Toyota Prius Claims Top Honours as AJAC's 2017 Canadian Green Car of the Year

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.

VANCOUVER, Canada - March 29, 2017: In a press conference at the opening ceremonies of the Vancouver International Auto Show yesterday, the 2017 Toyota Prius claimed top honours from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) as the 2017 Canadian Green Car of the Year (CGCOTY).

The annual award was presented by Regina Chan, automotive journalist and AJAC member. The Toyota Prius was chosen from among three finalists, winning over the 2017 Kia Optima HEV and 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. The finalists were earlier announced and recognized at the Canadian International Auto Show (CIAS) in February, and "crowned" with special green car toppers for the duration of the show.

"Toyota is committed to maintaining its leadership position in designing, engineering and building environmentally-advanced vehicles that meet the many demands of today's drivers – which is why the 2017 Prius sets new standards for efficiency and emissions even as it provides owners with more style and driving fun," said Cyril Dimitris, Vice-President, Toyota Canada Inc. "We're delighted that members of AJAC agree, and thank them for this important award."

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 60-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".