Left in the dust as they were shut out of the final round of voting were the Dodge Challenger, the Nissan GT-R and the Honda Fit.
The Genesis beat out the boxy 2009 Ford Flex and the alt-fuel 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI for the award, which is selected by a panel of 50 North American auto journalists. The redesigned F-150 topped the 2009 Dodge Ram and the diesel-powered Mercedes-Benz ML320 BlueTEC in the final round of voting.
The Genesis — its name means "the origin" — has been reaping praise for its affordability and luxury feel. The base Genesis is equipped with a 290-horsepower 3.8-liter V6 and starts at $33,000, including a $750 destination charge. It goes up against such stalwarts as the Cadillac CTS and the Lexus ES.
Last week, the Genesis was named Consumer Reports' top-rated "upscale sedan." The consumer watchdog lauded the Genesis for its affordability in comparison with its competitors.
The Genesis win is a significant turning point for Hyundai, which as recently as a decade ago was maligned in the automotive press for its cheap and unappealing vehicles.
Inside Line was prescient last August in describing the 2009 Hyundai Genesis V6 as "the Cadillac of Hyundais."
The redesigned 2009 Ford F-150 hews to the Dearborn automaker's core truck values. Inside Line, in an October review, called it "substantially improved." Ford said it bettered the F-150's fuel economy by an average of eight percent across the entire lineup.
The Chevrolet Malibu was the 2008 North American Car of the Year, and the Mazda CX-9 was the 2008 North American Truck of the Year.
Inside Line says: It's a bit of old school and a bit of new school as longtime truckmaker Ford takes home a trophy and the Koreans pick up their first. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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