Six finalists for the 17th annual North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year were announced Dec. 16 at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit.

The winners will be announced Jan. 11 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

A jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists from the U.S. and Canada has selected the Buick LaCrosse, Ford Fusion Hybrid, and Volkswagen Golf/GTI as finalists for North American Car of the Year. Finalists for the North American Truck of the Year are the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Transit Connect, and Subaru Outback.

Vehicles are selected based on factors that include innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction, and value for the dollar.

To be eligible, vehicles must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model. This year the jury considered more than 50 vehicles and finally focused on 16 cars and 10 trucks.

Last year's winner of the North American Car of the Year was the Hyundai Genesis and the North American Truck of the Year was the Ford F-150.

2010 North American Car of the Year nominees:

* BMW 335d
* Buick LaCrosse
* Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon
* Chevrolet Camaro
* Ford Fusion
* Ford Fusion Hybrid
* Ford Taurus/Taurus SHO
* Honda Insight Kia Soul
* Mazda3/MazdaSpeed3
* Mercedes-Benz E-Class
* Porsche Panamera
* Subaru Legacy
* Suzuki Kizashi
* Toyota Prius
* Volkswagen Golf/GTI/TDI

2010 North American Truck of the Year nominees:

* Acura ZDX
* Audi Q5
* Cadillac SRX
* Chevrolet Equinox
* Ford Transit Connect
* Honda Accord Crosstour
* Land Rover LR4
* Lincoln MKT
* Subaru Outback
* Volvo XC60

Source: http://www.automotive-fleet.com