North American Car and Truck of the Year Finalists Announced

DETROIT — A Korean vehicle has made it into the final round of voting for the prestigious 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year prize — beating out such powerhouse contenders as the Nissan GT-R and the Dodge Challenger. The Hyundai Genesis will go up against the Ford Flex and the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for 2009 North American Car of the Year, it was announced on Thursday.

Battling for 2009 North American Truck of the Year honors are the Dodge Ram, Ford F-150 and Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC. Those vehicles beat out such contenders as the BMW X6, Chevrolet Traverse, Honda Pilot, Infiniti FX 35/50, Nissan Murano, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan — all of which made the semifinalist slate.

An August review of the 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6 on Inside Line described the car as "the Cadillac of Hyundais." The Genesis beat out such semifinalists as the Audi A4, BMW 1 Series, Cadillac CTS-V, Honda Fit, Jaguar XF, Lincoln MKS, Mazda 6 and Pontiac G8.

The Chevrolet Malibu was the 2008 North American Car of the Year, while the Mazda CX-9 was the 2008 North American Truck of the Year.

The award, arguably the most prestigious award of its kind in the U.S., will be announced during the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. The jury is composed of automotive journalists.

Inside Line says: The champagne corks are popping in Seoul, while Chrysler and Ford also celebrate a much-needed bit of good news. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent