Genesis G70, Hyundai Kona and Ram 1500 Winners of the NACTOY Awards
The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year committee has unveiled its winners for the 2019 model year at the Detroit Auto Show, and two out of three are sold by Korean brands.
The North American Car of the Year award goes to the 2019 Genesis G70, a compact sports-luxury sedan introduced over the course of 2018. “The Genesis G70 doesn’t just go toe-to-toe with segment mainstays like the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – it beats them all in driver engagement while positively slaying them on value for the dollar,” said NACTOY vice president Chris Paukert. Finalists included the Honda Insight and the Volvo S60/V60.
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The North American Utility Vehicle of the Year award goes to the 2019 Hyundai Kona and Kona EV, the brand’s subcompact model that quickly gained market share in Canada in 2018 and won The Car Guide’s Best Buy award in its category. “The Kona Electric is the first mass-market electric car that truly works for the mass market,” said NACTOY juror Jamie Page Deaton. “A livable EV range, affordable price and practical cabin combine with lively driving dynamics to make the Kona EV a true pleasure. It’s the kind of EV that could convince the most ardent EV-skeptic.” Finalists included the Acura RDX and the Jaguar I-PACE.
The North American Truck of the Year award goes to the 2019 Ram 1500, which received a full redesign and which also won The Car Guide’s 2019 Full-size Pickup Truck Best Buy award. “Ram continues to lead the way in making a big truck double as a big family pleaser with as much attention paid to interior conveniences and ride comfort as to cargo hauling and towing,” said NACTOY juror John Davis. Finalists included the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and the GMC Sierra 1500.
These three vehicles were chosen by a panel of 54 jurors from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the United States and Canada, and includes The Car Guide’s own Marc Lachapelle and Antoine Joubert. The jurors voted on the finalists “based on segment leadership, innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.”