At a press conference of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) held at the Toronto Congress Center at the country’s capital, twelve vehicles from twelve “Car of the Year” categories were awarded as “Best New” for 2008.


Giving recognition to the vehicles is the AJAC’s means of giving Canadians honest comparative information about new vehicles debuting in the country’s auto market. To stand for this cause, the organization made the information about each vehicle that made it on the list in their website ready for consumer access. To come up with the vehicle’s data, AJAC conducted a series of evaluation for the 177 new vehicles which initially made it as entries. The four day vehicle tests were held last October 29-November 2, 2007 at the Niagara-on-the-lake in Ontario. This yearly vehicle assessment had been famed in the global auto industry as the “TestFest”.

For the data to be reliable reflecting real life consumer driving experiences, the TestFest’s evaluation program includes the typical driving at public roads. At the site, 70 Journalists get to pick their bet by means of driving the cars back to back themselves on the same roads, day and under the same weather conditions to avoid bias. Seventeen evaluation parameters are used that basically include driver position and ergonomics, engine smoothness, steering, handling, visibility and styling both in the exterior and interior of the vehicle. With these filtering program, winning vehicles are really the best in their kind.

2008 CCOTY Co-chairman Paul Williams commented, "In my opinion, the AJAC Canadian Car of the Year awards are founded on the most objective, informed and thorough evaluation process you'll find. The evaluations are based on back-to-back testing in real-world situations. They're a uniquely Canadian resource for people looking to buy a new vehicle".

The 2008 category winners are:

BEST NEW SMALL CAR: Saturn Astra
BEST NEW FAMILY CAR: Honda Accord EX Sedan
BEST NEW LUXURY CAR: Mercedes-Benz C Class
BEST NEW PRESTIGE CAR (over $75,000): Audi R8
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR under $50,000: MINI Cooper S
BEST NEW SPORTS/PERFORMANCE CAR over $50,000: Audi S5
BEST NEW CONVERTIBLE: BMW 335i Cabriolet
BEST NEW MINIVAN: Hyundai Entourage
BEST NEW PICKUP TRUCK: Chevrolet Silverado
BEST NEW SUV/CUV under $35,000: Nissan Rogue
BEST NEW SUV/CUV $35,000 - $60,000: Saturn Vue
BEST NEW SUV/CUV over $60,000: Buick Enclave

Aside from the twelve “Best New” awards, AJAC also awarded the Audi R8 as the “Most Coveted Vehicle”. The AJAC started recognizing vehicles as the “Most Coveted Vehicle” in 2005 giving honor to a dream car. The vehicle, to be a winner must gain the interests of car enthusiasts enough for them to say that it’s the vehicle they would buy in case they win in a lottery.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently named the thirty-four 2008 model year vehicles which were given their highest safety rating. Called the Top Safety Pick award, the system is developed to name the best vehicles in the market in terms of protecting its occupants in the unfortunate event of a crash. The IIHS tests vehicles for their adequacy in protecting motorists during, frontal, side, and rear crashes. Vehicles should be rated highly at the said tests before they could be given the Top Safety Pick award.

"For 2008, consumers have the widest selection of vehicles they've ever had that afford the best protection in the most common kinds of crashes," said Adrian Lund, the president of the IIHS. Since safety is one of the major concerns of auto buyers, the Top Safety Pick rating will help them in their decision of which new vehicle to buy.

Lund pointed out that an ESC can be of great help to keep motorists away from accidents. "Vehicles should be designed to provide good occupant protection when crashes occur, but now with ESC we have the possibility of preventing many crashes altogether," he said. "If all vehicles were equipped with ESC, as many as 10,000 fatal crashes could be avoided each year."

ESC comes in various names as automakers have different names for this system. Chevrolet vehicles with StabiliTrak are actually equipped with ESC. StabiliTrak is Chevrolet’s name for the ESC. For Nissan, it goes by the name of Vehicle Dynamic Control. Ford calls it the Advance Trac with Roll Stability Control or RSC.

Some of the vehicles included in the list are the Honda Accord, Audi A3, Subaru Impreza, BMW X5, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Tundra, Ford Taurus, and the Volvo XC90.

NADAguides.com recently offered a helping hand to consumers looking for a new car to buy ahead of the winter season. The company provides auto information on the Web and recently named new vehicles which are suited for the coming season.

Check them out.

2008 Audi A4 sedan - The said sedan is offered with an optional cold weather package. This adds heated rear and front seats, removable ski sack, retractable headlight washers, and the patented Quattro all-wheel drive system. The A4 sedan has good traction on a variety of road conditions.



2008 Cadillac STS - The said luxury vehicle is offered with an optional all-wheel drive system. The said system gives the STS good traction on any road condition. With the power transmitted to all four wheels of the vehicle, it can tackle slippery roads. The STS also comes with an all-speed traction control and a stability control system. Other features that will come in handy during the winter season are its window defroster, heated exterior rearview mirror, and a remote starter system.

2008 Chevy Tahoe - Heated exterior mirrors, halogen fog lamps and a remote starting system make it a shoo-in for the list provided by NADAguides. The powerful engine of the Tahoe is complemented by the SUV's AutoTrac system. The AutoTrac allows the vehicle to adapt to changing road conditions by maintaining traction on all wheels.


2008 Ford F-150 - It is offered with an optional snow plow prep package. Other features include rear window defroster, heated exterior mirrors, fog lamps, and a rack-and-pinion steering. As usual, towing is no problem with the F-150. Its powerful V8 engine with a four-wheel drive configuration can tow up to 11,000 pounds.



2008 Hummer H2 - This vehicle has been under fire from environmentalists for its gas-guzzling attribute. But when it comes to traversing treacherous roads, the H2 is a friend to any car owner. Its V8 engine provides 325 horsepower. With a four-wheel drive configuration, traction is not a problem. Aside from that powerful engine, the H2 is also equipped with other features making it suitable for cold weather driving. Traction control, dual-zone heating, triple sealed doors, heated exterior mirrors and all terrain wheels are features that comes in handy when winter comes.

2008 Jeep Wrangler - is also recommended with its remote staring system, stability control, and an all-speed traction control. Other vehicles equipped with cold weather driving-friendly features are the 2008 Land Rover LR3, Subaru Outback, Toyota FJ Cruiser, and the 2008 Volvo XC90.

"One of the most important things people can do to prepare for bad weather is to equip their vehicle with proper tires. In fact, if you own a rear wheel drive vehicle, a good set of snow tires may be all you need for improved performance. However, if your vehicle comes equipped with every safety feature on the planet, there's no substitute for safe driving. When it gets right down to it, careful driving is the most important safety feature of all", Don Christy, the president and CEO of NADAguides.

At the Frankfurt Auto Show, Audi AG released details of a jaw-dropping upmarket supermini dubbed as the A1. The supermini coupe, based on the Audi MQB (Modular Transverse Matrix) platform and Audi Shooting Brake concept car styling, is expected to be introduced to the market in 2009.

Michael Dick, Audi's board member responsible for product engineering, confirmed that the A1 would not share the radical, all-aluminium, lightweight construction of the A2.

Audi's own supermini will be a classy hatchback laced with the brand's design flourishes - and will form a crucial plank in its strategy to become the world's biggest premium car maker by the middle of the next decade. A1 is said to arrive with 3 doors, 4 seats, in compact size and with the new twincharger engines. Diesel engines will also be available.

It will have all the features of the larger Audi models such as the multimedia interface. The Audi A1 will be engineered to rival the MINI. Now Audi is getting a plant VW has left behind. Because of VW's cost-cutting measures, a Brussels plant has been relinquished to Audi, VW's luxury division, which is in frantic need of extra production capacity.

“Audi is responsible for the development of Bentleys,” Dick said, “and we are developing an alloy structure for the next generation."

Audi is hiring young graduates in an effort to ensure the strong future of the brand. This year, the automaker is looking for 600 new employees.

German automaker Audi is making a bid to become the king of the mountain. Six hundred academics is the target for Audi. The young talents are there to unveil the new Audi RS6 - the company's most powerful production vehicle. Dr, Werner Widuckel, a Board Member for Human Resources at Audi AG, declared that the increase in their offering will mean more jobs in the future. Only motivated and dedicated employees will ensure company success and innovative power in the future," he said.

Most in demand are graduates in electrical engineering, mechatronics, mechanical engineering and automotive technology. Not only academics are attracted to Audi as an employer: 682 young people started their apprenticeships last week in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm. Audi provides training in 20 different vocations.

"To a great extent, graduates want to identify with the products of their preferred employer. Factors such as market success and innovative power, interesting work and individual opportunities for development play an important role when choosing an employer," added Dr. Widuckel.

Last year, the automaker recruited 450 academics. The increase in the number of employees they are hiring shows the company responding to the need for engineers. The automaker is focusing on the employment of young engineers to develop highly-efficient diesel engines as well as alternative powertrains.

Audi AG will be launching the cleanest diesel technology in the industry. The new TDI engines boast of ultra-low emission system that harmonizes superior pulling power and spontaneous performance of the current power units. As a result, unbeatably low emissions and superb fuel consumption figures are reached. The latest TDI engines sees Audi reaffirm its headship claim in the arena of ultra-sophisticated diesel technology. As for the automaker, the trendsetting TDI engine is a core element of its integrated technology strategy. “Audi is a trailblazer when it comes to diesel power. By equipping the R10 TDI sports prototype with this technology, we have just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel-powered car for the second time,” noted Michael Dick, a board member for technical development at Audi.

“The Audi R8 racing cars with TFSI petrol direct injection took victory on five occasions at Le Mans. We have been incorporating the key findings from the world of motorsport directly into series-production development,” he added. “By so doing, we are demonstrating how TDI and TFSI represent the ultimate in efficiency, driving pleasure and economy both on the road and on the racetrack.”

Currently, diesel fuel is the most commended in motoring because the fuel delivers better drive ability and mileage with less emission. It packs around 15 percent more energy per liter than petrol but it also comes at a cost of 15 percent more greenhouse emissions, reported Bangkok Post. However, with a 20 to 40 percent better mileage in a modern diesel engine offsetting the emission, you get less CO2 per distance traveled, the report continued.

Experts say diesel may find its niche in future WRC. According to them, the new generation Subaru Impreza with its first in-house diesel boxer unit may become one of the first contenders. In this weekend's WRC Rally Germany, four entries are diesel-powered BMW, Seat and Volkswagen. But before it reaches stardom in the auto industry, diesel has to overcome some hurdles.

Audi has finally unveiled the 2008 Audi A8 and revealed the new features, designs and trimmings of the new car in their official website.

According to the Kicking Tires, the German automaker gave the A8 major enhancements. A new enhanced steering is given to boost the driver’s performance building a sportier image to the new Audi A8. But that's not all. The new car also gets more power on suspension as well as enhancements in its sound-deadening features.

The A8 also uses a faster DVD-based system which covers far greater distances. Audi's also building in new safety features, with a side-assist system that will alert drivers when a vehicle is in the sedan's blind spots and a lane departure warning system that will keep an eye on lane markers and alert the driver with a vibration in the steering wheel should he or she begin to go astray.

More upgrades like a new engine, as well as a direct-injection six-cylinder which will also boost its mileage to a 0-62 mph in 8 seconds. The new engine is currently wearing the price tag of $68,900. With a cheaper value, we just hope that it would make a huge sale in the US. Most of the buyers of four-door cars in the car market are looking for V8 engine that gives fuel efficiency even if hybrid cars are hot this time.

Aside from that the Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) reacts faster than even a racing driver could to bring hazardous situations under control. By monitoring wheel speeds, slip angles and the position of the steering wheel, ESP can apply brakes and reduce power to individual wheels until full traction and control is restored.

The new car will be sporting the V8 engine on a high performance W12 S8 models which will all be seen this coming 2008.