Auto show season is right around the corner and the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Awards has announced the semifinalists for 2019.
While cars have fallen out of favor with most consumers, there’s an extra two semifinalists in the North American Car of the Year category due to a tie in the voting. As a result, there are 14 semifinalists which are fighting it out for top honors.
Among the contenders are the Audi A6, Buick Regal Tour X, Genesis G70 and Honda Insight. The models will have to compete with the Hyundai Veloster, Kia Forte, Mazda6 and Mercedes A-Class. Nissan and Toyota both have two entries in the category and they include the Altima and Leaf as well as the Avalon and Corolla Hatchback. Rounding out the competitors are the Volvo S60 and Volkswagen Jetta.
The Utility category seems more competitive as it will see an assortment of popular models battle it out for top bragging rights. On the luxury side, there’s the Acura RDX, BMW X5, Cadillac XT4, Infiniti QX50, Jaguar I-Pace and Volvo XC40. The models will have to compete with more mainstream crossovers and SUVs such as the Hyundai Kona, Hyundai Santa Fe, Jeep Wrangler and Nissan Kicks. Other semifinalists include the Subaru Ascent and Toyota RAV4.
The competition for the 2019 North American Truck of the Year seems a little unfair, but there are only three contenders. They include the Chevrolet Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500 and Ram 1500. All of the trucks have been redesigned for 2019 and it will be interesting to see the Silverado fighting the Sierra.
It’s an fun match up as the tucks are more differentiated than ever before and the Sierra is offered with a trick MultiPro Tailgate that has six unique functions. Of course, the Sierra’s most distinctive feature is the optional CarbonPro bed which is stronger than a traditional steel bed while also weighing 62 pounds (28 kg) less.
The jurors will test all the models next month and finalists will be announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Shortly thereafter, the winners will be revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
