Just a couple of hours ago, Motor Trend has announced the 17 contenders running for its 2009 Car of the Year title. The good news? Hyundai's 2009 Genesis is one of the candidates in the running. The not so good news? The Genesis is pitted against one of the most intimidating line-ups in the magazine's COTY evaluation history. The Pontiac G8, Dodge Challenger, Nissan GT-R, Lincoln MKS, and Jaguar XF are the notable examples. So, what's the jist behind the "sure bet" remark? Well, Motor Trend evaluates the contenders based on three primary criteria: Superiority, Significance, and Value. While superiority is still too strong to describe the Genesis, it unequivocally aces the other two factors. From there, the array of possible winners sift down to a couple and the Genesis is looking very good in this case.Motor Trend is currently testing the contenders at the Mojave testing facility of Hyundai/Kia, and the results are to be in by December when the January 2009 issue of MT will be sent to its loyal subscribers and newsstands. If the bragging rights earned by Hyundai when the Veracruz beat the Lexus RX350 in an MT-conducted comparison serves any indication, the crowning of the Genesis as Motor Trend's Car of the Year may well be one of Hyundai's most significant accomplishments in its history. And an excuse to blast a plethora of ads at next year's Super Bowl.
[Source: Motor Trend]
Acura TL
Acura TSX
Audi A4
BMW 1 Series
Dodge Challenger
Honda Fit
Hyundai Genesis
Jaguar XF
Lincoln MKS
Mazda6
Nissan GT-R
Nissan Maxima
Pontiac G8
Pontiac Vibe
Toyota Corolla
Toyota Matrix
Volkswagen CC
