• December 16, 2010

The Chevrolet Volt, Hyundai Sonata and Nissan Leaf are the three finalists for the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The finalists for the 2011 North American Truck of the Year are the Dodge Durango, the Ford Explorer and the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The Automotive Press Association judges the entries and will announce the winners at the first press day of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 10. What makes the award different from a lot of best-car or truck honors is that it is based on votes from a swath of automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada in a range of media. Most such honors are bestowed by specific auto-vertical titles like Motor Trend. To be eligible, a vehicle must be all new or "substantially changed."

If the Chevrolet Volt wins, it will be the fourth time General Motors has won the North American Car of the Year. The Chevrolet Malibu was the 2008 North American Car of the Year. If the Sonata wins, it will be the second win for Hyundai. Its Genesis was the 2009 North American Car of the Year. If the car wins, it will also be the fifth time a hybrid has won.

If the Nissan Leaf wins, it will be the second time a Nissan has been a Car of the Year; If Durango wins, it will be the second time a Dodge has been truck of the year and the third time a vehicle from Chrysler has won. If the Explorer wins, it will be the seventh time a Ford won the honor for trucks.