[JamesMcQuaid]

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car, Honda Ridgeline pickup and Chrysler Pacifica minivan, respectively, were named North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the year at the North American International Auto Show Monday in Detroit.

http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/detroit-auto-show/2017/01/09/north-american-car-truck-suv-of-the-year-detroit-auto-show/96327558/

 

[Sly Bob]

Good on GM with the Bolt win but the Ridgeline? Were no other truck eligible for the award???

 

[Raymondjram]

Congratulations to GM for another deserved award. Now the Chevy Bolt EV follows the Chevy Volt as the most awarded new vehicle. The Ford F-series should had won the "Truck" award. Honda shouldn't qualify for a "North American " award because it isn't North American at all.

 

[BAZINGA]

Good on GM with the Bolt win but the Ridgeline? Were no other truck eligible for the award???

I guess the mis-placed "Honda Love Affair" continues.... and the Bolt continues to win accolades, now GM needs to capitalize on this press and ramp up production, sales and deliveries. Once the Tesla M3 is released the spotlight light will shift to Tesla.

 

[cfspeakman]

I guess the mis

And consider fixing the uncomfortable seats...

 

[Loboc]

I guess the mis

And consider fixing the uncomfortable seats...

That shifter is pretty bad as well. Apparently, all GM have the same shifter. The 2017 XT5 loaner I had last week was exactly the same.

What the heck is the matter with PRNDL?

The XT5 was:
- Hit button on side and push shifter up and to the left to get Reverse
- Hit button on side and pull shifter down to get Drive
- When in 'D', push the shifter up to get Neutral
- When in 'D', pull the shifter down to enable Manual mode
- Hit the 'P' button to shift to Park.

The XT5 also had paddle shifters behind the wheel for use in Manual mode. Worked ok, but, why in a semi-luxury SUV?

ALWAYS use the electronic parking brake. Who knows if it is actually in park or not. I don't wanna get Yelchin'd when getting the groceries out of the back.

Sheesh.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

That shifter is pretty bad as well. Apparently, all GM have the same shifter. The 2017 XT5 loaner I had last week was exactly the same.

What the heck is the matter with PRNDL?

The XT5 was:
- Hit button on side and push shifter up and to the left to get Reverse
- Hit button on side and pull shifter down to get Drive
- When in 'D', push the shifter up to get Neutral
- When in 'D', pull the shifter down to enable Manual mode
- Hit the 'P' button to shift to Park.

The XT5 also had paddle shifters behind the wheel for use in Manual mode. Worked ok, but, why in a semi-luxury SUV?

ALWAYS use the electronic parking brake. Who knows if it is actually in park or not. I don't wanna get Yelchin'd when getting the groceries out of the back.

Sheesh.

My 2010 Prius has a self-centering shifter with the center at x:

  R
  |
  N-x
  | |
  D B

P

(button driver's side of the shifter)
I don't normally use the Park button, but you can simply turn the car off and it'll put it into Park for you.
Makes for really easy and consistent shifting. I _really_ like it.
But regular Toyota cars that I've seen have you solve a maze to shift.

Our 2013 Volt feels _so_ clunky in comparison to the easy shift of the Prius.

 

[Steverino]

Great news on the Bolt EV! Congratulations GM!

As with the Volt, I'm sure we will soon see online comments from the GM-is-junk crowd that "It was rigged", "GM paid them off", yadda, yadda.

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Great news on the Bolt EV! Congratulations GM!

As with the Volt, I'm sure we will soon see online comments from the GM-is-junk crowd that "It was rigged", "GM paid them off", yadda, yadda.

Don't even need to be GM-is-junk. There's always anti-EV.

 

[Raymondjram]

That shifter is pretty bad as well. Apparently, all GM have the same shifter. The 2017 XT5 loaner I had last week was exactly the same.

What the heck is the matter with PRNDL?

I love your post because I am reminded that the need to shift a transmission gear is a vestigial remanent of the manual transmissions and the limit of gas engine torque. I did a test drive (and my wife did another) in the Lincoln MKZ (based on the Fusion) , and both had a pushbutton transmission. The buttons are laid out vertically along the left side of the center console panel.

See this image from Motor Trend (the "P" is illuminated in orange): http://st.motortrend.com/uploads/sites/10/2015/11/2015-lincoln-mkz-hybrid-sedan-steering-wheel.png

Today I learned that the 2018 GMC Terrain, which was presented yesterday, has a puch button transmission, too, but I haven't found that interior image yet.

So, for your future pleasure, the GMC Terrain will not have the "same shifter" that your loaner Cadillac XT5 has. And maybe by the same 2018 model year, more GM vehicles will be pushbuttons, too.

As I and other have mentioned, a true BEV doesn't need any "shifting" because there is no gear changes in the EDU. Only a status charge (park, drive and reverse). So that can be changed electronically with small levers and puchbuttons.

Edit: I found the image of the Terrain's shif buttons:

Here is the full article on the 2018 GMC Terrain: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...-2018-gmc-terrain-suv-bold-new-nose/96330468/

The Lincoln buttons are much better laid out.

Edit: Hers is a video of the GMC Terrain. The new pudh button "shifter" is seen at 1:10 into the video:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/video...acadia-like-looks-and-available-diesel-power/

 

[DonC]

A very well deserved award for being the first affordable BEV with over 200 miles of range. Potentially a tipping point.

Congratulations to GM for another deserved award. Now the Chevy Bolt EV follows the Chevy Volt as the most awarded new vehicle. The Ford F-series should had won the "Truck" award. Honda shouldn't qualify for a "North American " award because it isn't North American at all.

The award isn't for the best made in NA, it's for the best released in NA. LOL In any event, Honda is actually more a US than Japanese company in many respects.

 

[dutch husky]

Congrats, GM and Bolt! Well deserved!

That's SIX times in the past 11 years that GM has won NACOTY. But this one, and the Volt in 2011, are the sweetest. Here's hoping GM can capitalize on it this time in a way that they haven't with some of their previous winners!

 

[Raymondjram]

A very well deserved award for being the first affordable BEV with over 200 miles of range. Potentially a tipping point.

The award isn't for the best made in NA, it's for the best released in NA. LOL In any event, Honda is actually more a US than Japanese company in many respects.

Wow! Did GM buy Honda? Because Honda is Japanese and assembling a truck in the U.S. never makes it "North American"!!

 

[ItsNotAboutTheMoney]

Wow! Did GM buy Honda? Because Honda is Japanese and assembling a truck in the U.S. never makes it "North American"!!

The vehicle was designed in the USA (California and Ohio), the engine was designed and is built in the USA, the transmission was co-designed with BorgWarner and the vehicle is built in the USA.

I'm sorry that it's not American enough for you.

But I know it's not going to affect your purchase anyway since you're planning to buy the Mexican-built Ford Fusion Energi.

 

[!arry4pyro]

I think the Bolt won because its a game changer. Its an EV with termendous range at a price that many people around the world will be able to afford. Most important however, is it is a great car regardless of its propulsion.

I think the Pacifica won because its the best mini-van available today, and most importantly for us, it also comes as a real plug-in.

I think the Ridgeline won becauses the judges believed it was the right truck for many people who buy trucks. Those are the people who rarely really use their truck as a truck.

 

[Sean Nelson]

The 2017 Chevrolet Bolt electric car, Honda Ridgeline pickup and Chrysler Pacifica minivan, respectively, were named North American Car, Truck and Utility Vehicle of the year at the North American International Auto Show Monday in Detroit.

Nice to see electric vehicles winning two of those three slots. I suppose the award goes to the Pacifica in general rather than the extended-range electric version in particular, but still it's a good trend.

Also great to see that the Bolt EV got far more points than the next two contenders put together!

 

[canehdian]

Today I learned that the 2018 GMC Terrain, which was presented yesterday, has a puch button transmission, too, but I haven't found that interior image yet.

So, for your future pleasure, the GMC Terrain will not have the "same shifter" that your loaner Cadillac XT5 has. And maybe by the same 2018 model year, more GM vehicles will be pushbuttons, too.

As I and other have mentioned, a true BEV doesn't need any "shifting" because there is no gear changes in the EDU. Only a status charge (park, drive and reverse). So that can be changed electronically with small levers and puchbuttons.

Edit: I found the image of the Terrain's shif buttons:

Here is the full article on the 2018 GMC Terrain: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money...-2018-gmc-terrain-suv-bold-new-nose/96330468/

The Lincoln buttons are much better laid out.

Edit: Hers is a video of the GMC Terrain. The new pudh button "shifter" is seen at 1:10 into the video:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/video...acadia-like-looks-and-available-diesel-power/

Strange that GM would put the button shifting in something that is definitely not-techy and put the vestigial stick shift in the all-new tech vehicle. Seems it should have been reversed.
People have been saying since Volt 1.0 that the shifter is highly irrelevant and takes up so much space for nothing. (and the volt 0.1 shifter was excessively larger than that)

 

[turboguy327]

Congratulations to GM for another deserved award. Now the Chevy Bolt EV follows the Chevy Volt as the most awarded new vehicle. The Ford F-series should had won the "Truck" award. Honda shouldn't qualify for a "North American " award because it isn't North American at all.

Why should the F series have won? Ram and GM make a much better product that looks a lot better and performs better.

And if you don't count fleet sales ford isn't even close to the best selling.

 

[austai]

Keep in mind to be eligible for the award, the vehicle has to be new for this model year.

 

[Steverino]

Keep in mind to be eligible for the award, the vehicle has to be new for this model year.

Yes, I see some Tesla fans over at Electrek are having trouble accepting this great news for GM and the Bolt EV ("the Model S should have won"). Apparently if it's not a Tesla, it can't be worthy, lol. Add the usual misguided arguments.

I brought home some Bolt EV paint chips from my local dealer (surprised to see them here in Chicago area). I'll get to look at them for the next 8 months...