North American Car and Truck of the Year Nominees Leaked

Earlier today, The Car Connection got the inside scoop for what vehicles will be appearing on the short list for the 2015 North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards. “Thanks to our editor-in-chief, Marty Padgett, who sits on the panel, we’ve got the inside scoop.”

In order for a vehicle to be eligible for the award, a vehicle has to be completely new or “substantially changed from the previous model and must go on sale shortly after the announcement of the award, which is early in January.”

Also, to ensure eligibility, vehicles need to have at the very least “moderate” distribution, meaning something like this one of a kind Pontiac Firebird (picture off to the right: originally seen at SEMA) would not be eligible. According to the rules, cars should have a projected North American sales number of around 5,000 units and trucks should come in with about 2,000.

On the car side of the equation, you’ll notice that the list is a little light on American models (2 appear), while there is a stronger presence from Europe (3) and Asia (5).

Not surprisingly, the truck nominees are a bit more United States friendly, with the Big Three snagging 6 of the 13 slots. The rest of the list is filled with 3 European brands and 4 Asian brands.

Check out the full shortlist of nominees below:

2015 North American Car of the Year (Short List)

Acura TLX
Audi A3
Chrysler 200
Ford Mustang
Honda Fit
Hyundai Genesis sedan
Hyundai Sonata
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
Toyota Camry
Volkswagen Golf/GTI

2015 North American Truck/Utility of the Year (Short List)

Audi Q3
Chevrolet Colorado
Chevrolet Tahoe
Ford F-150
Ford Edge
GMC Canyon
Lexus NX
Lincoln MKC
Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class
Nissan Murano
Porsche Macan
Subaru Outback
Toyota Highlander