On Wednesday, jurors narrowed down a list of semi-finalists to three finalists in each category for the 2019 North American Car & Truck/Utility of the Year awards.
This time, the finalists for North American Car of the Year are:
- Genesis G70
- Honda Insight
- Volvo S60
All three fended off a handful of other cars that made their best case for the award. Cars that did not make the finalist cut were the Audi A6, Buick Regal Tour X, Hyundai Veloster, Kia Forte, Mazda 6, Mercedes-Benz A-Class, Nissan Altima, Nissan Leaf, Toyota Avalon / Avalon Hybrid, Toyota Corolla Hatchback, and Volkswagen Jetta.
The three North American Utility of the Year finalists are:
- Acura RDX
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Hyundai Kona
Each crossover SUV outshone numerous other utility vehicles, and the award is arguably more coveted as consumers turn to SUVs and CUVs in the market. Vehicles that did not make it to the final round were the BMW X5, Cadillac XT4, Hyundai Santa Fe, Infiniti QX50, Jeep Wrangler, Lincoln Nautilus, Nissan Kicks, Subaru Ascent, Toyota RAV4, and Volvo XC40.
Finally, the North American Truck of the Year finalists are:
- Chevrolet Silverado 1500
- GMC Sierra 1500
- Ram 1500
All three trucks are completely redesigned for the 2019 model year, and the finalist group pits the General Motors trucks against the Ram.
Today's announcement paves the road to the winner's circle and one final round of voting. The winners will all be announced at the 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, which takes place next January. Last year's winners included the Honda Accord (car), Volvo XC60 (utility) and Lincoln Navigator (truck).