Payne: How I went 3-for-3 on Car of the Year

Posted by hpayne on January 10, 2017

Predictably, the charming, retro-musical “La La Land” (that, and it’s got heartthrob Ryan Gosling) swept the Golden Globes this weekend — the first of an expected dominance of the awards circuit.

The Chevy Bolt electric vehicle is the “La La Land” of automobiles.

Bolt EV added to its bulging trophy case Monday morning by taking home North American Car of the Year to open the Detroit auto show. Judged by a flock of independent auto journalists from across the U.S. and Canada, the prestigious NACTOY is given to car, utility and truck of the year. I am one of those car-crazy judges, and like my colleagues I voted for the Bolt as car of the year. I don’t know a juror who didn’t.

The Bolt, the first battery-powered car to get over a 200-mile range for under $40,000, is that good. It beat out worthy competitors that would have won in any other year. The Genesis G90 is the flagship of Hyundai’s new luxury brand. I like everything about it. Its chiseled body cut from a block of marble. Its spacious interior. Its Saturn-like, simple pricing strategy. Third finalist Volvo S90 is a stunning sedan (though its sister XC90 SUV took away last year’s truck trophy so it seemed familiar).

But how do you say no to a mini-Tesla Model S?

With a similar 60 kWh battery as the base Tesla, the Bolt EV is a mini hot hatch. At our NACTOY test of the nominees in October, I flogged the stuffing out of the little beastie over Hell, Michigan’s twisties. Squalling tires, instant torque, regenerative paddle for braking. It was (almost) as much fun as my favorite, $40K VW Golf R hot hatch. And it will comfortably sit four.

“We set out to make, not only a great EV, but a great car,” said GM electrics guru Pam Fletcher. Mission accomplished.

The other categories were more competitive, though I thought both had obvious standouts.

For the first time, we separated utes because, well, they are the dominant vehicle sold. That and it was getting silly lumping small SUVs with ginormous trucks. Last year the subcompact Mazda CX3 crossover was matched against the Nissan Titan. We couldn’t let that happen again.

With the herds properly separated, the Chrysler Pacifica stood out as best utility (and got my vote). Chrysler may be struggling as a brand, but it still sets the bar in a minivan segment it created. Replacing the Town & Country, the Pacifica redefines the boxy segment with a sleek design any soccer mom (or dad) can embrace. Innovation abounds from the kick-open sliding doors to the 30-mile-on-one-charge hybrid variant. Inside, the Pacifica is a rolling IKEA store with Stow ‘n’ Go seats and drawers (yes, drawers) for front storage.

My vote wasn’t unanimous, however, as I gave points to Mazda’s CX-9. The Japanese maker’s largest SUV, it is more beautiful than anything made by a luxury manufacturer. Even the Jaguar F-Pace, the other ute finalist.

As for truck, it’s hard to vote against the Ford F-series pickup, and the Dearborn maker brought out its Super Duty F-250 to stomp the competition this year. It’s a better truck than the very good Nissan Titan entry, but the big boys were beaten out by a smaller fish.

I concur with my colleagues that the Honda Ridgeline, the only pickup built on a unibody chassis, breaks ground for pickup riding comfort. Let me grab a garbage can top as you Ford fans pelt me with rocks. Pickups should be able to pull ocean liners, you say. Pickups should be able to wade the English Channel. Yes, but smaller, midsize trucks appeal to a more urban customer, more concerned with drivability than payloads (for which the Ridgeline is still plenty capable).

The Honda may be the first of other unibody-based pickups as manufacturers save costs by consolidating platforms. Will the next Chevy Colorado be on the new Traverse SUV platform? Might a future Ford pickup share Escape architecture? Everyone’s keeping an eye on the Honda’s success.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to the Chevy Bolt EV’s reception in the marketplace. Will America embrace a $40K electric hatchback? Or will it only appeal to Hollywood greens in La La land.

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