2007 Motor Trend Car of the Year: Testing and Finalists
The burden of proof...
By Angus MacKenzie
Photography by John Kiewicz, Brian Vance, Julia LaPalme
Back in the old days Motor Trend's Car of the Year was the sole preserve of Detroit's automakers. In fact, it wasn't until 1970 that we recognized there were automakers in other countries, too, and that some of them sold some pretty fine cars here in the U.S. Even then, we kept these imports in a separate category until 2000.
We've become a lot more world-wise since then, and it's about time. For one thing, in an era when Toyotas and Nissans, Hondas and Hyundais, even Mercedes-Benzes and BMWs are being designed, engineered, or manufactured right here in the United States, it's hard to define exactly what's a domestic automobile and what's an import anymore.
Want proof? Of the 27 contenders assembled for the 2007 Car of the Year test program, only six--Chevy Aveo, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass, Saturn Aura, and Saturn Sky--had American nameplates. But of course, the company that makes the Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles is German-owned. And the Chevy Aveo is actually made in Korea, while the two Saturns were styled in Germany.
The auto business is now a truly global business, and the United States is now a truly global market, one of the toughest and most bitterly contested on the planet. The good news for enthusiasts and consumers alike is that we currently have more choices than ever before. And this year's COTY field confirms that.
Ten entries carry Japanese nameplates, five Korean, and four German. The U.K. and Sweden have one representative each--Jaguar and Volvo--though both are of course American-owned. The 27 contenders range in price from just under $10,000 to just under $100,000 and include 13 sedans, three sports cars, and two minivans.
This year's trend? Small hatchbacks/wagons. Although American buyers, unlike their European counterparts, have traditionally preferred their small cars as sedans, seven of this year's contenders are available only as hatchbacks. Coupe/convertibles with folding steel roofs is another trend, evidenced by the presence of VW's Eos and Volvo's C70 in this year's showdown.
It's a tremendously varied field. But there can only be one winner. Let the judging begin...
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