For the first time ever, Chevrolet has taken both awards for the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year at the Detroit Auto Show with the Corvette Stingray and Silverado 1500. The Silverado last won the award in 2007, while the Corvette was last named Car of the Year in 1998.
As usual, the presentation of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards opened the media days at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Corvette Stingray and Silverado 1500 were voted by forty-nine automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. Among the most important voting factors were innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.
“It is a distinct honor for the entire Chevrolet team to have both the Corvette and Silverado recognized with the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards,” said Alan Batey, General Motors senior vice president, Global Chevrolet.
Competition was strong this year, with candidates for the 2014 North American Car of the Year including the BMW 4-Series, Cadillac CTS, Chevrolet Impala, Infiniti Q50, Jaguar F-Type, Kia Cadenza, Lexus IS, Mazda3, Mazda6, Mercedes-Benz CLA and Toyota Corolla. Of these, only the Corvette Stingray, Cadillac CTS and Mazda3 were selected for the final.
Contenders for the North American Truck/Utility of the Year included only two other pickup trucks: the Silverado’s twin GMC Sierra and the Toyota Tundra. The rest of the candidates were crossovers including the Acura MDX, BMW X5, Buick Encore, Hyundai Santa Fe LWB, Jeep Cherokee, Kia Sorento, Nissan Rogue, Range Rover Sport and Subaru Forester. The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 was joined in the final by the Acura MDX and Jeep Cherokee.
By Dan Mihalascu
PHOTO GALLERY
