GM Takes 2007 Car AND Truck of the Year!

[ragingfish]

Quote »Chevrolet SilveradoBase Price: $17,815Drivetrain: 4.3-liter, 195-hp, 260-lb-ft V6; 2wd, four-speed automaticOne-two punchGM claims 2007 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards with revamped Chevy Silverado and all-new Saturn AuraBy BOB GRITZINGERAutoWeek | Published 01/07/07, 12:39 pm etGeneral Motors, most recently sagging on the ropes with many suggesting the world’s largest automaker was down for the count, responded with two swift punches to the meat of the market with its award-winning Chevrolet Silverado full-size pickup and Saturn Aura midsize sedan.Saturn AuraBase Price: $20,595Drivetrain: 3.5-liter, 224-hp, 220-lb-ft V6; fwd, four-speed automaticFor the second year in a row (and just the second time in the 14-year history of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards) one automaker claimed top honors in both categories. The awards were announced January 7 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.In the car category, Aura received 205 points, followed by Honda Fit with 176 points and Toyota Camry with 89 points. On the truck side, Silverado picked up 243 points, compared to 135 points for the Mazda CX-7 and Ford Edge at 92 points. Silverado was completely redesigned for 2007, while Aura is an all-new car for Saturn, based on a global GM midsize car platform developed by Opel.A panel of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada vote on the awards, which recognize the best vehicles of the year based on factors such as innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value. To be eligible, vehicles must be new or “substantially changed” from the previous model.Last year’s winners were the Honda Civic and Honda Ridgeline.This time around, the voting process changed somewhat, with jurors whittling a long list of contenders down to three favorites in each category. Jurors then were asked to cast a second ballot, choosing just from the three finalists in each category. A hiccup occurred when organizers realized the all-new Jeep Wrangler had been left off the long list of trucks for consideration, which required a round of new balloting. Wrangler still didn’t make the cut.“Yes!” exclaimed Jill Lajdziak, the ecstatic Saturn general manager as she accepted the award for Aura. “This is a great day for General Motors, a great day for Chevrolet, and a great for Saturn.”Added Chevrolet general manager Ed Peper: “We at Chevrolet feel we have the best truck out there, but this validates it.”Natalie Neff, AutoWeek road test editor and a juror, said it was “a triumph for GM and a triumph for Saturn to win the award. It’s an indication that GM is heading in the right direction, in the minds of critics and consumer.”Juror Steven Cole Smith, AutoWeek contributor and juror, said GM overcame the threat presented by the all-new Toyota Tundra also revealed at the Detroit show.“All Chevrolet can do to protect its spot in the market is build an excellent truck—and that’s just what the company has done.”Juror Jacques Duval of Le Guide de l’auto said the Aura is “a ray of sunshine after all the bad news about General Motors. The Aura might not win the war against it’s Japanese competitors but it should win a good share of the market. Nice to drive, comfortable, well appointed and a build quality that was long overdue at GM.”—BOB GRITZINGERWINNERSSaturn AuraBase Price: $20,595Drivetrain: 3.5-liter, 224-hp, 220-lb-ft V6; fwd, four-speed automaticChevrolet SilveradoBase Price: $17,815Drivetrain: 4.3-liter, 195-hp, 260-lb-ft V6; 2wd, four-speed automaticTHE FINALISTS2007 North American Car of the Year FinalistsHonda FitBase Price: $14,445Drivetrain: 1.5-liter, 109-hp, 105-lb-ft I4; fwd, five-speed manualToyota CamryBase Price: $18,890Drivetrain: 2.4-liter, 158-hp, 161-lb-ft I4; fwd, five-speed manual2007 North American Truck of the Year FinalistsFord EdgeBase Price: $25,995Drivetrain: 3.5-liter, 265-hp, 250-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed automaticMazda CX-7Base Price: $24,345Drivetrain: 2.3-liter, 244-hp, 258-lb-ft turbocharged I4; six-speed automaticEntire contents ©2007 Crain Communications, Inc.Source: http://autoweek.com/apps/pbcs....shows

[JohnC]

Yahoo for GM! They deserve this award for the Silverado, we use one at work and it is nice. Wierd that I have never even heard of the Saturn model.

[KNINE]

Good for GM! Hopefully they'll use this to promote themselves and show the world that they make a good product worth buying.I was listening to a Ford truck commercial on the radio and, of course, they were bragging about being the number one selling truck in the US. GM should run an add bragging that they are number one. Chevy and GMC combined sell more trucks than Ford. They have for years. Come on GM, it's time to start bragging about to good stuff!

[scherry2]

not that many here thought much of the truckhttp://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=23361but thats O.K. I saw a Saturn Aura the other day looks real good in person.Go G.M.

[ColonelPanic]

Heh, I remember that thread. I think it's a nice looking truck... IMHO, it's certainly a much better design than that Tundra.One thing I really like about this truck, the fenders do help the looks out at least to me. On the last generation at the beginning, they had that nice lower bodyside molding down the cab and also down the bed, but then Chevy follows what everyone else was doing and eliminated the piece on the bed. Me and dad were always like "why the hell did they do that, that looks like crap!?" lol! With the fenders the way they are, that is no longer an issue.They look great on the inside too... A really sharp interior, and I actually prefer the less fancy trim. The upper level makes it look like a truck nobody would want to use as an actual truck, there can be such a thing as too much "car-like" as is certainly the case with the Tundra's interior. I couldn't see myself beating the heck out of the inside and having an inch of dust on the dash that often happens when one actually uses a truck for some sort of purpose. Kudos for them keeping the regular cab around too, haven't the Fords and such abandoned such a thing?The Aura is a fine looking automobile too, GM did more than a couple things right there as well. The interior is one of the better ones I've seen to come from GM in recent memory, save for the poop brown and black 2-tone version. lol! Judging by everything I've read on that car, GM has really paid attention to the little things.Very well deserved, GM! I think these two vehicles are certainly more worthy than something I used to own that got Motor Trend's car of the year (the Malibu when Chevy reintroduced it! )