On Dec. 16, the finalists for North American car and truck of the year -- three vehicles in each category -- will be announced, with the two winners named on Jan. 10 during the kick-off press conference for the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Before that, however, the list needs to be whittled down from the 28 vehicles that have made the short-list. Mark Phelan from the Detroit Free Press, one of the 50 jurors voting in the contest, has listed those worthy rides -- and pointed out the interesting fact that not one pickup truck is among the 28 contenders. Check out the full list after the jump. CARS:
Chevy Volt
Nissan Leaf
Buick Regal
Chevy Cruze
Ford Fiesta
Hyundai Sonata
Infiniti M
Jaguar XJ
Kia Optima
Mazda2
Nissan Juke
Volkswagen Jetta
Volvo S60
Audi A8
TRUCKS:
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
Dodge Durango
My predictions? Much-maligned Chrysler unveiled a winner with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, and it could kick off a resurgence for the much-maligned brand; voters will have this in the back of their minds. Mark that down for the truck winner. As for the car -- quite a bit harder. The Volt and Leaf have the hype of bold new tech behind them but, frankly, they're still untested in the real world in terms of both sales and performance. And like the Oscar-bait movie released too early in the season, only to be forgotten about come awards time, the Ford Fiesta has lost its shine after much hoopla surrounding its earlier release. GM's Cruze has better-than-expected build quality at a reasonable price, and is a truly global small car; as it stands now, put me down for the Cruze winning the car category. Longer odds, but good money, on the Buick Regal as well.
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