In an early morning press conference at the opening of the Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto, the Hyundai Elantra was declared the 2012 Canadian Car of the Year (CCOTY) by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

"The all-new Elantra was simply the single most important new vehicle that Hyundai has ever launched," said Steve Kelleher, President and CEO, Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. "The Elantra competes in Canada's critical compact segment, so for it to win Canadian Car of the Year is vindication for all the effort Hyundai designers and engineers invested into the project. We wanted to bring Canadians a new take on the compact sedan; one with great style, quality, safety and incredible fuel efficiency. So, we couldn't be more proud that AJAC agreed it should win Canada's highest automotive award."

Photo: Mathieu St-Pierre/Auto123.com

Hyundai won three out of the eleven "Best New" categories when announced in October 2011. All "Best New" category winners are eligible to compete for the overall crown of either the "Canadian Car of the Year" or the "Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year". The Hyundai Elantra was also the winner in the "Best New Small Car over $21,000" class.

Consumers will have a chance to win a four-year lease of the 2012 Canadian Car of the Year thanks to a "Drive to Win" contest launched today by the Canadian Automobile Association (CAA). The "Drive to Win" contest will run from February 16th to April 30th, 2012. Canadians can register on-site at the Canadian International Auto Show at the Eco-Drive Showcase presented by CAA South Central Ontario or online through the contest portal, www.caadrivetowin.ca.

CAA and AJAC announced a partnership exactly one year ago at the 2011 Auto Show. The two associations joined forces with the goal of working together to provide Canadian consumers with better access to factual, ethical and honest information on automotive topics that matter to them.
"CAA's proud to partner with AJAC on the Canadian Car of the Year Awards program through the Drive to Win contest," said Jeff Walker, CAA vice-president of public affairs. "The Canadian Car of the Year program is a great source of accurate, comparative information on vehicles that are new to the market and we are pleased to be drawing additional attention to this valuable initiative."

For additional "Drive to Win" contest details and to submit your ballot visit www.caadrivetowin.ca.


_{As reported by the AJAC}