Jurors—including our editorial director Marty Padgett—have compiled their annual shortlist of vehicles for consideration. Models are then assigned points distributed toward this list, with three car and three truck finalists to be announced at a Detroit Economic Club luncheon in December. Finally, jurors vote on the finalists to choose winners that are announced at the North American International Auto Show (the Detroit auto show) in January.
Each year, the awards are chosen by a jury of 50 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists working for online, print, video, and radio outlets and publications. Vehicles need to be new or “modified to change their nature” in order to be considered.
2011 Chevrolet Volt
This year, the NACTOY winners were the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and 2011 Ford Explorer, while the 2010 winners were the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Ford Transit Connect.
Finalists this past year included the 2011 Nissan Leaf, 2011 Hyundai Sonata, 2011 Dodge Durango, 2011 Ford Explorer, and 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Look for a shortened list of 2012 finalists in December, and in the meantime, here are the vehicles that are in the running for this year’s awards:
North American Car of the Year Shortlist
Audi A6
Audi A7
Buick Verano
Chevrolet Sonic
Chrysler 300/SRT-8
Fiat 500
Ford Focus
Hyundai Accent
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Veloster
Kia Rio/Rio 5
Scion iQ
Subaru Impreza
Toyota Camry
Toyota Prius V
VW Beetle
VW Passat
North American Truck of the Year Shortlist
BMW X3
Honda CR-V
Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
Mercedes-Benz M-Class
Mini Countryman
Nissan Quest
Saab 9-4X
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