has won the coveted Canadian Car of the Year award at the Canadian International Auto Show, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada announced Thursday.
The Cruze beat out the Ford Fiesta and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel for the big win.
"(The Chevrolet Cruze) is a vehicle that has done quite well overseas. In Europe and Asia, it's a best-seller so I don't think it's a big shock that it won this award," The Globe and Mail Auto columnist Petrina Gentile told CTV's Canada AM from the auto show.
GM Canada President and Managing Director Kevin Williams told CTV.ca his company feels very proud about winning the prestigious award.
"The Cruze was our opportunity to say for the first time in a long time that we're going to create the best car that serves our customers best," he said from the show.
"We want to show people we're back by creating the world's best cars, not just the world's best trucks."
Another big winner at the auto show was the 2011 Ford Edge, which was named "Canadian Utility of the Year," beating out the Hyundai Tucson and the Volkswagen Touareg.
"This is the Canadian-made Ford Edge, so it's really nice to promote," Gentile said. "And I like this vehicle because it actually drives like a car and it's easy to get in and out."
Other winners at the show included:
- Best new small car (under $21k): Ford Fiesta
- Best new small car (over $21k): Chevrolet Cruze
- Best new family car (under $30k): Volkswagen Jetta TDI Clean Diesel
- Best new family car (over $30k): Buick Regal
- Best new minivan: Toyota Sienna
- Best new SUV/CUV (under $35k): Hyundai Tucson
- Best new SUV/CUV (over $50k): Volkswagen Touareg
- Best new sports/performance car: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
- Best new luxury car (over $50k): BMW 5 Series Sedan
- Best new prestige car (over $75k) Porsche 911 Turbo S
While the Ford Fiesta didn't win Car of the Year, it did take the award for the most fuel efficient sub-compact vehicle. The Government of Canada ecoENERGY for Vehicles Awards are given to recognize the most fuel-efficient cars and light trucks available in Canada. Other winners of that prize included:
- Honda CR-Z was voted most fuel efficient two-seater
- Volkswagen Golf TDI was most fuel efficient in wagon category
- Toyota Prius won for the midsize category
- Hyundai Sonata grabbed the full-size category
- Ford Escape Hybrid won for special purpose vehicles
And the best new technology award went to Ford for its development of inflatable rear seat belts.
The new seat belts are being used in the 2011 Ford Explorer and are able to spread crash forces over five times more body area than conventional seat belts. Passengers have reported in Ford's own research that the inflatable seat belts are similar to or more comfortable than traditional belts.
Seventy of Canada's top automotive writers vote on the awards. The AJAC journalists meet every October for "TestFest" at the Niagara Drive Centre at the Niagara District Airport, conducting back-to-back comparative testing of 144 "all new" or "significantly new" 2011 vehicles.
They look not only at vehicle specifications and features, but actual driving performance and subjective ratings, evaluating qualities such as interior roominess and handling ability.
