The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards are coveted because they represent the collective assessment of about 50 veteran journalists in the U.S. and Canada.
Ford grabbed three of the six finalist spots for North American Car and Truck of the Year when they were announced today in Detroit.
The finalists, announced at the Automotive Press Association, for car of the year are: Ford Mustang, Hyundai Genesis and Volkswagen Golf and GTI.
The finalists for truck of year are: Ford F-150, Chevrolet Colorado and Lincoln MKC. Last year, Ford was shut out of the awards and did not have any finalists.
On the truck side, the nominees for the award set up a grudge match between the full-size F-150 pickup which has the industry's first aluminum body and the Chevrolet Colorado, a mid-size pickup that was just named Motor Trend Truck of the Year.
"We built the F-150 for our customers…when they are happy about the truck, that is what matters most, and when we receive other recognition…that also is really nice for us," said Ford spokesman Mike Levine.
On the car side, the competition will be between the Golf, which is one of the world's most popular vehicles, the Genesis, which has impressed auto critics because of how well it matches up with more expensive cars in the premium segment and the 50th anniversary redesign of the beloved Ford Mustang.
"I think the overall selections were really good this year," said Lindsay Brooke, senior editor for SAE International's Automotive Engineering International magazine. "Obviously, when you have two brand new pickup trucks for the pickup category they really edge everything else out....but I think the nomination of the MKC shows that it is a really good and is much more than a really nice (Ford) Escape."
Now in its 22nd year, the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards are among the most sought after awards in the automotive industry. The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles of the year. To be eligible, the car or truck must be all new or substantially changed.
While the automotive industry is filled with awards, the North American Car and Truck of the Year is different because it represents the collective assessment of 57 veteran journalists in the U.S. and Canada who have test-driven vehicles for years. Most other automotive awards, in contrast, are given out by individual publications or organizations.
The vehicles that are selected as finalists are viewed as benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, comfort, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.
Hyundai spokesman Phil Floraday said the Genesis likely rose to the top of judges list because the Korean automaker went beyond simply trying to match competitors in the premium segment for horsepower or fuel economy with the 2015 Genesis.
"We put a lot of extra attention into detail into this generating and it is great to see that recognized," he said. "I think in the last generation car was technically a competitor but with this generation ...the car is really about the integration and the material choices inside the cabin."
Brooke said the Volkswagen Golf was a compelling choice for the judges because it is an all-new global platform and was introduced as a family of vehicles offering consuers the choice of a gasoline engine, a diesel engine or performance version called GTI.
"The car is so good across the board. It's a family of vehicles," Brooke said.
Contact Brent Snavely: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @BrentSnavely.
Source : http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2014/12/09/nactoy-north-american-car-truck/20132045/
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