Volkswagen Golf, Ford F-150 Win 2015 Car And Truck Of The Year Awards At Detroit Auto Show

Automotive journalists from around the world picked the Volkswagen Golf/GTI hot hatch and the Ford F-150 as the best car and truck of 2015. The winners of the annual North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year Awards were announced Monday morning at the Detroit auto show.

“Making trucks is what's in our DNA," Ford President of the Americas Joe Hinrichs said while accepting the award Monday morning at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in the U.S. for 32 consecutive years. The 2015 F-150 edged out the new Chevrolet Canyon and the Lincoln MKC compact crossover, which were the other finalists in the truck and utility vehicle category.

The 2015 Ford F-150 marks a significant departure from its predecessors, and a considerable risk. The body is made from weight-saving aluminum, and with the Ecoboost engine it’s the greenest full-size Ford pickup ever made. The company is taking a gamble on aluminum, but considering that cars are getting lighter and more fuel efficient, if consumers embrace the new F-150 it could change the way all trucks are made in the future.

The 2015 Volkswagen Golf beat out the 2015 Hyundai Genesis and the 2015 Ford Mustang as this year’s overall best car, surprising many who have given high marks to Hyundai’s latest luxury sedan. The Genesis won the award in 2009, so that might have played a role in losing this year.

Last year’s winners were the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the Chevrolet Silverado. In 2013, the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 pickup truck were the winners. The Hyundai Elantra and Land Rover Range Rover Evoque won in 2012.

The North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year has been giving out accolades since 1993, and it tends leans awards toward U.S. domestic manufacturers. U.S. automakers have won the car of the year awards 13 out of 22 years. They’ve won the truck competition 14 out of 22 years.