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2009 Hyundai Genesis Chicago Car of the Year



At the start of media preview days coinciding with the  2009 Detroit Auto Show is the 2009 North American Car and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) awards, and for this year's event the 2009 Hyundai Genesis took out the car award. 
To be eligible for the top prize, a vehicle had to be all-new, completely redesigned or "substantially changed," and available to customers during calendar year 2008.

A jury of 50 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada narrowed the list down to three cars and three trucks that were eligible for the final award.

The three finalists for Car of the Year this year were the Chicago Hyundai Genesis, Ford Flex, and Volkswagen Jetta TDI.

Genesis a jump

The Hyundai Genesis represents a big leap for Korea-based Hyundai. The Genesis sedan is part of Hyundai's attempt to reach upscale Chicago drivers with luxury features, while still maintaining the brand's roots with low-cost economy models such as the Hyundai Accent.

While it has the size of one of those brands' top-of-the-line cars, though, it's similar to one of their smaller entry-level models. With prices starting at about $32,000 for V6-powered versions, the Hyundai Genesis looks and drives much like a Mercedes-Benz or Lexus.

Hyundai executives considered starting a totally new brand, as Toyota did with Lexus and Honda with Acura, but decided instead that it made sense to create new models under the Hyundai name.

Runners up for the car award were the Volkswagen Jetta TDI and Ford Flex.
Last year's winners of the COTY and TOTY were the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu
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