Auto Industry News: 2020 NACTOY Awards Winners, White House Happenings, Ford Bronco Sneak Peek, and Tesla Troubles

Another busy week in auto news, as the winners of the 2020 NACTOY Awards are announced and spy shots of the Ford Bronco hit the internet. Tesla faces some heat from the NHTSA, as the federal agency wraps up its fuel economy rollback proposal. And Trump claims two trade wins as he reaches a temporary agreement with China and the USMCA gets Senate approval.

On the competition front, we have breaking NASCAR news and a Chili Bowl win. Plus, check back this week as we’ll be breaking into additional coverage of first-time American class wins at Dakar. For now, a huge congrats to Ricky Brabec (motorcycle) and Casey Currie (SxS) who repped American off-roaders and made history!

Winners of the 2020 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year Announced

Everyone loves award season, right? After more than six months of vehicle evaluations and three rounds of voting, the winners of the 2020 North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) have been announced.

The Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, Kia Telluride, and Jeep Gladiator have the honor of nabbing the prestigious award, which is chosen by an independent jury of 50 respected automotive journalists, rather than one lone publication.

Car of the Year

While passenger car sales may be on the decline, thanks to the meteoric rise of attractive and fuel-efficient light-duty trucks, automakers haven’t entirely abandoned the segment—and they brought some awesome new designs to the table for 2020. One of those impressive additions was this year’s winner, the Chevy Corvette Stingray.

The exceptionally well-received mid-engine sports car beat out two other finalists—the resurrected Toyota Supra and the all-new Hyundai Sonata. While we’re not surprised the new Corvette nabbed the award for its compelling (and fairly priced) style, power, and performance, kudos to the plucky little Sonata for making it to the final round! That alone speaks to its radical styling updates.

Utility of the Year

As we said, the popularity of the utility segment is blasting off into the stratosphere, creating a crowded and competitive market space. This year’s 2020 NACTOY finalists for the award were the Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, and Lincoln Aviator, with Kia taking top honors.

With a well-appointed interior to match its eye-catching exterior design, as well as respectable power and a bevy of convenience and safety tech, the Telluride sure made its name in 2019. In fact, in addition to the 2020 NACTOY award for best utility vehicle, the new Kia Telluride also nabbed MotorTrend’s SUV of the Year Award.

Truck of the Year

Speaking of crowded and popular vehicle categories… From mid-size to heavy-duty, the truck segment has received a large dose of innovation over the last decade—and it shows in this year’s NACTOY winner, the Jeep Gladiator.

Up against fellow-finalists, the Ford Ranger and RAM HD, the one-of-a-kind Jeep pickup has thrown down a gauntlet of sorts in the truck space, particularly among mid-sizers. With its boxy profile, off-road prowess, and ability to go full-Jurassic Park with no doors, roof, or windshield, the Gladiator is a pickup that can work but mostly chooses to play instead. It will be interesting to see how this vehicle shapes the segment over the coming decade.

Like the Telluride, the Jeep Gladiator has managed to snag more than one award for 2020. Four Wheeler Network has named the Gladiator Rubicon as winner of its 31st annual Pickup Truck of the Year award, an invitation-only competition open to all-new or significantly-revised pickup trucks for the upcoming model year.

2020 Green Car Awards

The 2020 NACTOY awards aren’t the only important honors bestowed this month, though, as Green Car Journal announced its finalists for the most innovative and industry-leading luxury EVs of the year, as well as its candidates for best EV technology. As automakers continue to develop their electric and hybrid offerings, we expect the weight of these awards to grow heavier.

Winners of these 2020 Green Car Awards will be announced at the Washington Auto Show, which runs January 24 – February 2 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C.

Here are the relevant categories and vehicles:

2020 Luxury Green Car of the Year – BMW 745e, Karma Revero GT, Lincoln Aviator Grand Touring, Porsche Taycan, Range Rover Evoque

Green Car Technology of the Year – BMW Induction Charging, Ford’s Modular Hybrid Transmission, Hyundai Active Shift Control, Hyundai Continuously Variable Valve Duration, Tesla V3 Supercharging

At the L.A. Auto Show in November, the publication awarded its 2020 Green Car of the Year award to Toyota’s all-new generation 2020 Toyota Corolla, including the Corolla Hybrid. It also awarded the 2020 Honda CR-V and all-new CR-V Hybrid with its 2020 Green SUV of the Year. The 2020 Green Truck of the Year went to the 2020 Ram 1500 for the second year running, thanks to its innovative EcoDiesel engine, while the all-new Green Family Car of the Year award went to the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.

White House Happenings

From China and tariffs to the new-and-improved NAFTA to a possible compromise on emissions issues, there’s been a lot going on when it comes to auto industry politics this week.

U.S. – China Trade Deal To Hold Firm Until After Election

It looks like the nearly two-year-long trade war is at least at a standstill. Last week, President Trump met with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He to sign a partial deal ensuring China would purchase $200 billion worth of U.S. goods over the next two years. Additionally, per the deal, China has agreed it will “refrain from competitive devaluations” of its currency.

According to reporting from CNBC, China is set to hold up its end of the trade bargain, with the Eastern nation “willing and able to stick to” boosting U.S. imports and keeping the yuan stable. While this doesn’t put a conclusive end to the long, drawn-out trade war, it does provide some relief to business groups who have been sweating about trade uncertainties and escalating tension between the two nations.

As for Phase 2 of the trade deal, Trump has indicated that those negotiations may not take place until after November’s election.

Senate Passes USMCA

The new NAFTA, or USMCA, just passed the U.S. Senate this week, sending it to President Trump’s desk to be signed into official policy. (It still needs Canada’s Parliament approval before it can go into effect.)

While the new legislation is set to impact the dairy and pharmaceutical industries, labor rights, copyright, digital trade, and e-commerce law, let’s focus on how this new NAFTA will impact the auto industry.

Here are some key points to focus on:

• Requirements for North American parts in cars and trucks will rise from 62.5 percent to 75 percent
• New parts must be made from North American steel and aluminum
• 40 to 45 percent of vehicles’ worth are to come from “high wage” areas paying at least $16 an hour throughout the U.S. and Mexico
• Vehicles that fail these standards will be subject to heavy tariffs

The USMCA should mean more import and export business and hopefully better working relations with our North American neighbors. There are still some uncertainties over how exactly some of the more stringent requirements will be enforced, as well as what kind of changes consumers should expect to see in vehicle and parts prices, as supply chains shift to accommodate the new rules.

Administration Signals Compromise on Gas Mileage Rules

The Trump administration submitted its final rulings on gas mileage and greenhouse gas emissions last week—and it appears to be modified from its original intention to freeze fuel economy requirements at 2020 levels.

The Detroit News explains: “Details have not been made public yet, but it is expected to call for reducing the required annual fleetwide average mpg increases for carmakers for model years 2021-2026 from the original 5% to a less stringent 1.5% … The Trump administration had initially proposed a freeze in gas mileage rates at 2020 levels until 2026, but it is retrenching slightly to the current proposed 1.5% annual increases.”

Both the EPA and NHTSA support the rule, with the latter saying via statement that both agencies “firmly believe this rule will benefit all Americans by improving the U.S. fleet’s fuel economy, reducing air pollution, and helping make new vehicles more affordable for all Americans.”

Stay tuned for updates, as there’s no word on how long it will take for the White House Office of Management and Budget to complete its review of the proposed ruling.

Ford Bronco Spy Shots

There’s few more speculated-on and highly-anticipated upcoming vehicles than the newly rebooted Ford Bronco. Fans have seen artist renderings and read about plenty of rumors, but now we actually have real-life photos of the thing.

Well, at least SOME photos of a much-doctored Bronco prototype.

A keen-eyed photographer recently captured spy shots of the Ford Bronco during some cold-weather testing. This four-door variant, while covered in camouflaging, resembles the Bronco R Baja race truck we met at SEMA 2019. Its boxy frame, molded together with an off-road-oriented nature in mind, has us excited for the official reveal set for Spring.

Tesla Troubles

While Tesla and its eccentric founder Elon Musk are assuredly at the top of the heap when it comes to popularity and recognizability, the uber-popular electric car brand might have some trouble coming its way fast.

Last week the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it would be reviewing a petition seeking the formal investigation and recall of 500,000 Tesla vehicles over sudden acceleration reports. The recall would impact 2012 to 2019 Model S, 2016 to 2019 Model X, and 2018 to 2019 Model 3 vehicles, citing “127 consumer complaints to NHTSA involving 123 unique vehicles.”

According to the report, the vehicles would “experience unintended acceleration at rates far exceeding other cars on the road,” allegedly leading to 110 crashes and 52 injuries so far.

While Tesla has yet to comment officially, we’re sure Musk will have something to say, as CleanTechnica reveals that the petition was filed by a Tesla short seller named Brian Sparks, who does not own a Tesla himself. (As a refresher, a short-seller is a person who is betting that a company’s stock will go down.)

This is not Tesla’s only hiccup on the horizon, though, as the NHTSA is already investigating two recent crashes involving the automaker’s vehicles: an Indiana firetruck and a fatal Los Angeles-based wreck.

Around the Circuit

NASCAR

NASCAR Xfinity Series fans rejoice! The popular Xfinity Series is set for another year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This time, however, they’ll be driving the road coarse instead of the oval. 

Announced on Wednesday, NASCAR officials released numerous details on this year’s version. Set for July 4th, the race will take place at 1:30 p.m. ET on NBC, followed by The Cup race on July 5 at 3:30 p.m. ET on NBC. 

“As all the Xfinity drivers are looking into this weekend, I think we’re all going to be excited to be (in) the first NASCAR road race at Indy,” Justin Allgaier said during Wednesday’s press conference. “We’re all going to want to win that first race. I remember the first time coming here and racing in the Xfinity Series how exciting that was.” 

This is Roger Penske’s first move since taking over the speedway, with one of his main priorities being reviving the race’s popularity. “We’ve had some great racing here on the Brickyard weekend,” said Penske. “But we think with the concerts, the road course on Saturday, and the oval on Sunday will make a big difference for the fans and certainly our TV partners.”

Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals

Kyle Larson enjoyed his time in the spotlight after winning the 34th Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals this weekend, taking the stage and saying, “I’m sorry NASCAR, I’m sorry Daytona, but this is the biggest effing race I’ve ever won!” 

In his 13th Chili Bowl attempt, Larson battled back to the front of the pack after trailing the opening 38 laps to Christopher Bell. Never looking back after taking the lead, Larson crossed the finish line 0.801 seconds ahead of last year’s winner. 

Larson will look to defend his title next year from January 11 to 16, 2021.