Three Detroit models up for car and truck of the year honors

[SVT666]

Three Detroit models up for car and truck of the year honors

Although things appear to have gone from bad to worse for the Big Three automakers ? first the complete collapse of new car sales and then the failure of a bailout package in the Senate ? there are still at least a few bright spots left in Detroit. The finalist for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards were announced on Thursday, with Detroit iron accounting for half of the finalists.

Ford?s Flex large crossover got the nod for car of the year considerations, along with Hyundai?s new Genesis sedan ? the first Korean vehicle to be among the finalists ? and Volkswagen?s extremely fuel efficient diesel-powered Jetta TDI.

Not surprisingly, the Big Three took two of the three finalists? spots for truck of the year, and included Ford?s new F-150 and Dodge?s all-new Ram. The Mercedes-Benz ML320 Bluetec diesel took the final spot on the list.
The winner of both awards ? as selected by a panel of Canadian and U.S. automotive journalists ? will be announced at next month?s Detroit Auto Show.

[CJ]

My bet?  Genesis and ML320.

[Laconian]

I bet the F150 will get the truck of the year honors, because it marks a return to trucks for workers and not urban cowboys. Ram's coil suspension is an impressive class first but it is targeted at a market that has largely vanished.

[Submariner]

TDi/Bluetec