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Ram 1500, Genesis G70 and Hyundai Kona/Kona EV take top honors
The winners of the 2019 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) competition were named Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
After hundreds of hours of test drives, research and evaluation by independent jurors, the Ram 1500, Genesis G70, and Hyundai Kona/Kona EV were presented the prestigious and highly coveted awards by NACTOY officers.
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Ram 1500 – Truck of the Year
As expected, the 54-member NACTOY jury named the Ram 1500 full-size pickup truck as the 2019 Truck of the Year over the other finalists, the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra.
In our judgement, it was not even close. Despite a pretty good effort by GM to up their game with the new 2019 Silverado and 2019 Sierra, the seriously all-new 2019 Ram 1500 raised the competitive bar for trucks well beyond their reach.
MotorWeek executive producer, John Davis commented: “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”.
Learn more about the 2019 Ram 1500 here: https://www.ramtrucks.com/ram-1500.html
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Genesis G70 – Car of the Year
The NACTOY judges said that this year’s car category was extremely competitive – with the unique features, technological advancements and innovative designs of the three finalists making any of them worthy winners.
However, only one can win and when the ballots were counted, the Genesis G70 rose to the top over the competing Honda Insight and Volvo S60/V60.
“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 Chris Paukert, executive editor of Roadshow by CNET and also the Vice President of NACTOY. “No longer just a value play, it’s the real deal.”
Information on the Hyundai Genesis G70: https://www.genesis.com/us/en/genesis-g70.html
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Hyundai Kona/Kona EV Utility Vehicle of the Year
The fierce competition among the 20 finalists in the utility category reflects the vehicle’s increasing popularity among U.S. consumers.
After close consideration of the competition, NACTOY voted the Hyundai Kona/Kona EV as the Utility Vehicle of the Year, besting the other finalists – Acura RDX and Jaguar I-Pace.
“The Kona Electric is the first mass-market electric car that truly works for the mass market,” said Jamie Page Deaton, executive editor at U.S. News & World Report Best Cars. “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.”
Explore the Hyundai Kona/KONA EV here: https://www.hyundaiusa.com/kona/index.aspx
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NACTOY
Chosen by a panel of 54 respected jurors from print, online, radio and broadcast media across the U.S. and Canada – rather than a single publication or media outlet – the awards are among the most prestigious and unique in the industry.
“As the industry’s cars, trucks and utility vehicles continue to get better and better, automakers are unwittingly making our deliberations as jurors tougher and tougher. Fortunately, the end results are more rewarding, both for us as journalists and as consumers,” said NACTOY Vice President – Chris Paukert.
Jurors vote on the finalists based on segment leadership, innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The process began in June 2018 by determining vehicle eligibility and included three rounds of voting.
Votes were tallied confidentially by Deloitte LLP and remained secret until envelopes were unsealed on stage by NACTOY officers: President Lauren Fix, Vice President Chris Paukert and Secretary-Treasurer Kirk Bell at Cobo Center in Detroit.
“We want to thank every automaker for taking the time and effort to work with us throughout the year as our jurors rigorously tested, evaluated and debated the best new vehicles on the market,” Fix said. “Now in our 25th year, we are proud that both automakers and consumers recognize the value our awards provide to new car buyers.”
While the awards are announced at the North American International Auto Show, these prizes are independent of the show itself.
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