Thirty different cars, trucks, and crossovers, representing more than a dozen different U.S., European and Asian nameplates will vie for honors when the International Car of the Year awards are announced, next month.

Sponsors of the event revealed their list of finalists, Tuesday, an assortment of automobiles chosen by a panel of journalists.

The three finalists for the grand prize, recognizing the International Car of the Year, was dominated, for the first time, by American products, the next-generation Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac CTS sedans going up against Honda's newly redesigned Honda Accord.

Detroit dominated the list of truck finalists, as well, which pits the new Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid against Chrysler's latest generation of minivans and Mazda's new CX-9 crossover.

ICOTY judges were asked to consider factors such the car buying and ownership experiences, along with the emotional relationship between vehicles and their owner, explained ICOTY's founder, Courtney Caldwell. "It's about how cars reflect our lifestyles and image of self, an attitude most consumers identify with."

The 12th annual ICOTY awards will include eight other categories:

Luxury: Most Respected
Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG, Cadillac CTS, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Sedan: Most Dependable
Chevrolet Malibu, Subaru Legacy 3.0 Limited, Honda Accord Sedan

Entry Level: Most Spirited
Dodge Caliber SRT4, Volvo C30, Ford Focus

Sports Car: Most Sex Appeal
Infiniti G37 Coupe, BMW 335i Convertible, Audi R8

Pickup Truck: Most Athletic
Toyota Tundra, GMC Sierra Denali, Ford F-250 Super Duty

SUV: Most Resourceful
Land Rover LR2, Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz ML320 CDI

Minivan/Life Stage: Most Compatible
Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan

Crossover: Most Versatile
Buick Enclave, Volvo XC70, Nissan Rogue

The ICOTY awards will be presented on January 12, 2008, just before the official opening of the North American International Auto Show. The Detroit auto show will start off with another closely watched and generally better-known award, the North American International Car and Truck of the Year. Finalists for NACTOY will be announced next week.

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