MONTREAL, Jan. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - The 12 Best Vehicles in Canada for 2025 have been revealed today at the Montreal Auto Show, where they are on display to visitors in the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY) booth for the duration of the show. The popular event at the Palais des Congrès runs until January 26.
The 12 Best Vehicles in Canada for 2025 are as follows:
2025 Canadian Car of the Year finalists
- Acura Integra Type S
- Honda Civic
- Toyota Camry
2025 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Mazda CX-70
- Toyota Land Cruiser
2025 Canadian Electric Car of the Year finalists
- BMW i4
- Fiat 500e
- Lucid Air
2025 Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year finalists
- Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
- Kia EV9
- Mazda CX-70 Plug-In
Selected from the expert CCOTY jurors from the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), these 12 excellent vehicles also go forward as the finalists in four categories for the 2025 Canadian Car of the Year Awards.
"The unveiling of the 12 best vehicles in Canada for 2025 by AJAC was a real success, highlighted by their spectacular one-by-one entrance into the room, creating a guaranteed WOW effect! Visitors can enjoy a unique and memorable experience by coming to discover and admire these 12 exceptional vehicles at the Montreal Auto Show." said Luis Pereira, Executive Director, Montreal Auto Show.
The list of 12 Best Vehicles in Canada for 2025 includes both newcomers and longstanding favourites among Canadian car buyers.
The Honda Civic, which won in 2022 and was the best-selling car in Canada in 2024, is joined in vying for Canadian Car of the Year with the Camry – another former winner – and the sporty Integra Type S.
In the Utility Vehicle category, the Santa Fe is another previous winner. The latest generation of the Hyundai family SUV is named on the 12 Best list alongside two other new utility vehicles: the Mazda CX-70 and the Toyota Land Cruiser.
With more all-electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles now available to Canadian consumers, competition is hotting up in the Electric Car and Electric Utility categories, too. The BMW i4 was a Canadian Car of the Year winner in 2023 and is named among the 12 Best with the Fiat 500e – Canada's lowest-priced electric car – and the luxurious Lucid Air.
Meanwhile another high-performance model – the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – is one of three Electric Utilities recommended by the jurors, alongside the three-row Kia EV9 and the plug-in hybrid version of the Mazda CX-70. The Mazda is the only vehicle named on the 12 Best list in both its gas-only and electrified forms.
"Today, AJAC is proud to present the 12 Best Vehicles in Canada for 2025, not just as an important step on the road to the Canadian Car of the Year Awards but as a key list for Canadian new-car buyers," said Evan Williams, AJAC president. "Forty-eight of Canada's top automotive journalists have driven and voted on these vehicles and found them to be the best in the country in their categories. I'm also proud of our jurors, who each year work hard to determine which vehicles are the Best in Canada, giving you reliable and relevant information when it comes to your own next new-vehicle purchase."
The list of 12 Best Vehicles in Canada is created from detailed ballots completed by AJAC's expert journalists. More than 600 ballots were submitted during the creation of the 12 Best list by 48 jurors based right across Canada, from Vancouver to Halifax. CCOTY is Canada's ONLY vehicle awards scheme in which the jurors drive every vehicle they vote on. Vehicles are tested on the same roads and in the same conditions faced by Canadian drivers from coast to coast every day. AJAC members will be available to share their expertise with visitors during the Montreal Auto Show.
All 2025 model year vehicles are eligible for the CCOTY Awards including those newly designed, recently refreshed, and carried over from last year.
The category winners for Canadian Car of the Year will be announced on Thursday February 13, 2025, at the Canadian International AutoShow (CIAS) in Toronto. Results from AJAC journalist member ballots are audited by international accounting firm KPMG and remain under wraps until the moment the envelopes are opened.
About the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC)
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers, photographers, videographers and corporate members whose focus is the automobile and the Canadian automotive industry. Collectively, our primary objectives are to promote, encourage, support, and facilitate professionalism in Canadian automotive journalism and to ensure factual and ethical reporting about the automobile and automotive issues to Canadian consumers. This is achieved through the work of our members and AJAC's annual vehicle testing and evaluation events: the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY), AJAC Innovation Awards and EcoRun.
About KPMG
KPMG LLP, an Audit, Tax and Advisory firm (kpmg.ca) is a limited liability partnership, established under the laws of Ontario, and the Canadian member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG has more than 7,000 professionals/employees in over 40 locations across Canada serving private- and public-sector clients. KPMG is consistently recognized as an employer of choice and one of the best places to work in the country. The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity and describes itself as such.
SOURCE Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
For further information: Stephen Elmer, CCOTY Chair, AJAC Director, T: 647-523-6494 E:[email protected]; Evan Williams, AJAC President, T: 902-401-1784, E: [email protected]; Cindy Hawryluk, AJAC Operations & Events Manager, T: 905-978-7239, E: [email protected]
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