Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario – The Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Truck of the Year class winners have been announced, as selected by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The announcements follow a week of comparative testing by automotive journalists from across Canada. All are model-year 2010 and must be new or substantially redesigned for the model year in order to be eligible. Vehicles in each class were tested back-to-back by journalists, on the same day, over the same roads, and if applicable, on a racetrack or an off-road course. Each car was judged on such factors as handling, ride, performance, exterior and interior styling, quality, and features.

The winners of each category are:

Small Car Under $21,000: Mazda3

Small Car Over $21,000: Mazda3 Sport

Family Car Under $30,000: Volkswagen Golf Wagon TDI

Family Car Over $30,000: Ford Taurus

Luxury Car Over $50,000: BMW 335d Sedan

Prestige Over $75,000: Porsche Panamera Turbo

Sport/Performance Under $50,000: Volkswagen Golf GTI

Sport/Performance Over $50,000: Audi S4

Convertible: Audi A5 Cabriolet

SUV/CUV Under $35,000: Subaru Outback

SUV/CUV $35,000 to $60,000: Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel

SUV/CUV Over $60,000: Lexus RX450h

The journalists will vote on the class winners to name the overall Canadian Car of the Year and Canadian Truck of the Year. These winners will be announced at the 2010 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto in February 2010. At that time, the winners of Best New Technology and Best New Green Technology will also be announced.