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 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 -1 2