Auto Talk: 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year Award long list announced

The 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year award “long list” is out, and 45 vehicles of all descriptions are set to scrap for the hardware. In 2012, the Hyundai Elantra and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque took home the coveted crystal.

Funk Flex

This year’s crop of 2013 model-year entries is a diverse bunch in every sense of the word, from styling to powertrain to price point and intended audience size. Car offerings range from mainstreamers like the Dodge Dart, Ford Fusion, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima to small-volume players including alt-fuel darlings like the Fit EV and Tesla Model S and high-performance supercars like the SRT Viper. In the Truck/Utility category, mainstream offerings include the Escape, Ram 1500 and Mazda CX-5 along with niche models like the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Toyota RAV4 EV.

The long list is so named because it functions as an all-encompassing roundup of new or substantially changed vehicles that will debut in time to be considered for the annual awards. Some of the vehicles may not have even been driven by the 50-member jury yet – it is in essence an eligibility list. Later this autumn, when jurors have driven the vehicles and have a clearer picture of which models deserve further consideration, an initial round of voting will be held. The resulting “short list” of around a dozen vehicles will then be culled further into a list of three finalists in each category after further testing and a subsequent second vote. Voting on the finalists will ensue and the winners will be announced at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

As further evidence that the long list is merely a fluid roster of eligible vehicles, the Lexus LS has been added and the Mazda6 and Kia Cadenza have been removed from consideration (the latter vehicles appeared on earlier published lists but won’t be available in time for judging).

Quick studies will notice that there’s been a slight but important change to one of the award’s names. Reflecting the market’s shift away from body-on-frame trucks to more amorphous sport and crossover utility vehicles, the award formerly known as Truck of the Year will be henceforth known as North American Truck/Utility of the Year. Both traditional body-on-frame vehicles and more car-like crossovers will be considered for this diverse category.

2013 North American Car of the Year Long List
Acura ILX
BMW 3 Series
BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe
Cadillac ATS
Cadillac XTS
Chevrolet Malibu
Chevrolet Spark
Dodge Dart
Ford Fusion
Ford Focus Electric
Honda Accord
Honda Fit EV
Hyundai Azera
Hyundai Elantra GT
Lexus ES
Lexus GS
Lexus LS
Lincoln MKZ
Mercedes SL-Class
Nissan Altima
Nissan Sentra
Porsche 911
Porsche Boxster
Scion FR-S
SRT Viper
Subaru BRZ
Tesla Model S
Toyota Avalon
Toyota Prius C
Toyota Yaris

2013 North American Truck/Utility Long List
Acura RDX
Audi Allroad
BMW X1
Ford Escape
Ford C-Max
Hyundai Santa Fe
Infiniti JX 35
Mazda CX-5
Mercedes GL-Class
Mercedes GLK-Class
Mercedes G-Class
Nissan Pathfinder
Ram 1500
Subaru SV Crosstrek
Toyota RAV4 EV

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