2018 Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year Short List Announced

 Mazda leads the way with three vehicles in contention

TORONTO, Feb. 5, 2018; Six vehicles edged closer today to the ultimate goal of being named 2018 Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The winners will be announced at the Canadian International AutoShow on Feb. 15. 

This year, voting was expanded to include all new vehicles available to Canadian buyers, not just those vehicles new to the market. For the first time, nearly 100 of AJAC's voting journalists were able to directly score vehicles against their competition, whether they were all-new for 2018 or returning popular models.

Almost 3,000 ballots were cast on 182 vehicles.

The three cars and three utility vehicles were chosen in a separate, second round of voting by AJAC's journalists from the 14 vehicles that were named the best in their segments earlier this year at the Montreal Auto Show. The voting process was a simple one: AJAC members were asked which, of the segment-winning vehicles they'd driven and experienced, most deserved to be named the best car and utility vehicle for 2018.

The three car finalists are the Honda Accord (Best Large Car in Canada), Mazda 3 (Best Small Car in Canada), and Volvo S90/V90 (Best Large Premium Car in Canada).

The three utility vehicles finalists are the Chrysler Pacifica (Best Minivan in Canada), Mazda CX-5 (Best Small Utility Vehicle in Canada), and Mazda CX-9 (Best Large Utility Vehicle in Canada).

All six will be on stage at 8:15 a.m. on Feb. 15 during Media Day at the AutoShow. Until the envelopes containing the winners are opened, the results are a closely guarded secret, known only to the auditing firm of KPMG. The announcements and presentations will take place in the John Bassett Theatre, located in the 100 Level of the North Building of the convention centre.

KPMG in Canada, a leader in tax, audit and advisory services, is thrilled to be back supporting the Canadian International AutoShow as Media Day Sponsor.

"The automobile and the automotive industry as a whole are undergoing rapid and exciting transformation, both in Canada and globally," says Peter Hatges, National Sector Leader, Automotive, KPMG in Canada. "The AutoShow coincides with KPMG's Global Automotive Executive Survey 2018, our annual go-to report on the current state and future prospects of the industry as it adapts and aligns to shifting consumer preferences and technological change."

"The Canadian International AutoShow is circled on our calendar every year," adds Tammy Brown, National Industry Leader, Industrial Markets, KPMG in Canada. "This marquee event is more relevant than ever as breakthroughs in product design and technology are pushing the auto industry to new levels of sophistication. We're pleased to once again host the AutoShow Media Day to discuss new trends and developments with an engaged cross-section of industry participants."

KPMG operates in over 40 locations across Canada. The firm's more than 700 partners and more than 6,500 employees provide crucial services to many of the top business, not for profit and government organizations in Canada. KPMG works closely with its clients, helping them to manage risks and take advantage of opportunities.

Follow news about the AutoShow at www.autoshow.ca, https://www.facebook.com/autoshowcanada, https://twitter.com/autoshowcanada and https://instagram.com/cdnintlautoshow. 

About the Canadian International AutoShow
With more than 650,000 square feet of exhibits, displays and attractions at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, the Canadian International AutoShow is not only the largest automotive expo in Canada, it is also the country's largest consumer show — a leader in lifestyle, technology and all things automotive boasting more than 1,000 cars, trucks, SUVs, concept cars, exotics, classics, muscle cars, fully electric and autonomous vehicles. Nearly 340,000 attended the 2017 show.

About the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) is an association of professional journalists, writers, photographers, 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), Canadian Green Car of the Year Awards, Innovation Awards, and EcoRun.

About KPMG
KPMG LLP, an Audit, Tax and Advisory firm (kpmg.ca) and a Canadian limited liability partnership established under the laws of Ontario, is the Canadian member firm of KPMG International Cooperative ("KPMG International"). KPMG member firms around the world have 189,000 professionals, in 152 countries.
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.