Car of the year awards go to eclectic mix including Corvette, Kia
DETROIT (AP) — The new mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette won the North American Car of the Year award on Monday.
The Kia Telluride took Sport Utility of the Year honors and the Jeep Gladiator won the Truck of the Year Award.
About 50 automotive journalists serve as judges, for the awards, which are announced every January.
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They're chosen from dozens of candidates and must be new or substantially changed. Automakers often use the awards in advertising.
This undated photo provided by Chevrolet/General Motors shows the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette, a car that offers an average savings of about 12% in November. (Courtesy of Chevrolet/General Motors via AP)
The judges evaluate finalists on value, innovation, design, performance, safety, technology and driver satisfaction. The selection process started last summer.
Car finalists included the Hyundai Sonata and Toyota Supra.
This undated photo provided by Kia shows the 2020 Kia Telluride, a new three-row SUV. Most adults will have no problem fitting in the third row of the Telluride, unlike many SUVs in the midsize class. (Kia Motors America via AP)
Truck finalists were the heavy-duty Ram pickup and Ford Ranger. The Lincoln Aviator and Hyundai Palisade joined were finalists for the utility award.
It's the first time the awards weren't announced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The giant show has been moved to June to take advantage of warmer weather.
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Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said the award means a lot to the company because it was decided by expert judges. He said orders for the new Corvette have been so strong, the company had to add a second shift to its factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The car is due in showrooms next month.
“We see outstanding demand the order banks are full for a while now, so we're not completely sold out, but we have a lot of people expressing demand and a lot of excitement, honestly, around the world.”