AUTOWEEK 08:55 Dec. 16, 2002)
North American Car and Truck of the Year finalists announced
A group of automotive journalists has selected the Mini Cooper, the Infiniti G35 and the Nissan 350Z as finalists for the 2003 North American Car of the Year while the Honda Element, Hummer H2, Nissan Murano and Volvo XC90 are finalists for the 2003 North American Truck of the Year.
The finalists for the independent awards, which honor the most significant car and truck of the year, were announced at a pre-auto show press conference last Friday in Detroit. The awards are voted on by 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada representing newspapers, magazines and the electronic media.
The winners will be announced at a press conference at 10:45 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in Detroit. While the awards are announced at the international show, the show is not otherwise involved.
The jury of journalists voted on Dec. 9th, sending their ballots directly to the accounting and consulting firm of Deloitte & Touche. Normally, there are three finalists in each category. However, this year two of the truck nominees tied, resulting in four truck finalists. It is the first time there has been a tie.
Established in 1994, the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards honor vehicles that set new standards or become new benchmarks in their class.
Each vehicle is judged on items including: general design; safety; fuel economy; handling and general roadworthiness; performance; comfort; assembly quality; functionality; technical innovation; driver satisfaction; and price. Jurors also consider value for the dollar and affordability so that the awards are meaningful to the largest possible number of consumers.
To be eligible a vehicle must be 'substantially new.' While several dozen vehicles were technically eligible for each award in the fall, the jury selected 12 car nominees and 13 truck nominees that were considered to be significant enough for the final vote.
Last year's winners were the Nissan Altima and the Chevrolet TrailBlazer.
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