The 2013 Cadillac ATS and the Ram 1500 have been chosen by a panel of 49 jurors as the North American Car and Truck / Utility of the Year. The ceremony took place this morning at Detroit’s Cobo Center, kicking off the start of the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.

This year’s finalists for the North American Car of the Year included the winning Cadillac ATS, the Ford Fusion and the Honda Accord. The Cadillac ATS was also a nominee for Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy, but lost out to the all-new Porsche Boxster in the final voting.

Of the Cadillac ATS’ award, Bob Ferguson, GM’s vice president, global Cadillac, said, “This is a very meaningful honor for the entire Cadillac team, especially the men and women who build the ATS in Lansing, Michigan, and our dedicated and talented designers and engineers. A car like ATS is the result of incredible commitment and focus.”

In the Truck and Utility category, the final decision came down to the Ram 1500, the 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid and the 2013 Mazda CX-5 crossover. Though it seems odd to lump the C-Max, CX-5 and Ram 1500 into the same category, the panel of judges relies on EPA classification to determine what constitutes a truck or utility vehicle.

In previous years, the category was simply designated “Truck;” however, the category name was changed for this year’s award to include the “utility” descriptor. Crossovers and sport utility vehicles have dominated the category in recent years.

Of the Ram’s win, Fred Diaz, president of the Ram brand, said, “For the Ram Truck Brand, this ranks as one of the proudest days in our history. Every truck-maker aspires to win the North American Truck/Utility of the Year. I tip my hat to the folks who worked behind the scenes to make the 2013 Ram 1500 a technological triumph.”