1958 Thunderbird

COTY award

In 1949, Motor Trend became the first U.S. magazine to offer a Car of the Year award. For the next 50 years, it was handed out to domestic vehicles only (an Import Car of the Year category was established in 1970 and the two were combined for the 2000 award year).

As hindsight is inevitably 20/20, it’s easy to knock some of the past recipients, such as the 1971 Chevrolet Vega (with its engine block design that led to a history of head gasket failures), the 1980 Chevrolet Citation (that set a new standard in fwd-induced torque steer) and the 1983 AMC/Renault Alliance (which has been universally acknowledged to have been perhaps the magazine’s greatest faux pas).

But that being said, the Motor Trend Car of the Year award has also been bestowed on many of the most historically significant vehicles to grace our roads, including the 1958 Ford Thunderbird, the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado, the 1968 Pontiac GTO, the 1985 Volkswagen GTI, the 1998 Chevrolet Corvette and the 2005 Chrysler 300.

2010 nominees

For 2010, there were 23 contenders for the Motor Trend COTY award. As usual, vehicle eligibility is determined by a totally new or substantial redesign and all vehicles must have been available for sale between now and November 1st of the previous year. The list for 2010 was comprised of the following vehicles:

BMW 7 Series
BMW Z4
Buick LaCrosse
Chevrolet Camaro
Ford Mustang
Ford Fusion
Ford Taurus /SHO
Honda Insight
Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Kia Forte Koup
Kia Soul
Lexus HS 250h
Mazda3
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe
Mercedes-Benz E-Class Sedan
Nissan 370Z
Nissan Cube
Porsche Panamera
Subaru Legacy
Suzuki Kizashi
Toyota Prius
Volkswagen Golf /GTI
Volkswagen Routan

2010 Ford Fusion

In a first-ever live webcast event, Motor Trend announced this afternoon that the entire 2010 Ford Fusion model line had taken the honors for the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year.

“Ford has proven its resilience in these tough times by delivering to market a car with broad appeal to a broad range of consumers,” said Angus MacKenzie, MOTOR TREND editor-in-chief. “The Fusion range has matured into a competitive roster of midsize sedans, able to compete with sales juggernauts such as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. It is no surprise the Fusion now ranks in the top 10 best-selling cars in America.”

Mark Fields, Angus MacKenzie, Derrick Kuzak

There to receive the award for Ford Motor Company was a plethora of executives from the company, including Mark Fields, executive vice president of the company and president, The Americas.

“The MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award is another testament of our commitment to delivering a world-class car lineup,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, who accepted the golden calipers on behalf of the Ford team. “Whether it is the best-in-class fuel economy or quality unsurpassed by Toyota or Honda, the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are clear evidence that Ford is serious about our car lineup.”

Where do you spend most of your time

Here at LotPro.com, we’re, we’re as much of a sucker as the next person when it comes to beautiful automobile designs. But while a vehicle’s exterior usually generates the most excitement, it’s actually the interior of those same cars where most of us spend our time – which is precisely why Wards AutoWorld created these awards.

“There are certain aspects we look at closely in the Interior of the Year competition, and value is just as important to us as fit-and-finish, styling, comfort and safety,” says Drew Winter, editor-in-chief of Ward’s AutoWorld magazine.

“An interior doesn’t have to be expensive to be good,” Winter says. “But it does have to convey a sense of high-quality craftsmanship and have pleasing textures and low-gloss surfaces. Electronic systems have to be intuitive and easy to use and not just focus on offering a high number of features and functions. Consumers are becoming a lot savvier about what they want inside their vehicles.”

Eleven categories

This year, 35 vehicles were nominated for the four car categories (economy-priced, popular-priced, premium-priced and sports car) and two truck categories (popular-priced and premium-priced) as well as special-achievement awards in five other areas (grooviest interior, best redesign, best graphic display, design harmony and best brand expression).

And the winners are…

Honda Fit Sport (Economy-priced car)

According to the judges, “With its ingenious second-row flexibility, ample headroom and premium materials, Honda proves an inexpensive car need not feel cheap.”

Volkswagen CC (Popular-priced car)

The judges had this to say about the CC, “In the popular-priced car category, the Volkswagen CC springs from the well-regarded Passat architecture and adds a beautifully executed interior that puts this $28,225 4-door coupe in serious competition with more expensive luxury cars.”

Acura TL (Premium-priced car)

“The all-new Acura TL, at $42, 995,” according to Wards, “delivers creamy caramel-tone leather and sporty luxury in a breathtaking combination that instantly raises Acura’s stature among upscale buyers.

Nissan 370Z Touring (Sports car)

Nissan received kudos for designing an interior that is both modern and retro: “If price is an object, the 2-seat Nissan 370Z Touring pairs a potent 332 hp with a purposeful passenger compartment that manages to be both spacious and sporty, while paying homage to famous Z cars of the past, all for $36,865.“

Dodge Ram (Popular-priced truck)

Wards felt that the new Dodge Ram was a great value for the money and that it “trumps its rival, the new Ford F-150, with a spacious, well-conceived interior that fits as well on the job site as at the soccer field.”

Ford Flex (Premium-priced truck)

“The Flex demonstrates marvelous flexibility (their pun, not ours) in a 6-passenger seating configuration that employs high-quality materials and a supremely nifty power folding function for second-row seats, allowing easy access to the third row.”

Kia Soul (Grooviest Interior)

The judges really liked the Soul’s red interior. “Priced at $18,345, the 5-passenger Soul Sport reaches out to youthful buyers with an ideal mix of comfort, quality and funkiness, with lighted door speakers that flash to the beat of the music.”

Audi A4 (Best Redesign)

Reflecting on the A4’s relationship with the rest of the Audi lineup, the panel of experts had this to say, “The all-new Audi A4 secures the German auto maker’s sterling reputation for benchmark interiors. Priced at $40,825, the new A4 exudes understated but unmistakable elegance.”

Ford Fusion Hybrid (Best Graphic Display)

The editors of the magazine “marveled at the amount of information Ford engineers managed to fit into the Fusion Hybrid’s relatively small instrument cluster above the steering wheel, all the while encouraging fuel-efficient driving with a digitally projected vine that sprouts leaves as mileage grows.”

Lexus RX 450h (Design Harmony)

According to Wards, “The RX, with its riveting asymmetrical center stack, tasteful wood steering wheel and luscious color palette, is recognized with a special-achievement award for Design Harmony.”

Cadillac CTS-V (Best Brand Expression)

Finally, the Cadillac CTS-V, “with its intoxicating styling and angular instrument panel, wins a special-achievement award for Brand Expression. Priced at $68,135 with a dizzying array of electronic gadgets, the 556-hp CTS-V is for the serious driver who craves equal amounts of performance and style.”

2009 Nissan Cube

Even Detroit’s auto show can’t catch a break

Things are tough in Detroit – no question about it. Just ask the organizers of the North American International Auto Show. Porsche, a brand that wasn’t there last year, made the decision to skip the show again this year. Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and Ferrari felt the Detroit market was too small for their brands and backed out and both Mitsubishi and Suzuki took a pass as well. Then just last week, Nissan (along with premium brand Infiniti) announced that it was pulling the plug on both Detroit and Chicago.

At least with Nissan, the NAIAS had the consolation of knowing that it was not alone. But just as quickly, it now appears that Nissan will return to the Windy City.

2009 Nissan 370Z

Back in the game

Nissan Vice President of Corporate Communications, Alan Buddendeck, explained Nissan’s original position by stating that the company had already reached its intended audience at the unveiling of the 370Z roadster and the new Cube at the L.A. Auto Show in November.

So what caused the company to change its mind? According to Buddendeck:” Given the extraordinary economic and industry climate, all well-managed companies have a fiduciary responsibility to review strategies and tactics for going to market. As everyone knows, the automotive industry is facing severe and prolonged headwinds in North America and around the world. It’s a climate that demands decisions that are often difficult and even controversial.”

“At the national level, Nissan North America decided to withdraw from both the Chicago and Detroit shows. After a careful review of this decision with our North Central Region management and our Chicago dealers, we have found a way to maintain a presence at the Chicago show through our dealers, while still demonstrating the fiscal responsibility required by these challenging times. The decision outlined for Chicago does not affect our decision to withdraw from the 2009 North American International Auto Show.”

Chicago Auto Show Co-Chairman John Phelan put it this way, “To be sure, talking about our current economic conditions isn’t going to turn our industry around. But showing and talking about great new products, technology and breaking automotive news will help turn it around—and we want to help.”

BYD F3R

Chinese go upstairs and join the party

Meanwhile, back in Motown, all that extra floor space means it has to be filled by someone. So after two years spent in the basement as the red-headed stepchild, the Chinese automakers (so far, BYD and Brilliant) finally get their chance to join in the big dance on the main floor. Who knows, if anyone else drops out, even the boys from DUB magazine may get their big break. This could get interesting.

How about a DUB Rolls-Royce?