Next January, at the Detroit auto show, we’ll learn the winners of the 2017 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year awards.

On Tuesday, at the Los Angeles auto show, the organizers revealed the three finalists for the respective categories that make up the prestigious awards.

The 2017 awards are being run slightly different compared to previous years as there are now three categories.

Instead of just the Car and Truck categories, we also have a Utility category to represent the growing significance of SUVs.

From an original field that consisted of 43 vehicles, these are the nameplates that made it into the final round:

Car of the Year

Truck of the Year

Utility Vehicle of the Year

The judging panel, which this year includes four Internet Brands staff, look at a variety of attributes when determining the winner. These attributes tend to fall into the areas of innovation, design, safety, performance, technology, driver satisfaction and value. The winners of the 2016 awards were the Honda Civic and Volvo XC90.

Let us know in the comments if you agree or disagree with the judges' choices. And for more from the L.A. auto show, head to our dedicated hub.