The all-new 2010 Kia Forte received highly esteemed honor from NADAguides.com for delivering new-edge styling, value, and fuel efficiency. It is also recognized above competition for providing consumers with high-class combination of standard safety features.

According to Michael Sprague, Vice president for Marketing of Kia Motors America, consumers and dealers have come to recognize the Kia Motors brand for their attractively designed and priced models (including Kia Forte) with impressive fuel efficiency and a long list of standard safety features that are backed by an industry-leading warranty. “Forte is a very strong contender in the popular compact segment and it has definitely helped us continue to raise our brand awareness,” Sprague added.

To qualify for NADAguides.com “Car of the Month,” the vehicle must come new for the model year and should carry an impressive blend of fuel efficiency, styling, low price point and cost of ownership. Vehicles that are previously chosen as “Car of the Month” are carefully reviewed by the editors at NADAguides.com to pick the most worthy “Car of the Year.”

Info Source: Kia
Image Source: jalopnik

Three Honda models - Accord, Fit, and Odyssey - bag ALG’s Residual Awards for 2010 model year. The 11th Annual Residual Awards are given to models in each industry segment that ALG foresees will maintain the highest percentage of their original market value after a period of three years.

Honda Accord topped in the Best Midsize Car category, the Fit won in the Best Compact Car category, and the Odyssey reigned in the Best Minivan category. Since model year 2001, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. has gained 20 model awards and six overall brand awards from ALG.

Winners are determined by meticulously studying the competition in each segment, industry trends, as well as historical vehicle performance. Among the main factors considered by ALG in forecasting the vehicle’s residual value are vehicle quality, pricing strategies, and production levels relative to demand.

Info Source: Honda
Image Source: cars4fast

It isn’t yet available to the consumers, but the 2009 BMW Z4 already started to win awards.

This BMW model, along with the Audi R8 5.2 FSI, won the Eyes On Design Award for the Best Production Vehicle. Two other cars - the Audi Sportback and Cadillac Converj – went home with the Best Concept Awards.

Each year, the Detroit Auto Show hosts the Eyes on Design Awards, where the jurors go down to the Cobo hall to take their pick. The nominees are split into two Concept and Production categories. Among those who handle judging duties are Chris Bangle (BMW’s design head), Willy G. Davidson (Harley-Davidson chief styling officer), and Larry Erickson (transportation design chair at the College of Creative Studies).

With its unique design and great performance, the 2009 BMW Z4 will undoubtedly win many awards.

Image Credit: autoblog.com

January 11, 2009 – A jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada has selected the Hyundai Genesis as the 2009 North American Car of the Year and the Ford F-150 as the 2009 North American Truck of the Year.

The awards are designed to recognize the most outstanding new vehicles in their segments.

The awards are based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Because the vehicles are new reliability is not a factor.

The awards are unique in the United States because they are given by automotive journalists who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites instead of a single publication. Also, unlike some other awards, the awards are financed entirely by the jurors.

The winners were announced today at a news conference at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, however, the show does not give the awards and the voting does not take place there.

In December the top three cars and trucks were announced. The car finalists were the Ford Flex, Hyundai Genesis and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The truck finalists were the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-150 and the Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC.

The Genesis received 189 points, the Flex received 180 and the Jetta TDI received 131.

The F-150 received 259 points, the Ram received 167 points and the Mercedes received 74 points.

The awards were first given in 1994.

Today was the first time a Korean automaker has won.

Today was the fifth time Ford has won the North American Truck of the Year and the third win for the F-150. The other winners were the Expedition and Escape Hybrid.

Michelle Collins, Vice Chairman Automotive at Deloitte & Touche, was responsible for counting the ballots, which jurors sent directly to the accounting firm. Until the news conference Ms. Collins was the only person who knew the winners.

Last year the North American Car of the Year was the Chevrolet Malibu and the North American Truck of the Year was the Mazda CX-9.

 

[Source: North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards]

Image Credit: cars.com

Have you been waiting for this? EyesOn Design finally announced the finalists for the “2009 Best Concept Vehicle” and “Best Production Vehicle.” Winners will be presented during the January 13th awarding ceremony at the North American Auto Show. The nominees are:

Audi R8 V10
Audi Sportback Concept
BMW Z4
Cadillac ConverJ Concept
Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
Chrysler 200C Concept
Fisker Karma
Ford Mustang Shelby GT500
Ford Taurus
Lincoln C Concept
Mazda 3 5 Door
Volkswagen Concept BlueSport Diesel
Volvo S60 Concept

Each year, a group of judges which is composed top design executives go down to the lower level of Cobo Hall to choose their favorite models. These jurors are headed by Tom Gale, founding chairman of the EyesOn Design Awards.

Info Credit: theautochannel, theautoblog

Image Credit: netcarshow

Detroit Auto Show is just a few sleeps away. And earlier today, the list of finalists for the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards was released. Included in the list are two vehicles from Ford Motor Company – the 2009 Ford F-150 and the Ford Flex. The Hyundai Genesis is also included, marking the history of Korean automobiles as the first ever Korean vehicle to make it to the finals. So I guess Hyundai and FoMoCo are celebrating this time.

Contenders of the Hyundai Genesis for the Car of the Year award include the Ford Flex, Mazda 6, and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The Truck of the Year, on the other hand, is expected to be a battle between the 2009 Ford F-150, Mercedes ML320 BlueTEC, and the Dodge Ram.

To qualify for these very prestigious awards, vehicles must be “all-new” or “substantially changed” from the previous model. For this year, the jury, which is composed of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada, considered more than 50 vehicles but only 14 cars and 11 trucks made it to the semi-final round of voting.

Info Credit: North American Car of the Year
Image Credit: thetorquereport, myride

For the first time, a clean diesel model was named the Green Car of the Year. The winner, 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI, took the Most Efficient Compact category in the EPA and Energy Department’s list of the most fuel efficient automobiles. Jetta was awarded by the Green Car Journal at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

According to Green Car:

The 2009 Jetta TDI breaks new ground in the field of clean diesels, achieving emissions certification in all 50 states without the use of special additives or extraordinary measures. It provides five passenger functionality with welcome levels of power and a satisfying driving experience. Importantly, it also achieves estimated highway fuel economy of 41 mpg with greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a rarified fuel economy number typically achieved by only the most efficient gasoline-electric hybrids. The clean diesel Jetta TDI matches this efficiency with a powerplant that’s more straightforward and affordable, allowing the Jetta TDI an affordable $21,990 price tag.

Selecting the 2009 Green Car of the Year® was a jury including four Green Car Journal editors and a larger number of invited jurors including automotive icon Carroll Shelby; auto expert and ‘Tonight Show’ host Jay Leno; Sierra Club executive director Carl Pope; Natural Resources Defense Council president Frances Beinecke; and Ocean Futures Society president Jean-Michel Cousteau.

This year’s nominees for the CGOY include the Ford Fusion Hybrid, BMW 335d and the Saturn Vue2. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency states the Jetta is capable of achieving an average fuel consumption rating of 6.19 L / 100 km in the city and 5.35 L / 100 km on the highway.

This year, the VW Jetta TDI set a new and impressing fuel efficiency world record in a trek through 48 states. Jetta achieved an average of 4 L / 100 km. The EPA added that if one out of three vehicles in the U.S.A. were equipped with a diesel engine, the country can save 1.4 million barrels of oil each day.

Photo Credit: auto123

Three Honda models - Accord, Fit, and Odyssey - bag ALG’s Residual Awards for 2010 model year. The 11th Annual Residual Awards are given to models in each industry segment that ALG foresees will maintain the highest percentage of their original market value after a period of three years.

Honda Accord topped in the Best Midsize Car category, the Fit won in the Best Compact Car category, and the Odyssey reigned in the Best Minivan category. Since model year 2001, American Honda Motor Co, Inc. has gained 20 model awards and six overall brand awards from ALG.

Winners are determined by meticulously studying the competition in each segment, industry trends, as well as historical vehicle performance. Among the main factors considered by ALG in forecasting the vehicle’s residual value are vehicle quality, pricing strategies, and production levels relative to demand.

Info Source: Honda
Image Source: cars4fast