Ford Maverick, Bronco Win Truck, Utility Of The Year Awards
DETROIT (AP) — For the second year in a row, vehicles from Ford Motor Company took two of the three North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year awards.
The company's Maverick compact pickup won truck of the year, while its Bronco off-road SUV earned the utility of the year. Honda's redesigned Civic compact car won the car of the year.
The Ford Maverick hybrid wins the North American Truck of the Year award as the 2022 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year award ceremony at Huntington Place in Detroit on January 11, 2022. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
Fifty automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada are judges for the three awards, which are announced every January. They're chosen from dozens of candidates and must be new or substantially changed for the current model year. Automakers often use the awards in advertising.
The judges evaluate finalists on value, innovation, design, performance, safety, technology and driver satisfaction. The selection process started last summer.
In addition to the Bronco, Utility of the Year finalists included the GV70 from Hyundai's Genesis luxury brand, and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric SUV.
Truck finalists included the Maverick as well as its main small pickup competitor, the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Also included was the Rivian R1T large pickup from the electric vehicle startup.
In addition to the Civic, car finalists included the Lucid Air electric sedan, and the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R sports cars.
DETROIT, MI - JANUARY 11: The 2022 Ford Bronco won the 2022 Utility Vehicle of the Year Award at the 2022 North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the Year Awards at Huntington Place on January 11, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)
Also at the announcement event in Detroit Tuesday put on by the Automotive Press Association, organizers of the big Detroit auto show announced that it will return to the city in September for the first time since 2019.
North American International Auto Show Executive Director Rod Alberts said the show would be both indoors and outdoors in and around the downtown Detroit Huntington Place convention center. It will take place from Sept. 14 through 25.
© 2021 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
