Every January, the North American International Auto Show takes over Detroit with some of the best vehicle unveilings for the year.
As part of the annual auto show, the North American Car and Truck/SUV of the Year are selected by a panel of 55 independent automotive journalists, as two of the most-coveted awards out of Motor City.
To mash the dash on the media preview days of the NAIAS on Monday morning, the 2016 Honda Civic and Volvo XC90 were named the 2016 North American Car and Truck/SUV of the Year, respectively, as reported by the NAIAS and multiple news outlets.
The Civic, already one of the best-selling cars in the United States, has been improved via a 174 horsepower turbocharged engine option, while maintaining 35 mpg on a longer, wider frame that sits lower to the ground for a sportier look and feel.
Meanwhile, media outlets like USA Today think the Volvo XC90 was given the nod for North American Truck/SUV of the Year because of the crossover's innovation, driving into the future as the world's first seven-seat plug-in hybrid crossover SUV.
These stand to be two of many announcements to come from the annual North American International Auto Show over the next few weeks. Other finalists included the Chevrolet Malibu and Mazda MX-5 Miata in cars, and the Honda Pilot and Nissan Titan XD in truck/utility.
