The best 2008 vehicles worldwide
While motorists wonder if they get a new model 2008 or opt for a use, we on our side, which follow almost religiously multiple activities in the global automotive industry, are already submerged information on new several products in 2009. Moreover, of them are already or about to be placed on the market, if their marketing will be the next fall.
But before going to the 2009 model year, I allowed myself a small return back a plan to recover the car and truck of the year nominees that were everywhere around the world. Although several specialized magazines, American, Canadian and Europeans suffer also their specific choices, I am mainly focuses appointments made by groups of specialized journalists, our neighbors to the south, across Canada, Europe and Japan. To finish it off, I take this opportunity to remind you the choice of my confreres Journalists Guide Auto and Auto World magazine, Denis Duquet, Gabriel Gelinas, Alain Morin, Sylvain Raymond and Antoine Joubert.
In America
Last in Detroit in January, we were treated to the 15th edition of the 'North American Car and Truck of the Year. On this occasion a jury comprised of fifty American and Canadian journalists have appointed the Chevrolet Malibu and Mazda CX-9 as car and truck of the year 2008.
Canada
Canadian columnists members Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), which our testers confreres for The Car Guide and The World Auto, gather annually for a weekend called 'TestFest. This activity allows to nearly 70 Canadian journalists gather for a weekend of four intensive days to discover the best values available on the 2008 Canadian auto chessboard. This year, the exercise was held in Niagara on the Lake, or our comperes processes have to choose the best vehicles distributed in twelve categories very specific. 177 cars and vehicles nominated, the Audi R8 is the one that most impressed this gallery journalists yet accustomed to lead the most powerful, most prestigious and most exotic cars significantly more expensive.
In Europe
Our confreres european journalists have chosen only to them as the little Fiat 500 as their car par excellence. The resurrection of this icon is the pride of the Italian people and it was like the New Beetle for the Germans or the Mini for the English. The jury consisted of 58 journalists representing 22 countries european. Initially, there were 33 vehicles nominated by the following seven of them are finalists find yourself, like the Ford Mondeo, Kia Cee'd, Mazda2, Mercedes C-Class, Nissan and Peugeot 308 Quashquai.
Japan
In this beautiful land of the rising sun, there are in fact two organizations that choose or vehicles of the year. One of them presents its choice in the Tokyo Motor Show. However, as the latter is a biennial show, their appointments are those of vehicles plying two years, and it is for this reason that I will not dwell on the past. However, the Association of Researchers and journalists auto matter of Japan, which includes sixty specialized journalists present car and truck of the year annually. For 2008, Mazda was the festival since its model Mazda Demio (Mazda2), in the version with four doors, has won the title of the car of the year, while the CX-7 crossover vehicle was chosen Truck of the year. Note that the platform of the little Mazda2 is currently in development and production of the Ford Festiva that will eventually be available in America. Unfortunately, it may be that the Mazda2 never comes into North American soil.
The Auto World
In the edition of last April the magazine Le Monde de l'Auto, my confreres journalists Denis Duquet, Gabriel Gelinas, Alain Morin, Sylvain Raymond and Antoine Joubert are given the mission to find the best values between $ 15,000 and $ 350,000. Each has presented its own 'Top 5' and the Honda Accord was the choice of three of them, while the Mazda CX-7 recue swallows four columnists five. On the side of green vehicles currently available or coming, everyone is deciding on his fetish vehicle. Denis Duquet was very impressed by the performance SUV Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon Hybrid. Gabriel Gelinas sincerely believes the ecological virtues of prototype Volt General Motors, which could reach the stage of serial model, here a couple of years. Alain Morin bears his judgment on the Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI which is the first car available in America using a turbo diesel direct injection, common rail has, silent, odorless, economic and very clean. Sylvain Raymond chose the Honda FCX Clarity, the first fuel cell car available to the general public, first in California and consumers are invited to the rent over a period of three years, allowing them to take part in the development of this technology. Finally, Antoine Joubert has set his sights on the Toyota Highlander Hybrid, a powerful vehicle, economic and green.
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