subject: Buick Regal MI Auto is 2011 Semi-Finalist for 18th Annual North American Car Awards [print this page] Buick Regal MI Auto is 2011 Semi-Finalist for 18th Annual North American Car Awards
DETROIT M.I. Buick Regal MI buyers will be happy to hear this General Motors car takes a spot on the semi-finalist list for the 2011 North American Car and Truck of the Year Award contest. General Motors also has two other vehicles in the running for the finals: the Chevrolet Cruze and Chevrolet Volt.
The cars and trucks are decided on by a panel of 50 experienced automotive journalists from Canada and the United States. All types of media outlets are represented by the judges, whether it is magazine, television, radio, newspapers or web sites, and the awards are completely funded by the judges. Already the group of journalists has narrowed down 27 cars to a short list of 14 cars, while the short list for trucks only had 14 to begin with, so all the nominees were kept.
Finalists are recognized as the most outstanding vehicles based on different factors, which include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. The car or truck must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model to be eligible for consideration.
This Buick Regal MI vehicle is a semi-finalist in this year's 18th annual awards. Over the past 17 years, domestic automakers have won North American Car of the Year nine times while winning North American Truck of the Year 11 times. Last year two GM models made it to the nominee list, the Buick LaCrosse and the Chevrolet Camaro.
For the 2011 awards, General Motors has its three models as semi-finalists while Nissan has three models on the short list as well. All together there are four European cars, four domestic, four models from Japan, and two from Korea. Buick Regal MI drivers should know the competition:
Audi A8
Chevrolet Cruze
Chevrolet Volt
Ford Fiesta
Hyundai Sonata/2.0T/Hybrid
Infiniti M37/56
Jaguar XJ
Kia Optima
Mazda Mazda2
Nissan Juke
Nissan Leaf
Volkswagen Jetta
Volvo S60
The North American Truck of the Year Short List include:
Dodge Durango
Ford Edge
Ford Explorer
Honda Odyssey
Hyundai Tucson
Infiniti QX56
Jeep Grand Cherokee
Kia Sorento
Kia Sportage
Lincoln MKX
Mercedes-Benz R-Class
Porsche Cayenne
Toyota Sienna
Volkswagen Touareg
On December 16, the three car and three truck finalists will be announced at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit MI. After the panel of judges vote once again, the final two winners will be announced in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
Check back in December for MI Auto Times news and updates on the car and truck finalists.
