Motor Trend magazine announced the Chevrolet Camaro as its pick for car of the year and the Chevrolet Colorado as truck of the year during a ceremony Monday evening.
The Volvo XC90 took home the golden caliper for SUV of the Year.
Chevrolet Camaro
It is “hundreds of pounds lighter than the car it replaces…It is faster, handles better and is more efficient,” said Motor Trend editor-in-chief Edward Loh. “It comes loaded with the kind of technology that will make it a global player from a new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine to the latest in infotainment systems.”
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Low described the Camaro as one of the sexiest cars on the road today while easily being recognized as an icon.
Motor Trend senior features editor Jonny Lieberman wrote, before the testing began, most of the nine judges didn’t think the Camaro would even be a finalist, but “Chevy hit this one out of the park.”
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The other finalists for car of the year included the Audi TT, BMW 7 Series, Honda Civic, Mazda MX-5 Miata, Mercedes-AMG GT S and the Toyota Mirai, which has a fuel cell powertrain.
Chevrolet Colorado
When Chevrolet decided to revive the Colorado and its sister vehicle the GMC Canyon, it bucked the trend going with a mid-size truck while Ford stuck with the F-150 and FCA with the Ram. That bet is paying off. The Colorado is now the company’s eighth most popular model.
“Our winner tows more than any other truck in its class … yet it feels calm and relaxed when working its hardest,” said Motor Trend senior feature editor Jason Cammisa during the presentation. “It’s rugged styling, smooth ride and high-tech creature comforts like Apple Play and 4G LTE Wi-Fi for the kids only reinforced our decision.”
Cammisa said when the Colorado is equipped with its diesel engine, it recorded the highest fuel economy numbers ever tested on a truck
Journalists took trucks to a proving ground, tested them on steep hills and drove them on highways with empty beds, because that is how most trucks are driven.
The other finalists in the truck category included the Nissan Titan XD, the Toyota Tacoma and the Chevrolet Silverado.
Volvo XC90
SUVs are fast gaining popularity and Ford now believes the segment will become 40 per cent of U.S. auto sales by 2020. Motor Trend had more contenders for SUV of the year than car of the year. But the high-end Volvo with different powertrain options stands out for the judges.
“It is one of the most handsome SUVs on the road, with an exterior design that is bold yet restrained, brand new yet familiar,” said Lieberman during the presentation. “And one of the best navigation and infotainment systems on the market.”
He added the XC90 also leads in safety technology including a 360-degree camera and rear seats that change height to make air bags more effective for small children. Lieberman said it is as capable off road as it in on the highway.
“The first thing many of us noticed about the new XC90 is how it reminds us of the Volvos of our collective 1970s and 1980s youths: a perfect box, far more concerned with utility than sexiness, yet so exquisitely crafted that is screams expensive,” wrote Cammisa.
The other finalists in the SUV segment included the Honda Pilot, Lincoln MKX, Mercedes-Benz GLE and the Nissan Murano.
Watch the full presentation below:
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