The six finalists
for North American Car and Truck of the Year that were unveiled
at the Detroit Economic Club meeting held at Detroit’s
Cobo Hall on Wednesday each reflect the growing market trends
towards fuel efficiency and affordability.
The three finalists
for Car of the Year are the Saturn Aura, a euro-styled sedan,
the subcompact Honda Fit, and the Toyota Camry, a perennial
industry leader. All three cars are available for less than
$25,000.
The Chevy Silverado
made the final cut for Truck of the Year to give GM two finalists.
The Silverado, which boasts an improved interior and better
fuel economy, was joined by two crossover vehicles, the Ford
Edge and the Mazda CX-7, that get much better gas mileage
than traditional SUVs.
The winners will
be announced on January 7 on the first day of the the North
American International Auto Show’s press preview at
Cobo Hall.
John McElroy, host
of the radio show Autoline Detroit, led a panel discussion
featuring Edward Lapham, editor of the Automotive News, and
automotive journalist Anita Leinart, who has been featured
in USA Today as well as both Detroit newspapers.
Regarding the perceived
quality gap between American and Japanese cars, Leinart said
that the gap is closed.
“Looking
over the semi-finalists that we have considered, Detroit looks
really, really good. This is probably the most prestigious
auto award out there,” she said.
Lapham agreed that
the quality gap is gone. He said that on most models the gap
is either gone or “statistically irrelevant.”
McElroy said the
issue is a perception problem. He said that pushing hybrids
is one way to change perceptions about American car companies.
“I think
it is going to take bold moves, to use a Ford phrase, on the
part of the domestic industry, to change this perception,
because it’s erroneous but it’s not going away,”
said McElroy.
John Cunningham,
the presiding officer for the Detroit Economic Club said that
the three panelists were chosen because they each voted for
the award, along with 46 other judges.
To sort through
the 62 new models this year, Leinart said that she kept extensive
checklists that tracked things like acceleration and fuel
economy as she drove each car for seven to ten days.
Lapham said that
to properly evaluate a vehicle, it is important to take the
competition into consideration. He said that while first impressions
are important, it takes a while to acclimate to the controls.
When evaluating
a lower class vehicle, Leinart said that she thinks in terms
of buying a vehicle for her kids.
Lapham said that
fuel economy is also key in the lower classes, explaining
the allure of a car like the Honda Fit.
PHOTO
BY ANDREW TURNER / AMERICAJR.com
The
Honda Fit is among the nominees for 2007 North American Car
of the Year. The Fit made its debut last year at the NAIAS.
PHOTO
BY ANDREW TURNER / AMERICAJR.com
The
Saturn Aura is also nominated for 2007 Car of the Year. The
winner will be announced on January 7th during the press preview
of the NAIAS.
PHOTO
BY ANDREW TURNER / AMERICAJR.com
The
finalists were revealed during a special meeting of the Detroit
Economic Club held in Cobo Center's Riverview Ballroom.
