Six vehicles edged closer today to the ultimate goal of being named 2019 Canadian Car of the Year and Utility Vehicle of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC).

The winners will be announced at the Canadian International AutoShow on Feb. 15. 

Voting includes all new and substantially updated vehicles available to Canadian buyers, as well as returning winners, not just those vehicles new to the market. AJAC’s 70 voting journalists were able to directly score vehicles against their competition, whether they were all-new for 2019 or returning popular models. There were 1,531 anonymous ballots cast on 55 vehicles.

The three cars and three utility vehicles were chosen in a separate, second round of voting by AJAC’s journalists from the 12 vehicles that were named the best in their segments earlier this year at the Montreal Auto Show. The voting process was a simple one: AJAC members were asked which, of the segment-winning vehicles they’d driven and experienced, most deserved to be named the best car and utility vehicle for 2019.

The three car finalists are the Kia Forte (Best Small Car in Canada), Kia Stinger (Best Large Car in Canada), and Volvo V90 R-Design (Best Large Premium Car in Canada, for the second consecutive year).

The three utility vehicles finalists are the Mazda CX-5 (Best Mid-sized Utility Vehicle in Canada), Hyundai Kona (Best Small Utility Vehicle in Canada), and the Jaguar I-PACE (Best Premium Electric Vehicle in Canada).

All six will be on stage at 8:15 a.m. on Feb. 14 during Media Day at the AutoShow. Until the envelopes containing the winners are opened, the results are a closely guarded secret, known only to the auditing firm of KPMG. The announcements and presentations will take place in the John Bassett Theatre, located in the 100 Level of the North Building of the convention centre.