Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/12/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-finalists/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/12/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-finalists/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/12/12/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-finalists/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

North American Car of the Year crystal award

2012 is almost in the books and automakers are spending December gearing up for the 2013 auto show season, which tips off next month at the Detroit Auto Show. Traditionally, the latter opens up with the announcement of the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards, and this year figures to be no different.

But up until this moment, we didn't know which six vehicles would be parked ahead of the stage as finalists, with executives and engineers waiting for the winners to be disclosed. Whittled down from October's "short list" of nominees (11 cars and 10 truck/utility vehicles), the finalists are as follows:

2013 North American Car of the Year:
2013 North American Truck/Utility of the Year:
As determined by a non-profit, independent jury of 50 US and Canadian journalists(*), the pair of lists above arguably feature a surprise or two, and they open up some potentially interesting story lines. Will the Ford and Honda, which compete against each other in the marketplace, split votes among jurors who only want to vote for one family sedan? Did the Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ twins miss making the finalists' list because they were listed as separate entries, or did they just not win over enough jurors? Until the voting patterns of the jurors are released (after the awards are announced), we won't really know if any of these scenarios played into the calculations.

What do you think of these six vehicles? Which would you vote for? Which do you think will win? Participate in our polls below by guessing which vehicles will win, then state your case for who should win in Comments.

*Full disclosure: Author is a NACTOY jury member.

View Poll


View Poll

Continue reading 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll]

2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year finalists announced [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>15002013 cadillac ats2013 ford c-max2013 ford fusion2013 honda accord2013 mazda cx-52013 ram 1500accordatsc-maxcadillaccx-5fordfusionhondamazdanactoynorth american car of the yearNorth American truck of the yearnorth american truck utility of the yearramWed, 12 Dec 2012 13:30:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20400146/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/12/12/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-finalists/20400146/article-detail.xml 20400146 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal.jpg <![CDATA[2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year short list released]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-short-list/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-short-list/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/10/02/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-short-list/#commentsFiled under:

NACTOY crystal award

It's that time of the automotive year again, where the changing of the seasons yields a fresh crop of cars and trucks at dealers and a new bounty of awards. North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year jurors(*) have been flogging all manner of new sheetmetal, and they've culled their long list down to a shorter, more manageable roster, which has just been released.

The list of eleven cars and nine truck/utility vehicles arguably offers few surprises. On the car side, domestic brands have five nominees, as do the Japanese, leaving one slot for a European. On the Truck/Utility side - the award has been renamed to reflect the inclusion of crossover and sport-utility vehicles in addition to traditional body-on-frame trucks - there are three domestic models, four Japanese offerings, a pair of Germans and a Korean.

If there's any conspicuous absence on the list, it's likely the Tesla Model S, which has drawn widespread praise for its electric driving experience, expressive design and impressive performance. As it ramps up production, Tesla has been particularly parsimonious with test vehicles, however, and despite multiple attempts by NACTOY to confirm seat time, few jurors have been able to drive and assess the car.

The jurors will now focus their attention on assessing the vehicles below before another round of voting culls each category down to three finalists. Another round of evaluation and voting will follow, and the winners will be announced at a press conference at the start of Detroit Auto Show media days in January.

The self-funded, completely independent and non-profit NACTOY jury made up of 50 U.S. and Canadian journalists chose the Hyundai Elantra and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque as the winners last year.

Look over the short lists below, then leave your best guess about the winners (or who you think should win) in Comments.

*Full Disclosure: Author is a NACTOY jury member.

2013 North American Car of the Year Short List:
Truck/Utility of the Year Short List:

2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year short list released originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car of the yearnactoynorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearnorth american truck utility of the yeartruck of the yearutility of the yearTue, 02 Oct 2012 10:55:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20339190/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/10/02/2013-north-american-car-and-truck-utility-of-the-year-short-list/20339190/article-detail.xml 20339190 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal.jpg <![CDATA[NACTOY changes truck award to "Truck/Utility of the Year"]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/nactoy-changes-truck-award-to-truck-utility-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/nactoy-changes-truck-award-to-truck-utility-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/31/nactoy-changes-truck-award-to-truck-utility-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Land Rover Range Rover Evoque wins 2012 North American Truck of the Year award

This year's selection for North American Truck of the Year was something of a sign of the times as the pool of nominees didn't really fit the traditional definition of "truck" - beasts of burden with features like a low range, open bed and/or body-on-frame construction. Not only were all three finalists crossovers (including the winning 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque), but so were the other four on the short list of nominees.

The jury has been monitoring the market's shift from body-on-frame SUVs to unibody-based crossovers for years now, and detailed discussions about whether to alter the name of its Truck of The Year award have been a staple conversation among members of the voting pool for perhaps half a decade. Those debates have finally bore fruit. Beginning with next year's award, instead of North American Truck of the Year, the hardware will be awarded as the North American Truck/Utility of the Year.

The name change should not only be a bit cleaner when it comes to including the market's ever-diversifying pool of crossovers, it will also afford room on the other end of the spectrum for the inclusion of heavy-duty full-size trucks, a segment of vehicles that previously weren't eligible. The change reflects another shift in the market, where vehicles like the Ford F-Series Super Duty and Ram 2500 HD are no longer being considered solely for purchase as work trucks - more and more everyday consumers are looking to them as capable daily drivers. The jury had previously considered only light-duty trucks like the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and Toyota Tacoma for the award.

With the crossover segment mushrooming in popularity and diversifying rapidly, it's become difficult to readily classify what constitutes a crossover vehicle as opposed to a car. Branches of the U.S. government classify the exact same vehicle as a car and a truck, automakers invent new terminology to trumpet, journalists call them one thing and consumers end up labeling them another. The NACTOY jury will thus look to indicators like overall height and capability to help funnel eligible vehicles into the Car of the Year or Truck/Utility of the Year category.

NACTOY changes truck award to "Truck/Utility of the Year" originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>car of the yearnactoynorth american car and truck of the yearnorth american car and truck utility of the yearnorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearnorth american truck utility of the yeartruck of the yeartruck utility of the yearutility of the yearTue, 31 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20160921/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/31/nactoy-changes-truck-award-to-truck-utility-of-the-year/20160921/article-detail.xml 20160921 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/evoque-nactoy-win_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/evoque-nactoy-win.jpg <![CDATA[Hyundai Elantra, Range Rover Evoque named 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year [UPDATE]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-named-2012-north-american-ca/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-named-2012-north-american-ca/http://www.autoblog.com/2012/01/09/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-named-2012-north-american-ca/#commentsFiled under: , ,

2011 Hyundai Elantra

Land Rover Range Rover EvoqueAnd now, ladies and gentlemen, the moment you've all been waiting for... the Car of the Year awards to rule all Car of the Year awards... the definitive selection of the very best the industry has to offer has been decided. Well, we don't know about all that, but the votes have been tabulated and the assembled jurists (including our own Chris Paukert) have selected the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year.

The finalists were whittled down from a list of 30 candidates to include the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Volkswagen Passat (on the car side of the equation) and the BMW X3, Honda CR-V and Range Rover Evoque (on the truck side, despite them all being car-based crossovers). And after (what we hope was) careful consideration, the panelists have selected the Elantra and the Evoque as the overall winners.

The awards will undoubtedly sit proudly atop the mantles at both Hyundai and Jaguar/Land Rover's headquarters, but will surely be received with particular jubilation by Land Rover, which has won the award for the first time in this, its largest market.

UPDATE: Official press release with voting tally added after the jump.

Continue reading Hyundai Elantra, Range Rover Evoque named 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year [UPDATE]

Hyundai Elantra, Range Rover Evoque named 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2012 detroit auto show2012 north american car and truck of the yearawardawardscar of the yeardetroitdetroit 2012detroit auto showelantrahyundaihyundai elantraland roverland rover evoqueland rover range rover evoquenorth american car and truck of the yearnorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearrange roverrange rover evoquetruck of the yearMon, 09 Jan 2012 07:46:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20143646/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/01/09/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-named-2012-north-american-ca/20143646/article-detail.xml 20143646 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/elantra08_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/01/elantra08.jpg <![CDATA[Your 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists are....]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/15/your-2012-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-are/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/15/your-2012-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-are/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/15/your-2012-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-are/#commentsFiled under:



The finalists for the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year have just been announced, and this year, the three candidates in each category are as follows:

Car: Truck: The above finalists are the result of voting by a 50-member jury of full-time automotive journalists and broadcasters from a longer "short list" composed of 30 cars and seven trucks (an award category that also includes sport utility and crossover utility vehicles). Eligibility requirements dictate that the vehicles up for consideration must be new or substantially revised for the model year.

The jury will now vote again on these shorter lists, and the winners will be named on the opening morning of the Detroit Auto Show, with this year's press conference falling on January 9.

Last year's hardware was awarded to the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and the 2011 Ford Explorer.

Who do you think should win? Levy your votes in Comments.

*Full Disclosure: Author is a NACTOY jury member.

Continue reading Your 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists are....

Your 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists are.... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cr-vcrvelantraevoquefocusnactoynorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearpassatx3Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:15:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20128914/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2011/12/15/your-2012-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-are/20128914/article-detail.xml 20128914 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2011/12/nactoy-award-crystal.jpg <![CDATA[Hyundai Sonata edges Volt in Autoblog's informal Car of the Year poll]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/23/hyundai-sonata-edges-volt-in-autoblogs-informal-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/23/hyundai-sonata-edges-volt-in-autoblogs-informal-car-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/23/hyundai-sonata-edges-volt-in-autoblogs-informal-car-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , ,

2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T
2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T - Click above for high-res image gallery

The finalists for this year's North American Car and Truck of the Year awards may have been no big surprise, but the vehicle that our readers think will win Car of the Year honors came as something of a shock.

The NACTOY judges have picked the Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf as finalists for Car of the Year. While the Leaf saw a little bit of love with 2,820 votes in our unofficial poll, as well as being named European Car of the Year, the final tally came down to a bare-knuckled fight between the Volt and Sonata. Surprisingly, the Hyundai eked out a win with 8,058 votes and 42.7-percent of the total votes cast, which just barely bested the 7,985 votes cast for the Volt and its 42.3 percent of the total vote.

That's not a huge margin of victory by any means (a statistical dead heat, as they say), but considering that the Volt has whirred away with honors like the Green Car of the Year, Automobile Magazine's Automobile of the Year and Motor Trend's Car of the Year awards, we fully expected the Bowtiie to handily walk away with our impromptu poll.

We were pretty smitten with both the 2.0T and the hybrid variants of the Sonata when we hopped behind their wheels earlier this year, and buyers have been no less taken with the base model. The 2011 Sonata has enjoyed a huge year in terms of sales with 183,102 units sold by early December, a year-over-year increase of 65 percent.

Meanwhile, the 2011 Ford Explorer handily beat the 2011 Dodge Durango and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee in our informal North American Truck of the Year poll. You can check out the results from both surveys here, and the stay tuned for when the real winners are announced at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show in early January.


Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T: First Drive


Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Hyundai Sonata edges Volt in Autoblog's informal Car of the Year poll originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20112011 chevrolet volt2011 hyundai sonata2011 nissan leafchevrolethyundaileafnissannorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearsonatavoltThu, 23 Dec 2010 13:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19775344/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/12/23/hyundai-sonata-edges-volt-in-autoblogs-informal-car-of-the-year/19775344/article-detail.xml 19775344 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/sonata_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/sonata.jpg <![CDATA[2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists shortlisted]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/2011-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-shortlis/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/2011-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-shortlis/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/12/16/2011-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-shortlis/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists
2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists - Click above for high-res image gallery

Predictable, yet worthy. That's how we're feeling about this year's crop of choices for the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists. Without further ado, here they are (in alphabetical order, all 2011 models):

Car: Truck: See? Predictable, yet worthy. There was little doubt that the 2011 Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf would make the list, and the Hyundai Sonata has done an admirable job of shaking up the established midsize sedan hierarchy. On the truck side of the equation, it's none too surprising to see a trio of people-moving 'utes, seeing as though the category has just be reinvigorated by a number of substantially reworked and worthy players. Click past the break for the official press release.

But, as usual, it's your opinions we're most interested in. While our completely unscientific polls will have absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the actual results of the official voting, we urge you to make your voice heard anyway. Now, get to voting!

View Poll


View Poll


Gallery: 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists

2011 Chevrolet Volt2011 Hyundai Sonata2011 Nissan Leaf2011 Dodge Durango Citadel2011 Ford Explorer


[Source: North American Car and Truck of the Year]

Continue reading 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists shortlisted

2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists shortlisted originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 north american car of the year2011 north american truck of the yearnorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearThu, 16 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19765910/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/12/16/2011-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-finalists-shortlis/19765910/article-detail.xml 19765910 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/2011-coty-finalists_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/12/2011-coty-finalists.jpg <![CDATA[North American Car/Truck of the Year shortlists led by Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan [w/poll]]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/24/north-american-car-truck-of-the-year-shortlists-led-by-ford-gm/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/24/north-american-car-truck-of-the-year-shortlists-led-by-ford-gm/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/09/24/north-american-car-truck-of-the-year-shortlists-led-by-ford-gm/#commentsFiled under: ,

North American Car of the Year logoA pool of 50 U.S. and Canada-based automotive journalists from various news outlets has cut down the list for the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards to 14 possible winning vehicles in each category.

Among the manufacturers, Ford, Hyundai/Kia, General Motors, and Nissan lead with the most nominations, and the lists run the gamut from the inexpensive (Ford Fiesta, Mazda2), to the sybaritic (Audi A8, Jaguar XJ, Porsche Cayenne), to the groundbreaking (Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf).



Jurors will cull each list down further in December, and the finalists will be displayed when the winning car and truck are announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

What car and truck do you expect to win? Check out our galleries of the finalists below, then click through the jump to place your vote for the car and truck you expect to win. If you like, you can also drop your fellow commenter a line as to what vehicle you'd most like to see take home the heavy hardware.

(*Full Disclosure: Author is a member of the NACTOY voting jury)


Gallery: 2011 North American Car of the Year Short List


Gallery: 2011 North American Truck of the Year Short List


[Source: North American Car of the Year]

Continue reading North American Car/Truck of the Year shortlists led by Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan [w/poll]

North American Car/Truck of the Year shortlists led by Ford, GM, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 detroit auto showdetroit 2011detroit auto showNACOTYNACOTY 2011NAIASnorth american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearFri, 24 Sep 2010 19:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19647880/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/09/24/north-american-car-truck-of-the-year-shortlists-led-by-ford-gm/19647880/article-detail.xml 19647880 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/nacoty-logo-250_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/09/nacoty-logo-250.jpg <![CDATA[Detroit 2010: Ford sweeps North American Car and Truck of the Year awards for 2010]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Mark Fields, Ford's President of the Americas, accepts the hardware from Tony Swan of Car and Driver

For just the third time in the 17-year history of the North American Car and Truck of the Year, one manufacturer has taken home both pieces of etched glass. Ford's 2010 Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect have yielded the hardware for the Dearborn automaker here at the Detroit Auto Show, with the Fusion emerging victorious over the shortlisted Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf, and the Transit Connect besting the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback.

The last time a single manufacturer won both the Car and Truck of the Year awards was back in 2006, when Honda did double duty with its Civic compact and Ridgeline pickup. In total, a U.S. automaker has won the car award nine times, and the truck award, 11 times. Official press release after the jump.


Gallery: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid


Gallery: 2010 Ford Transit Connect


[Source: Ford]

Follow our coverage of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show live all day on Twitter at http://twitter.com/therealautoblog

Continue reading Detroit 2010: Ford sweeps North American Car and Truck of the Year awards for 2010

Detroit 2010: Ford sweeps North American Car and Truck of the Year awards for 2010 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2010 Buick2010 Buick Lacrosse2010 Chevrolet2010 Equinox2010 Ford fusion Hybrid2010 Ford Transit Connecti2010 Golf2010 lacrosse2010 outback2010 subaru2010 Volkswagen2010 Volkswagen golf2010 VW Golf2010Buick2010BuickLacrosse2010Chevrolet2010Equinox2010FordFusionHybrid2010FordTransitConnecti2010Golf2010Lacrosse2010Outback2010Subaru2010Volkswagen2010VolkswagenGolf2010VwGolfbreakingbreaking newsbreakingnewsbuick lacrosseBuickLacrossecar and driverCarAndDriverChevrolet EquinoxChevroletEquinoxDetroit 2010Detroit auto showDetroit auto show 2010Detroit2010DetroitAutoShowDetroitAutoShow2010EquinoxfordFord FusionFord Fusion hybridFordFusionFordFusionHybridFusionhybridlacrossemark fieldsMarkFieldsNACOTYNAIASNAIAS 2010Naias2010NATOTYnorth american car of the yearnorth american car of the year 2010north american truck of the yearnorth american truck of the year 2010NorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYear2010NorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYear2010subarusubaru outbackSubaruOutbacktony swanTonySwantransit connectTransitConnectVolkswagen GolfVolkswagenGolfVWMon, 11 Jan 2010 08:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19311608/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/01/11/detroit-2010-ford-sweeps-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-ye/19311608/article-detail.xml 19311608 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/nacoty-2010-fields-swan-630_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/01/nacoty-2010-fields-swan-630.jpg <![CDATA[Detroit 2009: Hyundai Genesis, Ford F-150 win North American Car and Truck of the Year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/11/hyundai-genesis-ford-f-150-win-north-american-car-and-truck-of/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/11/hyundai-genesis-ford-f-150-win-north-american-car-and-truck-of/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/01/11/hyundai-genesis-ford-f-150-win-north-american-car-and-truck-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Like an automotive continuation of the BCS bowls, winners were crowned for the 16th North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year awards at the Detroit Auto Show this morning. Voted on by 50 automotive journalists in various media from the U.S. and Canada (where's Mexico?), winners took home a bit of brand polish and a big lump of crystal.

The award selects "the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar." For a shot at the title, eligible vehicles must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model.

Taking the monogrammed plaque in the car category was the Hyundai Genesis, beating back two other finalists, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and the Ford Flex. It's the first time a diesel has been a finalist, and it was only beat by a car that is gathering plaudits everywhere and for everything.

The truck field was narrowed down to the Ford F-150, Dodge Ram, and Mercedes ML320 BlueTEC. With the highest available towing capacity, the highest payload capacity, and class-tying fuel economy -- not to mention being the best selling vehicle for more than three decades -- it's no wonder who won.

Detroit 2009: Hyundai Genesis, Ford F-150 win North American Car and Truck of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 11 Jan 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awardsdetroitdetroit 2009detroit auto showDetroit2009DetroitAutoShowf-150fordford f-150FordF-150hyundaihyundai genesisHyundaiGenesisnaiasnaias 2009Naias2009north american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearpickupsedanSun, 11 Jan 2009 10:17:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1426070/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2009/01/11/hyundai-genesis-ford-f-150-win-north-american-car-and-truck-of/1426070/article-detail.xml 1426070 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/09_nactoy_dt_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2009/01/09_nactoy_dt_opt.jpg <![CDATA[2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year contenders announced]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/17/2009-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-contenders-announc/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/17/2009-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-contenders-announc/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/17/2009-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-contenders-announc/#commentsFiled under:

The 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is looming ever closer, which means the process to choose the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year has begun. The organization behind the very prestigious awards has trotted out the list of semi-finalists for both awards, which includes 26 vehicles total with 14 contenders for COTY and 12 for TOTY.

The defining line between each category has been muddled this year by a bunch of crossovers that could be considered either car or truck, though most were placed in the Truck category except for the new Toyota Venza. There are also two diesel-powered models being considered: the VW Jetta TDI and Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTec.

The jury that decides the winners is comprised entirely of automotive journalists, two of which are part of the Autoblog family: John McElroy who writes a weekly editorial called Autoline on Autoblog and Gary Witzenburg who writes a weekly editorial called At Witz' End on AutoblogGreen.

While the 2009 TOTY award is likely to go to either the new Dodge Ram or Ford F-150, this year's coveted COTY award will be the most hotly contested one in recent memory. Seriously, which one would you choose? The giant-slaying GT-R? The class-busting Genesis? The Hail Mary pass XF? The techno starship MKS? The Grade-A retro Challenger? You get the idea. Vote for which vehicle you'd like to win in each category below in our straw polls.

View Poll


View Poll



[Source: Inside Line]

2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year contenders announced originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Sep 2008 12:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2009 north american car of the year2009 north american truck of the year2009NorthAmericanCarOfTheYear2009NorthAmericanTruckOfTheYeardetroitdetroit 2008detroit auto showDetroit2008DetroitAutoShownorth american car of the yearnorth american cotynorth american totynorth american truck of the yearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanCotyNorthAmericanTotyNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearWed, 17 Sep 2008 12:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1316787/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/09/17/2009-north-american-car-and-truck-of-the-year-contenders-announc/1316787/article-detail.xml 1316787 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/nacoty-logo_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/nacoty-logo_opt.jpg <![CDATA[Malibu and CX-9 win North American Car/Truck of the Year]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/malibu-and-cx-9-win-north-american-car-truck-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/malibu-and-cx-9-win-north-american-car-truck-of-the-year/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/13/malibu-and-cx-9-win-north-american-car-truck-of-the-year/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click above image for more coverage of the 2008 Detroit Auto Show

Though four out of the six finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards were GM vehicles, only the new 2008 Chevy Malibu managed to earn the honor of 2008 North American Car of the Year. On the truck side of things, the Buick Enclave and Chevy Tahoe Hybrid lost out to the Mazda CX-9.

The Malibu was competing for North American COTY honors against the new Honda Accord and 2008 Cadillac CTS. The judges use a point system to determine the winner, and the Malibu achieved the most among the cars at 190, with the CTS fairly close behind at 165 and the Honda firmly in third with 95.

The Mazda CX-9, meanwhile, blew out its truck competitors with 201 points. Surprisingly, the Chevy Tahoe 2-mode Hybrid came in second with 140 and the Buick Enclave, which we believed (and you, too) had a chance to win, only managed 109 points.

What say peanut gallery? Is the Malibu a better choice for this year's honor than the CTS. Was the Accord snubbed? And what happened to the Enclave in this competition?

Gallery: 2008 Chevy Malibu


Gallery: 2008 Mazda CX-9

Malibu and CX-9 win North American Car/Truck of the Year originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chevy malibuChevyMalibumazda cx-9MazdaCx-9north american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearSun, 13 Jan 2008 09:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1085548/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/01/13/malibu-and-cx-9-win-north-american-car-truck-of-the-year/1085548/article-detail.xml 1085548 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/chevymalibufamaaward01_opt_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/chevymalibufamaaward01_opt.jpg <![CDATA[POLL RESULTS: 2008 North American Car and Truck OTY]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/17/poll-results-2008-north-american-car-and-truck-oty/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/17/poll-results-2008-north-american-car-and-truck-oty/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/17/poll-results-2008-north-american-car-and-truck-oty/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,



Last week after learning that General Motors is fielding four out of the six finalists for the 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, we decided to let you loose on which two vehicles you thought would be driving home with with a trophy.

We can't say we're surprised with your choice of the Cadillac CTS as 2008 North American Car of the Year. We've driven it a number of times and each time further supports our hypothesis that the new CTS is simply the best car built by an American automaker and one of the best sport/luxury mid-size models in the world. Hence, we think nearly 50% of the vote is deserved.

The race for 2008 North American Truck of the Year, however, appears much closer, with the Buick Enclave narrowly beating out the new Mazda CX-9 in our unofficial poll, 38.3% to 37.6%, or a difference of just 36 votes. While these two vehicles are both large CUVs with three rows of seating, we're pretty sure few will be cross shopping the Enclave that coddles with the CX-9 that goes Zoom.

Will our straw poll turn out to be accurate? We'll find out in January when the awards are officially handed out at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

POLL RESULTS: 2008 North American Car and Truck OTY originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>20082008 north american coty2008 north american toty2008NorthAmericanCoty2008NorthAmericanTotydetroitdetroit 2008detroit2008north american car of the yearnorth american truck of the yearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearMon, 17 Dec 2007 14:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1064934/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/12/17/poll-results-2008-north-american-car-and-truck-oty/1064934/article-detail.xml 1064934 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/otypollresults1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/otypollresults1.jpg <![CDATA[GM scores 4 of 6 finalists in North American OTY awards]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/gm-scores-4-of-6-finalists-for-north-american-oty-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/gm-scores-4-of-6-finalists-for-north-american-oty-awards/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/12/gm-scores-4-of-6-finalists-for-north-american-oty-awards/#commentsFiled under: ,

Last year General Motors swept the 2007 North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards, with both the Saturn Aura and Chevy Silverado taking home the honors. It looks as if the General has a good shot at repeating last year's sweep with news that four of the six finalists for the 2008 awards are GM vehicles.

The finalists for the 2007 North American Car of the Year award are the Cadillac CTS, Chevy Malibu and Honda Accord, while the truck finalists include the Buick Enclave, Chevy Tahoe Hybrid and the Mazda CX-9. These six vehicles were picked from a lot of 54 new models that went on sale this year, and the winners will be announced on January 13th at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The judging panel includes some 50 automotive journalists, including our own contributor John McElroy, who wrote about judging the vehicles in a previous Autoline on Autoblog report.

We're curious to know which car and truck you think is going to win this year, so feel free to vote in our poll below.

View Poll


View Poll


[Source: The Detroit News]

Continue reading GM scores 4 of 6 finalists in North American OTY awards

GM scores 4 of 6 finalists in North American OTY awards originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2008 coty2008Coty208 toty208Totygm car of the yeargm car of the year 2008GM cotygm totyGmCarOfTheYearGmCarOfTheYear2008GmCotyGmTotynorth american car of the yearnorth american cotynorth american totynorth american truck of the yearNorthAmericanCarOfTheYearNorthAmericanCotyNorthAmericanTotyNorthAmericanTruckOfTheYearWed, 12 Dec 2007 13:56:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1061194/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2007/12/12/gm-scores-4-of-6-finalists-for-north-american-oty-awards/1061194/article-detail.xml 1061194 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/gm_logo1_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2007/12/gm_logo1.jpg <![CDATA[Re-Vote! Jeep Wrangler accidentally left off TOTY balloting]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/15/re-vote-jeep-wrangler-accidentally-left-off-toty-balloting/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/15/re-vote-jeep-wrangler-accidentally-left-off-toty-balloting/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/12/15/re-vote-jeep-wrangler-accidentally-left-off-toty-balloting/#commentsFiled under: ,



Due to an egregious omission of the 2007 Jeep Wrangler on the ballot for the 2007 North American Truck of the Year Award, jurors are being asked to revote for finalists of the honor that's traditionally bestowed upon the most deserving truck at the beginning of the Detroit Auto Show. Voting officially closed for the truck award on December 6th, but jurors now have until next Tuesday, December 19th, to revote. According to Automotive News, jurors have 25 points to distribute among the candidates, the maximum a vehicle can get is 10 and only one score of 10 can be awarded.

The Chevy Silverado, Ford Edge and Mazda CX-7 have already been chosen as finalists, and if the Wrangler finishes among the top three in the revote, it wlll become the fourth finalist.

Unfortunately Automotive News didn't find out the reason why the Jeep Wrangler was left off the ballot, so we can only suspect a vast right wing conspiracy as the root cause (j/k). Regardless, we should find out whether or not the Wrangle makes the cut before the awards are announced and presented on January 7th at the beginning of the Media Preview days of the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

[Source: Automotive News]

Re-Vote! Jeep Wrangler accidentally left off TOTY balloting originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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