The folks over at Hyundai are likely sipping pina coladas as they celebrate an unequivocable historic moment for the company. Hyundai's new 2009 Genesis has been crowned 2009's North American Car of the Year at this year's Detroit Auto Show, narrowly beating the Ford Flex and Volkswagen Jetta TDI. The truck honors went to the redesigned 2009 Ford F-150.To be eligible for the top prize, a vehicle had to be all-new, completely redesigned or "substantially changed," and available to customers during calendar year 2008. From among those vehicles, a jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada narrowed the list down to three cars and three trucks that were eligible for the final award.
Hyundai's first foray into the risky luxury segment has only yielded positive results for both the Genesis' sales performance and, more significantly, the brand's cripped image in America. The Genesis already made history when it was the first Korean car to be nominated as a finalist for the prestigious NACOTY award. From there, we knew that Hyundai's new genesis had begun, as Hyundai had planned.
[Source: Hyundai]
Continue reading to view the official press release.
PRESS RELEASE: HYUNDAI GENESIS NAMED 2009 NORTH AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR
HYUNDAI TAKES HOME ITS FIRST NORTH AMERICAN CAR OF THE YEAR HONOR
DETROIT, 01/11/2009 After months of expert test-drives, critical acclaim and independent awards, the Hyundai Genesis took top honors in the most exclusive award in North America when it was named 2009 North American Car of the Year.
A jury of 50 independent automotive journalists evaluated all the new cars introduced last year and chose the 2009 Hyundai Genesis as the best new model. The award was announced at a news conference at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
“Genesis represents everything we’ve learned, so far, about engineering great automobiles – and we’re delighted that the judges have recognized the good work of our R&D teams,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America acting president and chief executive officer. “And we’re not stopping here…Genesis will share company in Hyundai showrooms this spring with its rear-wheel drive platform-mate, the Genesis Coupe.”
This year the jurors considered more than 50 new vehicles before selecting the top three cars and top three trucks. The Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Ford Flex were the other finalists.
The North American Car of the Year award is decided by a jury of 50 independent, full-time automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. This is the 16th year of the awards, which were inspired by the prestigious European “Car of the Year.” They are administered by an organizing committee and are funded exclusively with dues paid by the jurors. Jurors judge the cars on a number of factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar.
Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through more than 780 dealerships nationwide.
