Finalists Picked for N. American Car, Truck of the Year

A panel of 53 auto writers has selected six finalists for the 2015 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards. Winners will be announced on Jan. 11 ahead of the Detroit auto show.

Contenders in the car category are the Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan, Honda Civic compact sedan and Mazda Miata MX-5 sports car.

The three truck finalists are the Honda Pilot midsize crossover, Nissan Titan XD fullsize pickup and Volvo XC 90 luxury crossover.

The final six, which were announced on Tuesday at an Automotive Press Assn. luncheon, were culled from 10 car and 12 truck entrants. Judges evaluate the contenders on such factors as comfort, design, driver satisfaction, safety and value.