LOS ANGELES, Nov. 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- MOTORTREND announced the MOTORTREND award winners of the "Golden Calipers" for Car of the Year, Truck of the Year, SUV of the Year, and Person of the Year, the most prestigious and sought-after honors by the world's automotive manufacturers. Award winners were announced during an exclusive event featuring an audience of industry executives and celebrity guests at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
MotorTrend Announces Its 2019 "Of The Year" Award Winners
MotorTrend Announces Its 2019 "Of The Year" Award Winners
MotorTrend Announces Its 2019 "Of The Year" Award Winners
MotorTrend Announces Its 2019 "Of The Year" Award Winners
"This year brought many strong contenders to the table, making our job that much more difficult," says MOTORTREND Editor-in-Chief and SVP of Content Edward Loh. "Rest assured, the awards are being presented to the best of the best in the industry."
This year's MOTORTREND awards recipients were evaluated against six key criteria: safety, efficiency, value, advancement in design, engineering excellence, and performance of intended function. Judges for each program come from MOTORTREND staff but also included two special guest judges for Car of the Year, legendary car designer Tom Gale and product development guru Chris Theodore, and one special guest judge for SUV of the Year, automotive engineering expert Gordon Dickie.
The details of the awards are:
2019 MOTORTREND Car of the Year Winner: Genesis G70 When evaluating this year's contenders for Car of the Year against the six key criteria, the Genesis G70 was the clear winner for MOTORTREND judges. Hyundai's luxury brand has produced a truly exceptional car the judges describe as "very good at almost everything," and "hitting all the right notes."
With only two years in the market, the G70 is jumping into a crowded segment—one where both heritage and perception count. As a result, judges couldn't help but compare the G70 to veterans within the same sector. According to MOTORTREND Road Test Editor Chris Walton, "My attention was rapt. My heart raced. Held to the standard-bearer, a BMW 3 Series, this car out of the gate is better. It's more evolved and more luxurious than the original Infiniti G35, has an edge to it that a Mercedes-Benz C-Class lacks, and feels more alert than an Audi A4."
After a week of testing at the Hyundai-Kia California Proving Ground and the roads near the high-desert town of Tehachapi, judges found the Genesis G70 to be "smooth, quiet, fast, upscale, nimble, good-looking, and a great value."
In awarding the Genesis G70 its Car of the Year status, MOTORTREND's International Bureau Chief Angus MacKenzie summarizes, "It hits all the right notes: Punchy powertrains and an agile chassis that's a ton of fun, sporty exterior styling with strong graphics, and a well-appointed interior."
2019 MOTORTREND Truck of the Year Winner: Ram 1500 Out of this year's three impressive finalists tested at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' (FCA) Arizona Proving Grounds and the surrounding scorching desert near Kingman, MOTORTREND judges named the Ram 1500 the 2019 Truck of the Year winner.
Tested in temperatures that cracked well into triple digits each day, the fifth-generation 2019 Ram 1500 showcases a vehicle that has made significant strides and seems poised to meet the needs of the 21st century pickup truck buyer, with more variety, capability, comfort, convenience, and value than ever before. With its impressive interior, each Ram cabin is outfitted with the tools needed for both work and play.
The Ram 1500 features a smooth-riding coil-spring suspension, raised bedrails allowing for increased cargo volume, and an increased towing capacity at 12,750 pounds. Ram also proved its uniqueness within the pickup category by the addition of eTorque—the fullsize pickup segment's first mild-hybrid supplemental electric motors used to improve the 1500's fuel economy and performance.
What clinched the title of 2019 Truck of the Year for the Ram 1500 was its ability to achieve a level of refinement and sophistication without straying far from its tough roots. Loh notes, "The styling of the Ram is best-in-class: very sophisticated and well executed without going over the top."
2019 MOTORTREND SUV of the Year Winner: Jeep Wrangler The iconic Jeep Wrangler has undergone an epic evolution for 2019, securing it the title of SUV of the Year. The seven-decades-old design manages to retain its classic style while exhibiting modernized engineering. Rarely do the past and present coexist so beautifully.
Testing at Honda's proving ground near Mojave, California, demonstrated that Jeep's Wrangler lineup is comprised of a diverse range of models designed for every need. The Wrangler maintains its go-anywhere abilities, while adding new electrohydraulic steering and a revised suspension for an overall smoother ride off-road and on-pavement. In addition to added space and increased fuel efficiency from the eTorque engine, Jeep offers near-endless customization possibilities.
When identifying this year's SUV of the Year winner, our judges agreed that the Wrangler impressed with its overall enhancements made in every area, including build quality. According to MacKenzie, "The Wrangler is a thoughtful, thorough rework of an American original, laser-focused on improving the performance of its intended function, right down to the last nut and bolt."
2019 MOTORTREND Person of the Year Winner: Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ferrari This year's Person of the Year proved a financial powerhouse, altering the fate of Chrysler and Fiat during the Great Recession and saving thousands of endangered jobs around the world. MOTORTREND is honored to recognize Sergio Marchionne, the late Chairman and CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ferrari, as 2019 Person of the Year.
Marchionne's financial acumen allowed FCA to pay off its debt, but he also had an exceptional eye for creating compelling and imaginative cars, trucks, and SUVs—sending designers and engineers back to the drawing board until the product was perfect. His expertise is evidenced by the 2018 Car of the Year Alfa Romeo Giulia, 2019 Truck of the Year Ram 1500, and 2019 SUV of the Year Jeep Wrangler. An intellectual, he shared his vision of the evolving automotive world and was not afraid to be the first to take action.
MOTOTREND award PR assets for Car, Truck, SUV, and Person of the Year are available to download for press release, broadcast B-roll, videos, and photos. Additional content is also featured on MOTORTREND's website.
About MOTORTREND MOTORTREND®, a media brand of MotorTrend Group, was founded in 1949 and is internationally recognized as one of the leading brands in the automotive category. The MOTORTREND brand is composed of Discovery's MotorTrend Network, formerly Velocity; MotorTrend magazine; the award-winning website MotorTrend.com; MotorTrend App subscription video on-demand service; MotorTrend Auto Shows; MotorTrend Audio; MotorTrend en Español; MotorTrend India; and the renowned MotorTrend Car of the Year, SUV of the Year, Truck of the Year, Person of the Year, and Best Driver's Car awards programs.
About MotorTrend Group MotorTrend Group is the largest automotive media company in the world, bringing together Discovery's fast-growing MotorTrend Network, formerly Velocity, and a vast automotive digital, direct-to-consumer, social, and live event portfolio, including MOTORTREND, HOT ROD, ROADKILL, AUTOMOBILE, and more than 20 other industry-leading brands. With a cumulative reach of more than 131 million, the company encompasses television's #1 network for automotive superfans, a leading automotive YouTube Channel, and the MotorTrend app, the only auto-dedicated subscription video-on-demand service.
Media Contact: Rob Quigley Sr. PR and Social Media Manager MotorTrend Group [email protected] 310-363-4086
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