2013 North American Car and Truck Of The Year Awards On Their Way

The North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards are coming up fast, and for 2013 there are 11 cars and 10 trucks and SUVs that have made it onto the short list for the Car and Truck/Utility of the categories. The top three finalists for the Awards are announced on December 12, 2012, but the evaluation of the contenders begins this fall in earnest.

How does the voting process work? 50 jurors, culled from the ranks of automotive journalists in both Canada and the United States, are given the opportunity to voice their opinions on which two automobiles deserve to top each particular category. Each participant in the voting can distribute 25 points amongst car candidates, and 25 for trucks/SUVs.

The Awards recognize vehicles that 'set new benchmarks' in their respective classes, which means that typically new models that offer a fresh take on technology, performance, or style are favoured. The Awards are also focused on actual mass-produced metal: cars have to have projected sales of at least 5000 units, and trucks 2000 examples, in order to be considered for the competition. The winners of each Award will be unveiled at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

The following is a list of the 11 Car and 10 Truck and SUV finalists for the 2013 North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards:

Car:

BMW 3 Series
Cadillac ATS
Chevrolet Malibu
Dodge Dart
Ford Fusion
Honda Accord
Lincoln MKZ
Nissan Altima
Scion FR-S
Subaru BRZ
Toyota Avalon

Truck/SUV:

Acura RDX
Audi allroad
BMW X1
Ford C-Max
Ford Escape
Hyundai Santa Fe
Infiniti JX 35
Mazda CX-5
Nissan Pathfinder
Ram 1500