DETROIT- Six finalists for the 17th annual North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year were announced Dec. 16 at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit.
The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada has selected the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and Volkswagen Golf/GTI as finalists for North American Car of the Year. Finalists for the North American Truck of the Year are the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, and Subaru Outback.
Vehicles are selected based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar.
To be eligible, vehicles must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. This year the jury considered more than 50 vehicles and finally focused on 16 cars and 10 trucks.
Last year's winner of the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150.
2010 North American Car of the Year nominees:
BMW 335d
Buick LaCrosse
Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Fusion
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Taurus/Taurus SHO
Honda Insight Kia Soul
Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf/GTI/TDI
2010 North American Truck of the Year nominees:
Acura ZDX
Audi Q5
Cadillac SRX
Chevrolet Equinox
Ford Transit Connect
Honda Accord Crosstour
Land Rover LR4
Lincoln MKT
Subaru Outback
Volvo XC60