Send this page to a friend!
Fill in the form bellow

news

North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists Announced

Ford has cars on both lists; compact SUVs hold truck list

The finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year have been announced, and the winner will be crowned just before the North American International Auto begins on January 14. American cars, Ford particularly, dominate the list this year with four of the six spots.

The nominees for the North American Car of the Year are the Cadillac ATSCadillac ATS 2.0 Turbo DI...United States of America, 2013 > present14 photos
, Ford FusionFord Fusion Gen.2United States of America, 2012 > present30 versions
45 photos
and Honda AccordHonda Accord 9Japan, 2013 > present25 versions
49 photos
. The nominees for the North American truck of the Year are the Ford C-Max HybridFord C-MAX Gen.2United Kingdom, 2010 > present103 versions
110 photos
, Mazda CX-5Mazda CX-5 Gen.1Japan, 2012 > present37 versions
63 photos
and Ram 1500Ram Trucks 1500 Gen.1 [DS/DJ]United States of America, 2009 > present37 versions
50 photos
.

To be nominated for the award, a car has to be new or significantly modified that year. A group of 50 automotive journalists from North America live with each vehicle for several weeks before voting. A short list of nominees is first announced that had 10 cars and 11 trucks this year. That is cut to three finalists in each category, and one winner in selected.

Each juror's voting is released after the awards are announced.

North American Car and Truck of the Year Award

The award is given every year at the North American International Auto Show and voted on by a group of 50 North American automotive journalists.

Cadillac ATS

The ATS has Cadillac offering a smaller luxury compact to take on the 3 Series and A4. There are three engines but the sweet spot is the turbocharged four-cylinder in the middle. The CTS has room to grow now and reporedly it will next generation to take on the 5 Series.

Ford Fusion

The second generation has Ford doing whatever it can to take on the market-leading Toyota Camry. It has five powertrain options and styling that makes it look significantly more expensive thatn it is. Reviews say it drives great too. Unfortunately, higher quality also means a higher price.

Honda Accord

The new Accord kept the car's size the same but stretched the wheelbase to increase interior room. It also added new direct-injection engines and more safety equipment. There is also a new hybrid version.

Ford C-Max

The C-Max Hybrid is Ford's attempt to take on the Toyota Prius V, but according to Ford, the C-Max is larger and more efficient. Honestly, lumping this with the trucks seems misplaced. It is more of a wagon.

Mazda CX-5

The CX-5 gave Mazda a smaller more efficient SUV that would sell better in Europe. It also introduced its new Skyactiv gas and diesel engines with higher compression and better efficiency.

Ram 1500

The upgraded Ram 1500 stressed interior quality and efficiency. The new Pentastar V6 is more powerful and more efficient than the smaller V6 it replaced.