AJAC Festival des essais 2024

Photos: O'Connell Creative, except for BMW X3 and Toyota Crown Signia (by Jesse Caron)

The countdown has begun. There are about two months left before the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) unveils the 2025 Canadian Car of the Year awards, which crown the best vehicle of the year in four categories:

• Canadian Car of the Year

• Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year

• Canadian Electric Car of the Year

• Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year

These prestigious awards are not handed out randomly. Rather, they are the result of a rigorous voting process that included CAA-Quebec auto expert Jesse Caron. An AJAC member for over 14 years, he completed the first round of voting, along with 45 of his fellow members from across the country.

As a result, AJAC unveiled the top five semi-finalists in each category in December. In fact, the list of winners is actually six in three of the segments, where two vehicles garnered exactly the same number of votes.

Check out the Verdict below to see the 23 models that have won the jury’s favour so far!

The Canadian Car of the Year program requires members to drive each of the vehicles they vote for in the year leading up to the vote. To do this, jurors can count on their weekly test drives, new model launches held by automakers, and the AJAC TestFest.

Our expert attended the 2024 edition of this event at the end of October to sample as many models as possible before the vote. Of the vehicles he tested, he selected five that stood out to him for good – and sometimes not so good – reasons.

See the Evaluation section to learn more about CAA-Quebec’s 5 discoveries at the AJAC TestFest.

Here are the five semi-finalists in each category of the AJAC Canadian Vehicle Awards.

2025 Canadian Car of the Year

• Acura Integra Type S

• Genesis G70

• Genesis G80

• Honda Civic

• Tied: Toyota Camry and Toyota Prius

2025 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year

• Chevrolet Trax

• Hyundai Santa Fe

• Mazda CX-70

• Nissan Kicks

• Tied: Subaru Forester and Toyota Land Cruiser

2025 Canadian Electric Car of the Year

• BMW i4

• Fiat 500e

• Hyundai IONIQ 6

• Lucid Air

• Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

2025 Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year

• Cadillac Lyriq

• Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

• Hyundai Kona Electric

• Kia EV9

• Tied: Mazda CX-70 PHEV and Volvo EX30

The top 3 finalists in each category will form the list of the 12 Best Vehicles of the Year. This will be announced at the Montreal Auto Show on January 16.

To find out the winning vehicles, we will have to wait until the media day of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto on February 13, 2025.

BMW X3 M50 xDrive

The BMW X3 has long been one of the most sought-after luxury compact SUVs. It well deserves this popularity, thanks in part to a spacious interior, rich finish and undeniable dynamic qualities.

Freshly unveiled, the fourth generation of the model retains a family resemblance on the outside as well as familiar, albeit updated, mechanics. The M50 version that we tested also draws 11 additional horsepower from its turbocharged inline six-cylinder with mild hybridization, for a total of 393. For the moment, the range is skipping the four-cylinder plug-in hybrid engine offered in recent years.

The fire and refinement of the "inline six" are immediately felt, especially since the eight-speed automatic transmission from ZF still complements this engine so well. Agility is also there, although the steering is much lighter than before, which dulls the feel.

Some people might want to use the drive modes to tighten up the steering, but BMW has replaced them with a selection of “moods” that change the theme of the gorgeous interior displays… and, for some of them, the driving parameters, but without much description. Moreover, the removal of almost all physical controls, including those for the air vents, makes driving exasperating at times. We hope (probably in vain) that this trend disappears as quickly as it arrived.

Fiat 500e

Here is a newcomer that is has a huge challenge to take up. Now exclusively electric, the Italian city car offers a range of 227km. This is precisely what risks condemning it prematurely, despite the fact that it is currently the most affordable battery-powered car on the market.

However, few drivers regularly travel the 400km to 500km now expected of electric vehicles. Single people and couples could therefore find in the 500e lively, economical transportation that is perfectly suited to urban journeys thanks to its extraordinary agility. As a bonus, Fiat has finally corrected the "clownish" driving position of the old 500. However, the tiny rear seats disqualify the 500e as a family car.

We were surprised to find no settings to increase energy recovery during braking or a one-pedal driving mode. Such parameters would be particularly relevant to preserve electric range as much as possible. At least the small battery capacity (42kWh) makes recharging much quicker than industry standards.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

Hyundai’s new flagship performance vehicle, the IONIQ 5 N delivers no less than 601 (yes, six hundred and one!) spirited horsepower. Needless to say, with that much power under the right foot, the person behind the wheel won’t be bored… and could even seriously embarrass themselves.

But there are other souped-up electric vehicles. What really sets Hyundai’s sporty compact SUV apart are its N e-shift and N Active Sound+ modes, which instantly transform it into a gasoline-powered vehicle—minus stops at the pump. At the touch of one of the two “N” buttons on the steering wheel, an eight-speed gearbox and a sporty sound magically appear to delight those nostalgic for combustion engines.

The devilishly successful simulated gear changes and affected backfires left us with a goofy smile throughout our test. These effects are perfectly irrational and probably reduce performance, but they are highly addictive when cruising down back roads. The beauty is that you can make them disappear in the blink of an eye to return to the silence of electricity on a long drive.

Customizable to the core and just as practical as the other IONIQ 5s, the N version can therefore play the role of a peaceful family vessel and that of a disarming sports machine. The $80,000 that Hyundai is asking for it is not small change, especially since it eliminates any possibility of government subsidy. However, we challenge you to find another chameleon of its kind at the same price, especially if you only want to power it with electrons.

Subaru BRZ tS

The second generation of the BRZ, the small coupe that Subaru designed in collaboration with Toyota, has been on the road for two years now. The latter also produces a very similar car called the GR86. Both models are known for their remarkable balance, agility and driving pleasure, particularly when ordered with the manual transmission – which the vast majority of customers do.

This year, Subaru has sharpened the dynamism of its sports car even further by marketing a tS version. The engineers took inspiration from the defunct STI sedan to refine the BRZ's suspension, in addition to opting for a braking system from specialist Brembo.

The whole thing is convincing. On the short circuit set up to evaluate the handling of the participants at TestFest, the BRZ tS easily proved to be the most exhilarating and maneuverable of the 19 cars we drove. This diminutive two-door clings fiercely to the asphalt and its ultra-precise steering, rear-wheel drive and low mass allow it to quickly forgive any driving mishap. The straight lines of a long track would get the better of its limited power, but on the road, you can often exploit the engine to the max without too much risk of trouble.

You just have to be careful on long journeys in the BRZ, which the extremely low driving position, the cramped cabin – forget the symbolic rear seats! –, the firm suspension, the short wheelbase and the deficient soundproofing make rather painful.

Toyota Crown Signia

Do you remember the first Toyota Venza, offered from 2009 to 2016? This raised family wagon had time to gain a good number of fans in Quebec before the wave of utility vehicles got the better of it. Almost nine years after dropping it, Toyota is reinvesting in this niche with the Crown Signia.

The manufacturer may call it an SUV, but the proportions of its newcomer are too reminiscent of a Subaru Outback to not classify it among the rare station wagons still offered in North America. Moreover, it is closely derived from one of the only raised sedans of the moment, the Crown. If you really don't want to hear the word "wagon," you can always call it a crossover.

The Crown Signia will certainly swallow less luggage than a Grand Highlander Hybrid, and it will tow about half as much. On the other hand, it will consume a little less gas, in addition to welcoming its occupants into a more refined cabin. And its long cargo space still guarantees enough versatility for an active family.

Comfortable and stable if not athletic, this car would have the potential to delight customers from Subaru thanks to its hybrid engine and Toyota's reputation for unwavering reliability. Unfortunately, the latter has chosen to import only one fully equipped version of the Crown Signia into Canada, which costs more than $60,000, all fees included. That's $10,000 more than the most luxurious Outback, and $20,000 (!) above the price of the most affordable one... Suffice to say that the die is cast.