Detroit's Automakers Take on the European and Asian Brands in 6th Annual 'Interior of the Year' Awards Competition

GM, Audi Top Vote Getters

DETROIT, May 18 -- It was Hummer versus Honda, Cadillac versus Mercedes and Ford versus Toyota, or the U.S. brands against those of the European and Asian automakers.

When the dust settled today at the Auto Interior Show's 6th annual "Interior of the Year" awards competition at Detroit's Cobo Center, it was the Europeans 4, Americans 3 and Asians 1. By automaker, GM and Audi each won two awards; Ford, Mercedes, Honda and Land Rover, one each.

In all, 23 nominee models in four vehicle categories -- popular-priced car, premium-priced car, popular-priced truck and premium-priced truck -- representing 12 different automakers were vying for the top honors. Two separate groups voted -- automotive journalists from around the U.S., and the industry at-large -- to arrive at a total of eight winners.

  "And the winners are ... "  (drum roll):

  The 2005 "media choice" winners were:
  Popular-priced car:        Audi A4
  Premium-priced car:        Audi A6
  Popular-priced truck:      Honda Odyssey
  Premium-Priced truck:      Land Rover LR3

  And, the 2005 "industry-choice" winners were:
  Popular-priced car:        Ford Mustang
  Premium-priced car:        Cadillac STS
  Popular-priced truck:      Hummer H3
  Premium-Priced truck:      Mercedes M-Class

On hand for the event were hundreds of the industry design, marketing and sales executives from Detroit automakers, their Asian and European counterparts, and many of their suppliers to find out which of their vehicles were winners in the 6th "Interior of the Year" awards competition.

Winners were presented with engraved trophies. DuPont Automotive sponsored the Awards and hosted a reception for OEM and supplier executives and the news media following the awards presentation.

Nominating Process

The 23 nominees were selected by the editors of Ward's AutoWorld magazine and were culled from the dozens of new models introduced in 2005. Their selection was based on overall styling, functionality, quality, fit and finish, convenience, and special features. The 23 formed a slate of entries that was then voted on over a two-week period in April by 81 automotive journalists and more than 900 industry at-large voters. Employees of OEMs representing nominated vehicles were not allowed to vote.

  The 23 nominated vehicles were as follows:

  Popular-Priced     Premium-Priced    Popular-Priced       Premium-Priced
  Cars               Cars              Trucks               Trucks

  Audi A4            Acura RL          Buick Terraza        Land Rover LR3
  Chrysler 300       Audi A6           Chevrolet Equinox    Lincoln Mark LT
  Ford Five Hundred  Cadillac STS      Honda Odyssey         pickup
  Ford Mustang       Infiniti M 35/45  Honda Ridgeline      Mercedes M-Class
  Subaru Legacy      Mercedes CLS      Hummer H3
  Toyota Avalon                        Jeep Grand Cherokee
  Volkswagen Jetta                     Nissan Pathfinder
  Volvo V50

  Media Organizations Involved

A number of professional automotive media organizations around the U.S. supported this year's interior awards competition and encouraged their members to vote. The organizations included Detroit's Automotive Press Association (APA), Chicago's Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), the Washington Automotive Press Association (WAPA), the International Motor Press Association (IMPA) in New York City, the Motor Press Guild (MPG) in southern California, the New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA) and others.

About the Show

Now in its twelfth year, The Auto Interiors Show is presented by Ward's AutoWorld magazine and is the industry's leading trade show and conference for vehicle interiors. It spotlights the latest innovations in vehicle technology and design to help suppliers respond to increasing OEM demands and changing consumer preferences. And it features exhibits of nearly 100 suppliers who showcase trendsetting products and materials with a view to the future of vehicle interiors.

About WARD'S

Ward's Communications is a world-leading provider of auto industry news, data and analysis, having served the industry's information needs for nearly 80 years. Ward's AutoWorld is a monthly magazine serving more than 68,000 automotive professionals globally. The weekly newsletter Ward's Automotive Reports provides breaking news, trusted industry analysis, and sales, production, inventory and plant scheduling data. WardsAuto.com is an online subscription service delivering virtually all the industry news, data and analysis compiled by Ward's Communications, the world's leader in automotive industry information. Part of PRIMEDIA's Business Information Division, Ward's Communications is based in Southfield, MI.