By CRM staff
Toronto, Ontario – February 21, 2019 –- The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), a group of professional writers who focus on Canada’s automotive industry announced the winners of its 2019 Innovation Awards at the Canadian International AutoShow in Toronto.
The awards were separated into three categories to cover safety, technology, and environmental awareness.
“This is an opportunity to recognize the very best and most innovative examples of new automotive products available to Canadian drivers,” said Automobile Journalists Association of Canada president Mark Richardson.
For the category of Best Green Innovation, Infiniti’s VC-Turbo engine had won the award. It is the world’s first production-ready variable compression ratio engine and one of the most advanced internal combustion engines ever created. With more than 20 years in development, it represents a major breakthrough in internal-combustion powertrain technology. Not to mention it also delivers the power of a high-performance 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine with a high level of efficiency.
Subaru’s DriverFocus feature took home the award for the Best Safety Innovation. DriverFocus essentially uses a camera that is angled at the driver’s face and facial recognition software to monitor fatigue or lack of attention from the driver. When the driver begins to lose focus, DriverFocus immediately sends out a helpful alert, acting as an automated co-driver.
For the Best Technical Innovation, Mercedes-Benz User Experience was victorious. This form of technology uses artificial intelligence to adapt to suit the user, creating an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver, and passengers. It includes the high-resolution widescreen cockpit with touchscreen operation, navigation display with augmented reality technology, plus intelligent voice control with natural speech recognition, which is activated with the keyword “Hey Mercedes.”
