Nissan Altima and Chevrolet TrailBlazer Win North American Car and Truck of the Year Awards

DETROIT, Jan. 6 -- The Nissan Altima and Chevrolet TrailBlazer are this year's winners of the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards, respectively. The prestigious awards were announced today, the first press day of the North American International Auto Show 2002 in Detroit.

The Nissan Altima beat the Cadillac CTS and the Ford Thunderbird for North American Car of the Year honors. The jury of 49 automotive journalists in the U.S. and Canada, representing broadcast, print and electronic media, praised the Altima for its fresh styling in the staid family sedan segment, its spirited performance and its value story.

``This award is one of the most prestigious accolades in the automotive industry. It's a tremendous honor for Altima,'' said Jed Connelly, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Nissan North America Inc., in accepting the award. ``The 2002 Altima is a distinctive sedan with spirited performance and style designed to go head-to-head against the longtime class leaders in the midsize sedan segment. This award proves that it does just that.''

The Chevrolet TrailBlazer beat its big brother, the Chevrolet Avalanche, by a narrow margin, and the Jeep Liberty for the North American Truck of the Year award. Jurors praised the midsize sport-utility vehicle for its new inline six-cylinder engine, its interior and exterior packaging and its comfortable ride.

Gary Cowger, president of General Motors' North American operations, said the TrailBlazer's engine not only won over jurors for the awards but is winning over buyers with its new engine, that achieves V8 performance and six- cylinder fuel economy.

Though the finalists in each category were announced in December, the winners remain a secret until they are announced at the NAIAS 2002. The accounting firm of Deloitte and Touche in Detroit, which tabulates the votes, keeps the winners secret until they are revealed at the NAIAS 2002.

The awards are open to new or significantly revised vehicles that will be on the market in North America in 2002. In September, jurors voted to narrow the field of nominees to 10 cars and 10 trucks from a list of 20 eligible cars and 16 eligible trucks by ranking them one through 10.

In the final voting, jurors have 25 points they assign to vehicles in each of the car and truck categories. No more than 10 points can be given to a single vehicle. The car and truck garnering the most points win the prestigious awards.

The Altima received 267 votes, followed by the Cadillac CTS with 203 and the Ford Thunderbird with 160. In the truck category, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer earned 217 votes compared with 206 for the Chevrolet Avalanche and 162 for the Jeep Liberty.

Vehicles are judged on items including: general design; safety; fuel economy; handling and general roadworthiness; performance; comfort; assembly quality; functionality; technical innovation; driver satisfaction; and price.

Other nominees for North American Car of the Year included: Acura RSX; Audi A4; Infiniti Q45; Jaguar X-Type; Mercedes-Benz C-Coupe; Subaru Impreza WRX; and Toyota Camry. Nominees for North American Truck of the Year were the following: Dodge Ram; Ford Explorer; Honda CR-V; Land Rover Freelander; and Toyota Highlander.