2013 AJAC Awards - Honda Accord Sedan named 2013 Canadian Car of the Year

TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2013 /CNW/ - In an early morning press conference at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Honda Accord Sedan was declared the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

"We are extremely proud to see the Accord recognized by so many of Canada's top journalists as Canadian Car of the Year and we thank AJAC for this great honour," said Takashi Sekiguchi, President and CEO, Honda Canada. "The Accord is one of our most important vehicles, so we're thrilled to receive the great feedback that we're continuing to raise the bar in the family car category."

The Honda Accord Sedan was also the winner of the "Best New Family Car (under $30,000) class.  Eleven "Best New" category winners were eligible to compete for the top honours of being either overall Canadian Car of the Year or Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year.  The category winners were announced last October during the association's annual vehicle evaluation event known as "TestFest."

Eighty of Canada's top automotive journalists spent four intensive days in Niagara-on-the-Lake conducting back-to-back comparative testing of 180 "all new" or "significantly new" 2013 vehicles.  This was no easy task.  Their vote results were determined from more than 40,000 individual data points established in the testing program.  And, before submitting their ballots, the AJAC journalists completed almost 2,000 individual road-tests during TestFest, comparing vehicles back-to-back on the same roads under the same conditions.  These tests were conducted as part of AJAC'S mission to serve consumers by providing them with factual, objective information, versus just personal opinion. Shell Canada is the official fuel supplier of the event

The journalists' vote results were then compiled on-site by the international accounting firm KPMG and kept confidential even from AJAC until the winners' press conference today.

Need to compare a Dodge Dart to a Nissan Sentra, or a Chevrolet Malibu Eco to the Ford Fusion or the Honda Accord?  How about a BMW 3 Series to a Lexus ES 350 or a Mercedes-Benz SLK 55 AMG with a Porsche Boxster?  Look no further than the AJAC website where all of this year's comparative data, and vote results, are posted:  www.ajac.ca > Canadian Car of the Year Awards > Results.  All 60 entries (180 vehicles) in the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year Awards program are listed.

Still looking to buy a 2012, 2011, 2010, or even an older vehicle?  AJAC archives the comparative test data and vote results from previous years on its website.  Check it out:  www.ajac.ca > Vehicle Comparisons

This news release is brought to you by CNW Group: AJAC's official news wire service.

SOURCE: Automobile Journalists Association of Canada

For more information on the 2013 Canadian Car of the Year Awards you can either visit our AJAC website, call the AJAC office at 1.705.924.3444, or send an email to:  [email protected].