2017 Canadian Car of the Year Awards: the Small Car Category
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada, or AJAC, will be holding their yearly CCOTY testing next week at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Clarington, Ontario. There will be eight categories this year, and the most interesting one for Canadian car shoppers is undoubtedly the Best New Small Car Category.
The contenders this year are the Chevrolet Cruze Hatch, the Chevrolet Spark, the Hyundai Elantra, the MINI Clubman and the Subaru Impreza. Here’s a look at each of them.
2017 Chevrolet Cruze Hatch
After the launch of the redesigned Cruze sedan last year, Chevrolet will be expanding its small-car portfolio with the addition of the new Cruze Hatch. It’s equipped with a turbocharged, 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that develops 153 horsepower as well as 177 pound-feet of torque. The hatchback version of the Cruze will be offered in LT and Premier trim levels, and will start at $20,595 before freight and delivery charges. Among its highlights is a maximum cargo volume of 1336 litres with the rear seatbacks folded flat.
Read more about the Chevrolet Cruze Hatch
2017 Chevrolet Spark
The new-generation Spark was launched for the 2016 model year, but wasn’t ready in time for last year’s Canadian Car of the Year test week. It features a 1.4-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 98 horsepower, mixed with either a five-speed manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic. The 2017 Chevrolet Spark competes in the minicar segment alongside the popular Nissan Micra, the Fiat 500 and the Mitsubishi Mirage. For its base price of $9,995, buyers benefit from standard Bluetooth connectivity as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
Read more about the Chevrolet Spark
2017 Hyundai Elantra
The previous-generation Elantra was a very strong seller, nipping at the heels of the best-selling Honda Civic for many years in Canada. This newly redesigned Elantra has big shoes to fill, but seems ready to keep its market share in the compact-car class. Its Atkinson-cycle, 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine develops 147 horsepower, and is more fuel-efficient than ever with a combined city/highway rating of 7.4 L/100 km when connected to the six-speed automatic transmission. As always, the Elantra offers lots of features for the asking price, which starts at $15,999.
Read more about the Hyundai Elantra
2017 MINI Clubman
The newest member of MINI’s product range, the redesigned Clubman is the most spacious car they’ve ever produced. It’s got room for five passengers, and now features two conventional doors for rear-seat occupants instead of the previous generation’s single half-door. However, it retains the signature split rear doors. The Clubman is available with three engine choices, although it’s the base unit that will be entered in the CCOTY competition. It’s a turbocharged, 1.5-litre three-cylinder engine that develops 134 horsepower and 162 lb.-ft. of torque, which can be matched to either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. The Clubman starts at $25,490.
Read more about the MINI Clubman
2017 Subaru Impreza
The CCOTY test week will mark our first opportunity to get behind the wheel of the all-new 2017 Impreza. Redesigned from bumper to bumper, Subaru’s compact will be built in Indiana alongside the Legacy and Outback. It will also be based on a new platform that is said to be stronger than what’s underpinning the current car. According to the manufacturer, the 2017 Impreza will boast a more spacious cockpit, thanks in part to a 25-mm wheelbase stretch. A new 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine will feature direct injection and develops 152 hp, again mixed with either a manual transmission or a continuously variable automatic. All-wheel drive will obviously still be standard.
Read more about the Subaru Impreza
Which one do you think deserves to win AJAC’s 2017 Best New Small Car award?