Photos: 2011 Car of the Year finalists

The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards are given by a jury of 49 veteran automotive journalists from Canada and the United States. Winners of the contest will be announced Jan. 10 at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.


This year, the jury considered more than 50 vehicles. Of those, the jurors voted to put 14 cars and 14 trucks on the ballot. Here is a closer look at the finalists.

Dodge Durango

(November 5, 2010)

While the Durango is built on a unibody platform, rather than a SUV's traditional body-on-frame platform, the stout truck pulls 6,200 pounds with a V-6 engine and 7,200 pounds with a V-8. 

 

Ford Explorer

(February 24, 2010)

Launched in December, the 2011 Explorer can handle the off-road demands of most weekend warriors and easily travels over deep sand ruts and steep hills even though it is built off of the same platform as the Ford Taurus sedan.

The new Explorer gets 25 miles per gallon on the highway, a 25 percent improvement over the outgoing model. It's also loaded with safety features, including an industry first: optional inflatable rear seat belts.  

 

Jeep Grand Cherokee (December 22, 2010) Introduced in July, sales of the redesigned Grand Cherokee have surged. In November, for example, sales increased 256 percent compared with the same month a year ago. Critics have applauded the Grand Cherokee for its vastly improved interior and new engine.

Chevrolet Volt (December 31, 1969) After nearly four years of anticipation, many car critics are saying the Volt's performance is impressive. With a starting price of about $41,000, the Volt travels between 25-50 miles on an electric charge before a gasoline-engine switches on to generate more electricity.

Hyundai Sonata 2.0-liter (December 22, 2010) Sales of the Hyundai Sonata have surged 65.9 percent through November, making the redesigned midsize sedan among the most popular cars in America.

Nissan Leaf

(December 22, 2010)

The compact, battery-powered Leaf boasts zero emissions. The Leaf has an advantage over the Volt because its starts at $32,780 before federal tax incentives, or several thousand dollars lower than the Volt. However, it has an EPA-rated cruising range of just 73 miles on full batteries and a long charging time.

source : chicagotribune.com