{"id":24656,"date":"2020-01-15T11:58:31","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T15:58:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=24656"},"modified":"2020-01-16T12:00:09","modified_gmt":"2020-01-16T16:00:09","slug":"why-north-american-car-truck-and-utility-of-the-year-champs-won-big","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/why-north-american-car-truck-and-utility-of-the-year-champs-won-big","title":{"rendered":"Why North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year champs won big"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"speakable-p-1 p-text\">The North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards were announced Monday,\u00a0on the same day as the Academy Awards nominees. Which is appropriate, because NACTOY is often referred to as the auto industry\u2019s Oscars.<\/p>\n<p class=\"speakable-p-2 p-text\">I\u2019m one of 50 jurors for NACTOY,\u00a0and I\u00a0also thought the NACTOY\/Oscar coincidence appropriate because they both got it right. Unlike last year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">\u201cGreen Book\u201d won\u00a0best picture last year over \u201cA Star is Born\u201d and \u201cBlack Panther\u201d? Really? I was equally\u00a0perplexed that the sensational Mazda 6 sedan and Jeep Wrangler didn\u2019t get nominations for 2019 car and SUV of the year. The Wrangler (240,000 in sales) was passed over for the Jaguar i-Pace EV (2,500 sold)? Huh?<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But this year, all is right with the world. \u201cFord v Ferrari\u201d is nominated for Best Picture, and my fellow jurors and I are aligned on best car (Chevrolet\u00a0Corvette), sport utility (Kia Telluride)\u00a0and truck (Jeep Gladiator). In fact, each won their class comfortably.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SZqh6lBuxrI\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/13858b43-76f2-4703-8a56-03dbc7f7d132-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0603.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 North American Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, at the TCF Center in Detroit on Monday.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/13858b43-76f2-4703-8a56-03dbc7f7d132-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0603.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/13858b43-76f2-4703-8a56-03dbc7f7d132-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0603.jpg\" \/>The 2020 North American Car of the Year, the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, at the TCF Center in Detroit on Monday.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The only thing that really stood between the Corvette and the trophy was whether it\u00a0would be eligible in 2020. The first mid-engine Corvette \u2013 unlike its 2020 peers \u2013 won\u2019t go on sale until late in the first quarter of this year due to a lengthy UAW strike that froze manufacturing at GM\u2019s Bowling Green, Kentucky plant.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">After a quick huddle, the jury agreed this was Corvette\u2019s year.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ad-position-57\" class=\"partner-placement partner-spike partner-placement-visible\" data-ad-placement=\"native-article_link\" data-ad-sizes=\"[&quot;fluid&quot;,[3,3], [2,6]]\" data-monetization-id=\"native-article_link\" data-monetization-sizes=\"fluid,3,3,2,6\">It lapped the field, garnering 332 points to runner-up Hyundai Sonata (133) and Toyota Supra (35). (Each of the 50 members of the automotive press on the jury had 10 points to distribute in each category.) Indeed, the biggest surprise this year was that the Supra edged the Mazda 3 hatchback as a finalist. The Toyota, after all, is a low-volume $50,000\u00a0sports car, whereas the Mazda rocked the high-volume compact car class with premium exterior and interior design.<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">No doubt, some of my fellow jurors were drugged by Supra\u2019s addictive handling and goosebump-inducing, BMW-developed\u00a0inline six-cylinder. The Hyundai, too, brought premium touches to $30,000\u00a0mid-size sedans \u2014 check out its Tesla-like summon feature and wicked wardrobe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But there was no denying the eighth-generation Corvette.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Chevy took a huge risk by tearing up tradition and rendering its icon as a mid-engine sports car. The Corvette team nailed it. The C8 offers stunning styling, interior\u00a0and performance for a quarter the cost of comparable European exotics.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">For example, the rear-wheel-drive Corvette (when equipped with Z51 performance package for a sticker price of $65,000) will sprint from zero-60 in 2.9 seconds \u2014 the same time as a $270,000 AWD Lamborghini Huracan. I\u2019ll wait while you pick up your jaw from the floor.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The SUV category was never really in doubt either, though the Telluride (240 points) got a good run from its sister Hyundai Palisade (147). The Koreans share architectures and clever features (USB ports in the seatbacks, third-row speaker for driver-to-rugrats communication). Indeed, I found the Palisade\u2019s clever console superior to the Telluride for daily livability.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SZqh6lAngEI\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/19c5e612-acd2-477b-99bd-6ae0bd64e87f-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0556.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, the Kia Telluride, at the TCF Center in Detroit on Monday.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/19c5e612-acd2-477b-99bd-6ae0bd64e87f-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0556.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/19c5e612-acd2-477b-99bd-6ae0bd64e87f-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0556.jpg\" \/>The 2020 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year, the Kia Telluride, at the TCF Center in Detroit on Monday.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But jurors were blown away by the Telluride\u2019s good looks and rugged vibe.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">There was jury buzz that the Koreans might split the vote \u2014 allowing the luxurious Aviator to cruise by into first place. But that would have been a shame. The Telluride is a luxury-worthy, mainstream SUV that costs an incredible $20,000 less than the Lincoln.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Making up for the Wrangler snub of a year ago, the Jeep Gladiator walked away with Truck of the Year honors with 273 points. It was never in doubt.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">The runner-up Ram Heavy Duty (122 points) \u2014\u00a0like 2019 truck champ Ram 1500 \u2014 has redefined heavy-duty luxury with its tablet screen and luscious interior materials. But HD\u2019s are hardly mainstream tools. Ford\u2019s Ranger made a jubilant return to the midsize\u00a0pickup fray after taking an off-ramp\u00a0in 2012.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But the Ranger\u2019s common interior paled next to the Gladiator\u2019s signature offering of aviator vents and off-road grab handle. Jurors were also impressed that the Jeep boys didn\u2019t just mail in a Wrangler-with-a-bed offering. The Gladiator is all new from the B-pillar rearward, offering upgraded tricks like sub rear-seat storage and a sophisticated multi-link rear suspension adopted from cousin Ram.<\/p>\n<div id=\"module-position-SZqh6lBjoFM\" class=\"story-asset image-asset\">\n<aside class=\"wide single-photo\"><div align=\"left\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/b3ce936d-5cd1-4906-b0f9-e1b9bc994b39-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0586.jpg?width=540&amp;height=&amp;fit=bounds&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"The 2020 North American Truck of the Year, the Jeep Gladiator.\" width=\"540\" data-mycapture-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/b3ce936d-5cd1-4906-b0f9-e1b9bc994b39-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0586.jpg\" data-mycapture-sm-src=\"https:\/\/www.gannett-cdn.com\/presto\/2020\/01\/13\/PDTN\/b3ce936d-5cd1-4906-b0f9-e1b9bc994b39-2019-0113-dm-bu-naiaspreview0586.jpg\" \/>The 2020 North American Truck of the Year, the Jeep Gladiator.\u00a0<span class=\"credit\">(Photo: Daniel Mears, The Detroit News)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div><\/aside>\n<div class=\"clearfix\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"p-text\">Armed with a second\u00a0transfer-case shifter, removable doors\u00a0and rock-tested skid plates, the Jeep takes the middie-segment to places \u2014\u00a0off-roading in the Rubicon, anyone? \u2014 that pickup trucks haven\u2019t dreamed of going before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">That armor will cost you a $2,500 premium over similarly equipped pickups, but the Gladiator\u2019s hot sales are proof of the jury\u2019s good taste.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">And so we soldier on into the 2020s. Hotly anticipated trucks and utes will continue to roll. Look for the new\u00a0Chevy Tahoe and Suburban,\u00a0Ram Dakota, Ford Bronco, Land Rover Defender and Chevy Trailblazer.<\/p>\n<p class=\"p-text\">But with the market due for a flood of electric vehicles\u00a0including the Rivian R1T pickup\/R1S SUV, and the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y crossovers, I\u2019ll go out on a limb and predict NACTOY will get its first-ever electric truck and SUV Oscar winners.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards were announced Monday,\u00a0on the same day as the Academy Awards nominees. Which is appropriate, because NACTOY is often referred to as the auto industry\u2019s Oscars. I\u2019m one of 50 jurors for NACTOY,\u00a0and I\u00a0also thought the NACTOY\/Oscar coincidence appropriate because they both got it right. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24656"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24656"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24656\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24657,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24656\/revisions\/24657"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24656"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24656"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24656"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}