Winners Announced for North American Car and Truck of the Year

[igor@af]

DETROIT, Jan. 5 -- An international group of automotive
journalists today selected the Mini Cooper and Cooper S as the North American Car of the Year and the Volvo XC 90 as the North American Truck of the Year.



The awards honor vehicles that set new standards or will become benchmarks in their classes. Jurors evaluate them based on criteria including innovation, design, handling, safety and value for the dollar.

The awards are unique because instead of being given by a single publication, radio or television show they are given by 49, full-time automotive journalists from the United States and Canada representing magazines, newspapers as well as radio and television programs. Many of those on the jury have covered the auto industry for decades and evaluate 50 to 100 new vehicles a year.

The jurors voted in December, sending their ballots directly to Deloitte & Touche, the accounting firm. The ballots were counted by Richard Gabrys, the vice chairman of Deloitte, who kept the winners secret until a news conference yesterday at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) press preview in Detroit.

While announced at the world-class auto show, the awards are independent and the NAIAS is not otherwise involved.

To be eligible, a vehicle must be "substantially new." Cars must have sales reasonably expected to exceed 5,000 a year and sales of trucks must exceed 2,000 a year.

Candidates for the 2003 North American Car of the Year were the BMW 7-Series, Honda Accord, Honda Civic Hybrid, Infiniti G35, Mazda6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, Mini Cooper and Cooper S, Nissan 350Z, Pontiac Vibe, Saab 9-3, Saturn Ion and Toyota Matrix.

Candidates for the North American Truck of the Year were the Ford Expedition, Honda Element, Honda Pilot, Hummer H2, Kia Sorento, Land Rover Range Rover, Lexus GX 470, Lincoln Aviator, Mitsubishi Outlander, Nissan Murano, Subaru Baja, Toyota 4Runner and Volvo XC90.

The winners last year were the Nissan Altima and the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The awards were first given in 1994 and were patterned after the Car of the Year award given in Europe.

The North American awards are funded by the jurors and managed by a seven-member organizing committee, the members of which are also jurors. Those members are Alex Law (free lance), Tony Swan (Car and Driver), Michelle Krebs (free lance), Matt Nauman (San Jose Mercury News), Christopher Jensen (The Plain Dealer), John Davis (MotorWeek) and John McElroy (BlueSky Productions).

[Ran]

coool!

[GreatOne01]

Why?

[Steel]

bah! mini-cooper faddish POS

[Jimster]

I think the MINI deserved the win- despite being on the expensive side- it is comfortable, practical, fast and one helluva drive

[dolla_bill0913]

Who where the judges, this isnt british car of the year, here in america it is all about power and the 350z would wipe the floor with that ugly little copper and as far as trucks go, one word HUMMER, you dont see the united states army driving around a little punny luxery suv.

[igor@af]

Got to agree with you on the Z.

[Fliquer]

Id say the G35 should have won. It isnt easy to beat bmw at its own game..

[person]

Man, i really wanted the 4runner to win the suv of the year. sure, the volvo might be great, but it starts having many problems after like a year.

[websavage08]

BOOO mini cooper. Havent seen one of those in the streets for atleast 2 years