Ford F-150 named 2015 Canadian Utility of the Year
by Dan Ilika, with files from Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
An all new aluminum alloy body is Ford's claim to fame in the new-for-2015 pick up
The 2015 Ford F-150 features available LED headlights. PHOTO Ford
TORONTO—The Ford F-150 has been declared the 2015 Canadian Utility of the Year by the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.
This is the second time that the F-150 has earned the title, having previously won in 2004.
“We are honoured that the 2015 F-150 has been named AJAC’s 2015 Truck of the Year,” said Dianne Craig, president and CEO, Ford of Canada. “Our game-changing use of aluminum alloy is raising the competitive bar for pick-ups and we are humbled to be considered an innovator in the industry, committed to providing our customers the most capable and fuel efficient pick-up ever.”
The category winners are selected by 73 Canadian automotive journalists who gathered this October in Niagara Falls, Ont. for a five-day test-drive evaluation of brand-new or significantly changed vehicle models. The event, known as “TestFest,” was hosted by the Niagara Parks Commission, and Shell Canada is the official fuel supplier. The accounting firm KPMG tabulates all vote results.
“TestFest is the most intensive new vehicle evaluation process on the planet,” said CCOTY co-chair, Gary Grant. “No other organization employs such stringent testing methods to determine their car of year award winners. Data driven and Canadian expertise: that’s what makes an AJAC winner.”
The rigorous testing program includes “real world” driving on public roads so that the test data and vote results are directly relevant to potential car and truck buyers. Each judge drove a vehicle in 15 categories back-to-back on the same day, under the same conditions, to ensure fair and objective comparisons.
