The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has just released their winners for 2017 Canadian Green Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year. Toyota has won both awards, with the 2017 Toyota Prius with Technology Package taking green car of the year and RAV4 Hybrid with Technology Package winning green utility vehicle of the year.
Voting for Canadian Green Car and Utility of the year is done during AJAC's TestFest every October, at the same time as the voting for the "regular" Canadian Car and Utility Vehicle of the Year awards. CCOTY Co-Chair Justin Pritchard said that "entries are selected from amongst standard entries that meet specific fuel efficiency criteria." So any car or utility that qualified for the regular voting that also meets the required efficiency score is eligible.
The runners up for Canadian Green Car of the Year included the 2017 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid and 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid. On the Canadian Green Utility Vehicle of the Year side, the 2017 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid with Technology Package beat out the 2017 Mazda CX-9 and 2017 Subaru Forester to take the prize.
While the Prius and RAV4 both return excellent fuel economy, at 4.5 L/100 km and 7.3 L/100 km respectively in the combined cycle, that isn't the only criteria for judges. Green Car and Utility candidates are judged for green criteria including sales potential, consumer appeal, value, "green-ness" (including range, recharge/refuel time) and finally their score from the regular Canadian Car of the Year evaluation. As Pritchard says, "this is not a popularity contest. Each winning vehicle is validated by controlled, back-to-back testing, and detailed scoring data." It all adds up to give a final score to determine the winner.
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