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Volvo truck, Honda car win awards in North America

Xinhua, January 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

The Honda Civic was named North American Car of the Year (NACOY), while Volvo XC90 was named North American Truck of the Year (NATOY) early Monday morning at an auto show in Detroit.

A panel of about 55 independent automotive journalists selected the Honda Civic and Volvo XC90 at press previews for the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

John Mendell, executive vice president for American Honda, accepted the award for the Honda Civic at the North American International Auto Show.

"It's the dynamics of this car, it's the package, it's the styling...," he said.

The NACOY award comes on the heels of a new marketing campaign for Honda, Mendell told Xinhua.

"I think it adds a little more pressure to the team that's working on the new Civic because now they have North American Car of the Year to compete with," he said.

Volvo's Senior Vice President for the Americas Lex Kerssemakers accepted the NATOY award for the company, saying the XC90 "reflects everything that is to come in the next few years for Volvo Car Corporation."

The finalists for the NATOY were Honda Pilot, Nissan Titan XD, and the Volvo XC90. The finalists for the NACOY were the Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda MX-5 Miata, and the Honda Civic.

Last year, the Ford F-150 and the Volkswagen Golf won the North American car and truck of the year awards.

According to the Car of the Year guidelines, "the awards recognize the most outstanding vehicles of the year based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar."

To be eligible, vehicles must be "all new" or "substantially changed."

The awards, first given in 1994, are unique in North America because instead of being given by a single publication, web site, radio or television program, they are given by automotive journalists representing all of those outlets in the two countries.

The NAIAS expects to have around 5,000 journalists from more than 60 countries, with 45 vehicle debuts, and more than 500 vehicles on display. Endi