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.

General Motors has announced pricing for the all-new Chevrolet Malibu. Prices for the Malibu will start under $20,000 with the base model LS listing for $19,345, a $2,000 premium over the previous model. A hybrid Malibu will also be available for $22,140, undercutting the Camry Hybrid by about $3,000. Scheduled to roll out in Chevy dealerships across the country this coming November.

GM offers five variants of the all-new 2008 Chevy Malibu. These include the Malibu LS, Malibu 1LT, Malibu 2LT, Malibu LTZ, and the Malibu Hybrid. Gone is the previous cliff-face fascia and Rubbermaid trim; instead there’s a striking, twin cockpit design with some classy two-tone trim options. Chevy has also loaded-up on safety features to reinforce the Malibu’s standing as a family fave. Standard motivation is GM’s 164-hp 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder, with the all-aluminum 3.6-liter 252-hp V-6 as an option.


Chevy Malibu model trims has to offer.

- 169-horsepower 2.4L Ecotec DOHC four-cylinder engine
252-horsepower (188 kW) 3.6L DOHC V-6 with variable valve timing
- new grille design and heritage-inspired twin round taillamps
- a choice of cloth, suede and leather inside; available two-tone cockpit in a number of color combinations
- gauges with Chevrolet blue LED backlighting
- standard four-wheel independent suspension
- Standard theft-deterrent system for vehicle and contents
- Remote vehicle starting (standard on 2LT and LTZ; available on 1LT)
- standard universal home remote (for 2LT and LTZ only)
- TAPshift manual shift control (available on 2LT and standard on LTZ)
- 16-inch standard wheels (LS)
- 18-inch ultra-bright aluminum polished wheels (available on 2LT, standard LTZ)
- available rear power center includes 110-volt AC adapter with three-prong outlet and LTZ
- available sunroof (for LT and LTZ models only)
- premium eight-speaker, 210-watt sound system (standard on LTZ, available on 2LT)
- standard tire-pressure monitoring system
- six air bags (dual-stage frontal, seat-mounted side-impact thorax and head-curtain side air bags)
- four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with all-speed traction control
- OnStar Gen 7 safety and security system with Turn-by-Turn Navigation
- XM Satellite Radio
- GM’s StabiliTrak electronic stability control system
- power-adjustable pedals