The only thing we knew for sure about the Canadian Car of the Year, as chosen by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, before the announcement was made was that it was going to be a Korean car. The Hyundai Elantra won out, over its little sister Hyundai Accent and corporate cousin Kia Optima.

Steve Kelleher, president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada, said, “I know the AJAC Car of the Year Test Fest process is the most objective, thorough and authoritative anywhere in the world. I can’t say I have always agreed with their choices, but I sure do today!

Jim Kenzie explains why the Elantra won:

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“It’s a real testament to the efforts our designers and engineers have put in over the past few years, to introduce cars that people buy because they WANT them, not just because it’s all they can afford. The Elantra is, we believe, a perfect example, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Elantra was also announced as the North American Car of the Year at the recent Detroit Auto Show.

The Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year is the Volkswagen Touareg TDI Clean Diesel, over the BMW X3 and the Dodge Journey. John White, President and CEO, Volkswagen Group Canada, said, “This win illustrates the advances Volkswagen has made in technology, especially with respect to diesel engines. It’s fantastic, for all our employees worldwide!”

The Best New Design award also went to Hyundai, for the Veloster sport coupe. This was a bit of a surprise at least to me, because I thought if my choice, the Jaguar XKR-S didn’t win, its corporate cousin the Range Rover Evoque would.

Democracy has spoken.

The Best New Technology award went to General Motors ‘Voltec’ propulsion system, the range-extended electric powertrain in the Chevrolet Volt. Marc Lachapelle, a fellow member of the Technology jury, noted that the Volt system is “The Big Idea”: a truly advanced system that may not sell in big numbers, but which represents very advanced thinking.

GM also had another Technology finalist, the eAssist system in Buick LaCrosse and Regal, which is in a way the direct opposite of the Volt: a less advanced but very affordable electric assist system that can pay for itself in fuel savings in a little over a year, unlike most hybrids which take five years or more to cover their added initial cost.

The third finalist, and frankly, the one that got my first-place vote, was the Mazda SkyActiv gasoline engine. This is not a single breakthrough innovation, but a whole series of intelligent and carefully thought-out developments that improve efficiency and performance.

The AJAC Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards are based on results of the annual “Test Fest”, where new vehicles for the model year are assembled in one location and evaluated back-to-back, on the same roads, under the same conditions, on the same day — the only way to properly evaluate competitive vehicles. Over 70 members of the Association from coast to coast, each of whom conducts regular road tests in their respective media, are involved in this process. The votes are tabulated by the accounting firm KPMG, and the results kept secret, even from the AJAC Test Fest Organizing Group, until the public announcement at the Canadian International Auto Show.