Top car, truck to be named at Detroit auto show

(AP) The press preview days of the North American International Auto Show start with the naming of the North American Car of the Year and North American Truck/Utility of the Year.

The announcements are to be made Monday morning at Cobo Center in Detroit.

Car finalists are the Cadillac ATS, Ford Fusion, and Honda Accord. Truck/utility finalists are the Ford C-Max, Mazda CX-5 and Ram 1500.

The word utility was added this year to reflect the rising number of crossover vehicles.

Forty-nine automotive journalists vote on the winning vehicles from the selected list of finalists.

A vehicle must be all new or substantially changed to be eligible.

This is the 20th year for the awards. Organizers accept no advertising, though carmakers try to capitalize on the marketing value of the honors.