The man behind the XF, Jaguar's design director Ian Callum, collected the trophy at a presentation dinner attended by major figures from the British motor industry.

Since its launch on the world markets in March, the XF, which ranges in price from £35,000 to £50,000, has helped drive a near-30 per cent rise in sales for Jaguar.

The company is currently producing about 1,000 units of the car a week on a two-shift basis. Orders so far total more than 22,000 with strong demand from the UK, where sales have topped 7,000, the US and continental Europe.

"We are very excited to announce the inaugural Canadian Residual Value Awards," said John Blair, Chief Executive Officer of ALG. "Honda clearly set itself apart by winning the overall Mainstream award and three segment awards. Honda benefits from its disciplined production, consistent high quality and value pricing, and its shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles has also helped the brand. We firmly believe that Residual Value is the best metric for evaluating the overall strength of an automotive brand, and congratulate all of the winners for their successful products and marketing strategies."

Meanwhile, police yesterday said they were still appealing for any witnesses to a separate road accident, on the A166, in which biker Peter Anthony Lee died when his Honda motorbike collided with a Kia Carens car.

Mr Lee, 73, a motorcycling enthusiast from Bull Lane, off Lawrence Street, York, was travelling near the junction with Church Balk, Dunnington, when the incident happened, at 2.05pm on Friday. The accident brought the issue of safety on the A166 back under the spotlight.