North American Car and Truck of the Year Announced

Jan. 1, 2020

And the drum roll please. The 2008 North American Car and Truck of the Year, selected by a jury of 48 automotive journalists based in North America and judging on criteria such as design, safety, fuel economy, handling, performance, comfort, quality, functionality, innovation and value have been selected. As announced at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit on January 13, the North American Car of the Year is the all-new Chevrolet Malibu and the North American Truck of the Year is the Mazda CX-9.

The NACOY list of eligible cars started at 15 and there were 13 eligible trucks. Finalists is the car category were: Chevrolet Malibu (winner with 190 points), Cadillac CTS (second with 165 points) and the Honda Accord (third with 95 points). In the truck category the finish was Mazda CX-9 (winner with 201 points), Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (second with 140 points) and Buick Enclave (third with 109 points).

"I am happy with the outcome," said GM Vice Chairman Robert Lutz. "It would have been nice to get both awards again, but realistically if one company got all the awards every year, it would probably have about 80 percent market share."

Commenting on the Truck of the Year win, Mazda Executive Vice President Bob Graziano said, "The CX-9 was designed for North America and this award is recognition that the team delivered on that promise."

Comments from the judges: "The Chevrolet Malibu sets a new standard for the midsize class." "It's great to run across an SUV that actually has some attitude. That made the choice easy." Look for these comments to begin appearing in 'win' ads from the manufacturers.