Detroit Auto Show: Car and truck of the year named
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The Hyundai Genesis was named the 2009 North American Car of the Year at the Detroit auto show, while Ford’s redesigned F-150 pickup truck took home top honors in the truck category.
The win by the Genesis, Hyundai’s top-of-the-line sedan, was the first for a South Korean automaker since the award was launched in 1994. It was the fifth Truck of the Year award for Ford and the third for the F-150.
The awards are based on factors such as innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value. Reliability isn’t considered because the vehicles are new.
To qualify, vehicles must be ‘all-new’ or ‘substantially changed’ from the previous model. The Genesis is a new entry from Hyundai, and the F-150 was given a complete makeover for the ’09 model year.
The Genesis barely beat the Ford Flex, receiving 189 points from the judges versus 180 for the Flex. The third-place finisher, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, received 131 points. The F-150, by contrast, blew away the truck competition, getting 259 points versus 167 for the Dodge Ram pickup and 74 for the Mercedes-Benz ML320 Blue TEC sport utility vehicle.
The annual car and truck awards carry some weight in the automotive community because they are presented by a panel of 50 journalists from TV, radio, newspapers and magazines. That’s a broader base of opinion than what underpins many of the other automotive ‘best of’ awards doled out each model year.
‘Genesis represents everything we’ve learned, so far, about engineering great automobiles -- and we’re delighted that the judges have recognized the good work of our R&D teams,’ John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America’s acting president, said in a statement.
The car, which has a starting MSRP of about $32,000, is up against some stiff competition in the marketplace. In December, the Genesis captured a mere 1.3% of the ‘lower luxury’ segment, according to Autodata Corp., a category led by the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class, and which also includes the Cadillac CTS, the Lexus ES 350, the Chrysler 300 and the Audi A4.
Sales of the F-150, meanwhile, continued to slide last year despite the all-new design, as the truck’s core constituency -- home builders and other construction contractors -- continued to struggle. But it did retain its title as the bestselling light vehicle in America, with 515,513 units sold.
‘We know how important the F-150 is to our customers and their livelihood,’ Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of global product development, said in a statement. ‘That’s why our team has been working so hard to deliver the most capability, improve fuel economy and ensure that this F-150 lives up to the durability and reliability expected of a Built Ford Tough truck.’
For a list of vehicles that were considered for the award, go here.
For a list of past finalists and winners, go here.
Although the awards are announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the award is not connected with the auto show.
-- Martin Zimmerman
Photo (top): Hyundai Genesis. Credit: Hyundai Motor America
Photo (inset): Ford F-150. Credit: Ford Motor
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