15:18 16-01-2026

Canada's best vehicles of 2026: award winners and categories

The selection of Canada's best vehicles took place in Montreal, with winners in each of four categories to be announced at the Toronto International Auto Show in February.

Voting is conducted by 53 professional automotive journalists from the AJAC association, including those who write reviews and produce videos for Driving.ca. Every model available on the Canadian market in 2026, whether new or from previous generations, is eligible for the awards. Each judge must personally test every vehicle they vote for.

The voting considers objective factors like fuel consumption or electric vehicle range, alongside subjective criteria such as handling, ergonomics, safety, build quality, and value for money.

The top twelve Canadian models have been divided into four categories. The full list is as follows.

Canadian Car of the Year:

• Honda Civic
• Hyundai Elantra
• Porsche 911 Carrera

Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year:

• Ford Maverick
• Hyundai Palisade
• Toyota RAV4

Canadian Electric Car of the Year:

• Lucid Air
• Porsche Taycan
• Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid

Canadian Electric Utility Vehicle of the Year:

• Hyundai Ioniq 9
• Kia EV9
• Lucid Gravity

Winners of the 2025 awards were the Honda Civic for car, BMW i4 for electric car, Hyundai Santa Fe for utility vehicle, and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for electric utility vehicle.