Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year announced by AJAC

The Jaguar I-Pace, 2020 AJAC Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, left, and the Mazda 3, 2020 AJAC Canadian Car of the Year at the 2020 Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto, Ont. PHOTO: AutoShow.ca

TORONTO — On Feb. 13, the Mazda3 was announced as the 2020 Canadian Car of the Year and the Jaguar I-Pace as the 2020 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year, as selected by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The Jaguar I-Pace, which already had the distinction of being the first battery electric vehicle ever to win an overall AJAC award in 2019, now has unprecedented back-to-back overall wins.

Jaguar I-Pace. PHOTO: Will Mazgay

The two vehicles were awarded with the accolades at the opening ceremonies of the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto. This followed months of testing and evaluation by nearly 70 automotive journalists. Ballots are scored anonymously on many different factors, including performance, features, technology, design, fuel consumption and value.

These winners were selected from across 51 entries, including last year’s category winners and this year’s next-generation or significantly updated vehicles. Voting data was collected anonymously from more than 1,200 ballots.

“These awards are AJAC’s highest honour, and it’s with the backing of our members’ real-world assessment and depth of expertise that we declare the Mazda3 2020 Canadian Car of the Year and the Jaguar I-PACE 2020 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year,” said AJAC President Stephanie Wallcraft, in a prepared statement. “AJAC journalists are among the most objective and discerning automotive professionals in the country, and the fact that these two vehicles have risen to the top of our rigorous testing and voting protocol means that they’re truly among the best available to Canadian buyers.”