AJAC Announces 12 Best Vehicles in Canada

Kyle Patrick
by Kyle Patrick

These are the finalists for the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada's yearly awards—the winners will be announced in Toronto next month.


The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) today announced its 12 Best Vehicles in Canada for 2026. Divided into four categories, these are the finalists for the organization's yearly awards, celebrating the best vehicles in Canada.


The AJAC Canadian Car of the Year Awards have been running for over 40 years. Journalists from across the country can score any new car they've personally driven over the last year; everything is eligible. Both Mike Schlee and this writer are proud members of AJAC.


This year's 12 Best lineup has a few returning favorites, as well as new entries. Notably, there is a lot of crossover between this list and the recently announced NACTOY award winners. Great minds and all that.


The finalists are as follows, split into four categories:


Canadian Car of the Year:

Image: Kyle Patrick
  • Honda Civic
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  • Hyundai Elantra
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  • Porsche 911 Carrera

Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year:

Image: Mike Schlee
  • Ford Maverick
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  • Hyundai Palisade
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  • Toyota RAV4

Canadian Electric Car of the Year:

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  • Lucid Air
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  • Porsche Taycan
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  • Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid

Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year:

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  • Hyundai Ioniq 9
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  • Kia EV9
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  • Lucid Gravity

The winners of each category will be announced at the Toronto Auto Show, which opens to the public February 13.


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Kyle Patrick
Kyle Patrick

Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.

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