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The 24 Nominees for the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year Announced

General Motors leads with the most nominations this year

The 24 nominees for the North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year have been announced.

A jury of 50 auto journalists from North America takes a long list of all of the new or significantly refreshed cars released there and take them down to 12 cars and 12 trucks or SUVs. Between now and January, the jury members will drive each car and can award 25 points for cars and 25 points for the trucks. A vehicle can get a maximum of 10 points from each juror.

In early December, the three vehicles with the most points with each category will be declared finalists, and the jury will vote again with 10 points in each category to decide the winner. The winner will be announced just before the opening of the North American International Auto Show in January.

In the award's history, American automakers have taken the car of the year award 11 times; Japanese automakers have won three time; European automakers have won four times, and Hyundai has won twice.

The truck of the year award has been won by American automakers 13 times; Japanese automakers have won four times, and European automakers have won three times.

Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette enters its seventh generation this fall. It gets an all-new engine and cutting edge technology to keep weight down.

Cadillac CTS

The third generation Cadillac CTS grows in size to take on luxury sedans like the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6. Its spot in the lineup has been replaced by the ATS, which was voted as North American Car of the Year for 2013.

Mazda 3

The latest Mazda 3 brings Mazda's Kodo design language to a smaller model in the lineup. For a basic hatchback that is easily attainable by most buyers, it is a beautiful looking car.

BMW 4 Series

The BMW 4 Series is the latest incarnation of the BMW 3 Series Coupe. For the latest generation, it gets its own model name and more differentiated styling.

Chevrolet Impala 3.6 VVT

The final GM product on the list of nominees is the new Impala, which is the flagship of the Chevrolet brand in North America.

Infiniti Q50

The Infiniti Q50 is the first of Infiniti's new models that focus more on appealing to the world rather than just the North American market. It is the first production car in the world to offer steer-by-wire where there is no physical connection between the steering wheel and tires.

Jaguar F-Type

The F-Type is the most expensive model on the list of nominees with a base price of $69,000 and $92,000 for the top spec F-Type V8 S. It is also the only convertible on the list this year.

Kia Cadenza

The Kia Cadenza is Kia's new flagship sedan in the US. It starts at $35,100 and the only available engine option is a 3.3-liter V6 with 293hp and 255lb-ft of torque.

Lexus IS

The Lexus IS received a major upgrade for its third generation. The styling is far sharper, and it received a sportier suspension. The engines were carried over from the previous generation.

Mazda 6

The Mazda 6 was also upgraded earlier this year with Mazda's Kodo design lanuage. It is an attractive sedan that has been praised for its sporty driving.

Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class

The Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class is the first of Mercedes-Benz's new, compact models to come to North America. It is just hitting showrooms with the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine being the only engine available at launch.

Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla is the bestselling automotive nameplate in the world over its 11 generations. The latest car goes for more avante garde styling and a more dynamic chassis to draw buyers.

North American Car of the Year

Of the 12 cars selected this year, three of them come from General Motors, two come from Mazda and two come from Toyota Group. The 49 jurors have 25 points to distribute among the cars, and the final decision will be announced in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Chevrolet Silverado

The pickup truck wars in the United States are still in full force. The Dodge Ram was North American Truck of the Year last year, and Chevrolet introduced its new pickup this year. Next year, Ford is bringing out its new F-150.

Acura MDX

The Acura MDX is the brand's top crossover and shows the brand's future styling along with the new RLX sedan. Its big showcase is its full LED headlights.

Jeep Cherokee

The Jeep Cherokee is the newest vehicle from Chrysler and Fiat's partnership. The crossover takes the platform from the latest Dodge Dart and makes it ready to go off road. The trucks are just hitting showrooms and are expected to be a hit.

BMW X5

The BMW X5 enters its third generation with a more car-like, less off-road ready look.

Buick Encore

The Buick Encore is the American cousin of the Opel Mokka and Chevy Trax compact crossovers. The Encore comes standard luxury features like a leather interior and 1.4-liter turbocharged engine.

GMC Sierra

The GMC Sierra is the more heavy-duty big brother to the Chevy Silverado. They share a platform, but the GMC is meant more as a work truck.

Hyundai Santa Long Wheelbase

The Hyundai Santa Fe long wheelbase makes the list of nominees but not the five-passenger short wheelbase version.

Kia Sorento

The Sorento is Kia's entry into the crowded crossover market this is going up against the market leaders - the Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav4. It is available with either a 2.4-liter four-cylinder or turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

Range Rover Sport

The Range Rover Sport is the little brother to the new Range Rover and shares the same platform and some engines.

Nissan Rogue

The new Nissan Rogue was just announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show. It seats seven people and will launch in November with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder.

Subaru Forester

The new Subaru Forrester is another of the vehicles that compete with the Sorrento, Rav4, and CR-V. It offers standard all-wheel drive and either a naturally aspirated or turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Toyota Tundra

The Toyota Tundra is Toyota's entry into the full size pickup truck market in the United States. The third generation pickup is offered with three V8 engine options and either a five-speed or six-speed automatic transmission.

North American Truck of the Year

The 12 nominees for the North American Truck of the Year include three models from General Motors. The rest are a group of crossovers ranging from compacts to high luxury.