Car Blog

A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists has selected the Ford Fusion Hybrid as the 2010 North American Car of the Year and the Ford Transit Connect as the 2010 North American Truck of the Year.

It was only the third time in 17 years that one automaker has won both awards. Honda won both awards in 2006 and General Motors won both in 2007.

The awards are unique because — instead of being given by a single media outlet — they are given by automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.

The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.

There were three car finalists: The Ford Fusion Hybrid got 241 points, the Volkswagen Golf/TDI/GTI got 146 and the Buick LaCrosse got 103.

There were three truck finalists: The Transit Connect had 213 points and beat the Chevrolet Equinox with 183 points and the Subaru Outback with 94.

Juror Csaba Csere said, “Though not the first hybrid on the market, or even the second or third, The Fusion Hybrid is simply the best one ever built. In addition to delivering terrific mileage, it looks and drives like a regular car — and a very good one indeed.”

Jim Mateja, of the Chicago Tribune, said, “A U-Haul that fits in your garage. Holds people and soooo much of their stuff — bikes, snowmobiles, lawn mowers, skis, tents, boats, ladders, furniture, you name it. Defines multi-purpose and boasts a reasonable price even when you add side and rear windows and back seat.”

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.

Michelle Collins, Vice Chairman Automotive at Deloitte LLP, was responsible for counting the ballots, which jurors sent directly to the accounting firm. The winners were kept secret until today at a news conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

At that news conference Ms. Collins handed over the car and truck envelopes to Tony Swan, a member of the awards organizing committee and a senior editor at Car and Driver magazine. Mr. Swan announced the winners.

Last year the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150.

This is the 17th year of the awards, which are funded exclusively by the jurors. During that time:

* Domestic automakers have won North American Car of the Year nine times. Japanese automakers have won three times. European automakers have won four times. A Korean automaker has won once.

* Domestic automakers have won North American Truck of the Year 11 times. Japanese automakers have won four times. European automakers have won twice.

Here are the vehicles on which the jurors voted:

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

More information on the awards — including the names of jurors as well as previous finalists and winners — is available at: www.northamericancaroftheyear.org.

Chevy Equinox and Camaro, Ford Fusion, Lexus RX 350 Jump into 2009’s Top 20 Most-Researched New Cars

Kelley Blue Book, the leading provider of new and used car information, today announces the most-researched new vehicles of 2009 on the company’s top-rated Web site, www.kbb.com. In addition, Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com reveals the top five brands with the greatest share of market interest for 2009.

This year marks the fourth consecutive year that Kelley Blue Book saw increased visitation to its Web site, with nearly 180 million visits to kbb.com in 2009. Because kbb.com is one of the most-trafficked automotive research sites, visitation to specific vehicles has become a leading indicator of sales patterns for manufacturers.

Kbb.com’s Top 20 Most-Researched New Vehicles of 2009
1. Honda Accord
2. Honda Civic
3. Toyota Camry
4. Honda CR-V
5. Toyota Corolla
6. Toyota RAV4
7. Toyota Highlander
8. Toyota Prius
9. Nissan Altima
10. Honda Pilot
11. Ford Escape
12. Chevrolet Camaro
13. Honda Odyssey
14. Ford Fusion
15. Mazda3
16. Ford Mustang
17. Volkswagen Jetta
18. Toyota Sienna
19. Lexus RX 350
20. Chevrolet Equinox

The Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in varying orders each year) have been the top three most-researched new-vehicles on kbb.com each year since 2004. However, many vehicles made noteworthy jumps into the top 20 most-researched new-vehicles for 2009 that were not on the list in 2008. Chevrolet’s all-new redesigned Equinox and Camaro models both grace this year’s list for the first time. Also new to this year’s top 20 are the recently revamped Lexus RX 350 and the popular, fast-selling Ford Fusion.

The stabilization in gas prices for 2009 has indicated a trend away from smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles over the past year, and thus some popular small cars that were among the most-researched in 2008 have fallen off the list for 2009. Subcompact cars like the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit, along with the compact MINI Cooper, were among the most-researched new cars last year, but do not hold court among the most-researched models this year. In addition, Chevy’s Malibu, redesigned for the 2008 model-year and featured on last year’s ‘most-researched’ list, has seen some of its popularity fade over the past year, no longer listing among the top 20 most-researched new cars of 2009.

“The site traffic on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com demonstrates what is on the minds of today’s new-car shoppers, especially when examining the most-researched new-vehicles of 2009,” said James Bell, executive market analyst for Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com. “Declined interest in smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles and increased popularity in attractive, recently redesigned models is an accurate reflection of the marketplace in 2009. We also see that consumers are reacting well to new models and redesigns from domestic manufacturers like Chevy and Ford, which bodes well for their future sales numbers.”

Top Five Brands with Greatest Share of Market Interest on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com for 2009

1. Toyota
2. Honda
3. Ford
4. Chevrolet
5. Nissan

Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chevrolet and Nissan (respectively) are the top five brands with the highest share of market interest — defined as the percent of new-car shopper activity for a particular brand — on Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com for 2009. Of those brands, Ford saw the most growth throughout the course of the year, with its share rising steadily in the first half of the year and peaking during the summer months, benefitting as the only domestic manufacturer that did not require a bailout or undergo bankruptcy. Ford also benefitted from the “Cash-for-Clunkers” program during the summer of 2009, due to its aggressive promotion of the program.

Source: Kelley Blue Book

The winner of the 6th Annual Design Challenge will be announced Dec. 3rd at the LA Auto Show

As timeless as hanging out at the mall, automobiles have played an important role in young people’s social lives, have acted as a means of self-expression and more importantly a necessary tool for interacting with friends. Today, communication technology is changing how we connect and perhaps even the role the car plays in young people’s lives.

Southern California design studios will envision what a new generation of drivers, raised with cell phones, online communities and webcams will demand from their vehicles in the year 2030.

The design studios for Audi, GM, Honda, Mazda, Nissan and Toyota reached 21 years into the future and designed their interpretation of Youthmobile 2030. Designs range from vehicles that incorporate human DNA allowing changes in the shape, color and materials to vehicles that link into a mass transit system where drivers not only share the commute but trade music and compare class schedules.

Entries will be judged by Tom Matano, Director of Industrial Design at San Francisco’s Academy of Art University; Imre Molner, Dean of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies; Stewart Reed, Chair, Transportation Design, Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design and Jason Hill, Principal of Eleven, LLC and Designer of the Aptera electric and plug-in hybrid/electric vehicle.

“Automotive designers have always been fascinated with the next generation of drivers and this year’s Design Challenge has provided them with the opportunity to use their creative talents to revisit the concept of ‘the car’ with new eyes, using the hottest technologies to both explore and fulfill the needs of young people,” said Chuck Pelly, director of Design Los Angeles and partner in The Design Academy, Inc.

Entries in this year’s Youthmobile 2030 Design Challenge include:

Volkswagen/Audi of America Design Center California – The Audi eOra and eSpira are an accessible representation of freedom and coming of age. Like a downhill skier, the eOra carves the roadscape with precision by constantly adapting to the driver’s movements and intentions. Using next generation vehicle control logic, the eSpira takes even the smallest body movements and gestures of the driver into consideration and synchronizes them with the vehicle to result in unmatched agility and responsiveness.

General Motors Advanced Design – The Car Hero turns driving into gaming and challenges the driver’s skills against the car’s autonomous system. Once you enter your destination into the navi app on your smart phone, you can play against the vehicle to “win” complete control over the system and gain access to increasingly outrageous driving scenarios.

Honda Research and Development, North America – Using insight gained from the human genome, the Honda Helix redefines individuality and how a driver connects to his or her vehicle over time. The Helix incorporates human DNA with adaptive polymers that allow changes in the car’s shape, color and materials. Tri-axis movement allows adaptation and reaction to specific environments and traffic patterns.

Mazda R & D of North America – The Mazda Souga is the epitome of personal branding. Young entrepreneurs can create their own vehicles on VMazda, a virtual reality Web site that acts as a design playground. With the help of a virtual design mentor, each car is guaranteed to be affordable, eco-friendly and purely driver-focused.

Nissan Design America - The V2G is Nissan’s eco-neutral commuter car for 2030. Its combination of dynamic styling and quality construction creates a top-of-the-line electric machine that can be modified to fit the needs and desires of its owner.

Toyota’s Calty Design Research – The Toyota LINK is a customizable, mass transit vehicle for students that seamlessly links onto a transportation social network. “LINK SKINZ” can be downloaded to digitally transform the vehicle’s shape into a personalized exterior design while “LINK SPHERES,” wheels made of an electro-conductive material, convert friction into energy that recharges the batteries.

The Design Challenge is part of the Design Los Angeles automobile designers’ conference that is held every year during the Los Angeles Auto Show press days, Dec. 2 & 3, 2009. For the last six years a new Design Challenge theme is chosen and the major Southern California Automotive Design Studios battle against each other to showcase their talents and further explore new ideas in automotive design. The Design Los Angeles Conference also gives designers access to design industry leaders and provides the opportunity to address common industry issues.

Source: Los Angeles Auto Show