AJAC’s 2025 Best Technical Innovation award goes to the Mazda Large Platform MHEV (mild-hybrid) Powertrains, which underpin the brand’s latest pair of crossover SUVs: CX-70 and CX-90. Mazda’s combination of turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engines, 48-volt mild-hybrid system and newly designed 8-speed transmission boosts efficiency, improves acceleration from rest, sharpens the driving dynamics and enlarges the front crush zone.

The Lucid Air Pure electric powertrain is the winner of this year’s AJAC Best Green Innovation award. Lucid has developed its own powertrain technology to better integrate elements like the motor and battery, creating the most efficient EV on sale in Canada. Efficient powertrains enable lighter vehicles and greater range from a given amount of energy, while still delivering the performance that buyers expect.

The winner of AJAC’s Best Safety Innovation award for 2025 is BMW Digital Key Plus. Its use of ultra-wideband (UWB) technology offers an innovative way to combat car theft. The two-way communication between the vehicle and the ‘key’ in the phone prevents the ‘relay’ attacks that have become commonplace, whereby a criminal capture signals from keys in a house and rebroadcasts them to steal the car.