Canadan Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards

Well, as my Grade 11 history teacher used to say when we collectively got the wrong answers to his pop quizzes, "Another failure of democracy.''

Likewise the results of the 2008 Automobile Journalists Association of Canada Car/Utility Vehicle of the Year awards.

The Audi R8 is Car of the Year - a fabulous car by any standard, but a $150,000 sports car of which they'll maybe a hundred in Canada? Car of the Year?

Can't blame Audi. They don't make the rules, and they aren't going to hand the trophy back.

The R8 was also chosen Best New Design and, a couple of months ago, "Most Coveted'' by the journos at AJAC's Test Fest last fall.

The other finalists were the Saturn Astra and Audi S5.

Actually, the real Car of the Year didn't even make the final three. At least the Chevrolet Malibu won the North American award.

General Motors did win the Utility Vehicle award, although it was the wrong General Motors vehicle. The Buick Enclave should have been a slam-dunk, but the collective minds of AJAC gave it to the Silverado pick-up. A worthy winner, but nowhere near the breakthrough represented by the Enclave.

Nissan Rogue, another fine vehicle, was the other Utility finalist.

Ford's SYNC system, enabling connectivity of multiple media devices into a car and making it even easier for drivers to be distracted, won Best New Technology. Is there no hope?

Wait 'til next year. We'll probably get it wrong again.

 

 

North American Truck of the Year, Come Again?

Everyone -- I mean everyone -- though GM would take the Truck of the Year title. After all, the US automaker claimed two of the three entrants (the Buick Enclave and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid), but it was not meant to be. Mazda won this year's big prize with the CX-9.

The Mazda is my top pick for crossover -- but truck of the year?

(The Mazda received 201 votes, the Tahoe Hybrid 140 and the Enclave 109.)

The General did walk away with the 2008 North American Car of the Year award for the Malibu -- which is getting all the buzz right now. The Cadillac CTS came in second, while the redesigned Honda Accord came in third.

Turbos, turbos everywhere

After what seems like several years where forced induction seemed to have fallen out of favour, it's back in a big way - but as much because of environmental pressures as it's there as a performance enhancer.

Sure, we're seeing superchargers in cars like the 550-hp Cadillac CTS-V, which are pushing down acceleration times and pushing up top speeds. But turbos and superchargers are also letting carmakers extract more performance out of much smaller engines.

Take, for example, Ford's new EcoBoost initiative, which involves direct injection and turbocharging. As fitted to the Explorer America concept, it lets a 2.0-litre four-cylinder produce as much power and torque as a 4.0-litre V6 - with fuel consumption that's 30 per cent better.

Turbos also feature on BMW's new X6; two of them, coupled to a 4.4-litre V8, produce more performance than the old 4.8 with lower consumption.

Expect even more turbos - and more innovative installations - in the years to come.