2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year Contenders Announced

DETROIT — The so-called "long list" of candidates for the 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year was revealed late Monday. It is noteworthy for its lack of Chrysler vehicles and its even division among automakers from Japan, Europe and the U.S. The list includes three Korean vehicles, including the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, the Kia Forte and the Kia Soul — and even includes an offering from Suzuki, the Kizashi.

The 37 vehicles on the slate include 12 offerings from Japan, 11 offerings from Europe, 11 offerings from the U.S. and three offerings from Korea.

The 2010 North American Car of the Year candidates are: the Audi S4, BMW Z4, BMW 335d, BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo, Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon, Chevrolet Camaro, Ford Fusion/Fusion Hybrid, Ford Mustang/GT500, Ford Taurus/Taurus SHO, Honda Insight, Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Kia Forte, Kia Soul, Lexus HS 250h, Lotus Evora, Mazda 3/Mazdaspeed 3, Mercedes E-Class, Nissan Cube, Nissan 370Z, Porsche Panamera, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Kizashi, Toyota Prius and Volkswagen Golf/Golf TDI.

The 2010 North American Truck of the year candidates are: the Acura ZDX, BMW X5 xDrive35d, Cadillac SRX, Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, GMC Terrain, Honda Crosstour (name to be officially announced/confirmed later, the organizers of the event note), Land Rover LR4, Lincoln MKT, Subaru Outback, Toyota 4Runner and Volvo XC60.

Jurors drawn from the North American automotive media will continue to whittle down the list in advance of the announcement of the winners in January. To be eligible, a vehicle must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. The 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the 2009 Ford F-150 were the most recent winners of the award.

Inside Line says: A fascinating slate that should provide some interesting cocktail-party chatter this summer. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

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http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=151107