Press day at the Canadian International Autoshow opened yesterday with the announcement of the winners of the AJAC Canadian Car of the Year awards. Beating out the Honda Fit and Mazdaspeed 3 for top honours was the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid.

You can read the full AJAC press release after the break

TORONTO (Ontario) Wednesday, February 14, 2007 – In an early morning press conference at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Toyota Camry Hybrid was declared the 2007 Canadian Car of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The Toyota Camry Hybrid beat nine other “best new” category winners, announced November 21st, to win the top prize. This is the first time in the awards history that a hybrid has won an overall “Car of the Year” title.

2007 CCOTY chair, Paul Williams, commented: “With manufacturers introducing an increasing number of new vehicles each year, consumers may find it harder to keep track of what’s available in the marketplace, and how one vehicle differs from another. The AJAC Canadian Car of the Year program identifies and categorizes all the new vehicles each year, then subjects them to detailed testing in real-world situations. It’s not a popularity contest; it’s a thorough, objective and trustworthy process to help consumers make informed purchase decisions”.

“We are thrilled that AJAC’s members have endorsed the 2007 Toyota Camry Hybrid with this important award, and would like to thank the membership for their support”, said Tony Wearing, Managing Director for Toyota in Canada. “As you know, the Toyota Camry is the best selling car in North America. With the launch of the Camry Hybrid, we have brought hybrid technology into the mainstream”.

The Car of the Year vote results are posted to the AJAC web site for use by consumers as a resource buying guide. The results show comparisons between all 13 category winners as announced on November 21, 2006.

In addition, consumers will also find comparative test data - acceleration, braking, manoeuvrability, cargo capacity - on over 180 new vehicles representing the 65 entries in the 2007 Canadian Car of the Year Awards. The data derives from the journalists’ annual “TestFest”. It’s a rigorous three-day team testing program that includes “real world” driving on public roads — where consumers drive.

Dennis DesRosiers of DesRosiers Automotive Consultants said recently: “As car awards go I personally believe that the Automobile Journalists of Canada (AJAC) serve our industry very well… their choices are almost always right on the mark.”

Photos from today’s award announcements, the November 21st category winners, and the TestFest evaluation event, are available for print and broadcast media under

Still looking to buy a 2006 new car? AJAC archives the comparative test data and vote results from previous years on its web site.