Sonata from Hyundai Competes for 2011 North American Car of the Year Honor
A tremendous and probably the most preferred auto prize is the North American Car of the Year. 2011s achievers will be announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, MI on January 11, 2011.
The 3 competitors in the car category are, not shockingly, the Chevrolet Volt hybrid, the all-electric Nissan Leaf and finally the Sonata from Hyundai as either a conventional gasoline power-driven or hybrid auto. In the truck segment, the three finalists are the Explorer from Ford, the Grand Cherokee from Jeep and the Durango from Dodge. The cars were chosen from a collection of twenty-seven and the trucks were selected from a group of fourteen.
If the Volt wins, it will be the 4th occasion GM has achieved the top prize. Its most recent win being with the Chevy Malibu as the 2008 North American Car of the Year. Should the Sonata wins, it will be the fifth time a hybrid has won the prize with the Ford Fusion having recently won for 2010. If the Nissan Leaf advances, it will be the 2nd time a Nissan has won the North American Car of the Year and the first instance a pure electric car has won.
The cars are evaluated by a board of 49 automobile writers from the United States and Canada, and are ranked on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value. The Ford Motor Company won both of the trophies last year, as the winners in 2010 were the Transit connect in the truck class and the Fusion Hybrid for the automobile segment.