2017 Truck of Texas
Back in 1992 in response to their state's interest and nearly insatiable appetite for pickup trucks and just five years after it was founded, the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) organized its first "Texas Truck Rodeo." Since that time, it's become an annual fall event and the nearly-big-as-Texas traveling trophy that accompanies it has become a coveted award among truck manufacturers here in the U.S.
Like last year, the 2017 event was held at the Longhorn River Ranch, described by TAWA as "located in a picturesque Texas Hill Country setting west of Austin, near Dripping Springs.
TAWA President Nic Phillips summed it up nicely: "The competition was incredibly fierce at this year’s Texas Truck Rodeo. More than 70 member journalists put in more 300 hours of driving time evaluating the vehicles presented. The results in several categories are separated by the narrowest of margins, just tenths, and hundredths of a point, confirming just how competitive the trucks and utility vehicles are today," Phillips said. "Ford’s 2018 F-150 Pickup, boosted by its extreme performance 2018 Raptor model along with updated EcoBoost engines and 10-speed transmissions, convinced our journalists to bestow the trophy," he said. "Ram was the most overall awarded brand with five category wins, Mazda swept non-luxury CUVs, and Volvo’s all-new XC60 took CUV of Texas."
Results of the 2017 Texas Truck Rodeo
Major award categories:
Truck of Texas: 2018 Ford F-150
SUV of Texas: 2018 Volvo XC60
CUV of Texas: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Individual award categories:
Pickups:
Heavy duty pickup truck: 2018 Ram 2500 Limited Tungsten
Best commercial vehicle: 2018 Nissan Titan King Cab SV
Luxury pickup truck: 2018 Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn Southfork
Off-road pickup: 2018 F-150 Raptor
Full-size pickup: 2018 Nissan Titan Midnight Edition
Midsize pickup: 2017 Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro
System awards:
Best technology: Nissan Pro Pilot
Best connectivity: Volvo XC60
Best powertrain: Volvo XC60
SUV and CUV awards:
Off-road utility vehicle: 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon Recon
Sub-Compact SUV: 2017 Jeep Renegade Desert Hawk
Compact SUV: 2018 Nissan Rogue Platinum
Mid-size SUV: 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk
Full-size SUV: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT
Compact Luxury SUV: 2018 Infiniti QX30 Premium AWD
Mid-size Luxury SUV: 2018 Volvo XC60
Compact CUV: 2018 Mazda CX3 Grand Touring FWD
Mid-size CUV: 2017 Mazda CX5 Grand Touring GT
Full-size CUV: 2018 Mazda CX9 Grand Touring AWD
Luxury CUV: 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Ti Sport
Keeping score
If you're keeping score, of the 23 vehicle categories, FCA captured 8 (including 1 major award), Nissan 5, Volvo 4 (including 1 major award), Mazda 3, Ford 2 (including 1 major award – the big kahuna), and Toyota 1. Meanwhile, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, BMW, and, most surprisingly, General Motors – all with no awards - found themselves on the outside looking in.
