Toronto - The 2005 Mercedes-Benz SLK350 coupe roadster was chosen by the members of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) as the Best New Car in the Convertible category. The winning SLK350 was evaluated against a long list of criteria and was among a group of six other eligible competitors. For the AJAC Car of the Year (COTY) competition, approximately 60 Canadian journalists gathered in Shannonville, Ontario for several days in October for the annual Test Fest where the journalists had the opportunity to test drive all of the entries back to back in identical conditions. The cars are assessed against an extensive list of criteria by a group of journalists assigned to a specific category, and all journalists also vote for their individual Car of the Year. In its 12th year, Test Fest continues to receive praise from journalists and consumers alike due to the fair, serious and unbiased nature of the evaluation and voting process. As a result, the competition is very valuable to the automotive industry and particularly the winners of the contest. Our AJAC award this year is a true testimony to the differentiating qualities of the new SLK350, said Marcus Breitschwerdt, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Canada, especially when you take into consideration the six other strong competitors in this category. He added, while its predecessor essentially revolutionized the automotive industry with the first retractable hard top in a coupe roadster, the new generation SLK350 now packs even more technology with a new engine and drivetrain, largest-in-class ventilated disc brakes, dramatic Formula One-inspired styling and industry benchmark virtues, which all contribute to making it a leader in its field. We are extremely proud of this achievement. The SLK350 is a year-round sports car, which converts from a seductive hardtop into a phenomenal roadster in a mere 22 seconds. Equipped with a 268 hp 3.5-litre V-6 engine, its newly redesigned manual 6-speed transmission accelerates from 0-100km/h in an exhilarating 5.6 seconds. Copyright ? Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
