February 15, 2001

PT Cruiser wins "Best New Design" for 2001

In addition to being named Canadian Car of the Year, the Chrysler PT Cruiser was declared the winner of the "Best New Design" award for 2001 by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC). The award was announced Wednesday during the opening ceremonies for the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.

Tony Whitney, President of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), explained that "The intent of the award is to identify and reward the vehicle that we collectively judge to exhibit the most aesthetically pleasing combination of appearance and function."

"Judging is based on exterior and interior appearance, but in a real world context. That means, for example, that an extremely raked windshield or exceptionally low roofline should be judged on the basis of their effects on headroom and visibility as well as styling, and the styling should be appropriate to the type of vehicle. The best balance of form and function should be rewarded."

The Best New Design award is part of AJAC's Canadian Car of the Year awards program, respected world-wide for its rigorous, scientifically sophisticated process that ensures valid, objective results backed up by data, not just opinion.

Voting is by secret ballot. The points for each vehicle are totalled and the vehicle with the most points wins.

Those ballots are tabulated by the international accounting firm KPMG, which keeps the results confidential - even from AJAC - until the awards ceremony today. Last December, AJAC named the Chrysler PT Cruiser "Best New Family Car (under $25,000)" for 2001.

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